How Will The World End According to the Bible? (Biblical Revelation Explained)

Bibliaon Team

Created and reviewed by our editors

Revelation, the last book of the Bible, describes visions of the end of the world received by its author, John. These visions speak of a total destruction of the world as we know it. Everything the book says reveals to us what will happen at the end of times.

The first chapters of the book speak about Jesus—who has always been and who will be for eternity. From chapter 5 onward begins the account of the visions God showed to John. First, it speaks about the throne of God, highlighting the lordship and authority of Christ. Then, in speaking of the seals, the trumpets, and the judgment, it begins to detail the different events that will unmistakably announce that the end is near.

Famine, wars, natural disasters, persecution of the church, scarcity, and the collapse of the world economy are some of the things that Revelation mentions will happen at the end of times. There will be great tribulation and it will be difficult to survive. It may be hard to imagine all that suffering, but the purpose of the book is not to discourage us, but to show us what will happen and remind us that in Jesus Christ we have the hope of salvation and eternal life.

Another event the book mentions in chapter 16 is a great war that will affect all the nations of the earth. This will be the great final battle before the judgment. Because the book of Revelation is full of symbolism, it is hard to know for certain the exact order in which things will happen. But one thing is clear: Jesus is the victor! Many difficult things will strike the whole earth, but at the end of it all, Jesus will reign.

Jesus will return to earth to gather His church—everyone will see Him. And He will come in all His glory to reign for eternity. After the second coming of Christ and the millennium, the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire as eternal punishment for his rebellion against God. God will judge all those who did not accept Christ as Savior or believe in His redemptive work. They will pass into the lake of fire for eternity.

Those who received Christ and submitted to His lordship on earth, declaring Him Lord of their lives, are righteous in Him and will dwell with Him for eternity.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1

Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem. The planet Earth as we know it will no longer exist; there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no need for the sun or the moon—the glory of God will cover and illuminate everything. There will be no pain, no death, no hunger. Everything will be as it should have been without evil and sin: radiant, filled with the peace and presence of God.

Jesus Will Return and Reign for Eternity

Jesus will return, and this time He comes to reign for eternity. The last chapter of Revelation and of the Bible affirms that Christ will come back, and this time He will come as King. All evil will cease to exist.

³No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

- Revelation 22:3–5

Jesus will come to reward those who received Him as Lord and Savior and who persevered faithfully through all the struggles and difficulties of life.

¹²“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

- Revelation 22:12–13

How to Be Prepared According to the Bible

If you have not yet decided to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, now could be a good time to do so. None of us knows when the end of the world will occur, but we do know with certainty that it will happen. Jesus’ desire is that all of us become part of His family, that we accept His love and the forgiveness of our sins. He calls to us, and we only need to open the door of our hearts to enjoy His presence for eternity.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

- Revelation 3:20

Other resources to learn more about Revelation and the end of the world:

Bibliaon Team

Bibliaon's Editorial Team consists of mature Christians with several years of experience in Bible teaching and in writing, all with a genuine commitment to Jesus and the Word of God.

Jesus Will Return and Reign for Eternity

How to Be Prepared According to the Bible

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