Breathtaking! That may be the best way to describe the physical, material world after Jesus Christ’s Second Coming to rule this Earth.
Scripture is clear on this fact: The beauty of tomorrow’s world will be resplendent beyond anything we’ve ever seen. Deserts will be fertile. Waste cities will be rebuilt. The temple in Jerusalem will set the ultimate example for such physical opulence: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to BEAUTIFY THE PLACE OF MY SANCTUARY; and I will makethe place of my feet glorious” (Isaiah 60:13).
Material wealth will be significantly upgraded (verse 17), and humanity will devote much effort to building and planting (Isaiah 65:21-22).
From a visual standpoint, fertile lands and fruit-producing plants are more aesthetically pleasing than barren trees and dead grasslands. A remarkable characteristic of fruit- and vegetable-producing plants is that they blossom with flowers before they produce an edible fruit or vegetable. Why did God create them that way? He did not have to. Obviously, He wanted the physical beauty to match the physical abundance. Imagine the houses and vineyards, the architecture and horticulture!
Imagine how much more BEAUTIFUL (not just more manageable) the world would be without thorns and weeds and the many struggles man has with the soil—curses that resulted from Adam’s disobedience (Genesis 3:17-18). God will restore the land to the way things were in Eden (Isaiah 51:3).
Since everyone will own property (Micah 4:4), streets will no longer be a place where those who have lost everything will throw down cardboard and sleep amid unmentionable waste. Streets will not breed inhumanity, indecency, depravity or disease; rather they will be safe for all ages (Zechariah 8:4-5). No more ghettos, slums, run-down trashy neighborhoods.
We go to the Feast of Tabernacles each year to celebrate this coming beautiful world. Living for eight days on 10 percent of our income allows us to experience finer material things: from our dress and appearance to our living conditions and dining. At worship services, our men and women strive to make the stage, flowers, music and surrounding environment of a higher quality than at any other time of the year.
Why all this effort for the physical? Is God thatconcerned with the material world? Do we understand why that beauty will be there?
Those observing the Feast of Tabernacles in this life will be teaching those in the future why their world is so beautiful. They will be teaching people to notice that beauty—to notice the flowers, vines, music and precious stones. To be able to do that, those of us in that position must understand why God puts such an emphasis on that beauty—understand the TWO GREAT PURPOSES for the beautiful surroundings and quality environment of the World Tomorrow.
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