bible rebel

Your Life And What Comes After (37): Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

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So everything will be hunky dory after Jesus returns and we live together in heaven on earth forever. Great. But what about now?

Why does God allow death and disease, earthquakes, fires, and floods, and horrible things to happen?

Special Connection

When God first set up His creation He gave Adam and Eve the job of taking care of it and of ruling “over all the earth.” God gave them power and wisdom, through their special connection with Him by way of His Spirit, to have control over the world and nature.

Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

But there was one condition God set:

Genesis 2:16-17
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Well, they disobeyed God and broke the condition He set. Although they didn’t die physically, the special connection with God that gave them the wisdom and power to be good rulers over creation died and was broken.

And so the world was broken as well, and still is. Without the special connection of God’s Spirit to give people the wisdom and power to take authority over the forces of nature, nature can and will cause harm and death, by everything from earthquakes to microscopic diseases.

God put the fate of His creation into human hands, and because humans broke it would take human hands to repair it. That’s where Jesus comes in, but we’ll get to that a bit later.

Authority

When Adam and Eve gave up their special connection with the Creator by their own choice they also gave up their rulership of the world. So the one who talked them into disobeying God was the one who took over that rulership—the “serpent,” the Devil.

Luke 4:5-6
And the devil, taking him (Jesus) up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

The Devil is the ruler of this world. He is the one who causes evil, death, and bad things to happen. To put it in legal terms, God is perfectly fair, He gave Adam and Eve rulership over the world, it was theirs to do with as they wished and God honored that. In turn, Adam and Eve gave their rulership to the Serpent and because it was theirs to give, God must honor that as well.

But God has also planned a way to get the rulership of the world back into the right hands, and that is through Jesus Christ.

For believers in Christ, the Spirit, power, and wisdom of God have been given back to us and we can once again overcome the powers of evil through the name of Jesus Christ and by His work, because He has reclaimed what Adam lost.

Matthew 28:16
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The Devil’s authority over the world is only for a short time, and soon it will be completely gone forever. For now, we claim what Jesus has won back for us and wait patiently for the final victory.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Next, we’ll talk about how human free will works and why that’s important in understanding why sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Your Life And What Comes After (36): Our New Bodies

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God promises that when Jesus returns, we will receive new, changed physical bodies. What will they be like? Scripture gives us some hints and clues.

First, our new bodies will be like Jesus in some ways.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Here are some examples of what Jesus’ new body was like after God raised him from the dead:

Jesus’ resurrected body was real, solid, and touchable—not a ghost or spirit‑form.

Luke 24:39
“Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

Jesus could enter locked rooms, appear and disappear, and move effortlessly—yet still remain fully physical.

John 20:19
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

In his resurrected body Jesus joined some of his followers and enjoyed a meal of real food with them.

Luke 24:42-43
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
And he took it, and did eat before them.

What About Us?

Our new bodies will be like Jesus’ new body in other ways as well.

We will be raised in a glorious new condition that can never break down, die, get tired or sick again. The frailty of our present bodies will be gone forever.

Philippians 3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Our new bodies will reflect, like a mirror, the brightness and radiance of Christ in His glory—“like unto his glorious body”—which is described in part in Revelation.

Revelation 1:16
…and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Our new spiritual bodies will be powerful and strong, full of energy and able to do many, many things we can’t do in our current physical bodies. And remember, “Spiritual” does not mean non‑physical; it means fully Spirit‑powered, perfectly suited for the wonders God has in store for us in eternity because the life God promises us in the resurrection will never end.

Faith Isn’t Blind

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Curious Fearless Faith

Faith isn’t blind. Faith is curious and goes searching with eyes wide open.

Faith doesn’t just meekly accept whatever doctrines of men the bishops, evangelists, or street preachers claim to be the gospel truth. Faith examines each bit, turns it over and over again, and measures it against an informed understanding of Scripture, common sense, and reason.

Faith understands that the whole being we are to love our God with includes our minds as well as our hearts and souls. Faith recognizes that the human mind is designed to be skeptical and to question everything — even long‑held church traditions being spoon‑fed to Sunday congregations and Wednesday Bible study groups by pastors, lay ministers, and priests.

Faith never fears being outside the denominational doctrinal box if that is where the truth is. Faith cares little for titles or academic credentials in the pursuit of understanding God’s grand plan for His creation.

Faith continues, never satisfied with what people say about the Word of God, only with what the Word says about itself and the purposes of our Creator.

Faith is curious. Faith is fearless. The confidence of faith is not in blind acceptance, but in full assurance that there is One who holds all the answers and that our calling is to Him, seeking as we go.

Your Life And What Comes After (35): Heaven On Earth Forever

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Cincinnatus was an old Roman farmer who had promised his family he would take care of their small piece of land. One day, while he was out plowing his field, messengers arrived from Rome begging him to save the army that was trapped by an enemy. It was a huge, heroic request—but he wouldn’t leave until he first honored the simple promise he’d already made at home. He put his farm in order, made sure his family was provided for, and only then agreed to go.

Once he fulfilled that first commitment, he stepped into the greater one. He kept both promises: the quiet one to his family first, and then the great one to his country.

It’s like that in the endgame of God’s grand plan—after He keeps His promise of a kingdom to Israel at the return of Jesus, then comes heaven on earth forever.

The apostle Paul sums it up well in his first letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:24
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

This is God’s grand plan fulfilled. This is where all of history has been going and will finally end up—God’s original, perfect creation restored for His people, you and me, to live with Him forever.

Isaiah 65:17
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

So, what will that be like?

No More Death, Pain, or Sorrow

In the new heavens and the new earth, God brings an end to every kind of human suffering. Death, grief, pain, and tears are permanently removed.

Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

No More Injustice, Tragedy, or Evil

Heaven on earth will mean total peace, and the full blessing of God. No more darkness, horrible events, or evil set loose in our lives.

Revelation 22:3
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him…

What will you and I look like—and be like—in that heaven on earth? Let’s take a look at that next.

“Left Behind” Is Not Scripture

Rick Tryon2 Comments

I don’t believe the Bible teaches a strict dispensational framework as some, a minority, in the modern Church era teach.

Just a reminder: John Nelson Darby was not an author of Scripture, and Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series are not books of Scripture.

I think the Bible clearly teaches that the return of Jesus Christ is a singular event—not a Second Coming where the Church is scooped up and taken away for three and a half or seven years, followed by a third coming.

That doesn’t preclude our gathering together unto Him to meet Him in the air at His return, or the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. It also doesn’t mean that the people of God aren’t going to suffer great tribulation—they have, they are, and they will until the restoration of all things.

Your Life And What Comes After (34): The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like A Treehouse

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Callum’s dad promised to build him a treehouse, and even when he had to leave for a business trip to France, that promise didn’t drift across the ocean. Callum never pictured a treehouse rising somewhere in Paris; he knew exactly where it belonged.

He understood his dad would build it in their own backyard when he came home—right there in the tree he could see from his bedroom window. The promise wasn’t about Callum going to France to climb up in his treehouse; it was about his dad building it for him right where he had always lived, and that was enough for Callum to wait with confidence.

Kingdom Come

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus taught his followers how to pray.

Matthew 6:9–10
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

See? The kingdom comes here; we don’t go to the kingdom.

Just like Callum’s dad promised a treehouse, God promised His people a kingdom of perfect goodness and justice—not far away somewhere in outer space with floating clouds and angels playing harps, but right here on earth.

The King

Jesus is God’s chosen King for the promised kingdom. After He returns and we are raised and given new bodies, Jesus will begin establishing that kingdom here on earth. And we will help Him.

A king and a kingdom had been promised to Israel for many years, and they waited for it to finally come. But when the King came with the offer of the kingdom to Israel, they refused to believe it and rejected both the King and the kingdom. In fact, they helped to crucify and kill their promised King, Jesus.

But that didn’t mean the promise of the kingdom would be set aside or forgotten. God will keep His promise to His people of a grand and glorious kingdom and a good, powerful, and perfect King when Jesus Christ returns.

Matthew 8:11
And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus returns and we are brought to life and given new bodies, He will set up the kingdom on earth that God promised His people, Israel—then what? We’ll dig into that next.

Your Life And What Comes After (33): The Return Of Jesus Christ

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The new beginning for the world begins with the return of Jesus Christ—the literal, physical return of Jesus to the earth.

After God raised Him from the dead and He walked out of the tomb, Jesus spent many days in His new resurrected body, teaching His followers and being with them. When the day and hour came for Jesus to ascend into heaven, as they watched, two angelic messengers appeared and made a promise to His followers:

Acts 1:11
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This isn’t a symbol with a hidden meaning; it will be an actual event. Jesus has been in the spiritual realm where God dwells for over two thousand years, as we count time, since He ascended into heaven. But He is coming back to the earthly realm for us—for you and me—one day.

Thessalonians 4:16-17
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (KJV)

1 Corinthians 15:52
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 

There are believers who will be alive at the moment this happens, and all believers of the Church Age who have died will rise from their sleep in the dust and ashes and from their graves, and we will all be changed and given new, immortal, glorified bodies in the “twinkling of an eye.”

This is God’s promise to us, and it will happen as surely as the sun comes up in the morning. But that’s only the “opening ceremonies,” so to speak.

The completion of God’s grand plan begins when Jesus returns for us, but it doesn’t end there. God has more to do after that, and we will be a part of what He has in store. We will be His helpers and managers in the amazing, everlasting age to come.

So, what comes next in this new beginning is what the Bible calls “the Kingdom.” We’ll look at that next.

Watchdog Alert: Who Does Scripture Belong To?

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Photo via Julius Silvers, pexels.com

This from EWTN News on Thursday 2/12/26:
Pope Leo XIV affirmed Wednesday that sacred Scripture has been entrusted to the Catholic Church — that she preserves and explains it, and supports its purpose of making Christ known to the world.

“The Church is the rightful home of sacred Scripture,” the pope said during the general audience on Feb. 11.

Say what?

Pope Leo went even further in his address, stating the following:

He quoted from Pope Benedict XVI’s postsynodal exhortation Verbum Domini. In that document, Pope Benedict affirmed that “the intrinsic link between the word and faith makes clear that authentic biblical hermeneutics can only be had within the faith of the Church, which has its paradigm in Mary’s fiat… the primary setting for scriptural interpretation is the life of the Church.”

Mary drove a Fiat? Kidding.

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) is Mary’s fiat according to Catholic tradition. However, I don’t see any correlation between Luke 1:38 and the idea of Scripture belonging solely to the Catholic Church.

Although Pope Leo XIV says some helpful things about the inspired nature of the Bible and the importance of Christians studying and meditating on God’s Word, he completely misses the mark by claiming that “…biblical hermeneutics can only be had within the faith of the Church.”

That is complete and total nonsense.

Your Life And What Comes After (32): The New Beginning

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Lucas was walking home from school when he spotted a man on the corner holding a cardboard sign that read “THE END IS NEAR.” People hurried past without looking, but Lucas stopped. The man’s shoulders sagged, his eyes heavy with worry, as if he’d been standing there a long time.

Lucas studied the sign, then looked up at him with a small smile. “I think you’ve got it backwards,” he said. “Actually, the beginning is near.” The man blinked, startled. Lucas added, “My mom says every ending starts something new. Maybe things aren’t ending—maybe they’re about to get better.” He waved and continued down the sidewalk, leaving the man staring at his sign, wondering if the boy might be right.

This world and this life are not all there is. The way things are now is not the way they will always be, because God is taking the world to someplace new and very exciting.

What comes after the end of the world? What will it look like as God completes His grand plan to bring His family into a new creation and into everlasting life with Him?

We’ll explore the three most important events, according to God’s promises, that are coming our way as the grand plan unfolds and comes to its completion.

  1. The Return of Jesus Christ
  2. The Kingdom of Heaven
  3. Heaven on Earth Forever

Remember, “In the end, everything will be all right. And if it’s not all right, it’s not the end.”

Let’s look at the “everything will be all right” part together, up next.