When Does the World End?

People have been trying to predict the end of the world since the first millennium. Sometimes these predictions came as a result of dire circumstances. In 1666, many people in London, England thought the world was going to end soon because nearly a quarter of Londoners had died from bubonic plague, the Great Fire of London destroyed more than 80% of the city and “666” appeared in the year.

Other end-times claims were fabricated under stranger circumstances. In 1806, the “Prophet Hen of Leeds” laid several eggs that displayed “Christ is coming,” which signaled the world would end soon. It was later discovered to be a hoax, but it made the prediction no different than all of the others. They were all false.

The Bible plainly describes the origin of the earth and how it will come to an end one day. In fact, the universe has an expiration date as well. “The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

But How Will the World End?

The Bible doesn’t give specifics on how the end will come. Since the entire universe will be gone, we can assume the event will be bigger than just the earth. This would rule out man-made disasters like nuclear war, geological catastrophes like a supervolcanic eruption or global impacts like a meteor. The end will be something of a much larger scale and beyond our comprehension. Jesus’ return will bring “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). There will be rejoicing over a better earth.

So When Does the World End?

Only God knows the future. Not only that, the future rests in His hands and He alone controls it. The end will come at a moment appointed by God. On that day, Jesus Christ will return to earth to put an end to evil and bring justice and peace.

Jesus said not to listen to the scientists, religious figures and so-called experts that predict when our world will end. He said, “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36). However, the Bible does lay out specific things that will happen before Jesus returns and we see many of those today.

There’s a more urgent question than these. Are you ready for the day you will stand before God? You may not see the end, but we’re all guaranteed to see the end of this life. This you can count on and it deserves a moment to consider something else Jesus said:

“And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:17).

Make sure you trust Jesus for your salvation and give your life to Him today.