One of the most common fears relating to climate change is that it will eventually bring about a doomsday situation, where life on earth will be wiped out in an irreversible catastrophe. The Bible does not specifically state that climate change will cause the end of the world, but it does describe natural disasters and changes in climate which are signs of the end of the world. According to the Bible, the end of the world, as we know it, will take place when Christ returns to this earth to take His people home. He will then cleanse this earth by fire (2 Peter 3:10). Many people wonder when this type of apocalypse will take place. The followers of Jesus had this same question when they asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). Christ then went on to describe the condition of the world just before His glorious return. We find Him predicting “wars and rumors of wars . . . nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . . famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matthew 24:6, 7).

The first part of this prediction relating to political conflict is very interesting when we consider the impact of climate change on current world events. Studies have shown that climate change can be linked to political unrest and even violent conflict.1 As natural resources become depleted or less available and the global population increases, the demand for these resources becomes higher. These resources include nutrient-rich soil, fresh water, and quality air, which are all essential for sustaining human life. High demand for these resources leads to a rise in the cost of food, water, and other products which are derived from nature. This means that many people already suffering from poverty are left struggling to survive. This insecurity often leads to violent conflict as these people resort to any measure to obtain the resources they need for survival.1 This chain reaction is not restricted to local areas affected by poverty. The political unrest caused by climate change can be seen on a global level. As countries look to establish their dominance and national security and their own resources become depleted, they often look outside their own territory. What begins as a rumor of war often ends in an invasion and outright warfare.2 This biblical prediction of political unrest and natural disasters in various places can be linked to climate change.

One of the biggest misunder–standings about climate change lies in the belief that it is not human-induced. Today, this idea is largely unaccepted due to the amount of changes in the environment that have been clearly observed and linked back to being influenced by humans. While the Bible does not tell us that humans cause climate change, it does show us that critical issues such as climate change are related to human actions. In the book of Proverbs, we find many practical words of wisdom that King Solomon wrote to illustrate certain biblical lessons. Despite the idea that humans do not cause climate change, the Bible teaches that “the curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2).

God has created planet Earth with the perfect environment, swaddling our globe with a thin blanket of atmospheric gases that allow this planet to be habitable. This thin layer of atmospheric gas is what protects the earth from UV radiation, extreme exposure to the sun’s heat energy, and keeps us cool at night. Because of the increase in population and an increase in the pollution created by cars, the composition of the atmosphere has begun to change. The change to these atmospheric gases is what has led to the increase in exposure of the sun’s UV radiation as well as heat energy, causing the global temperatures on earth to rise.3 Science confirms that the curse, in this case climate change, does not come without a cause; it’s caused by man-made pollution.

Today, the effects of climate change are due to the destruction of earth’s atmosphere, but the earth has constantly been degraded since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden. God told Adam, “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” (Genesis 3:17). The curse on the earth was brought about because of sin. As soon as Eve ate of the fruit the plants began to die outside the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were now to die, and as Paul writes, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain [childbirth pain] together until now” (Romans 8:22). Sadly, sin causes a separation from God and this separation results in ultimate death.

God predicted that there would be people who would recklessly destroy the earth. He even warned us what the result of their actions would be. John the Revelator describes the scene on judgement day, “the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18). Here we see a clear picture of what is to come to those who are separated from God and who consciously destroy the earth. Why would God bring destroyers of nature into a new heaven and a new earth if they cannot take care of the planet in which they already live?

Our God wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him, so that one day we can enjoy the bounties of His marvelous love and care. Through the prophet Isaiah, He says, “I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Let us seek to preserve nature and all that God has created so that we may draw ever closer to Him and be able to enjoy bounties of the New Earth He is preparing for us!