Will the earth abide forever or will it be destroyed? (Psalm 104:5)
Psalm 104:5 King James Version (KJV) 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. This verse, and several others (cf. Ps. 78:69; Ecclesiastes 1:4), speak of the earth being “established forever.” By contrast, the Bible also teaches that the heavens and the earth “will perish” (Ps. 102:26) or “pass away” (Luke 21:33), being “burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Does the earth abide forever or not?
Psalms 104:5
ESV - 5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.
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Asked December 06 2019
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Jack Gutknecht
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Tim Maas
I would say that this fallen earth/world will not always exist in its current state, but will be subject to God's final judgment against its corruption and sin. To me, the idea of the "permanence" of the earth expressed by the psalmist is as a testimonial to God's strength and power, and His control over nature, without taking the presence and effects of sin into account. However, the same power and authority that God exercised in establishing the earth will also enable and entitle Him to execute His judgment against it, as expressed by the larger passage in which the verse from 2 Peter cited in the question appears (2 Peter 3:5-10). That is why the Bible also indicates the future establishment of a new heaven and a new earth, where sin and corruption will no longer be present, and where the redeemed will exist for all eternity (Revelation 21).
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