Hope for a Brighter Tomorrow
As we gaze at the earth from space, the view strips away every border we draw on our maps. On the third flight of shuttle Columbia, commander John Larsson shared his thoughts from 150 miles above:
“We saw the world as it truly is, made by God, not divided by any lines. If we want our journey to succeed, we must all work together as one crew.”
– John Larsson
People everywhere are now recognising that today’s problems are too big for any single country, or even a group of countries, to fix alone. Many leaders and organisations now agree that the only way forward is for nations to put their own interests aside in favour of a shared, central world authority!
The British historian Arnold Tynes wrote again and again in his famous histories that humanity’s future depends on “a world united under one power” and a “union of peoples, all loyal to a single government.” He believed this was the only way to end conflict:
“Only countries make war, and it takes more than one country to fight. Without countries, there would be no war.”
– British historian Arnold Tynes
Though some called Tynes’ vision too idealistic, similar voices have since spoken up. For example, Aurelio Rossi, who started the Club of Rome, argued that a world made up of separate, competing states is “unstable, irrational, and out of date.” He said it does not fit the world we live in now. While he stopped short of proposing a single world government, he believed only a new, united world society could solve our problems:
“If you’re on a sinking ship, everyone must work together or chaos takes over and no one survives.”
– Aurelio Rossi,
Such reasoning makes sense, but it leads us to wonder how people could ever agree on a new world order. Who could be trusted to lead and protect everyone?
A True Source of Hope
Some 3,000 years ago, a wise king neared the end of a long and successful reign. He said:
“11 Yours, O Jehovah, are the greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the splendour and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Jehovah. You are the One exalting yourself as head over all. 12 The riches and the glory are from you, and you rule over everything, and in your hand there are power and mightiness, and your hand is able to make.”
– 1Cotinthians29:11,12
King David of ancient Israel recognised the very kind of leader people long for today: a powerful, wise ruler who brings together all people and uses strength for their benefit. But is God himself willing to step in and rule for the good of all? Through the prophet Daniel, we find a clear answer:
“And in the days of those kings [the competing peoples and nations on earth at the close of the age], the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand for times indefinite.”
– Daniel 2:44
We can trust that God’s Kingdom and his rule will bring the help humanity so urgently needs. A safer, brighter future lies just ahead.
This is not wishful thinking or a dream born of despair. The Bible gives a clear promise and lays out how God will solve the problems people face.
Peace, Security, and a Safe Home
The kind of peace people want will not come through greater weapons but through complete disarmament. The Bible puts it this way:
“He is making wars cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart, and he does cut the spear in pieces; the waggons he burns in the fire.”
—Psalm 46:9
What organisations today only promise—like turning swords into ploughs and never teaching war again—will only be possible under God’s peaceful rule.
A world free from pollution and the damage it causes will be ours under God’s Kingdom. People will not have to leave earth to find a clean place to live. God will end the destruction of the environment by “bringing to ruin those ruining the earth.”
(Revelation 11:18) Then the world will finally fulfil God’s original plan, taking good care of both the land and its creatures.
(Genesis 1:28) The earth, beautifully restored, will be our home forever—a true paradise.
In that renewed world, happiness and real freedom will be the lot of everyone. This happiness will not come from doing whatever we please or ignoring all standards. Instead, the familiar golden rule will shape daily life:
“All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.”
– Matthew 7:12)
We will all learn to find real happiness in giving, just as it says:
“There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”
– (Acts 20:35)
A Call for Action
For years, scientists, historians, and environmentalists have sounded warnings about the dangers hanging over us. Most of these warnings have gone unheeded, and now threats to our very survival have become real, not just the loss of a brighter future.
Many agree that only a new kind of world society stands between us and disaster. While experts search for answers, Jehovah God has already set out a clear, step-by-step plan for restoring the earth to a paradise under his fair government.
For more than a century, Jehovah’s Witnesses have pointed to God’s Kingdom as the only true hope for a bright future. We warmly invite you to learn what you can do now to find lasting happiness and a secure future for yourself and those you love.
