When the Bible speaks about this “end of the world,” what does it mean? Does it mean that our home, planet Earth, is to be destroyed?—1 John 2:17; Matthew 24:3, King James Version. No! Psalm 104:5) He has founded the earth upon its established places; It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever
The King James Version used “world” to render not only ko'smos but also three other Greek words in some of its renderings of them (ge; ai·on'; oi·kou·me'ne) and five different Hebrew words ('e'rets; che'dhel; che'ledh; ?oh·lam'; te·vel'). This produced a blurring or confused blending of meanings that made it difficult to obtain correct understanding of the scriptures involved. God does not have to destroy the earth in order to eliminate the frightful conditions that are so prevalent on it. The earth is not causing the problems in human society today. People are responsible, especially people who have little or no regard for the Creator, Jehovah God, and his laws. They are the ones who are turning life on this earth into a nightmare for so many. But God does not have to destroy the earth to rid it of such ones. Jesus likened “the end of the world” to what happened at the time of the global Flood in Noah’s day. (Matthew 24:37-39) At that time it was not the earth itself that was destroyed. Rather, it was ungodly humans. Because of the shocking behavior of the people living back then, God said: “I am going to wipe men whom I have created off the surface of the ground.” (Genesis 6:7) Likewise, the apostle Peter spoke of the ancient “world of ungodly people” that was destroyed back in Noah’s time. It was not planet Earth that perished.—2 Peter 2:5.
