An in-depth look at the language of Scripture

BIBLE WORDS THE END OF THE EARTH

Jon Kehrer

Back in Old Testament times, people didn’t travel very far within their lifetime. While they may have known about some of the nations around them, the farthest, most distant land in their imagination was simply called “the ends” or “the end of the earth.” There were several ways to talk about this in the biblical language of Hebrew, but one way to say it was qtseh haaretz, which means the edge, edges, or corners of the earth.

Turns out that God is very interested in this region. He is interested in the gods of these areas, or more specifically that his people don’t serve the gods that are worshiped there (Deuteronomy 13:6-7). If his people end up worshiping the gods of the end of the earth, then they’ll soon find that another nation will swoop down like an eagle from that very region and scatter them abroad, all over the end of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:49, 64).

Just like what happens over and over in Scripture, the people of God do exactly what God told them not to. And so, God whistles for an army (Isaiah 5:26), and they come from the end of the earth to wipe the people out.

But God had bigger purposes for his people and for the ends of the earth. In fact, since he already controls this area both as its creator (Isaiah 40:28) and the one who causes the clouds to rise over it (Psalm 135:7), God is going to use his people as a light for those dwelling in the darkest corners of the world. God will rescue his people from this place, but he will use their presence to bring the light of his good news to this place.

When Jesus comes, the light begins to dawn on the people of God. But the light they have received is now to be carried abroad. In fact, as Jesus ascends to heaven, he gives his disciples a charge: “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This seems like quite a daunting task, yet Jesus is convinced that they’ll succeed because he will be with them (Matthew 28:20).

Then, at the end of time, when he returns to call his own people home, his followers will fill the globe—even the very end of the earth (Mark 13:27). Jon Kehrer teaches Hebrew, Old Testament, and hermeneutics at OCC.