One of the biggest problems many poor nations face today is the so-called "debt crisis." They unwisely borrowed billions of dollars from the richer nations, thinking that these loans would enable them to produce more goods and make more money and then they'd pay back their debts, but the rich who loaned them all of this money surely must have known that the poor countries would never be able to pay them back. The Bible says, "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7), and that's the real reason why the rich loaned them the money in the first place—to make slaves out of the poor.

Even though some of this borrowed money has helped the poor nations to produce more goods from their factories and farms, the rich countries have selfishly refused to pay fair prices for these goods, forcing the debtor nations deeper into debt. This heavy burden of debt is crushing many of the poor nations, causing more people to be without jobs, more people without enough food, and more disease, misery, and unhappiness than ever.

But thank God, relief is on the way in the form of God's love and salvation! After Jesus' return (the "Second Coming"), heaven will come to earth, literally. The great golden city foretold in the Bible—a city over 2,000 km (nearly 1,500 miles) wide, high, and long—will descend from God to earth, and at last there will be peace and plenty for all.

But before this can happen, the Bible tells us that the Antichrist must arise and set up an anti-God world empire, which he will rule for seven years (2 Thessalonians 2:1-9; Revelation chapter 13).

At the end of the Antichrist's reign, Jesus Christ will return "in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" to rescue the "saved"—all those who have received Him as their Savior (Matthew 24:29-31). The bodies of the saved who have died will be resurrected, and the saved who are still alive will be instantly changed and rise up to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Then all the saved will go with Him to a great victory celebration in Heaven.

Meanwhile, the armies of the Antichrist will gather in Israel to fight the armies of the nations who have refused to yield to his government. But Jesus will return again—this time with the armies of heaven—to conquer and destroy the Antichrist's worldwide kingdom and to rescue all those who are fighting against him in the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-17; 19:11-21).

The Lord and His angels and the resurrected saved will then work together with those on earth who survive the Battle of Armageddon to build a wonderful new world, the kingdom of God on earth. At last, "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" will be a living reality (Matthew 6:10). This period will last for 1,000 years and is therefore known as "the Millennium."

It will truly be one world, ruled in love by the King of kings, Jesus Christ Himself. There will be no more war, no more poor, no more cruel and unjust governments, and no more oppressed developing world then—only the just and merciful reign of Jesus on earth.

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.—Revelation 11:17

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.—Revelation 21:2-7