DAILY TEXT, Wednesday, January 7, 2025. They were all destroyed (Gen. 7:23).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2026

Wednesday, January 7, 2025

They were all destroyed (Gen. 7:23).

What will happen to the people whom Jehovah destroyed because he considered them unrighteous? In the past, we said that these people would not be resurrected. There are many Bible accounts that tell of times when Jehovah destroyed people whom he considered unrighteous. For example, in the Flood, all the people on earth died except Noah and his family.

Later, Jehovah commanded the Israelites to wipe out the inhabitants of the seven nations in the Promised Land. And on another occasion, he had an angel kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night (Deut. 7:1-3; Isa. 37:36, 37). In these instances, the Bible does not provide enough information to conclude that Jehovah destroyed all those people forever and that they will therefore not be resurrected.

Although we know that Jehovah destroyed these groups of people as a whole, we do not know how he viewed each of them individually, nor whether they had the opportunity to learn about him and repent. w24.05 3 pars. 5-7

What have our publications said in the past about the people who died in Sodom and Gomorrah?

What will happen to the people whom Jehovah destroyed because he considered them unrighteous, such as those in Sodom and Gomorrah? In the past, we said that these people would not be resurrected. But, after much study and prayer, the faithful and discreet slave has realized that we cannot say that with certainty. Let us see why.

What don't we know about the people who died in the Flood and in the conquest of Canaan?

Speaking of the time of the Flood, the Bible does say that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). But it does not say whether he tried to preach to every single person on Earth while he was busy building the ark. Likewise, we do not know whether all the wicked people living in Canaan had the opportunity to learn about Jehovah and correct their conduct.

What don't we know about the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah?

And what about the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? We know that a righteous man named Lot lived in Sodom. But we don't know if he preached to all its inhabitants. It is true that they were wicked, but did they all know right from wrong? It seems not, because the Bible says that a crowd of men from Sodom tried to sexually assault Lot's guests. Among that crowd were very young people who perhaps did not understand the seriousness of their actions (Gen. 19:4; 2 Pet. 2:7). Can we really say with certainty that Jehovah, who is so merciful, has decided that none of those people will be resurrected? It is true that Jehovah made it clear to Abraham that there were not even 10 righteous people in that city (Gen. 18:32). So they were unrighteous, and Jehovah acted justly in destroying them. But can we be sure that not a single one of them will return to life in the resurrection of the unrighteous? We cannot be sure.

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