God Owns The Earth

1 CORINTHIANS 10:26 NKJ 26 for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness."

God owns the earth and all its fullness because He created it. And nothing that has happened since has changed who owns the earth.

PSALM 115:16 NKJ 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

This one verse taken alone could cause someone to think God had given ownership of the earth to mankind. This is not so, as you will see from the verses below. So it must mean that the Lord has given us the use of the earth -- not the title deed of ownership.

Some think the earth belongs to the devil because some translations of 2 Corinthians 4:4 refer to him as the "god of this world." But the word translated "world" in this verse does not mean earth, but a time period.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 NKJ 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Some think the temptations of Christ in Matthew 4 prove the devil has a legal right here on earth.

MATTHEW 4:8-9 NKJ 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

For this to be a real temptation, the devil had to be able to give what he offered Jesus. But here again the word translated "world" does not mean earth. It means the world system, or the governments of mankind who were alienated from God. That just means mankind has yielded to the devil, but it gives no proof that he had ownership or control of the earth.

The devil has no legal authority to control the earth. He only operates here by deception and by influencing people (who do have a right to use the earth) to do wrong.

God still owns the earth!

LEVITICUS 25:23 NKJ 23 'The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

JOB 41:11 NKJ 11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.

PSALM 50:10,12 NKJ 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

HAGGAI 2:8 NKJ 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.

PSALM 24:1 NKJ 1 The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

SAY THIS: My Father God owns the entire earth and all the wealth it contains.