EVERY SO OFTEN, we read in financial or economically oriented magazines of the outlook for various jobs in the future. Certain kinds of jobs are known to dominate in certain times.
In the 1970s, computer programming and systems analysis were the up-and-coming jobs. In the 1980s, some experts are predicting engineering to have a renewed future.
We know what professions are in demand in this world. But what about the World Tomorrow — God's world?
What kind of jobs will be available to mortal humans after Christ has returned and set up his Government? To reveal more about what God's World will be like during the soon-coming millennium, Plain Truth presents this job survey for the World Tomorrow.
Construction, Engineering, and Architecture:
Big "growth" areas in the World Tomorrow. When Christ returns, the world is going to be full of ruins. Wars will have been fought across the face of the earth. So we read:
"And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations" (Isaiah 61:4).
God will cause the earth to produce abundant vegetation, including trees, to supply building materials: "Is it not yet a little while . . . and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest" (Isaiah 29:17 RSV). There will be no shortage of lumber for construction — or paper for the printed word!
A related area, carpentry, should also be a growing field in the World Tomorrow. The future King of the world, Jesus Christ, was a carpenter when he was on earth the first time (Mark 6:3), and the forthcoming building boom will require men and women to design and construct panels, cabinets, desks, and other interior items.
Farming, Food Preserving and Distribution:
People in this line of work will also do well — there will be abundance of food in God's world — no one need ever again go hungry. In fact, there may be so much food that demand for ways to store and preserve it will be just as important as growing it.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed . . ." (Amos 9:13).
But while storers and preservers of food will be wanted, God will not allow the kind of thing that has happened in this world, where food is over processed and/ or preserved with harmful substances. Fortunately, Christ — who created the world — will be on earth and available to show men how to preserve or distribute food without over processing it.
Travel Agents, Restaurants, Resort Operators:
Another big growth area. There will be incredible opportunities for travel in God's world.
Each year, the representatives of all families on earth will travel to the future world's capital, Jerusalem, to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16). The remainder of the world will observe the Festival in other locations specifically designated by God (Deuteronomy 16:15). This means incredible numbers of travel arrangements, motel (or their equivalent in God's world) bookings and meals away from home. Travel agents, motel and restaurant operators, and possibly even computer programmers (to coordinate it all) will have much to do during such "rush" periods.
Likewise there will be travel opportunities during the land Sabbaths and the jubilee years when farmers will let their land be fallow (Leviticus 25:18-23).
Education:
Unlike today, demand for teachers will be extremely strong. The fables, lies and superstitions of this world will need to be unlearned. There is a direct prophecy of such an occurrence:
". . . the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit" (Jeremiah 16:19).
Furthermore, children growing up in the World Tomorrow will need to learn to read, write and calculate just as much as they do today.
Publishing and Communications:
Steady growth. "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," (Isaiah 11:9).
In the World Tomorrow, true knowledge, based on God's revelation, will be widely disseminated. There will be one pure language on earth (Zephaniah 3:9) — which is bad news for most translators. On the other hand, since all the world will be literate, the market for wholesome, edifying literature, poetry, books and articles should steadily expand.
Health Care:
Comparatively limited opportunities. The main role for doctors — or whatever they will be called — will be to teach people the cause of disease and the laws of health: proper diet, hygiene, etc. This by itself will eliminate most disease: "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick . . ." (Isaiah 33:24). But if people still manage to get sick, divine healing will be available, and the sins against the physical body that caused the disease in the first place will be forgiven: ". . . the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity" (Isaiah 33:24).
One aspect of health care that should present more opportunities is in the area of diet and weight watching. Think — what will be one of the worst problems people will have in the millennium? It will probably be a tendency to gain weight! There will be such an abundance of good food and drink that some people are very likely going to grow a little too fat. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things . . ." (Isaiah 25:6). Of course, one of the laws of health is that gluttony is wrong. The Bible stresses moderation (Philippians 4:5). Experts will be needed to help people discover what and how much foods are good for their individual body chemistries, and how much exercise they should have in order to maintain perfect, radiant health.
Accountants:
There should be opportunities here for people so inclined. Jesus has already endorsed the principle of "counting the cost" of a given project (Luke 14:28). Wherever there is any industry or commercial activity, costs will have to be counted, lest waste result. Someone will have to keep track of where a business's money goes. However, since people will be taught honesty, there will be no demand for "fraud audits." People in business will become honest and will present their financial condition honestly, without manipulating numbers and categories of expense to make themselves look good.
Lawyers:
A no-growth field. Laws will be much simpler in God's world: people will be able to understand the intent and principle of the law without special legal training. Furthermore, Jesus Christ and his fellow spirit brethren — not human judges — will do the judging ". . . he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears" (Isaiah 11:3).
That means there will be no need for lawyers to try to make a guilty man look innocent, or argue the case of a man who has been wronged — since the judge will already know both the facts and the applicable law of God.
Politicians:
Absolutely no demand at all. God's Government will be divine government. All who will hold government office will be supernatural beings — members of the God Family. (Of course, the prospect of a world without politicians ought to be a cause for rejoicing all by itself!)
Military Officers:
Again, absolutely no openings. There will be no wars, no threat of wars, nor need to learn about war (Isaiah 2:4). Rather, there will be complete peace on earth without any need for a military establishment: ". . . they shall be safe in their land . . ." (Ezekiel 34:27).
Gardeners:
The World Tomorrow will have plenty of need for gardeners. It will be a time of the "restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21). Garden of Eden-like conditions will prevail, and in the original Garden of Eden, the job that God gave to Adam was gardening (Genesis 2:15). God is a multibillionaire heavenly Father who lives in splendiferous beauty! In his world, people will have beautiful, magnificent gardens. But not everyone may have enough time to devote proper attention to them. Full-time gardeners will be in demand. An added benefit to the job will be that the nature of gardening will be easier in the World Tomorrow. God will remove the curse he put on the earth when Adam sinned (Genesis 3:18), so thorns and thistles are not going to be the pain that they are today.
Musicians:
There were plenty of full-time musicians in ancient Israel under King David, and since a resurrected King David will be a leader in the World Tomorrow, the same pattern will again apply. David took a particular interest in music — particularly religious music — when he was king of Israel. (See I Chronicles 16:6) Of course, in the World Tomorrow, the music that is part of religious worship services will be the special responsibility of a particular group of people, the descendants of the tribe of Levi of the nation of Israel. Nevertheless, the general abundance of the millennium will generate a strong demand for uplifting, wholesome, inspiring music outside the religious context.
These are some of the jobs about which Scripture gives direct indication. It should be obvious, though, that there will be many different career opportunities in God's world. Everyone may own some land, but not everyone will be a farmer. People have different talents, inclinations and abilities. In God's Church, where people are in training for the World Tomorrow, today there are different "gifts" (according to abilities), and those who have different abilities specialize in them (Romans 12:6-8). So in God's world those with different talents will also do different things. We won't all have to make our own shoes, weave our own carpets or install our own plumbing. There will be a wide variety of jobs for all.