Eschatology

28. Will the heavens and the earth be renewed or, as some say, will they be destroyed and God will create new heavens and a new earth?

The heavens and the earth will be destroyed, for Peter says in his second epistle the following things: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13 – NKJV).

As you can see, the following expressions: ‘the elements will melt with fervent heat’, ‘all these things will be dissolved’, ‘the heavens will be dissolved being on fire’, indicate very clearly the destiny of the heavens and the earth. The apostle John confirms the words of Peter, for he says that he saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them (Revelation 20:11; this is what will happen after the thousand-year reign) and also: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1 – NKJV). Didn’t Jesus say: “Heaven and earth will pass away” (Matthew 24:35 – NKJV)?

Therefore, the Scripture teaches that the new heavens and the new earth are new heavens and a new earth that God will create in due time, in which His saints will dwell forever.

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