Joe, it is talking about the physical Heaven and Earth, not the spiritual.
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Dear Learner,
No, Christ is not talking about the physical heaven and earth. Christ's words are spirit (John 6:63) and they carry meanings that are different than what man's wisdom teaches (1Cor 2:13).
In Mat 24:35, Christ is teaching about the same heaven and earth that Peter does in 2Pet 3:10. That heaven and earth are the
old heaven and the
old earth which will be destroyed by fire. That is the heaven and earth that will pass away.
The spirit word "earth" represents man's spiritual nature and the spirit word "heaven" represents man's mind. The old heaven and old earth are
carnal and will be destroyed by fire (word for Christ's judgment). The new heaven and new earth are spiritual and are governed by the Holy Spirit which indwells a converted believer.
Heaven can also represents a person's spiritual state of being - a state of being which is governed by the Holy Spirit. With this understanding, a converted believer will dwell in heaven with Christ after they are converted. That is the same meaning of heaven used in Mat 24:31.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
When Christ comes a second time, He will baptize the carnal believer with the Holy Spirit (the Latter Rain of the Spirit) and with fire.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit will create the new child of God. The fire (judgment) will destroy the child of the devil. This is conversion.
To represent a person's change of spiritual state (conversion), Mat 24:31 says that the converted believer is then gathered to heaven. This event is a person moment of salvation and it happens while they are in the flesh.
The spirit word "earth" can also represent a spiritual state of being. That is why scripture says carnal believers dwell on the earth. Furthermore, the spirit word "sea" represents the spiritual state of unbelievers.
I also wanted to comment on your post which refers to Mat 25:46.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'
You said:
Matt 25:46, if one limits the time for punishment, based on the Greek Grammar they also limit the time period for Life, too.
One of the rewards that the Elect receive is to have
life during the ages. It does not mean that they will not have life after the ages. The verse is silent on that aspect (here a little and there a little, Isa 28:9-12). In other words, the Elect are harvested early in this present age and that is why they are called "first fruits". The balance of mankind will not receive life during the ages but will receive judgement instead. But before they perish (the true penalty of sin), Christ will have mercy upon them and give them the same gift of faith that He earlier gave to the Elect.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
When Christ judges the lost in the final age,
He will not omit mercy and faith. Justice will be served by the destruction of each person's old heaven and old earth. Then, with a new heaven and a new earth, the person will be converted and gathered to heaven.
Their old vessel will be destroyed and a new vessel created.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Since Christ is the Potter (the Savior), He will do
all the work of converting mankind from the old carnal vessel into a new spiritual vessel. That is why Paul said that converted believers are His workmanship and they have nothing to boast about concerning their salvation (Eph 2:8-10).
Christ is the Savior and He will see to it that all mankind is saved. It is His work to accomplish:
1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
The Elect who are being saved now are the first fruits of His harvest. They are
blessed and will receive life during the ages. The rest of mankind will be saved at the end of the harvest season (final age) when the main harvest of mankind is gathered into the barn. They are not blessed but they will still be saved by fire (Christ's judgment):
1Cor 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The scripture above is teaching about the judgment of Christ that will fall on
100% of mankind. Those who receive a reward (life during the ages) are the Elect. They are judged and converted in this present age. The rest of mankind will not receive life during the ages but will still be saved at the end of the final age. The book of Revelation calls this judgment the "Lake of Fire". The Lake of Fire is when Christ will NOT forget to administer mercy and faith upon those being judged.
After Christ's reign is complete, the ages will come to an end and all mankind will be saved. This is the true "good news" that should be proclaimed to the world.
Joe