Do you accept that this earth is going to be regenerated or purged from the consequences of the fall when Jesus comes?
As a progressive, born again Amillenniast, no I do not. My reasoning is based on the simple and plain words of Peter 2:10-13. Specifically verse 13.
[
13] Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for
new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
There is only one form of righteousness that will exist in the NHNE, and that is God's Righteousness. All we, who are Born again of His Spirit of righteousness, must cease our thinking through our natural man's mind, and learn through His Holy Spirit, to
think through the mind of Christ within us.
First question to ask is:
where is the KoG and His Righteousness? Well, we both do know, it is in Jesus. And if through faith in Jesus, he does dwell in us, then God and His Righteousness, who dwells in Him, comes with him, and they together are one within us, through the veil of his flesh.
In the first of the
three manifestations of Jesus,
through His mortal flesh, he said:
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but
ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you [Jesus himself],
and shall be in you." John 14:17.
Okay, so where does the Righteousness of God dwell NOW, ever since Pentecost?
Within us! Which has been God's deepest desire, through the ages of much "longsuffering", that He may permanently dwell within the crown of His creation, our
earthen vessels.
We ARE the mansions of God. Jesus went before us in preparation, so that we could also be IN His Father's "house", who is Jesus Himself. John 14:1-6.
To be IN Jesus, is to be IN the KoG.
To be brief and to the point:
the New Heaven, aka Heavenly Jerusalem, is Jesus, who is quite literally His Father's house. And now we, who have
spiritually risen with Christ,
but still waiting for immortality after His likeness,
will be ourselves the New earth, wherein dwelleth God's Righteousness, which is God the Father Himself, through the veil of His Son, being together as One in Holy Spirit.
2 Cor. 4
[
7] But
we have this treasure [God Himself, through Jesus]
in earthen vessels [the earth of our mortal bodies, made from the dust of the earth], that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
That is why I say that God the Father needed the sacrifice of His Son, just as much as we need him. Jesus IS the perfect Mediator between God Himself, Who is always and only Spirit, and we, who will one day be Immortal flesh,
shall permanently be the NEW earth, that God Himself and His Righteousness, has longsuffered to dwell in.