When Jesus Returns, He does not destroy anything, other that the attacking armies at Armageddon. The replacement of the present earth does not happen until after the Millennium.
Revelation 21:1-7
.
First in foremost, our salvation and our redemption is a two stage process. We are first spiritually resurrected with Christ by being born again, and then upon His physical and Glorious appearance from Heaven, we are bodily resurrected into the likeness of His immortality. Romans 6:5-6, Galatians 2:20.
Both Revelation 21:1-7 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-11 are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Therefore both are going to have the same interpretation. The words/
meaning of the Lord are not divided, nor do they oppose themselves. This earth will be totally destroyed, and all the unsaved along with it.
Just exactly what ARE the New heavens and the New earth? Let's start by first thinking outside of the religious box of religion.
All here can agree that
Jesus bodily Ascended into Heaven, yet for 2000+ years, Jesus has not needed or required anything of this global earth, nor that of another global earth to come.
Since He requires no sustenance from a global earth, WHY is it that we think and believe that we shall need one??
WE WON'T.
In regards to Revelation 21:1-5, let's look at it spiritually.
In the NH&NE, the question is
HOW shall the
LORD God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ
DWELL among His people?
1. Will it be Them dwelling
with the saved
on a new
global earth....again?
2. Or will it be
Them dwelling with-in His New creatures, we who shall be resurrected into the likeness of Christ's immortality of His NEW Life?
2 Cor. 4[
6] For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
[
7] But
we have this treasure [God's Holy Spirit] in earthen vessels [our mortal bodies], that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
So, where is Jesus now? The scriptures below are
threefold in meaning:
John.12[
26] If any man serve me,
let him follow me; and where I am,
there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
John.14[
3] And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John.17[
24] Father, I will that they also,
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
So then,
how are we to "
follow" Jesus?
Ans. By spiritually "taking part"/participating in
His Resurrection, who is Himself the
First!
John 14:18
, Romans 6:6, Colossians 1:18, Galatians 2:20, Revelation 20:6.
Edit: and so, back to Revelation 21:1-2.
What happened to the old heaven and global earth?
[
1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
What did John see of a New Heaven and earth?
[
2] And I John saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.....
Where did the holy city descend to? It doesn't say.
Why?
We are to know that the
new Jerusalem of itself is The New earth, who are WE,
in which God desires to dwell, and that Jesus Himself is now our
New Heaven.
I have many more KJV scriptures to support this thinking.