Some passages of Scripture seem to teach that the kingdom will be on earth, while others suggest that it will be a heavenly kingdom. This paradox is resolved, however, when we understand that the "new earth" which God will create will possess a heavenly glory.
Earth was created to be man's home.
Even our present world, which is infested with sin, and groans under God's curse, is nevertheless in many ways well suited to man's needs and comforts. God daily provides us with food and drink, clothing and shelter. Moreover, there is much beauty to behold… in the mountains and forests, at the seaside, in a sunset, or in the face of a child or spouse. Books and movies sometimes portray life as it might be like on some exotic alien planet, but the fact is, even in our wildest fantasies, we cannot begin to imagine a world whose beauty, majesty and comfort rivals that which can be found here on earth.
The present heavens and earth will someday be destroyed…
2 Peter 3:7 – But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.However, God has promised to create new heavens and a new earth…
2 Peter 3:13 – But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.We should not imagine that the "new earth" refers to God's eternal heaven. Rather, it will be a new creation of God, similar in many respects to the original Edenic earth.
The unity and completeness of Scripture is seen in the fact that it begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth, and ends with the creation of new heavens and a new earth. The original creation was created perfect and good, but it had the potential for sin and evil to enter into it. Indeed, sin entered when Adam (the "first" Adam) disobeyed the Lord by eating the forbidden fruit. The new creation, however, is characterized by everlasting righteousness. It has as its foundation the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ (the "last" Adam).
Romans 5:19 – For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.Just as the first 3 chapters of the Bible describe the original creation, and the entrance of sin into it by Adam's disobedience, so the last 2 chapters of the Bible describe the new creation, the removal of the curse, and the everlasting perfection of the new creation.1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:45 – So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Recognizing this symmetry in Scripture, helps us to better understand God's ultimate purpose for His elect.Revelation 21:1 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
Creation will be delivered from the curse.
Creation itself expectantly awaits the glorification of the saints…
Romans 8:19-22 – 19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.Surely, when Paul says that "the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God", he does not mean to say that the creation will be destroyed and that all God's children will be taken to heaven. Rather, the creation will be restored to its Edenic, pristine quality. God will destroy the old universe, yes, but only to replace it with new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).
Heaven on Earth.
Throughout most of Scripture, heaven is said to be the place of God's throne…
Isaiah 66:1 – Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?But, in the eternal kingdom, God will establish His throne on earth and will dwell on earth with His saints…
Revelation 22:3 – There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;Thus, God will sanctify the earth by bringing heaven itself to earth. For what are the characteristics of heaven? …It is the place of God's throne …It is a place where sin and evil are not permitted …It is the place where God is manifestly present at all times. All these characteristics will be true of the new earth.
The Sun and the Moon.
In promising His eternal care for His people, God tells us that the sun and the moon will remain forever…
Jeremiah 31:35-36 – 35Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: 36"If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever."Compare this with a similar statement, where He measures His everlasting care by the standard of the new heavens and new earth…
Isaiah 66:22 – "For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will endure.But what of those Scriptures which say that, in the New Jerusalem, we will have no need of the sun or the moon?
Revelation 21:23 – And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.Jeremiah 31:36 teaches that the sun and the moon will remain, whereas the passages from Revelation and Isaiah teach that we will not need the light of the sun and the moon.Revelation 22:5 – And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Isaiah 60:19-20 – 19"No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. 20"Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.
The conclusion which agrees with all these passages is that the sun and moon will still be present in the new creation, but that their light will be so overwhelmed by the light of God's radiant splendor that we will not need their light.
We should not suppose, just because we will not need the sun or the moon, that God will not provide them anyway. God in His grace provides many blessings that are not essential to us. The important lesson to learn from these passages is that God will outshine the sun and the moon in His radiant splendor. He will be manifestly present with us in His kingdom and He will be the focus of our life and affections…
Zechariah 2:10-12 – 10"Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD. 11"Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 12"The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.The New Jerusalem.
Scripture teaches that the New Jerusalem will be the preeminent feature of the new creation, but we should not assume that the New Jerusalem is identical with the New Creation. Note carefully the sequence in Revelation 21:1-2…
Revelation 21:1-2 – 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.The new heaven and new earth appear first, then the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven. The New Jerusalem will be the center of worship and of human affections, since it will be the place of God's throne. But, like any city, it does not fill the earth. It has a particular location on the earth, but the earth will have other locations as well. Yet the entire earth will bask in the light and righteousness of the heavenly city.
Abraham looked forward to this city…
Hebrews 11:10 – for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.Likewise, the writer of Hebrews says that this is the city which he and his readers eagerly sought…
Hebrews 12:22 – But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,There is no reason to suppose that "heavenly Jerusalem" refers to heaven. Rather, it refers to the New Jerusalem which will come down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:2). Heaven is its origin and its character, but God will place it on the new earth.Hebrews 13:14 – For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
The New Jerusalem will be glorious in every way. It will shine with the glory of God (Revelation 21:11). Scripture compares its glory to the brilliance of precious stones and of gold (vss. 11, 18-21). God Himself will dwell there with men, and His glory will outshine the sun and the moon (vss. 22-24; 22:5).
Its immense size (a 1400 mile cube) and its thick walls (200 feet) suggest safety and longevity as well as divine origin. Men could never have built such a structure.
The relationship of the New Jerusalem to Israel is illustrated by the 12 gates and 12 foundations of its walls. The gates bear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel (vss. 12-13), and the foundations bear the names of the 12 apostles (vs. 14).
The Gentiles will bring their glory into the city (vss. 24, 26), suggesting that they will have their own homes and kingdoms elsewhere in the New Earth, and that they will be blessed with great wealth.
The tree of life will be found in the New Jerusalem, completing the analogy with the original Eden, and restoring to mankind that which had been lost at the fall…
Revelation 22:2-3 – 2... On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;Will we inherit heaven?
Some passages of Scripture seem to suggest that heaven will be our eternal home. This is to be expected, since, in the kingdom, God will establish His throne on earth and will be present with us. The earth will be sanctified by His presence, and will be like heaven…
Matthew 6:10 – 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.Those who will inhabit this heavenly kingdom must be spotless and pure… made able by sovereign grace to stand before the God of heaven.
Let us briefly examine some of the passages which seem to suggest that our future home will be in heaven...
Comment: To have "treasure in heaven" does not necessarily mean that we will someday live in heaven. "Heaven" is God's throne and to have "treasure in heaven", is to have treasure of eternal worth which is safely stored with God.
Matthew 6:20 – "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;Matthew 19:21 – Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Colossians 1:5 – because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
Hebrews 10:34 – For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
1 Peter 1:4 – to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
Comment: Jesus returned to heaven to prepare a place for His disciples. Surely, this "place" is the New Jerusalem… "…for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16) … "…which comes down out of heaven from My God…" (Revelation 3:12).
John 14:2-3 – 2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Comment: This passage contrasts Adam with Jesus. Adam was from the earth, but Jesus was from heaven. Just as we have borne the image of Adam, the earthy man, so also we shall bear the image of Jesus, the man from heaven. While it is true that there is a heavenly character to this image, it does not suggest or imply that our eternal home will be in heaven. Nor does this passage teach that the earth is inherently sinful or temporal. The new earth which God will create will be eternal and perfect in every way and will shine with the glory of heaven because God will manifest Himself there.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49 – 47The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Comment: This passage teaches that God has prepared for us eternal, incorruptible bodies. Because they come from God, they are said to be "from heaven", and bear the characteristics of heaven. Note that the passage speaks of our bodies, and not the place of our eternal residence. Our bodies will be perfectly suited for dwelling eternally in God's presence in His heavenly kingdom on the new earth.
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 – 1For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
Comment: Paul (or someone) was caught up to the third heaven. Other of God's apostles and prophets were also allowed to see into God's heaven, but this does not prove that heaven is to be their eternal home. But, since God's throne will be on the new earth, the things which they saw will very likely have a place in the kingdom.
2 Corinthians 12:2 – I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
Comment: These passages teach us that we belong to the God of heaven, have been made acceptable to Him, and are citizens of His kingdom. In these verses, the terms "heaven" and "heavenly" refer to our acceptance by the God of heaven, and to the glorious heavenly character of His future earthly kingdom.
Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,Ephesians 2:5-6 – 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
Comment: The New Jerusalem will come down from heaven and God Himself will dwell within it. It is therefore very appropriate to call it "heavenly".
Hebrews 11:16 – But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.Hebrews 12:22 – But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
Peter preached that Jesus must remain in heaven until the "times of restitution of all things", which implies that heaven is not the sphere in which this restitution will occur…
Acts 3:21 – whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.So the future abode of God's saints is not heaven proper... we will not go to heaven, heaven will come to us!