Let’s read two key passages that speak of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

*2nd Peter 3:12-13: “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.”

*Revelation 21:1, “Now 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.”

The apostle Peter speaks of “the coming of the day of God” in connection with the New Heaven and the New Earth, for the “Day of God” refers to the ETERNAL STATE. The first heaven and the first earth, which were defiled by sin, had to be destroyed, but after they pass away God creates a New Heaven and a New Earth where sin will never occur ever again. How do we know that? Because Peter states emphatically, “in which RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS,” which is another way of saying that there will be a fixed state of holiness in the New Heaven and the New Earth. The apostle John implies this same truth, for in Revelation 21:4 he states that all the effects of sin will be removed: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passes away.”

You ask, “What are they?” In short, the New Heaven and the New Earth will be the ETERNAL HOME of all the redeemed (i.e. those who trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer). We believe that all those who were saved in and survived the Tribulation Period (see Matthew 25:31-34) and those who were saved during the Millennium Kingdom of Christ will live on the New Earth. All who had died believing in Christ or who were alive when the Rapture occurred will live in the New Heaven.

There is very little said about the New Earth in Revelation, other than the fact that “there was no more sea.” The “sea” in Scripture is sometimes a picture of sin. Isaiah 57:20 says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.” So, the New Earth being void of the sea illustrates what we already saw; THERE WILL BE NO SIN in the eternal state!

We also get other pictures of what the New Earth may be like in Isaiah where the prophet describes the earth during the Millennium. In Isaiah 35:1 he says, “And the desert shall blossom as the rose,” and later, in 65:25 we read, “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” We gather from this that the New Earth in the eternal state will also be dramatically different from anything we’ve ever seen, where there will be no wastelands and animals will live in peace and harmony and never be a threat to mankind.

Regarding the New Heaven, I would encourage you to read Revelation 21:2, 9-27 and 22:1-5 where it is seen as a Holy City called the “New Jerusalem.” We also read of this heavenly city in the book of Hebrews. It is said of Abraham in Hebrews 11:10 (NASB), “He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God,” and in verse 16 that he desired, “a better country that is a heavenly one.” In Hebrews 12:22 we read, “But you have come…to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Some have thought that this heavenly city will actually be on the New Earth. They base this on Revelation 21:2 which states, “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” But it does NOT say that it “came down to earth,” so we believe that this eternal city will be suspended OVER the earth, and that it will be the capitol of the whole universe. (262.9) (DO)