Heaven & Earth Will Pass Away Part 1

THE EARTH REMAINS FOREVER Matthew 24:35 (KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. . . . Heaven and earth [as now known] will pass away. – AMP The actual heavens and actual earth will never pass away. Ecclesiastes 1:4 (NIV) Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. Psalm 104:5 (KJV) [God] laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV) [God] is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. John 3:16-17 (NIV) God so loved the world [kosmos—universe—heavens and earth] that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world [kosmos], but to save the world [kosmos] through him. When sin entered the world, the original heavens and earth pass away. Creation wasn't abolished, it was radically altered. 2 Peter 3:5-7 (ESV) For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world [kosmos] that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth [gé—land, country, or region] that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment. The “day of judgment” and “day of the Lord” were prophecies dealing specifically with the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 7; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1; Obadiah 1; Malachi 4; Joel 1-2; Zechariah 14:1-2) Amos 5:20-25 (NKJV) Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies . . . . 25 Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? Zechariah 14:1-2 (NKJV) The day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken. 2 Peter 3:10 (KJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements [stoicheion] shall melt with fervent heat, the earth [gé—land, country, or region] also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Stoicheion – The elementary principles of [Jewish] philosophy; religious training and ceremonial precepts. 2 Peter 3:13 (KJV) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. After the Church has fulfilled it's mission, Jesus will return and the New Jerusalem will descend (Revelation 20:11; 21:1-2). Death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14) and earth will experience “new” Eden-like conditions (Revelation 21:4)—not destruction, but transformation (Romans 8:21)! Mark 12:1-9 (NIV) Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.