Featured Interesting Quote

"Did you ever regret the absence of the burnt offering, or the red heifer, or any of the sacrifices and rites of the Jews? Did you ever pine for the feast of tabernacles, or the dedication? No, because, though those were like the OLD HEAVENS AND EARTH TO THE JEWISH BELIEVERS, THEY (THE HEAVENS AND EARTH) HAVE PASSED AWAY, AND WE NOW LIVE UNDER NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, so far as the dispensation of Divine teaching is concerned. The Substance is come and the shadow has gone—and we do not remember it."

 

Any quotation can always be facily claimed to be out of context. At any rate, given your OP in the other thread, you might want to apply your comment to yourself.

 

You are probably right. Spurgeon is more in line with your thinking than with my current thinking. But my point was to show that the idea of New Heavens and New Earth being metaphorical, not literal, language did not originate with Preterism.

In fact the concept of a metaphorical understanding of Heaven and Earth is found in the OT.

Deuteronomy 31:30 (NKJV) Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended: 32:1 "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. (See also Isaiah 1:1-2)


Who is God addressing? Israel, not physical heavens and earth.

See also Isaiah

And I have put my words in thy mouth,
And I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand,
That I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth,
And say unto Zion, Thou art my people. -- Isa 51.16

Notice especially the third line.
That I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth,

Those two events, that you imagine as being millenia apart, actually happen at the same time. Take a look at Isa. 65

14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit.
15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name;
16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes.
17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. - Isa. 65.14-17

Notice especially the two concurrent events.

1. Gods servants are called by a new name - Christians.
2. The creation of new heavens and new earth.

 

I was unclear.

I was talking about you taking the apostle Paul out of context.

 

And, no, I was not trying to conjure up Spurgeon's support for Preterism. The Biblical support is all I need.

 

No, "the world abides forever". That is my understanding.

 

Admittedly this is a hard question. But, from what I see in the Bible, I cannot say that it wont. The melting of the elements cannot be physical elements like we think of them.

I am just connecting the dots that I see in the Bible. I am always open to other plausible but Scriptural alternatives.

 

See my answer to MM.

 

To be absent from the body is to be present with Lord. Yes, I will see Jesus as He is.

 

The New Heaven and Earth is redeemed from sin.

But we must be careful to get all of our concepts of the NH & E from Scripture.