“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy KINGDOM COME (capitals mine). Thy will be done IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (capitals mine). Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:9-13

When Jesus Himself taught His disciples the above Scripture, and therefore all of future humanity, the sacred Lord’s Prayer, He said two very important things. First, the Kingdom of God is assuredly Coming! Secondly, He taught us God’s Will must be done on earth exactly as it is done in Heaven. So, if His Kingdom is Coming and the world will do things exactly as they are done in Heaven, doesn’t that sound like Heaven is Coming to earth? When you add to that God’s Promise in 1 Kings 11:36, you also get a strong sense where His Kingdom will be. “And unto his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light ALWAYS BEFORE ME IN JERUSALEM, THE CITY WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN ME TO PUT MY NAME THERE (capitals mine).” 

Wait a minute you might say, in Revelation 21:1 it clearly says “And I saw a NEW (capitals mine) heaven and a NEW (capitals mine) earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Doesn’t that indicate our current earth, including Jerusalem, will be gone? You got me! Well, not really! If you go back through Scripture you know there are actually TWO more coming “heavens”. The first is where Jesus Christ will reign during His 1,000 year Millennium rule on earth. This He will establish AFTER the Battle of Armageddon and His Second Coming where He defeats the anti-christ and false prophet throwing them immediately into hell. He will also throw Satan into the bottomless pit for one thousand years. I refer this to as “Heaven” because with Jesus finally in charge and Satan out of the picture, wouldn’t the earth basically be like Heaven?

So, instead of asking if there will ever be a Heaven on Earth we must first answer the question “Which Heaven are we talking about and which Earth are we talking about?” There are actually TWO coming “Heavens” and TWO Earths! The first Heaven will  be here on our present earth during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus AFTER his Second Coming. The good news? We Believers will live and reign there with Him for 1,000 years!

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus (Christians), and for the word of God (Bible), and which had not worshipped the beast (the anti-christ), neither his image, neither had received his mark (mark of the beast) upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:4

This specific 1,000 year time period will see Jesus based in Jerusalem, ruling and reigning with His Saints (Believers). Please remember on the earth at this time there will still be many humans who DID NOT experience death during the Tribulation or at Armageddon due to their new found Belief in Him gained AFTER the Rapture of the Believers. They will enter alive the 1,000 year Millennium reign of Christ on earth still as mortals although we are told they will live many more years than before such that someone dying at 100 years old will be considered a child.

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner  being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Isaiah 65:20

When asked, most people would respond the time of Jesus’s Reign on earth is primarily discussed in the Book of Revelation. Actually, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah gives us the clearest picture of both the 1,000 year Reign on earth as well as Eternal Heaven on a NEW earth. The Scripture above appears to point to the longevity of man during the Millennium resuming to early Biblical history where men like Methuselah lived almost 1,000 years. In essence, during the Millennium reign of Jesus death will be rare and even someone dying at 100 years old will be viewed as a “child”. Of course we are told repeatedly if we Believe Jesus died for our sins and accept His gift of Salvation, we will also live with Him for eternity.

Going back to the question “Which Heaven and which earth will be next?” we know when Jesus Returns at Armageddon and touches His feet on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, there will be a huge earthquake, bigger than any other earthquake in all of history. Not only will the Mt. of Olives be split in two but the entire earth will be forever changed!

“And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings: and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”

Revelation 16:18-20

It is generally believed by most Biblical prophetic scholars that when Jesus Returns the aforementioned great earthquake will fundamentally alter the topography of this earth. With the mountains gone and the islands fleeing away, the indication is the entire world will become one single land mass, all at a flat or ground level. Meanwhile, the City of Jerusalem, where Christ will Reign for one thousand years, will rise to be the highest point on earth!

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

Zechariah 14:4

“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the FORMER (capitals mine) sea, and half of them toward the HINDER (capitals mine) sea: in summer and winter shall it be.”

Zechariah 14:8

“All the land shall be turned AS A PLAIN (capitals mine) from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be LIFTED UP (capitals mine), and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.”

Zechariah 14:10

Can you imagine a future earth under the total control of Jesus with Satan absent for His entire 1,000 year reign? Can you see a world with a combined flat land mass except for Jerusalem which will be the highest point on earth where Jesus will reign with His saints? Do you understand a world now populated with living humans who survived the Tribulation believing in Jesus who will continue to live their lives with an age span of hundreds of years? Most Biblical scholars believe these people will re-populate the world as they go about their lives creating a new generation of people who, like Adam and Eve, will still be susceptible to sin under Christ’s righteous reign and many of whom will rise up at the end of the 1,000 year Millennium reign of Jesus when Satan is “loosed a little season” (short time).

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years (Millennium reign of Jesus) should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

Revelation 20:2-3

Obviously, Satan will not be able to deceive the nations during Jesus’s 1,000 year reign being in the bottomless pit. During this time a “new” generation of people will be born who will grow up under the perfect world of Jesus but who will “rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). I am sure many may resent His authority and when Satan is “loosed for a short season” they will follow his deceptions. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth…” – Revelation 20:7-8. This will officially end with the newly deceived surrounding Jerusalem and God’s total destruction of them and the Devil being finally cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (hell) with the anti-christ and false prophet FOREVER! After this the Great White Throne Judgement will occur where ONLY those dead whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be judged for their works and most importantly, for their unbelief in Jesus. They will also be cast into hell for eternity! Do not be confused! The unbelievers will be judged. The Believers will be rewarded!

What’s next? John tells us in Revelation 21:1-2

“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 (capitals mine). And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband.”

The third and final Heaven on earth will happen! This will be our eternal home where God will dwell with us and “…he shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3). While we are clearly told “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9 we are told “God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4. If you read further in Revelation 21 and 22 you will get a much clearer picture of this NEW Heaven on this NEW earth! It will be far beyond our comprehension! And, it will last forever!

SUMMARY

1. First Heaven and Earth “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1
2. Second Heaven and Earth “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” – Revelation 20:6
3. Third and Final Heaven and Earth “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.” – Revelation 21:1

While at the time of this writing we have not yet experienced Heaven or Heaven on this earth, we have only lived on this earth which as of today is constantly deceived by the lies and deception of Satan. We cannot even imagine what awaits us for eternity as Believers EXCEPT we will live with God in a perfect NEW world. Now, that is comforting knowing we only have to believe in Jesus’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins, to ask Him to forgive our sins and truly attempt to live as He would want us to live. If we do this, we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. If this is as comforting to you as it is to me, please do as we are all told to do and that is to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” Pass His Word to your friends and family. Personally, I sincerely look forward to meeting up with all of you one day in His eternal Heaven on the New Earth!

May God Bless you!