Upvote:0
The earth as we know it now will be destroyed.
2 Peter 3;7 But the heavens and earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men. Matthew 24;37-43 As it was in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all way; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
The destruction of the earth occurs at the day of the LORD. 2 Peter 3;10 But the day of the LORD will come as a theif in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Isaiah 65;17 For behold, I create a new heaven and new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Revelation 21;7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. Revelation 22;14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Upvote:2
Because the Father is said to be in heaven, in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9) and elsewhere. And in John 14:2 Jesus says:
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Thus it is rather reasonably assumed that Jesus went to prepare us a place in heaven itself.
Also Matthew's constant use of the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" plays a part in this, as probably does 1 Thess 4:17 "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
And because those who die before the New Jerusalem descends from the New Heaven to the New Earth in the book of Revelation, are probably in heaven in the meantime. In Revelation itself, John places Christian martyrs in heaven by stating they are "under the altar" in heaven. (Revelation 6:9)
Also, Jude 1:14 "...Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,...." but cometh from where? 2 Thess 1:7 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,..." So that would indicate these ten thousands of saints are with him in heaven prior to his second coming.