Will there really be a new earth?

The simple answer is yes. There will not only be a new earth but also a new heaven and a new Jerusalem.

The book of Revelation describes this event:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:1-6)

The need for a new earth is attributed to the current one wearing out like an old garment due to sin and God’s curse (see Isaiah 51:6 and Genesis 3:17). The apostle Paul wrote, “This world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). After this world ends and all are judged, it will be time for a new heaven and a new earth.

Interpreting the prophecy

Understanding a new heaven and a new earth can be complex because of the apocalyptic language used in the book of Revelation. While much of Revelation is symbolic, not all of it is. Chapters 2 and 3, for example, are historical letters to seven real churches. Much of chapters 20 and 21 can also be understood literally.

The phrase “new heaven and new earth” also appears in other parts of the Bible, such as Isaiah 66:22 and 2 Peter 3:13. The context in 2 Peter is not apocalyptic prophecy but a general letter to Christians. In the opening verses of chapter 3, Peter warns that God will destroy the world with fire, similar to how he once destroyed it with water during the time of Noah. Then Peter writes:

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. . . .

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13)

Peter paints an ominous picture of the current heavens being destroyed by fire and disappearing with a roar and then being replaced with new heavens.

Understanding the “new heavens”

The word heaven or heavens can have several meanings depending on the context. It can be

• the sky where birds fly (Genesis 1:20),
• the created universe (Psalm 19:1,2), or
• God’s perfect dwelling place, also known as the “third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2).

So which meaning best fits the context for Revelation chapter 20 and 2 Peter chapter 3? It is unlikely that God would destroy his own perfect heaven and replace it with a new one. In the essay “Heaven and Hell,” Professor Siegbert Becker interprets “a new heaven” in Revelation chapter 20 as a new sky or atmosphere (Our Great Heritage, Vol. 3, p. 669). That aligns with Peter’s description of the current heavens rolling up with a roar on the Last Day.

Renovation or annihilation?

Another key question is what the word new means in this context.

Two common Greek words are translated “new”:

• Neos: This Greek word implies something is brand-new and did not exist before.
• Kainos: This word can mean brand-new but can also mean “renewed in quality.”

The Holy Spirit chose the Greek word kainos for “new” in Revelation chapter 20 and 2 Peter chapter 3, which allows the definition “renewed in quality” as a possibility.

God has the power to annihilate the earth, but he also has a character of redeeming, reclaiming, resurrecting, reviving, and restoring.

This leads to a theological debate: Will God annihilate the first earth and create a new one, or will he renovate the earth to the perfect quality it had before sin entered the world? While this is an open question, there is an argument for renovation.

Peter compares the final judgment to the flood of Noah’s time, which purified the earth with water but did not annihilate it. Both fire and water are agents of purification. This suggests that the world as we know it will disappear and be replaced by a renewed earth and sky, restored to its original quality. God has the power to annihilate the earth, but he also has a character of redeeming, reclaiming, resurrecting, reviving, and restoring.

The divine symmetry: Paradise restored

Finally, it’s hard to read the entirety of Scripture and not see the symmetry of the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation. They act as divine bookends to the biblical narrative and have similar scenery.

• Genesis chapters 1 and 2: They describe Paradise being created and God dwelling with humanity in the Garden of Eden.
• Genesis chapter 3: It details how Paradise was lost to sin but includes God’s promise to undo what was done. God promised that an offspring of a woman would ultimately crush Satan.
• The Bible: The chapters between Genesis and Revelation show how God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ, the Savior of humankind.
• Revelation chapters 20 and 21: After the final judgment, Paradise is restored. God again dwells with a forgiven, redeemed humanity on a new earth and sky, which is the home of righteousness.

Whether God renews the earth to its former glory or creates a brand-new earth is only an open question for now. On the great day of Christ’s return, having had all tears wiped away, we will see clearly all things made new and will know for certain which it is.

Author: Scott Martz
Volume 112, Number 11
Issue: November 2025