This is a subject that I’ve honestly not had much time exploring. I don’t have a solid opinion on it and at the moment I’m not sure how to harmonize the scientific reality vs the theological story.
I do know that there is a series out by the Bible project and I’ll have to listen to the podcast series again. I’ve not yet worked through their 100+ page free workbook series but I plan on starting it soon. Maybe even tonight because this particular subject is annoying me.
I am aware throughout scripture that a new heaven and earth seems to happen several times. Each time it’s mentioned it seems like it gets more and more fantastic and final. In Isaiah 65 the new heaven and earth is said to still have death but it will be at an old age. But in revelation 21 it talks about there being no more death at all. This chapter is also followed after Satan, death, and sin is destroyed in the lake of fire alone with unbelievers.
Now sure there is no scientific way to prove Jesus is not going to come back, destroy all evil, and be our King on earth and we all come back from the dead with resurrected bodies or as conscious souls that can materialize and so on.
So just looking for opinions. With this subject obviously I’ll prefer as scriptural as possible but I understand philosophy is simply a form of interpretation and that it’s needed as well.
Part of me believes that somehow scripturally I’ll be able to reason through this and find that it does not actually contradict the possibility that it’s all just about the body of believers and as years and years go by and and as we evolve beyond what we are now and we find ways to conquer space and live on other planets and so on we will simply become more and more enlightened until it’s heaven on earth. But I also feel like that completely cuts Christ out of the picture. So that’s sort of where I’m at.