The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw ^(A)a new heaven and a new earth, for ^(B)the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

¹⁰ But ^(A)the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then ^(B)the heavens will pass away with a roar, and ^(C)the heavenly bodies^[a] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.^[b]

¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, ^(D)what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ^12 (E)waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and ^(F)the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for ^(G)new heavens and a new earth ^(H)in which righteousness dwells.

^19 (A)For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.^{[a] 20} All go to one place. All are from ^(B)the dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows whether ^(C)the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence ^(A)earth and sky fled away, and ^(B)no place was found for them.

⁷ But by the same word ^(A)the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and ^(B)destruction of the ungodly.

¹⁴ For ^(A)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(B)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(C)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(D)we who are alive, who are left until ^(E)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.