The concept of the destruction of the physical heavens is a theme found within the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of eschatological events. The physical heavens, often understood as the sky, the celestial bodies, and the universe, are depicted in Scripture as part of God's creation that will undergo transformation or destruction in the end times.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament contains several prophetic passages that allude to the shaking or dissolution of the heavens. In Isaiah 34:4 , it is written: "All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig tree." This imagery suggests a dramatic cosmic upheaval, indicating a divine intervention that affects the very fabric of the created order.

Similarly, in Joel 2:30-31 , the prophet speaks of wonders in the heavens and on the earth, including "blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." These signs in the heavens serve as precursors to the Day of the Lord, a time of judgment and renewal.

New Testament References

The New Testament continues this theme, particularly in the apocalyptic literature. In Matthew 24:29 , Jesus describes the end times, saying, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’" This passage echoes the Old Testament prophecies and emphasizes the cosmic scale of the events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ.

The Apostle Peter also addresses the destruction of the heavens in 2 Peter 3:10 : "But 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 its works will be laid bare." Here, the destruction is associated with fire, a purifying force that prepares for the new creation.

Theological Implications

The destruction of the physical heavens is often interpreted as part of God's redemptive plan, where the current creation, marred by sin, is purged and renewed. This transformation is not merely an end but a prelude to the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, as described in Revelation 21:1 : "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."

This eschatological hope reflects the belief in God's ultimate sovereignty and the fulfillment of His promises. The destruction of the physical heavens signifies the end of the present age and the ushering in of God's eternal kingdom, where righteousness dwells.Job 14:12
So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
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Psalm 102:25,26
Of old have you laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of your hands.
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Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
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Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
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Matthew 5:18
For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one stroke or one pronunciation mark shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
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Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
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Hebrews 1:10-12
And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands:
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2 Peter 3:10,12
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
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Revelation 6:12-14
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, see, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
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Revelation 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
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Revelation 21:1,4
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.
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The Second Coming of Christ.
... and is circumscribed by the overarching heavens.] ^c 28 ... preliminary death-throes
of this present physical universe, which ... since he looks for a new heaven and a ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxiv the second coming of.htm

The Kingdom of God.
... Shall we translate this,"Heaven and earth shall not come true: but ... themselves"with
this difference, that when the physical laws of the heavens and the ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon ix the kingdom of.htm

The Second vision "In Heaven"
... only copies of the realities in heaven; "figures of the ... and "patterns of things in
the heavens." "Moses was ... we are distinctly told that the physical marvels of ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision in heaven.htm

Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.
... This is the physical Decalogue of the earth ... glorifies eight, and "the heavens declare
to the heavens the glory ... created in the day that God made heaven and earth ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xvi gnostic exposition of the.htm

The Scope of the Apocalypse Shewn by Its Place in the Canon
... beings, angels and principalities and powers in Heaven, and the great physical forces
of ... and his angels" include the whole fighting forces of the heavens. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the scope of the apocalypse.htm

Mason -- Messiah's Throne
... are the resources of the physical and moral ... Supreme in heaven and in earth, "upholding
all things ... and irrational, animate and inanimate; the heavens above, and ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/mason messiahs throne.htm

The Bible --The Background and the Picture.
... mental light shining out from the heavens upon our ... we attribute all the mercies of
physical life to a ... the "imaginary" creation of the Christian's happy heaven. ...
/.../the biblethe background and the.htm

Divine Sovereignty.
... claims to have established the natural or physical laws of ... by understanding hath
he established the heavens.20. ... the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlv divine sovereignty.htm

The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of ...
... the history, not of the Church - far less any visible physical signs in the literal
heavens - but, in ... of the Sign' of the Son of Man in heaven, and with it ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vi the evening of.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... and earth, sea and land, in a physical sense ... his feet;" that "the Lord thundered
in the heavens, and the ... the faithful and true Witness," said: "Heaven and earth ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

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