New Heavens and Earth. Revelation 21:1 describes the new universe that God will create. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea exists no more." The "heaven" here refers to the physical heaven, the 1st and 2nd heavens (atmosphere, space, etc.), not the 3rd heaven where God dwells… that never needs to change. There will be no more “seas”, or separation between people of the earth, and no more masses in turmoil. John saw "the physical platforms on which the glories of eternity are to be displayed." – W. Scott.
The Eternal State. There are only three passages that describe the eternal state: Rev. 21:1-8, 2 Pet. 3:10-13, and 1 Cor. 15:24-28, although there are other minor references to it, such as "the eighth day" (Lev. 23:36, 39), possibly "the everlasting kingdom" (2 Pet. 1:11) would include it, and the "reconciliation of all things" (Col. 1:20). The eternal state is the end of all God’s purposes for the glory of Christ and the blessing of man. This is when God will have reconciled "all things" unto Himself (Col. 1:20), and God will be "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28).
There are really only three scriptural names for the eternal state:- The "Age of Ages" (Rev. 20:10, Eph. 3:21)
- The "Day of God" (2 Cor. 15:28)
- The "Day of Eternity" (2 Pet. 3:18)
- Illustration from Jim Hyland
- While there is no "reigning over" in the eternal state, yet it is important to see that God's authority will not lessen in that state. If anything, His sovereignty will be more abundantly manifest in the eternal state when "all things are of God". Perhaps 2 Peter 1:11 alludes to this: "the everlasting kingdom".
- The resurrection at the end remains consequently for the wicked dead solely. The righteous will be raised before the millennium the wicked after it. The just who live during the reign of Christ are not called to die at all, as far as scripture informs us. We may be sure that these millennial saints will be changed into the likeness of Christ; they will be transplanted into the new heavens and earth. We are not called upon to conjecture how this will be. It is sufficient for us to know that, though they are not described as dying during the millennium, and therefore do not need to be raised. - Kelly, W. Lectures on Revelation.