The concept of a new or renewed universe first found in the book of Isaiah. God declares, “For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.. . . . For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me...so your descendants and your name will endure” (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22).
Some scholars believe that, before Isaiah's time, many cultures thought the end of history would be like its beginning. This would lead to a universal restoration. The Bible describes a supernatural world renewal. It occurs in a higher, different realm.
The belief that God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth is central to all biblical teachings. “In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Psalm 102:25). Since God created the heavens and the earth, it is fitting that, once they have served their purpose, God can do with them as He wishes. “They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on” (Psalm 102:26). The same metaphor is found in Isaiah 51:6, where the earth is described as wearing out like a garment.
The Bible discusses the end of the old order. It speaks of a time when heaven and earth will vanish (Isaiah 34:4; 51:6; Matthew 24:35; Revelation 21:1). Several phrases express this idea:
“The world is passing away” (1 John 2:17)
“The earth will wear out like a garment” (Hebrews 1:11; compare Psalm 102:26; Isaiah 51:6)
“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” (2 Peter 3:10)
This destruction by fire will occur at the time of final judgment. It will be “the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames” (2 Peter 3:12)
This judgment, which brings an end to the old order, prepares the way for new heavens and a new earth. Peter continues, “But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). It will be so wonderful that no one will even remember the old (Isaiah 65:17). Peter, preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade, says that Jesus will remain in heaven until the time comes for establishing all that God spoke by his holy prophets (Acts 3:21). The created order eagerly awaits this recovery or renewal. Paul writes, “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are” (Romans 8:19) because “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
The renewed heaven is not God's presence. It is the starry universe, the heaven of human existence. The book of Revelation says the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven to earth (Revelation 21:2, 10). It is the eternal home of God and his people. The new earth will be a place of perfect righteousness (Isaiah 51:6), divine kindness (Isaiah 54:10), eternal relationship to God (Isaiah 66:22), and total freedom from sin (Romans 8:21).