These are the thoughts and quotes I posted on my own forum a while ago…
please remove or edit if too long, Jason.
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Here are some thoughts which express the way God has led me in studying the Word about ”End Times.” …
(initially, as a newish Christian, I did believe, from one or two scriptures, that the earth would be destroyed and then a new one made…literally)
I believe something along these lines now…

God’s plan is “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven” (Col 1: 20). At the heart of Romans, Paul wrote this: “The creation waits in eager expectation for the Sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration… in hope, because the creation itself will be liberated from bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:19-22).

“These words of Paul point not to the annihilation of the present material universe on the day of revelation, to be replaced by a universe entirely new, but to the transformation of the present universe so it will fulfil the purpose for which God created it.” F F Bruce

There is a unity in Biblical truth, that “all things” will be “destroyed”, literally ‘loosened’ (luomenôn, 2 Pet 3:11), “restored” (Acts 3:21) and “renewed”, literally ‘born-again’ (palingenesia, Matt 19:28). Regarding the ‘end of the world’, what ends is not creation’s identity, but its present cursed condition or state, described by Paul as “bondage to decay” and “frustration” (‘not fulfilling the purpose for which God intended it’ ). Continuous identity + change of state = hope This change will not come by evolutionary progress. Nor will it come through an annihilation and replacement of creation, as the Bible makes clear in a number of places.

1. God’s curse on Adam included the ground (Gen 3). Since the curse on the earth is rooted in Adam, so just as Christ lifts the curse from Adam, it lifts also from the earth, since; “the fate of creation is indissolubly linked with that of man” Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“Through the redemptive work of the second man [Jesus] the fall’s entail is broken not only for man himself but [also] for the creation.” F F Bruce

2. God’s decree establishes the earth forever (Ps 78:69, 148:1-3).

God’s creation is not lost, for “the mystery of his will [is] to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph 1:10).

4. God’s judgement is ‘good news’ for the creatures on earth; “they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth” (Ps 96:12, 145:21, Rev 5:13). God’s work of art is the church, set upon the earth, and God’s restoration project is being revealed.

God will restore the present fallen world to perfect condition. John Calvin ‘Apocalypse’ in English acquired an entirely negative meaning, but is from the Greek word for ‘revelation’.

The End of the World ? “The world (kosmos) of that time perished (apôleto) by water… the heaven and earth of this time is stored up for fire, the day of destruction of ungodly men” (2 Pet 3:6-7) Peter says the world (kosmos) was ‘utterly destroyed’ (apôleto) by the Flood. Yet he knew that even outside the Ark, fish and seeds survived (Gen 8:11). He is using terms like ‘world’ to refer to a passing state of creation. In fact, Peter mention three states of creation; 1. “the world of that time”, (2 Pet 3:6) which is “the ancient world ” before the Flood (2 Pet 2:5); 2. “the present heaven and earth” (2 Pet 3:7); 3. “a new heaven and a new earth” (2 Pet 3:13).

New Testament view of the Ages of creation In the Bible, ‘the end’ refers to “the end of the age” (eg Matt 13:40, 24:3), which is followed by the beginning of “the age to come” (Mark 10:30) and an Eternal time.

Some identify Judgement Fire pseudo-scientifically with volcanic lava, comets or H-bombs, and suggest that it will physically melt the surface of the earth. But biblical Judgement Fire has qualities unlike any of these fires, for it tests (1 Cor 3:13); it discriminates (Mal 4:1-3, 2 Thess 1:7); it reaches into heaven (2 Pet 3:7) and destroys the spiritual Powers (Rev 20:10). The ‘elements’ (stoicheia) which this Fire ‘melts’ (2 Pet 3:10) are not the kind that you see on a Periodic Table! When ‘stoicheia’ is used in the Bible (Col 2:8,20, Gal 4:3,9, Heb 5:12) it always refers to non-material entities.
In 2 Peter it may refer to evil ‘heavenly powers’.

What kind of fire is this? God’s fire amazed Moses by burning in a bush without consuming the bush (Exodus 3:2). Peter had seen this Fire upon the disciples’ heads at Pentecost, preceded by a rushing noise (Acts 2:1-4), and he knew a greater ‘roar’ would accompany this Fire when it fills heaven and earth on Judgement Day (2 Pet 3:10). At that time “the earth will be laid bare” literally ‘discovered, found’ (heurethêsetai 2 Pet 3:12) suggesting a world-wide judicial scrutiny. This view fits the letter’s context. Peter was dealing with men of unrestrained lusts (2 Pet 3:3) − the prospect of an indiscriminate universal annihilation would simply spur them on to sin faster ‘for tomorrow we die’! Instead, Peter warns them of a coming discriminating judgement.

In Jesus, death is destroyed, and the body is changed; ‘glorified’.
Similarly, the transition from old to new creation is not a loss of identity, but a change of state, with physical continuity and change. Here are two illustrations.
1. “Jesus… will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21, Romans 8:11, 1 Cor 15:37), indicates change rather than replacement.
2. The special case of those who are alive when Jesus returns makes it clear that our original bodies are not discarded and replaced, but “changed”, for Paul says “we shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor:15:51).
Man’s way is to give up on what is spoilt; to throw it away and get a replacement. God’s way of going from old to new is to restore what has been spoilt; to make it new.
This applies to us, and to the rest of creation, for “the old order of things has passed away… I am making every-thing new!” (Rev 21:4-5).

The ‘new’ creation is the ‘old’ creation renewed! “There is going to be both continuity and discontinuity in the regeneration of the world, as in the resurrection of the body.” John Stott “God will one day change our bodies and then he will change this world itself. We expect to see this world that is now full of sin turned into a paradise, a garden of God.

In this very place, where sin has triumphed, …grace will much more abound.” C H Spurgeon “We shall live in the body, on this renewed, renovated, regenerated earth.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Return of King Jesus Christ is coming to reign over all the earth. There will be a miraculous meeting and welcome at his homecoming. The young church at Thessalonika seems to have worried that only those “still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord” would see the Kingdom. Paul reassured them that those who died would be raised up from their graves and together with those still alive be “caught up… in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess 4:15-17).
A popular belief is that this refers to a permanent ‘escape’ from earth. But a different picture emerges from the text. The ‘coming’ (parousia) alludes to an ancient custom in which “an official visits a city… when [he] got near, all the citizens would stream out and line the road to welcome him” (J Balchin). Also, the word here translated ‘meeting’ (apantêsin) is only used twice elsewhere; once when the vigilant guests go out to meet the bridegroom to escort him into the feast (Matt 25:6), and again when the Christians of Rome go along the road some distance to meet Paul and escort him into their city (Acts 28:15).
When Jesus returns to earth (Acts 1:11) His people will go out to meet him and join in His triumphal procession. The Second Coming is a ‘coming’ not a ‘going’! God’s Eternal Reign on Earth

“I saw the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them” (Rev 21:2-3) “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever.” (Rev 11:15).

Christ’s kingdom on earth is not temporary. This is the inheritance promised to Jesus (Ps 2:8), and His co-heirs such as Abraham (Rom 4:13). “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5), and “they will reign on the Earth” (Rev 5:10).

We await “the restoration of the whole creation, not only to what it was before, but to something yet more glorious… this is not temporary, it is final, it is full, it is permanent.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“It is God’s purpose that his supernatural kingdom be spread in this natural world.” Colin Urquhart “[Since] there is going to be total redemption in the future, not only of man, but of all creation, the Christian… should be the man who, with Gods help… is treating nature now in the direction of the way nature will be then.

Suggestions for further reading: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, IVP, 1994

Tony Higton, I Believe in Heaven on Earth, Hodder and Stoughton, 1999

David Lawrence, Heaven… it’s not the end of the world!, Scripture Union, 1995

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Perseverance of the Saints, Romans 8:17-39, IVP, 1975

Stephen Travis, End of Story?, IVP, 1997

N T Wright, New Heavens, New Earth, Booklet B11, Grove Biblical Series, Grove Books, 1999

Albert Wolters, Creation Regained, Paternoster Press, 1985
This brief was prepared for the John Ray Initiative by John McKeown. Thanks are due to Dean Ohlman, Prof Tom Finger, Dr Ron Elsdon, Rev Dr Ernest Lucas, the JRI Trustees and others for many helpful comments.

I know this is just a film, but I think this is the sort of evil that can result from the gnostic belief that heaven is a spiritual realm only, and that the earth is bad, and we just need to get off this dump and get into the pure spirit world of heaven.

Perhaps this is an example of the emerging church building on the strengths of previous movements?

I think the voices of the dispensationlists have drowned out some of the good classic reformed teaching.

I’m rambling, but I think I make sense!