The difficulty with this twofold:
- Zechariah 14:16 says that the nations who survived Armageddon will have to go up to Jerusalem every year to worship Christ. And Isaiah 2:2-3 says that the nations go up to Jerusalem, nay "flow" into Jerusalem. Do the nations also go to heaven? This must be a Jerusalem on earth.
- New Jerusalem will not be in heaven. Revelation says, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." And Israel is part of it, and some of the nations may enter it via Israel the Gates. Are Israel and the nations going to also be in heaven?
I propose that the whole matter is on earth.
You quote Revelation 21 in the New Jerusalem descending from heaven?
However you run from the fact that this is on the New Heaven and Earth, the former had passed away, as clearly seen in Revelation 21:1-5 below, "All Things Are Created New"
Revelation 21:1-5KJV
21 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.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Zechariah 14:1-12 below shows the Lords return to earth in fire in final judgement, as the (Eternal Kingdom) is revealed.
(Verse 1) shows "The Day Of The Lord" also seen in 2 Peter 3:10-13 "Fire Judgement" below
(Verse 2) Shows that all nations are gathered for the final battle of armageddon.
(Verses 3-5) shows the Lords return, and his eternal feet touch down on the earthly Mt, of Olives, and in the "Twinkling Of An Eye" 1 Cor 15:52 takes place, in the catching up, resurrection, final judgement by fire, and the New Heavens, Earth, and Jerusalem being revealed for eternity, judgement complete, eternity begins.
(Verses 6-7) Eternal light seen, in the eternal kingdom, Rev 22:1-5
(Verse 8) The river of life is seen, Rev 22:1-5
(Verse 10) The New creation is being revealed, the plain is lifted up.
(Verse 12) "The Day Of The Lord" showing the "Last Day" judgement by the Lords fire, as men are consumed as they stand on their feet, 2 Peter 3:10-13
Zechariah 14:1-12KJV
14 Behold,
the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which
is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 And ye shall flee
to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come,
and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day,
that the light shall not be clear,
nor dark:
7 but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass,
that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day,
that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the Lordshall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and
from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.
11 And
men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.