This concept of such mass destruction is based on a misunderstanding of the symbolic pictures in Revelation and in 2 Peter 3:10 which states, “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.”

At first reading, this scripture may seem to support the idea that everything will be destroyed in Armageddon. But this scripture is actually using figurative language and should not be taken literally.

The heavens being destroyed could not possibly refer to the heaven of God’s abode or the billions of stars and galaxies in our universe. Nor could the destruction of the earth refer to the literal planet on which we live. For notice what God says in Ecclesiastes 1:4 (NIV), “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.” This scripture is a plain and simple statement. “The earth remains forever!”

Why, then, does Peter talk about the “heavens” and the “earth” being destroyed by fire? Since God inspired the entire Bible, we know that it cannot make contradictory statements. Following this principle leads to the logical conclusion that the statement by Peter must be symbolic in some way.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul says that Satan is the god of this present evil world. “The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” The “heavens” and “earth” of 2 Peter 3:10 refer to the spiritual forces and earthly governments of his domain. When Peter states that the heavens and earth will be burned up he is saying that all the works of in- justice and iniquity of Satan’s empire will some day be removed and destroyed.

The “heavens” picture the spiritual aspect of Satan’s empire with its false religious systems. The “earth” symbolizes the financial, political, and social aspects of this world. These elements of Satan’s empire will be “burned up,” or destroyed in Armageddon.