Are the righteous people going to live in Heaven or on Earth forever?

When we pray the Lord's prayer, we ask for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. This tells us that there are two salvations–one on earth and one in heaven (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2). When we read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, we see that some traits are given an earthly reward and some the kingdom of heaven.  What is the difference?

A Heavenly Reward Promised to Christians

We find a clue in Romans 12:1, 2 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  We must follow the example of Jesus in laying down our lives in order to receive a heavenly resurrection. Heaven is a reward from God for faithfully obeying His will and being transformed into Christ’s character likeness. “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” Colossians 1:3-5 (ESV)

"By His great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you."  I Peter 1:3, 4 (Moffatt translation of the Bible).

An Earthly Reward for Mankind

However, the vast majority of mankind will receive an earthly resurrection. During Christ’s reign on earth, they will also develop loving, obedient characters. The difference between the two groups is this, mankind will not be developing obedience when there is great opposition to righteousness – as is the case now. No, when Jesus reigns with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27), righteousness will be the rule. Christ will teach mankind God’s truths (Isaiah 2:2-4) and all will know the Lord from the least unto the greatest (Jeremiah 31:34). People will be healed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually (Isaiah 35:5-10). Mankind will not need to strive against their fallen flesh, the sinful world, nor the devil. Thus, the willing and obedient of mankind will have life everlasting but on earth and not in heaven.

Did Israel fast after a call for it by prophet Joel in chapter 2?

The book of Joel was written between 770 and 870 BC, about 50 years before the Assyrians captured the northern ten tribe kingdom of Israel. God directed Joel to prophesy of Israel’s coming captivity because the nation was practicing idol worship, sacrificing their babies to idols, and disregarding the Lord’s commands (Jeremiah 19:5). Joel called for a fast to focus the people on their sinful behaviors and to then repent (Joel 2:12, 13). Sadly, there is no biblical record that Israel did fast, but the historical fact of the Assyrian invasion (2 Kings 18:11-12) is evidence that Israel did not repent of their evildoing and did not mourn their conduct with a national fast.

This was the immediate fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy; however, there are multiple, deeper layers of this prophecy.  For example, Peter quotes portions of Joel (Joel 2:28, 29) as fulfilled in Acts 2:16-20 with the pouring out of God’s spirit at Pentecost upon the disciples. The Roman destruction of Jerusalem occurred about 36 years later (AD 70) because the religious leaders representing the nation had crucified our Lord (AD 33).    

In our Lord’s great prophecy of the end times, Jesus quotes from Joel 2:10 in Matthew 24:29. He referenced the sun being darkened and the moon not giving her light as signs of His invisible second advent. The repeated use in Joel of the phrase “the day of the Lord” points to the time at the end of the Christian age when there would be the ultimate fulfillment of Joel’s prophecies.    

In each of these prophetic fulfillments: the Assyrian invasion, Pentecost, destruction of Jerusalem, our Lord’s second presence, the prophecy of Joel is applied with ever increasing degrees of severity.  Each period involves the destruction of Israel, the punishment of the nations that come against Israel, and the reformation and blessing of the Jews. In the grand finale of this prophecy, Joel describes the permanent blessing of Israel and the world in Christ’s kingdom (Joel 3:17-21).

A parallel interpretation of Joel’s prophecy refers to the “spiritual” house of Israel, a term used to describe the Christian church. When the Apostles were present, the spiritual house of Israel was completely faithful. After they fell asleep, the church became contaminated and intoxicated with the spirit of the world (see Revelation  17:6). The Lord, therefore, pronounced judgment on them (similar to natural Israel) and will eventually destroy these babylonish churches (Revelation 14:8).  Still to come is the gathering of the nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 3:12) (also called Armageddon in Revelation 16:16). It is here that the final destruction of the world’s social, financial, political and false religious systems will occur. After the old order is demolished, Christ will establish God’s true kingdom on earth (Matthew 6:10). During this kingdom, repentance (as pictured in fasting by the Joel prophecy) will be required by all!