Are We as Christians Just Passing Through?

There is a popular belief among believers today that we as Christians are not of this world and are just passing through. This idea comes from the understanding that we as believers in Christ are part of His Heavenly Kingdom and not of the Kingdom of Darkness. That is completely true! However, this fact does not mean we will live in Heaven forever and therefore not on this planet we call Earth.We who are in Christ will inherit the earth as Jesus as He stated in His Sermon on the Mount by saying, “Blessed are the gentle (humble or meek), for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5.Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4The word “earth” in Greek in these passages is γῆ or gē which means soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):—country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.The word “heaven” in Greek is οὐρανός or ouranos which means the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):—air, heaven(-ly), sky.“Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.” Proverbs 2:20-22The word “land” in Proverbs in Hebrew is אֶרֶץ or ‘ereṣ which means country, land, ground, territory, and soil. It is the same word in Genesis 1:1 when God created the heavens and the earth.The word “heaven” in Hebrew is שָׁמַיִם or šāmayim which means dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, heaven(-s).In Revelation 21:1-4 the sky and land are passing away in a fiery destructive way as Peter describes in this way, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” Peter did not say the earth would no longer be here. If that were so then how could the meek inherit the earth? What Peter and John are describing is a world wide Sodom and Gomorrah type situation. For those cities, their works, and the very elements in them were burned up in intense fire and brimstone / sulfur from the sky, the land itself is still there with the evidence of that very destruction.So we as believers are not “passing through” but rather those that reject the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ our Savior and King. God will purge and purify the earth and then bring the new Jerusalem down out of heaven. He will dwell with us here forever and ever.