Thomas,
Just FYI, this "world," meaning the earth or globe we live on, will never pass away or be destroyed as many misinterpret the scriptures referencing this. What many don't understand is that sometimes the Bible uses the terms "world" and "earth" in referencing the "people" living thereon and not the actual globe itself, just as when God destroyed those in Noah's days. It said the world was destroyed, but yet we know it was the people, not the globe itself. It's the "world" in terms of the people living on it that are not doing Jehovah God's will that will once again be destroyed, which are the majority of people today, not the physical globe itself.
Ecc. 1:4, "A generation is going, and a generation is coming; but the earth is standing even to time indefinite."
Ps. 104:5, "He has founded the earth upon its established places; It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.
Ps. 37:29, "The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it."
Matt. 5:5, "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth."
Speaking about the 144,000, who are the only ones going to heaven,
Rev. 5:10 tells us, "and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth."
They can't very well rule over the earth if it is destroyed, now, can, they? And who will they rule over if, as many teach, all people die and immediately go to heaven or a ficticious fiery hell?
No, Jehovah promises us that, after Armageddon, He will restore the earth to its original paradisaic conditions and those who live through Armageddon (those doing His will which are few) plus all those who receive Jesus' promised coming resurrection in the last day (John 5:28 & 29; John 6:40, 44 & 54), who are currently asleep in the grave (sheol, hades, hell), will then have the chance to be obedient and thus live forever on a paradise earth, right in accord with Jehovah God's original plan for mankind and the earth!
After saying the world in Noah’s day suffered destruction, the Bible account continues: "By the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire." (2 Peter 3:7) Indeed, as another Bible writer explains: "The world (the one existing today) is passing away." (1 John 2:17)
The Bible does not mean that the literal earth or the starry heavens will pass away, even as these did not pass away in Noah’s day. (Psalm 104:5) Rather, this world, with its "heavens," or governmental rulers under the influence of Satan, and its "earth," or human society, will be destroyed as if by fire. (John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4) This world, or system of things, will perish just as surely as did the world before the Flood. Even Jesus Christ spoke about the situation in "the days of Noah" as an example of what would happen just prior to the end of this world. (Matthew 24:37-39)
Because of these promises in His word, we can also rest assured that Jehovah God will never let man destroy His earth by a nuclear holocaust or that it will never be destroyed by an asteroid, etc. It's just not going to happen!
Terry