So I just took a look at this and here is the dilemma:
where does the bible say that the world will be so literally destroyed like that?
1. I believe one may think of the verse in Zechariah or Zephaniah about the dead to your right and left- however was regarding Jerusalem.
2. Peter speaks of a new heavens and earth where the elements being intensely hot will melt. But when you look up the Greek words in use you see he was very likely meaning the elements of what this world is build on (so greed, corruption, money, power- whatever you can think of that allows the world to go on being rough, also these are plausible examples- I'm not saying this IS what he meant specifically, only that it isn't a literal tangible thing that is melting).
3. In revelation when the dragon is finally thrown into the fire there is a distinct missing party. The false prophet is there, the harlot is there, the dragon is now there and death soon follows.... But no beast? The beast which represents the nations of earth is not thrown into the fire....
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this is what popped into my mind. I'm curious of anyone else has wondered the same thing or noticed how the bible, when talking about this war at the end, doesn't actually seem to say anything about the physical world being obliterated- it's just a spirit creature war in which the elements of evil are destroyed followed by a judging of the people.