Before I Die

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Whiskey Bay in Australia. It was breathtaking in its beauty. One of those places and moments that you are confident in the incredible majesty of the Creator. It reminded me of a time a believing friend of mine named a few other beautiful locations on this earth. I agreed that the places he mentioned were very beautiful as well. Then he said something I found odd. They said, "I hope I get to visit those places before I die." Here's my question: Why did he say, "Before I die"? What is it about death that makes them think they will be prevented from going to those places thousands of times for thousands of years if they so desire?

Is it that we believe? That once we get to heaven, we become incarcerated there and that we can never leave to see the beauty of the new earth? Maybe they think once we get there we would never want to leave. That its beauty would be so overwhelming, we would want to stay there forever? Then why is God making a new earth if we will never see it? Will it not reflect His glory as well? What's the purpose of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and landing on earth (or do we think it will hover just overhead?) and God choosing to dwell among men...here...on this planet. Do we believe that God has chosen to live only in heaven and that since we want to be where He is we must refrain from any traveling to other cities on earth? But isn't He everywhere at all times? Would that cease to be after He creates the new heaven and new earth? I would love to hear what you think. Read Revelation 21:1-4, and offer some feedback.