Did Jesus mean that heaven and earth would actually pass away in Matthew 24:25? In Matthew 24:35 (KJV) Jesus says:


  "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."


How can heaven pass away, since it is the abode of God? (See, for example, 1 Kings 8:49; Psalm 123:1.)

Are there any other Scripture passages that can help to clarify this saying?
Heaven can mean several things:

The abode of God/angels/righteous
The firmament (sky)
State of utmost happiness

These are related concepts, and even in ancient languages, these meanings are conflated.
When heaven and hell are used together, #1 or #3 make the most sense.
When heaven and earth are used together, #2 probably makes the most sense.
So

The sky and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

or

The universe will pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

This isn't hypothetical; this event will happen, on the &quot;day of the Lord&quot;,

the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up
2 Peter 3:10

Now, maybe God lives in a new place too -- I don't know any reason why that couldn't be true -- but the point isn't that God gets a new house, so much as it is that all creation will pass away, but not God's word.