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They are different ways of saying the same thing, and they aren't requirements so much as definitions.
That's kind of like asking "do you have to be inside the English borders to go to England". If you have faith you are part of the Kingdom of God (now and future). If you don't have faith you aren't part of the Kingdom of God. If you are part of the Kingdom of God then you do have faith, etc.
When we die we are 'at rest with Christ' until the final resurrection. Ie it's not the permanent state of things but a temporary state until the New Heavens and New Earth come into being. That was the Jewish understanding long before Jesus, and the understanding of early Christians. That's what the word 'paradise' refers to in New Testament and Jewish texts. Strictly speaking one shouldn't call that heaven, though some do.
It is tangentially important, because it makes clear why 'carrying on as before' is not an option for anyone. It explains why this has to affect everyone one way or ther other. Ultimately one either chooses to be part of that New Creation or one does not.
Those who have faith in Jesus are a part of it. Johnny either joins in the party game or he doesn't. Joining in isn't a requirement for being in the game, it simply is being in the game. Trying to force something into being an independent criterion for, instead of simply being a part of, is (in this case) completely artificial.
Sorry if I'm not managing to make the point clear. The difference (so far as this conversation so far is concerned) is that if people are whisked off to heaven then there is no obvious reason why the rest can't carry on on earth "as normal". But if earth is due for a complete makeover then clearly they can't. (There are other huge theological differences, but they don't yet connect directly with your question.)
That's playing with words. Joining in is joining in. Joining in isn't a requirement for joining in - it is the thing itself in different words. "Eternal bliss" is the joining in.
Okay, that's where (relatively) concrete ideas like faith come in. If you have faith in Jesus of Nazareth, his death and resurrection, then you have joined in. If you don't then you haven't (at least, you haven't yet).
Huh? What does any of this have to do with the importance of the geographical location of eternal bliss? Some believe the present earth will be destroyed and believers will go to a new place of bliss (heaven). You write that the earth will be rebuilt as the place of bliss. But both agree that nobody can carry on as normal here on earth after the end comes.
Yes, but my model explains why that's true. Their model needs an additional explanation.
it's not that big a deal to what we've talked about so far, which I acknowledged by saying it was of tangential significance. It is important for a lot of other reasons, but unless you want to go there that would be a sidetrack.
Faith leads one into an increasingly proper life. Faith isn't just an intellectual ascent to certain facts - it's putting one's trust, one's life, in Jesus' hands.
