LAST THINGS
Death
Believers do not sorrow over death as those without hope (Jn. 14:19; 1 Th. 4:13). Jesus promised to return and end the pain caused by death (Rev. 21:4). Jesus takes away the fear and sting of death (1 Cor. 15:26; Heb. 2:15). What happens at death?
∙ Between death and the second coming.
□ Paradise for the saved (Lk. 23:43; immediately with the Lord–2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23).
□ Hades for the lost (Lk. 16:23; Rev. 1:18, 20:14).
∙ At the second coming.
□ Glorified bodies for the saved (1 Cor. 15:52; Phil. 3:21; 1 Jn. 3:2).
□ Corrupt bodies for the lost (Rev. 20:13).
Rapture of the Church
The word rapture comes from the Latin rapia which is equivalent to the Greek harpazo meaning “to snatch away” (1 Th. 4:17). New Testament writers distinguished between Jesus’ coming secretly as a thief (2 Pet. 3:10) for His church and His coming visibly at the end of the seven-year tribulation (Rev. 1:7). God will remove His bride from the earth (cf. 2 Pet. 2:7) before the start of the great tribulation (Lk. 21:36). The rapture of the church could be at any moment (Mt. 24:44) when the last trumpet sounds (1 Cor. 15:52).
Judgment Seat of Christ
After death or rapture believers will give account of their life at the Judgment Seat of Christ–bema (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:12-15, 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10). This judgment will not determine salvation or settle the question of sin but examine service.
Believers will stand before Jesus as judge (Jn. 5:22; Acts 10:42, 17:31). Jesus taught that men will give an account of every “idle word” (Mt. 12:36). Jesus will look beyond appearances and judge the motives (Mk. 12:43).
Jesus indicated that believers will receive rewards (Mt. 25:21; Lk. 14:14) called crowns (1 Cor. 9:24; 1 Th. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; Rev. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:4). Faithful service on earth will yield the privilege of service in heaven (Rev. 22:3).
The Judgment Seat of Christ will also reveal rewards lost. Believers will undergo a fiery test (1 Cor. 3:12-15), and some deeds will fail the test (1 Cor. 9:27). When God wipes “away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17), will these be the tears of those ashamed when they appear before Jesus (1 Jn. 2:28)?
Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Christ will present to Himself a glorious church as His eternal bride (Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7). Now, believers wait for that wedding (Mt. 25:6; Jn. 3:29; Rom. 7:7; 2 Cor. 11:2).
The Great Tribulation
The Bible refers to this tribulation as the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7) or the time of great tribulation (Rev. 6:17, 7:14). The world has yet to see such a great tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:21).
• Anti-christ.
□ Anti-christ will attempt world domination from the revived Roman Empire (Dan. 7:1-8).
□ Biblically, he is called the man of sin, son of perdition, or the beast (2 Th. 2:3; Rev. 13:1).
□ Anti-christ will gather the armies of the world to war (Rev. 19:19) and even turn against Christ in the battle of Armageddon (Ps. 2:2).
□ Christ will destroy Anti-christ (Dan. 7:9-11-22-26; 2 Th. 2:8; Rev. 19:20-21, 20:10) and his followers (2 Th. 2:10-12; Rev. 14:9-10, 16:2, 19:21) at the second coming.
• Armageddon (Zech. 12:9, 14:3-4; Rev. 16:16).
□ In the tribulation period a fourth (Rev. 6:8) and then a third of mankind will die (Rev. 9:15).
□ Though men should pray for and work for temporary peace (Ps. 122:6), another war in the Middle East with Israel will come (Dan. 9:27; Lk. 21:24).
Return of Christ
The Bible contains 1,845 references to the Lord's return. In 1 Cor. 16:22 Paul closed the letter with the word “Maranatha,” meaning the Lord comes. Christ will return in vengeance (Is. 61:2) with His saints to end that last battle (Mt. 24:22) and punish the world who rejected Him (Dan. 7:11-13; Zech. 14:4; 2 Th. 1:7-10; Jude 14-15; Rev. 1:7, 19:11-16).
Millennial Reign of Christ
Christ will cast the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire. Then, for one thousand (Rev. 20:1-9) glorious (Is. 65:25) years Christ will reign from Jerusalem on the throne of David (Lk. 1:32-33). The saints will judge the world (Mt. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 20:4).
Great White Throne Judgment and Hell
At the Great White Throne, God will sit in judgment and silence the unsaved (Rom. 3:19). Death and hades will empty the souls of the lost, and God will raise their corrupt bodies to suspend them before the judgment throne. God will open the books that declare the works of the unsaved and open the Book of Life. Those not written in the Book of Life at this final judgment will enter the eternal lake of fire–the second death (Rev. 20:12-15). While the saved receive new glorified bodies, the unsaved enter torment with unredeemed bodies (Mt. 25:41-46).
• Jesus spoke more often of hell than heaven.
• Place of pain (Lk. 16:23-28; Rev. 20:10).
□ Spiritual (separation from God)
□ Mental (memory of sins and opportunities to receive Christ)
□ Physical (second death). The horrible images fail to completely describe hell’s pain just as the figures to describe heaven’s wonder.
• Jesus suffered the punishment of hell on the cross in order that all who receive Him will not go to that place (1 Pet. 3:18). A person may receive Jesus who suffered hell on the cross or reject Jesus and endure hell without God.
Heaven (Rev. 21-22)
• Jesus will appear gloriously in heaven (Col. 2:9; Rev. 21:23).
• Children will fill the streets of heaven (Is. 11:6; Zech. 8:5; Mt. 19:14; 1 Cor. 13:12).
• Believers will know each other, though in a new relationship, in heaven (2 Sam. 12:23; Lk. 20:34-37).
• Believers will serve the Lord in heaven (Lk. 9:31; Heb. 4:3; Rev. 4:8, 22:3).
• Heaven will be a beautiful and spacious place (Rev. 21:16).
• Saints from every language will worship the Lamb in heaven (Rev. 5:9-13).
• Heaven will be a place of no sorrow or pain (Rev. 21:4).
• Heaven will be for those who came to God through Christ (Jn. 14:1-6).
• A person can know for certain that he or she will go to heaven (1 Jn. 5:12-13).