Category: Return of Jesus – Book
Everyone’s Day of Reckoning
This is the 22nd in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
One day, every person is resurrected and summoned before Christ in final judgment. While salvation is a gift of God, received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, our lifestyles reflect our beliefs. That is, our words and deeds reveal our citizenship, either in the kingdom of God or in the domain of the evil one.
Put another way, our works count for something. Heaven is not the same for every believer, nor do all those who reject Christ experience hell identically. Our final, personal, individual judgment before Christ is his way, as the righteous judge, of setting things right for eternity.
Our short stay on earth is a dress rehearsal for life beyond the grave. One day, we all stand before Jesus to give an account of what we did with the gospel, as well as our time, talents, opportunities, and other gifts God has entrusted to us. This results in varying degrees of reward for believers, and varying degrees of punishment for unbelievers.
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The Unbeliever’s Resurrection
This is the 22nd in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
There’s less in Scripture about the resurrection of the wicked than there is about the glorification of the just. Nevertheless, the Bible gives us enough information to know that those who reject Christ are physically resurrected one day and separated forever from God.
Daniel gives us the clearest Old Testament glimpse of the resurrection of the wicked, and their everlasting destiny: “Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt” (Dan. 12:2). Job and Isaiah also offer insights into future resurrection (Job 19:25-27; Isa. 26:19).
In the New Testament, Jesus tells us a day of reckoning is coming for all people, an event that begins with resurrection (John 5:28-29). The New Testament writers confirm final judgment of the wicked in numerous places, a judgment that presupposes resurrection.
It is reasonable, but by no means certain, to conclude that the wicked of all ages are the last to be resurrected, depending on how one interprets Revelation 20. John writes, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed” (Rev. 20:5). These dead, great and small, stand before a great white throne and are judged according to their works (Rev. 20:11-13).
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The Believer’s Resurrection
This is the 21st in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
It’s comforting to keep in mind that when Christ died, he redeemed our bodies, souls, and spirits. Our salvation doesn’t stop with the forgiveness of sins, the declaration of our right standing with God in Christ, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, although these are unfathomable gifts of grace.
Rather, the redemptive work of Christ finds its ultimate fulfillment in future resurrection and glorification, when the effects of sin are completely removed, and believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ.
Equally comforting is the Lord’s promise that neither death nor hades threatens his children again. John, who hears Christ assure him that Jesus holds the keys of death and hades, later bears witness to the fact that these enemies are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14).
In our glorified bodies, we no longer sin, nor are we drawn to rebellion against God. As a resulting benefit, we have no reason to fear death, for it is but a distant memory God banishes from the realm of possibility.
Continue reading All Who Are in the Graves
This is the 20th in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
No matter how people consider death, we can’t escape the truth that one day we breathe our last. But what then? Everyone who’s thought seriously about this question has an answer – or at least an opinion.
Those who embrace a naturalistic worldview say death is the end of our existence. We may live on in the memories of loved ones. Meanwhile, our contributions to mankind – or our crimes against humanity – may outlive us, but our consciousness ends permanently and irreversibly once we stop breathing.
Tibetan Buddhists believe the spirits of the departed embark on a journey lasting 49 days and divided into three stages. At the conclusion of the third stage, a person either enters nirvana – a place of liberation from the cravings that cause suffering – or returns to earth for rebirth.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe most of the departed (except for the 144,000 of the anointed class) go into a state of soul sleep until a future date with destiny. At that time, many of the dead are resurrected and given an opportunity to prove themselves worthy to enter an eternal paradise on earth.
But Scripture paints a different picture. At physical death, the immaterial part of human beings – that is, our souls and spirits – enter an intermediate state, either with Jesus in heaven or in torment in hades. Meanwhile, our lifeless bodies await future resurrection, at which time our souls and spirits reunite with our resurrected bodies so we may stand before Jesus in final judgment.
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Your Kingdom Come
This is the 19th in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
In previous columns, we looked at the nature of Christ’s return. He’s coming personally, physically, victoriously, powerfully, and suddenly. Now, we turn our attention to the reasons for his return. First, Christ returns to establish his kingdom in fullness.
So, what is the kingdom of God? Simply stated, the kingdom is God’s reign, his authority to rule over all. Jesus taught primarily about the nature of the kingdom so he followers would understand that in his first coming, he inaugurated God’s kingdom. Through the Holy Spirit, he’s expanding the kingdom. And one day, he returns to bring the complete and final consummation of the kingdom, at which time he judges all people, creates new heavens and a new earth, and eradicates sin and its stain.
The king’s agenda
As we look for the return of the king, it may help to briefly survey his unfinished business.
1. The king returns in glory.
In his ascension, Jesus reclaims the glory he shared with the Father before the world existed (John 17:5). His coronation takes place as he ascends to the throne and sits at the Father’s right hand, with all authority given to him in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 12:2). When he returns, he bears that same divine glory as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:16).
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