We are continuing in our series of lessons on the Great Bible Doctrines. Last week we looked at the Bible doctrine of rewards and punishments. As Paul said to the church in Rome, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off,” Romans 11, verse 22. This passage, as well as a hundred others, as well as examples that are set forth in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, tell us that God is a rewarder of the obedient and the faithful, and that He will punish the disobedient and the unfaithful. And although some want to think of God only as a rewarder, think of only His goodness, as we pointed out last time, we must look at the entire nature of God. God’s justice demands that every sin be punished, and since all accountable souls are sinners as Paul says, Romans 3, verse 23 [“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”], sinners or the sin of mankind, as a whole and individually, must be punished. And therefore, some who are found to be in a lost condition will spend eternity in hell. But God’s desire is that all men be saved, 2 Peter 3, verse 9 [“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”], and He has provided a way—the Way, the onlyWay—for men to be forgiven of their sins and to be saved. That ONLY WAY IS IN CHRIST! Therefore, each person makes that decision. Each person decides by his own life and by his obedience or lack of obedience to God, whether he will receive the benefits or the rewards of God, or if he will be punished by God eternally.
These thoughts concerning the rewards and punishments, those things that we looked at in Lesson 11, prepare us for this lesson. This lesson will be an examination of what the Bible has to say about what will transpire at the end of time. This is called “Eschatology.” Eschatology is the doctrine (teaching, instruction) of the “last things,” or the “final things,” or the “end times.” So that is what we’re looking at in this lesson.
Let me just say that time does not permit us to look at every thing that we might explore on this subject. As a matter of fact, I was thinking as I was preparing for the lesson that it was three years ago that I attended the Spiritual Sword Lectureship in Memphis, Tennessee. It was in October of 1999, and the subject matter of that lectureship, the entire week’s worth of sermons, several each day, was the subject of “Eschatology,” the study of end times. So in a few minutes this evening, we’re obviously not going to cover every aspect of this subject.
Although it is not its primary purpose, the Bible is still a book of history. The Bible is accurate in every aspect, whether it has to do with medical things, or historical things, or social things, or cultural things. Whatever the Bible speaks about, it speaks about it in an accurate way.
The Bible certainly speaks accurately in the area of history. But specifically, in the context of what we’re talking about tonight, the Bible relates to us the beginning of all things, that is, all the temporal things, the things that we’re familiar with in this physical realm, Genesis 1, verse 1, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth,” and so on. So that was the beginning.
The Bible also tells us that an end to these things will come. Peter says in 1 Peter 4, verse 7, “But the end of all things is at hand,” [“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”]. Then, the Book of Revelation gives us a look into the things that will occur at the end—at the termination of these physical things. And the Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse into eternity, as well. As I said, Eschatology is the study of “last things.” It is a study of the order in which the end will come, when Jesus makes His second appearance—His second coming, as we refer to it sometimes. The second coming of our Lord was promised by Himself. It will be the very climax, the “crescendo,” of all of human history. It will bring the removal of humans from the earth to another place, which we’ll talk about later. It will declare the end of the earth and of the universe, because it will all be consumed.
Let us first look at THE ORDER OF EVENTS IN THE END. Now we are speaking of specific events which will transpire surrounding the second coming. We know that we live in the last days. We are living in the last days now. We’ve been in the last days now for 2,000 years. It will still be the last days if this earth stands another 1,000 years, or another 5,000 years. But we’re talking specifically about the events that surround the second coming—the end time, the last things.
First of all, the Lord will return in that second coming without warning. He will descend from Heaven at some future moment in time. That might occur before I finish this sentence! It might occur before we return to our homes this evening. It might occur before the sun comes up tomorrow. It might not occur for hundreds or thousands of years. But when it does occur, it will come without warning. We can look at a long list of passages of Scriptures that speak to the second coming of Jesus. This is not some remote possibility. This is not someone’s “pipe dream.” No, it is firmly implanted on the pages of Scripture, that He will come again. Jesus said that the Father only knows the time of that return, Matthew 24, verse 36 [“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”]. Even the other Heavenly beings—the angels—do not know. Even Jesus Himself does not know. He says in that passage that only the Father knows that time.
Now what does that tell us about anyone who would suggest that they know when the Lord will return? There have been many throughout history who have attempted to pinpoint the specific day. Some have even attempted to pinpoint the time of day. That would suggest to me that the fellow who says that may not know what he’s talking about! But yet hundreds, if not thousands, over the years have followed people like this who have made those predictions. And by the way, there is a very large, growing denomination that follows a man who set one date, and the Lord didn’t return. Then he said, “You know, it wasn’t this month; it is going to be next month. I’ve got that figured out now.” And the Lord didn’t come that month either. Then he set a date out there a little bit further, and those faithful followers were still with him and waiting. And the Lord still hasn’t come and that man said these things well over a hundred years ago! But he began a denomination that still exists today. Obviously, he did not believe what Jesus said, that the Father only knows when Jesus will come again. Not even the Lord Himself knows when that day will come!
We notice that, first of all, the Lord will come without warning, and we read in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Now someone suggested that this is the “noisy verse” in the Bible! You see, there’s going to be a shout, and there’s going to be the voice of the archangel, and there’s going to be the trumpet of God. What’s that going to sound like? I don’t know, but it’s going to be loud! It’s going to be noticeable! It’s going to be like something that we have never heard before, and will never hear again!
Jesus WILL COME AGAIN a second time; He will COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT; There will be the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING; He says that He is COMING QUICKLY; He will APPEAR A SECOND TIME; He will COME FROM HEAVEN IN THE SAME WAY HE WAS SEEN TO GO INTO HEAVEN; He WILL COME IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER; He will COME WITHOUT WARNING; He will be REVEALED:
Hebrews 9:28—“so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3—“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”
2 Thessalonians 2:8—“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
1 Timothy 6:14—“that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,…”
Acts 1:10-11—“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’”
Matthew 16:27—“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”
Matthew 24:27—“as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
1 Corinthians 1:7-8—“so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 4:5—“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
1 Corinthians 11:26—“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
Revelation 22:12, 20—“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work…He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
So we see that the Lord will come without warning; that no one knows when He’s going to come, and He will come “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” So there is the sequence of events.
But let’s keep in mind as we are talking about this that WE are going through a numbering process—a sequential process—BUT all of these things are going to occur in the “twinkling of an eye.” I doubt that if the Lord comes during our lifetime, we will have the ability to say, “Ah, that was the shout; now I wonder when the voice of the archangel is going to come.” No, these things are going to transpire in the “twinkling of an eye.” [1 Corinthians 15:52—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”] But yet, they are set forth for us so that we can see what will happen so quickly.
I will also mention here that there is a group who professes belief in, and teaches, a doctrine called “the rapture.” That, of course, involves a “secret coming” of the Lord, when those who are faithful will be taken out of the earth for a period of time. Again, we don’t see anything secretive or quiet about the coming of the Lord. Of course, there is nothing to substantiate, no Truth in, this doctrine of a “rapture” in the Scriptures.
Then what’s going to happen next? Well, all the dead will be raised, John 5, verse 28 and 29 [“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voiceand come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”]. [Revelation 20:13—“The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”]
And as we just read in the last line of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 16, Paul tells us that the dead in Christ will be raised first [“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”]. Then, we read on in verse 17, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” So the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those faithful people who are still living at that time, will be meet them in the clouds, and together, they will meet the Lord in the air. Notice that the Lord will not touch this earth again at His second coming. All those who are IN CHRIST will meet Him in the air.
Now, something is going to occur at that time. Again, all of this is going to happen in the “twinkling of an eye.” Let’s go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, and look at something else that is going to occur as a part of this second coming. I just noticed that in my Bible, verse 50 is preceded with the title, “Our Final Victory.” Beginning with verse 50, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” (there’s that ‘twinkling of an eye,’) “at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” So somewhere in that “twinkling of an eye,” our bodies will be changed. Why? Because what we currently have in this earthly life are mortal bodies, flesh and blood bodies that are “corruptible” and “mortal.” They will die a physical death. They must be changed into “immortality,” into bodies that are “incorruptible,” that is, immortal spiritual bodies. And remember that ALL of the dead will rise, both good and evil. With those who are living, they will be changed and have eternal spiritual bodies that will be eternally in heaven with the God, or eternally in hell.
John speaks also in Revelation, chapter 20, verse 13 of the resurrection of the dead [“The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”].
In this discussion about the sequence of events—things that are going to transpire on that last day, at that last moment—notice again that Christ will not set foot on the earth. There is a great deal of confusion about this in the world. There are many called “premillennialists” who believe that Jesus is going to return to the earth. Those who believe in the “rapture” and those who are “premillennialists” teach a doctrine that says that the Lord will return to earth. After a period of about a thousand years (depending on whose doctrine you listen to in this regard), the Lord will return to the earth, along with all of those who had been “raptured,” and He will reign here on the earth, from the City of Jerusalem, on the literal throne of David, and so on. Again, there is no Scriptural basis for this doctrine. We see from the Scriptures that Jesus will not set foot on this earth again. You notice again there in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, that those who are IN HIM will “meet Him in the air.”
In John 14, verses 1 through 4, He gives us that wonderful promise about going to prepare a place for us [“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the Way you know.”]. If He goes to prepare a place for us, He will come again and He will take us there to be with Him. No, He has not prepared a place for His children here on earth! He’s not going to come back and stay here! He will not even touch this earth again! He’s going to TAKE His children to that place that He has prepared. This is an important point to remember, because, once again, there is much false teaching about this. There are many, many people who are evangelicals—many who are in numerous denominations, various phases of different denominations, like Presbyterians, Methodists, and so on, who believe this false teaching. So we must be clear on this matter. We must believe what GOD says.
Then, in considering the things that will happen in that last time, Peter relates that the universe at this time will be destroyed, that is, once all the humans have been removed from the earth. 2 Peter 3, verse 10 says that the earth will be consumed with fire [“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”]. I believe that this is an interesting thought. It will go back to the “nothingness” from which it was created. You remember back in Genesis 1, verse 1, that “In the beginning God created.” In the original language, that word “created” suggests that He created something out of “nothingness.” There wasn’t anything here and God spoke everything into existence. When all of this is gone and consumed, what was created by God will go back to the “nothingness” that existed before God created all things.
Let’s look now at a few points about THE JUDGMENT. There is so much more that we could say about the “end times,” and particularly about the judgment. The judgment is part of what the Bible has to say about Eschatology, the study or doctrine of end times.
The judgment day will take place in heaven before the throne of God. Let’s look at this judgment scene in Revelation, chapter 20, beginning with verse 11. Remember that when John wrote Revelation by inspiration, he was exiled on the Island of Patmos. He was been given a vision. He was given the ability to look into eternity, and this is part of what he saw: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him Who sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” So there is a depiction that John gives of that judgment scene. [Romans 2:16—“in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.”]
Paul writes that every human being will face God in the judgment. Every human being will be accountable for the things done in this life. He says, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God,” Romans 14, verse 12.
Jesus spoke often of the judgment: [Matthew 5:21-22 —“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…”; Matthew 12:36-37—“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”; Matthew 10:11-15 — “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the Truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”; Matthew 23:33 —“Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”; John 5:24, 28-29 —“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him Who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life…Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His [the Son of Man’s] voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”].
There are other numerous other passages referring to the judgment. They include: Acts 17:31—“because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man Whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”; Acts 24:25—“Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’”; 1 Corinthians 4:5—“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”; 2 Corinthians 5:10—“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”; 2 Timothy 4:1—“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:…”.
The Bible teaches us that the soul of every man will live forever. The wise man writes in Ecclesiastes, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God Who gave it,” Ecclesiastes 12, verse 7.
And, there are two destinations—two and two only—for the soul, where the soul will exist and will live eternally: Daniel 12:2—“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”; Matthew 25:46—“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”; John 5:24-29—“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him Who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”; Mark 16:15-16—“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”; Romans 6:23—“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”; Galatians 6:8—“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
The judgment day will find each individual assigned to either eternal life, or to eternal punishment. Eternal life for the redeemed is promised throughout the Bible—Old Testament and New. However, eternal punishment of the wicked is also promised, both in the Old and the New Testaments: Revelation 20:11-15—“Then I saw a great white throne and Him Who sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”; Revelation 21:6-8—“And He [the Lord God] said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”; Matthew 16:27—“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”].
Let’s consider the matter of HADES, because this is the place that is, in a sense, between death and the judgment. It is the place between this life and life eternally.
It should be noted that the English word for Hades is actually a word that is transliterated from the Greek word. The Greek word is “hades,” spelled “h-a-d-e-s,” but pronounced “ha-des” (emphasis on “des”). Again, a “transliteration”—that word was not translated from the Greek into English. The word was taken and put into the English language.
We need to point out that this is a different place from Hell. There are some translations that don’t translate this accurately. Hell is the Greek word, “Gehenna,” which refers to the “final abode of the lost.” Hades is a word that in the original language means “a place of the dead”—“a place of the unknown.” I found this interesting: It also means “all receiving.” Everyone who dies will be received in Hades.
What is this place? What’s it like? We don’t know, but in Luke, chapter 16, Jesus relates a story about a rich man and a poor man. The poor man’s name was Lazarus [verses 19-21—“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.”]. They both die, only to find themselves in Hades—the rich man in torment, and Lazarus resting in paradise, pictured as being on the “bosom of Abraham” [verses 22-23—“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”].
That story tells us several things. First of all, it is apparent that Hades is compartmentalized, so to speak, and that there is a place of torment and there is a place of rest and comfort. This is not, however, the final resting place. The judgment has not yet taken place. What this tells us also is that when a person dies, one’s “fate is sealed.” There is no “second chance” or “second opportunity.” There is no place called “purgatory,” as many believe.
We also see from these verses that these two individuals were conscious. They were aware of their circumstances [verses 24-25—“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.’”]
We also learn from these verses that the rich man desired to go back, but he couldn’t. There is a great gulf fixed between torment and paradise, and no one pass between [verse 26—“And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”]. So it is final! A person will know his/her FINAL eternal destination as he/she awaits the judgment day in Hades.
They also remembered. The rich man remembered his family and his brothers [verses 27-28—“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him [Lazarus] to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’”].
So in that brief story that Jesus gives us in Luke 16, a number of things are revealed to us about this place called Hades.
Jesus visited Hades during His death—the period of three days He was in the grave. It was prophesied that He would not stay there, Psalm 16, verse 10 [“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”] And Peter will quote from Psalm 16, verse 10, as he preaches that first Gospel sermon in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. He says, “His soul was not left in Hades,” referring to Jesus [Acts 2:31—“he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”]
Also, Hades will be done away with when the end of things will come. “Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire,” we read in Revelation 20, verse 14 [“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”].
Regarding THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS:
The early church was very conscience of the second coming of Jesus. They were TOLD about it: 2 Peter 3:10-14—“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;…”;
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11—“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
Jesus had much to say about His second coming. We must be ready, or Jesus will say, “I do not know you”: Matthew 25:1-13—“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Yes, Jesus is coming again! We must be alert and be found ready in that last great day!
We need to be reminded once again that we are living in the last days. There is no other dispensation yet to come. [“Dispensation” means “the ordering of events under divine authority.”] What God has provided for mankind in the way of sending Christ as our Savior—the Savior of the world—cannot be improved upon. God’s plan of salvation, His ordering of events, are set and final. So there is nothing else to look for—no other revelation, no other plan. The only thing mankind can expect is the end itself!
To summarize, we are reminded that the end is going to come unannounced “as a thief in the night,” as it is referred to in several places, both by Paul and by the Lord Himself. And, there will not be time then for anyone to do anything. The Lord will come with a shout, with the voice of the archangels, and with the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ will rise, and all of humanity will be ushered before the judgment seat of God to be judged. The judgment will be based upon what we did in this life—whether it was good or whether it was evil, whether we were obedient or whether we were disobedient, whether we were faithful or whether we were unfaithful.
And so the vital words for mankind are: be prepared, be obedient, be watchful, be alert, be waiting!!!