But, what of those who have not done good, but instead, have done evil? On that last day, at the trump of God, the wicked dead will also rise, but their resurrection will be one of judgment. Jesus, the Righteous Judge, will separate them from the righteous, as goats are separated from sheep. And these will be judged according to what they have done in their lives upon the earth. Those books that recorded their evil deeds will condemn them to an eternity of everlasting punishment, separated for all time from God and His saints. And Jesus will give them that most dreaded of commands: “Depart from Me into that eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus will take vengeance upon those evildoers with the condemnation of everlasting fire, and there will be no escape from the wrath of God to those who have not lived in Christ, and toward those who have not died in Christ.

When the fate of men has been sealed, when the righteous go into everlasting life and the wicked into everlasting punishment, then it will have come to pass—then it will have come to pass that Jesus will have delivered up the kingdom to the Father. Once this has happened, then the earth and the very universe itself will meet their fate. Peter wrote that “…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]. The heavens, the entire created universe, will be destroyed. It will pass out of existence, accompanied by a great noise. The elements of this universe, the very substance from which it is made, will melt with a fervent heat. The earth, in particular, and everything that’s in it will be destroyed with divine fire. The universe we now know will no longer exist. It will be destroyed. It will be consumed in fire. Even the very elements of which things are made will pass out of existence. There will be nothing left.

Remember, we said that Jesus will meet us in the clouds, that we will meet Him in the air, and that we will be with Him in heaven forever? Now, there are those who teach that Jesus will return to this earth to set up a literal earthly kingdom. And I would ask this question: Where on the earth is this kingdom going to be set up? Jesus will not set foot upon this earth again. Why not? Because it won’t be here.

There is coming one hour in which the dead will hear His voice and rise from the graves. ALL in the graves will come forth unto ONE resurrection. For the good—eternal life. For the wicked—eternal punishment. That is THE END. One hour, one end, one resurrection, one second coming of Jesus, one time when Jesus will deliver up the kingdom to the Father. There will be no more earth on which to set foot upon to set up a kingdom, because that earth will have been burned up.

After the earth, its works, and the very universe itself will be destroyed, then will begin an eternity of punishment for the wicked. But most importantly, and especially for us, then will begin an eternity of heavenly bliss and reward for those who lived in Christ, and for those who died in Christ. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain; for those things will all have passed away.

It’s this thought that brings us to the point of our lesson this morning. When Peter wrote of the things that will happen to the earth, the universe and all material things, he made a great and momentous, for us, observation. He said, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, (here’s the question) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”2 Peter 3, verses 11 through 14.

As Christians, we do indeed “look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Now, what is this “new heavens and earth”? Well, what it might be like is not explained. Where will they be? We don’t know. Of what will they be composed? We don’t know that, either. God has not revealed these things to us, but He has revealed that righteousness will be there.

We diligently look forward to this new order of things, whatever that might be. The point for us to observe is this: Since the earth, the heavens, and every element which now exists, is going to be burned up some day, then we need to be looking for and hastening to, or earnestly desiring, that coming day of God in which Jesus will come again.

Since we so fervently desire to some day obtain that eternal heavenly reward, since we are so earnestly looking forward to the day when Christ returns to take us home, the question is this: What…kind…of people…should…we be? How should we be living our lives on the earth, while we wait for Jesus to return? As Peter said, “Beloved, seeing that you are so earnestly looking for these things to come to pass, be diligent that you might be found by God in that day to be dwelling in His peace, without being spotted by sin, and being blameless in God’s sight.” [“…beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless”2 Peter 3:14].

Paul knew that his way of life had assured his obtaining of the crown of righteousness, the symbolic crown of glory that’s figurative of the reward of eternal life. Now, how did Paul do that? Well, he fought a good fight; he finished his course; he kept the faith. Paul said that Jesus, on that day in which Jesus will come again, will give him that eternal reward and that Jesus will also give that eternal reward to them that love His appearing. That eternal reward—that crown of righteousness—is only going to be given to those who love…His…appearing, those who are looking forward diligently, with joy, to the day in which Christ returns to take us to our eternal reward in heaven. [2 Timothy 4:6-8: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”]