What is death? What is the ultimate cause of death? What is the Second Coming? What is the resurrection? What is the judgment? What will the state of the righteous be for eternity? The Greek word for last or final is eschatos and that gives rise to what we call the study of last things, eschatology. Jesus said that he is the first and the last, the protos and the eschatos.
“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.” (Revelation 11:17 NKJV)
Our Personal End
Death
The Bible contains the concepts of physical death and spiritual death. It is appointed to all human beings to die once and after that the judgment.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment… (Hebrews 9:27-28 NASB)
When we die, the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV)
The “walking dead” is just a Hollywood twist on a biblical concept. People stuck in sin are already dead, spiritually speaking, but we are made alive in Christ.
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin… (Ephesians 2:1-2 NLT)
A spiritually dead life is filled with all uncleanness and greediness. This is the popular life of the nations.
… they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. (Ephesians 4:17-19 NIV)
The ultimate end of such a life is the second death.
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. (Revelation 21:8 NKJV)
Cause of Death
Death entered the human family because of Adam’s sin, but the resurrection from the dead entered because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:21 ESV)
Sin causes a life of spiritual death, followed by physical death. Death is an enemy.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26 KJV)
Death causes a lot of crying and sorrow. For Christians it is also grief, but even with hope, it still has its sting.
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV)
Our Corporate End
Second Coming
Jesus will return visibly like He went, and the faithful will meet Him in the clouds. When He comes He will bring His reward with Him. His coming will be sudden and unexpected. At that time we will be like Him and see Him as he is.
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11 NIV)
If He left visibly, why would we think that He would not also return visibly?
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 who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV)
When
The specific timing of Jesus’ second coming is unknown, a deliberate heavenly secret.
“… no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows… banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time… keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming… be ready all the time… The master will return unannounced and unexpected… keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return… To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away…" (Matthew 24:36-25:30 NLT)
What
Jesus will come as both Judge and Savior of the world (Mark 13; Luke 21). The world will be divided into two camps, the wicked and the righteous.
… many will be offended… [and] he who endures to the end… one will be taken and the other left… a faithful and wise servant… [and] that evil servant… [the] wise, and… foolish… [the] good and faithful servant… [and the] wicked and lazy servant… sheep… [and] goats (Matthew 24-25 NKJV)
Humanity will be divided: the offended versus the tenacious, the captives versus the left behind, the faithful and wise versus the evil, the wise versus the foolish, the good and faithful versus the wicked and lazy, and the sheep versus the goats.
Judgment
The Bible indicates that all people will experience the resurrection, some a resurrection to everlasting life and others a resurrection of shame and everlasting contempt.
… Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. (John 5:28-29 NLT)
The entire world will eventually stand in judgment before a great white throne and give account of their works.
… the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books… And they were judged, each one according to his works… And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 NKJV)
A new heaven and new earth are described in extraordinary and wonderful terms (Revelation 21-22).
The Bible describes hell with various negative metaphors. Nobody knows for sure what it will be like. The bottom line is that hell is bad; heaven is good. Choose heaven.
Glory
God has intrinsic glory. He is worthy of all praise and renown. Yet, God’s purpose is to share a part of that glory with us. The faithful are being transformed into people of preeminence and excellence.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB)
This wonderful honor becomes ours for all eternity, if we are among the faithful.
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory… (Hebrews 2:10 NLT)
Not just the glory of high honor is ours, but our bodies are raised in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (1 Corinthians 15:42-43 NKJV)
Summary
The final end is not the death of the body, when the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God. The final end is damnation for the unrepentant and eternal glory for the righteous by faith. Death came because of Adam, and resurrection because of Jesus. Jesus will return visibly. The faithful will meet Him in the clouds. He will bring His reward with Him. His coming will be sudden and unexpected. Jesus will come to judge and save. Hell is bad; heaven is good. Choose the good!
