It doesn’t take too many birthdays to start understanding that everybody, including yourself, is going to die one day.  It’s a truth that, once realized, can’t be unrealized, so much so that it creates all kinds of questions that, based on how you answer those questions or don’t answer them, totally define the rest of your life!  Questions like these become an unavoidable part of your consciousness:

• When am I going to die?
• Is there life after death?
• Is there a God who’s going to judge me?
• If there is a God who will judge me, how am I supposed to live?

It doesn’t take a philosophy or psychology degree to know that how you answer or choose not to answer those kinds of questions will ultimately determine the kind of life you will live.  And let me be clear: choosing to avoid and not answer those questions is just as impactful as choosing to answer them.  Therefore, knowing how massively impactful my answers to those questions are, as one who believes the Bible to be God's inerrant and infallible Word, I turn to it to form what I will believe and why!

For instance, when it comes to the question, “when am I going to die?” that is, is it possible to know how many days I have left to live on this earth?  The Biblical answer is that it’s possible but not likely.  There are only a few instances in the Bible where a person was told exactly when they would die.  For example, in our study of 1^st Samuel, we saw one of those when Samuel told Saul that he and his sons were going to die in battle the next day (1 Samuel 28:19).  Therefore, as one who believes the Bible, I know that I’m very likely not going to know how many days I have left on this earth. Hence, I need to make sure I don’t live in a way that assumes I have a lot and thus procrastinate in things I shouldn’t, nor assume I don’t have many left, and therefore make decisions foolishly based entirely on how they impact my life and others right now.

What about the answer to the question, “Is there life after death?”  Well, the Bible gives the best, most clear, and most trustworthy answer in the Universe!

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Jesus rose from the grave AND ascended into heaven!  This wasn’t a philosophical belief or an act of faith for the 500-plus people Paul referenced, but rather something they saw with their own eyes!  They were not witnesses of an idea or proclaimers of a faith derived from some sort of theoretical revelation, but rather, they were actual physical witnesses of the resurrected and ascended Christ who died after being horrifically scourged and crucified by the Romans in front of masses of people!  Paul and the other people he mentions were so convinced and unified by what they witnessed that they were more than willing to be killed rather than recant.  If Jesus rose from the grave and ascended to heaven, then life after death is real, heaven is real, the reality of Him returning is real, and everything He said is real, including the answers He gave to the other two questions I mentioned above:

• Is there a God who’s going to judge me?
• If there is a God who will judge me, how am I supposed to live?

Ok, you get the idea, right?  How you answer or don’t answer those life questions that become a permanent fixture in your life the moment you realize that you are going to die one day impacts everything about your life moving forward.

So, here’s what I want to do today. Since the most fundamental question, “Is there life after death?” has already been answered by Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, I want to focus on what most Christians throughout history have accepted as the Biblical answers to what I believe are the three most important questions created by the reality that we are going to die one day.

The realization of the reality of death presents us with three life-defining questions that the Bible gives us straightforward answers to.

 The first life-defining question is,

 What happens when I die?

 The following is my personal theological statement concerning what the Bible teaches happens to humans when they die:

Note:  All who die in this world will, at that exact moment, experience the complete separation of body and soul.  The body “returns to dust,” but the soul, with full consciousness, enters heaven (the blessed presence of God and His love) or hell (the cursed presence of God’s wrath).  This will be the reality of every human until the Second coming of Christ.

This truth is found throughout the Bible, but it is most clearly expressed in the New Testament. Let me explain it.

First, as a reminder, Jesus told us that eternal life isn’t simply a reference to existing forever but rather existing forever in perfect fellowship with God! The Bible is very clear that all humans will exist forever; the question is how they will exist.  Therefore, the “eternal life” that Jesus came to provide us certainly doesn’t negate the length of life as being eternal but offers us the certainty of life that is perfectly eternally good in its experience because it’s a life that exists in perfect eternal fellowship with God!  For instance, Jesus said,

 Note:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

 Jesus also made it clear that the only way to have the life He came to give us is to repent and believe in Him.

 Note:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Likewise, Peter boldly proclaimed what he had clearly heard Jesus teach, “12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

In addition to claiming to be the only way to eternal life, Jesus made it clear that eternal life exists now for all who are in Him. As such, when we die, we still have it!

Note: 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, (John 11:25)

However, Jesus also made it clear that the eternal life exclusively found in Him is not the only possible existence after death.Those who never repent and believe in Him have a different eternal future that the Bible calls Hell.  Some like to suggest that Jesus never taught this, but such a suggestion is entirely ignorant.  No one was more overtly forward about the subject than Jesus Himself!  For example, one of the most vivid descriptions He gave concerning what happens to us when we die is found in Luke 16.  It’s a parable, meaning it is a fictional story intended to communicate truth. In this instance, it’s clearly the truth about the two different instant realities we can experience when we die.  Jesus said,

Note: 19 "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" (Luke 16:19-31)

There are all kinds of things we could talk about from that passage, but all I want you to note about it today is the unambiguous and unmistakable teaching of Jesus that when the rich man and Lazarus died, they were instantly fully alive and conscious in a new reality. They were not spirits floating around the earth in some kind of limbo, but they were fully recognizable as themselves in a reality they were fully experiencing as themselves.  One was in a place called hell, and the other was in heaven.  One was experiencing perfect unity with God and everybody else in heaven, and the other was experiencing the wrath of God, regret, and torment.

Therefore, for those who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus, this truth is the most terribly horrifying truth a person could ever hear, but to those who do repent and believe in Jesus, to those who have been adopted as His children, it’s the most glorious news you could ever hear!It is literally the pinnacle of the GOOD NEWS.  Listen to what Paul wrote,

1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1-8)

Elsewhere Paul wrote,

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:21-26)

 So again, the Bible is clear that all who die in this world will, at that exact moment, experience complete separation of body and soul. The body “returns to dust,” but the soul, with full consciousness, enters heaven (the blessed presence of God and His love) or hell (the cursed presence of God’s wrath).  This will be the reality of every human until the Second coming of Christ.

 Therefore, when it comes to how I live my life if I live it as one who has repented and believed in Jesus, I can live it without fear of death and, in the context of all whom I love, if they are in Christ, I can know that no matter how many days we have together in this life, we have all of eternity in front of us to bask in His eternal life together!

 But what happens when Jesus comes back? The Bible provides a very straightforward answer to this second life-defining question.

 What happens when Christ returns?

Every serious creed of what is recognized as the Christian faith acknowledges the anticipated second coming of Christ.It was clearly a fundamental identifying doctrine and longing of the early church (1 Corinthians 16:22).  It’s truly such a centerpiece to the Christian faith that to reject it is to reject Christianity.  The following is my personal theological statement concerning the Doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ.  It encapsulates everything the church has always believed and nothing that it hasn’t.

 Note:The Second Coming of Christ will occur suddenly on a day no man can predict.  When Christ returns, all who are in Him, dead or alive, will be instantly transformed and made as the resurrected Christ is now.  They will receive a new body perfectly united with their soul in sinless perfection (totally free from any contamination or capability of sin).  They will live with God forever on a new earth that He fully restored as His dwelling for all who are in Christ and for all who are in Christ to dwell with one another! However, at the second coming of Christ, all who are not in Christ, both dead and alive, will experience a different resurrection.  They will receive their final judgment and condemnation from Christ and, along with Satan and his demons, will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever (Hell).  

 Now, before I discuss some of the critical passages that make this teaching clear in Scripture, I need to clarify some things.

First, let me be super clear on this: do not give any attention to any teaching that claims to know the day or even time frame of when they believe Jesus is coming back.Those who propose these teachings are deceived and are living in absolute disobedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is ultra clear that it is not a secret within the Bible to be discovered, and even if it was, which it’s not, the Bible is also clear that it is literally God’s will for it NOT to be known by anybody!  For instance,

36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. (Acts 1:7)

However, in all the unity of the Christian church around the universal belief that Christ is coming back, there are still all kinds of different views on the nature of the events the Bible says will take place before He comes back, as well as their order. One of the most notable disagreements among Christians concerning the Second Coming of Christ is the nature and timing of what the Bible calls the millennial reign of Christ.  I’m not going to take the time to explain how each derives its teachings from the Bible, but I have included some links in the footnotes of the manuscript where you can learn a little more about each.  Another great thing to check out is the “Night of Eschatology” with John Piper, Doug Wilson, Sam Storms, and Jim Hamilton.¹https://youtu.be/4S0TQ2dXnms?si=Q_OQahKmc5xA7Rxw  If this subject interests you, it will be the fastest two hours of your life!  It’s an absolutely fascinating conversation that exemplifies how Christians should debate things as brothers.

So, let me take a few minutes to familiarize you with these terms—just enough for you to recognize the general idea behind them. I’ll go from the newest perspective to the oldest.

Postmillennialism²https://www.theopedia.com/postmillennialism – This is the newest of the millennial views, and it didn’t appear until the 17^th In this view, most believe the Great Tribulation occurred when Rome laid siege on Jerusalem and ultimately destroyed it in 70 AD.  That kicked off what they believe to be a metaphorical “millennial” period, where the church began to steadily reclaim more and more of what Satan ruled on the earth.  The belief is that once it reclaims everything, Christ will return. It is a hopelessly optimistic view that continues to overlook the fact the world is just as much under the rule of sin and Satan as it ever was.  Nonetheless, despite the serious Biblical and historical issues confronting the system, it ends with Christ returning, all in Christ (dead and alive) are made as He is, and Christ judges and executes His judgment on all.  All in Christ move forward into eternal life with God and one another on a brand-new restored earth, and all who are not in Christ are cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.

Amillennialism – Although it does not appear to be as old as historic premillennialism, it certainly dates back to the early church. It “is the view in Christian eschatology which states that Christ is presently reigning through the Church, and that the "1000 years" of Revelation 20:1-6 is a metaphorical reference to the present church age which will culminate in Christ's return.”³https://www.theopedia.com/amillennialism  However, unlike postmillennialism, it doesn’t believe things are going to get better for the church; as a matter of fact, things are going to get much worse and eventually culminate in what is known as the Great Tribulation, a seven-year period of persecution more severe than anything the church has never experienced.  At the end of those seven years, Christ will return, and from there, everything essentially goes the same way things are viewed in postmillennialism.

Historic Premillennialism⁴https://www.theopedia.com/premillennialism – Many credit this as the oldest view in the Christian Church. It’s the belief that there will eventually be a terrible persecution of the church called the Great Tribulation.  It will be unlike anything the world has ever seen and last for seven years.  At the end of that Great Tribulation, Christ will return, and all who are in Christ, dead or alive, will receive new bodies and, as such, be transformed to be as the resurrected Christ is.  Christ will then bind Satan, and all who are in Christ will reign with Him over all the earth for 1,000 years.  At the end of that literal 1,000 years, Christ will execute His final judgments on all, including Satan.  Satan, all his demons, and all who are not in Christ will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity, and all who are in Him will dwell with Him on a newly restored earth forever.

Now, here’s where things get a little more complicated.In the 19^th century, a new version of premillennialism surfaced in a new view of how Biblical prophecy applies to Israel and the Church.  It’s called Dispensationalism⁵https://www.theopedia.com/dispensationalism, and it’s credited to a key leader in the Plymouth Brethren movement named John Darby.  I’m not going to explain it all here, for sure.  Still, because so many in Venture grew up in evangelical conservative Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal churches that, whether they realized it or not, were being taught the Bible from this perspective, it’s essential to at least clarify one aspect of what Dispensational Premillennialism teaches about the Second Coming of Christ.   Among all the new interpretations of Scripture Darby introduced and popularized, the one most people have probably at least heard about is the Rapture⁶https://www.theopedia.com/rapture.  Prior to John Darby, nobody in church history had ever suggested that the Bible taught such a thing.  What’s the rapture?  Well, let me explain it by explaining the two most popular versions of it:

Pre-tribulation RAPTURE of the Church - In this exclusively dispensational belief system, the church is raptured out of this world immediately before the Great Tribulation. It makes one wonder why we have so many Scriptures meant to encourage the church during the Great Tribulation, but nonetheless, it is essentially the belief that the return of Christ will happen in two parts.  The first part will happen before the Great Tribulation.  In part one, all who belong to Christ in this world will mysteriously and instantly depart and be with Christ in heaven.  They, along with all in Christ who had previously died, will receive resurrected bodies just as Christ has now.  Nobody on earth will know how all these people disappeared, but soon thereafter, it won’t matter because that’s when dispensationalists believe the Great Tribulation begins.  Finally, at the end of the 7-year Great Tribulation, all in Christ will return with Him to rule the earth for 1,000 literal years, and at the end of that 1,000 years, Christ will issue His final judgment on all mankind.  Although dispensational premillennialism and historic premillennialism agree on a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ with His church over the earth after the Great Tribulation, they disagree on a lot about what takes place during those 1,000 years, particularly with Israel.  Nonetheless, at the end of the 1,000 years, dispensationalism essentially realigns with historic premillennialism, and everything ends up basically in the same place.

The other version of the rapture is called the Mid-tribulation RAPTURE of the Church. This view attempts to reconcile the pre-trib view's obvious problems with all the Scriptures meant to equip the church for life in the Great Tribulation. Therefore, it leaves the church here during the Great Tribulation, but only through the first half, and thus, the only essential difference between this view and the “pre-tribulation” view is that the “rapture” will happen halfway through the tribulation.  Everything is pretty much the same from the middle of the Great Tribulation on, with everything else taught in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church in traditional Dispensational Premillennialism.

 So, with all that said, let me read you some Bible passages that form my personal theological statement on the Second Coming of Christ. As we read them, look for how they make the things in my personal theological statement obvious and, thus, why the things I’ve written for you have been universally agreed upon throughout the history of the Church.

26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:26-27)

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:26-29)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:6-11)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:7-8)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8)

 The third life-defining question the reality of death presents us with is,

 How should the Biblical teachings of Heaven, Hell, and the Second Coming of Christ influence me now?

 Those who refuse to believe in Jesus should be horrified of death and the eternity they will enter without God. However, those who have surrendered their lives to Christ should live out whatever days they have left on this earth with no fear of tomorrow, no hesitation to love others, and no rationality but to say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit!  They should enthusiastically surrender all their time, talent, and treasure to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as they labor with other believers in a local church to support each other in the growth of their faith, in the circumstances of life, and in the effort of engaging those far from God with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to know and follow Him (AKA making disciples)!

 So that you can see where I came up with all that, let me walk you through the Scriptures that make it obvious and clear.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-24)

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:7-13)

 Challenge  

When you look at how you live, does it make sense in light of Who and what’s coming?

 Stop and think about that for a minute. We have no reason at all to believe Christ isn’t coming back and that what He said would happen when it comes back is indeed going to happen.

So, with that, does it make sense for you not to repent and believe in Him?  As one who has, does it make sense to live as if you haven’t?

We have no reason at all to believe we are not going to give an account to Jesus.

We have no reason at all to believe hell is not horrifying and that heaven is not glorious!

We have no reason at all to believe all we are laboring for in Christ isn’t going to be worth it when He returns.

We have no reason at all to think it makes sense to disobey God, nor that obeying Him doesn’t.

We have no reason at all to worry about tomorrow, no matter what trial, disappointment, or sorrow comes our way.  So, in light of what’s coming, does it make sense how you feel about today and tomorrow; do your actions and efforts make sense; does your love and loyalty to others make sense?  Does your level of surrender of your time, money, and talent to the leadership of the Holy Spirit make sense?  Do the things that concern you make sense?

How much of how you live your life at home, at work and in the community make sense in light of Who and what’s coming?