I was listening to a sermon earlier today from Greg Laurie (which I will put a link to at the bottom of this post) and he was talking about the afterlife. There are many different thoughts about how things will end in the end times including views of the tribulation and rapture and 1,000 year reign of Christ. There are also many disagreements about how things will happen. I thought I would write about five things (with supporting scripture which I encourage you to examine) that we can say for certain about the end times leading up to Jesus return.
1. The end will come about suddenly. (Matthew 24:27; 1 Thess 4:16). There is no question that when Jesus does return that it will be in a twinkling of an eye or very, very suddenly. Before we know it things are going to change. There will not be time to have a prayer meeting and prepare. One moment things will be normal and the next the Lord will descend with a shout. God is being patient right now giving people a chance to repent and come to him, but there will be a day when an opportunity will be over and God will be wrapping history up. We are living in what Jesus referred to as the days like the days of Noah. What does it say in Matthew 24:37-41
37 For [a]the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not [b]understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one [c]will be taken and one [d]will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the [e]mill; one [f]will be taken and one [g]will be left.
2. The days of Noah were days of great sin and we live in times of great sin when people call wrong right and right wrong and have values that don't reflect godly living. There is a time of apostacy before and during the end times. I believe we are seeing this today when many preachers preach a gospel not found in the Bible at all. Church has become something that is selfish and self seeking treating God like a giant Walmart. God is viewed as someone who is there to help us instead of us living to glorify and honor Him with our lives. Look at the way many big churches advertise themselves and it about being the best you or the most prosperous. (see 2 Timothy 3:1-7, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 John 7)
3. There are some now who are considered great who will be last in the afterlife and some last who will be great. Jesus says this numerous times in the gospels see Matthew 19:30; James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-16. There are some whom the world loves and they are getting all their attention and rewards now, but will be poor in the afterlife and there are some who have nothing who will have their tears wiped away. Revelation 21:4. The Bible makes it clear that friendship with the world is hostility towards God. We are to be careful where our heart and treasure is. The Bible tells us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, but some are too busy building their own Matthew 6:33
There is a story about a rich man who had no place for his crops. He decided to tear down his barns and build bigger barns so that he could be prepared for many days ahead. God called this man a fool because while he was rich in the world's eyes he was not rich towards God. That very night his soul was required of him and he saw no profit from all the barns and stuff he had on this earth. There will be some who live in mansions now that will suffer in the next life and some who suffer now who will be rewarded. See the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16.
4. God will one day judge all persons. People today seem to live as though they are accountable to no one but themselves. There is no fear of God in their eyes. But, Proverbs 1:7 tells us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." To live as though there is no God who will judge you at the end is literally stupid. You will have to stand and give an account and there will be no where to hide. There is a God in heaven who sees everything you do and every motive of your heart and there is nothing hidden from Him. Very soon you will see him and hear His voice and that is something you need to think about. Are you trusting in your own goodness to get you through that meeting? It's not going to turn out well for you then. But, it says in scripture that God demonstrated his own love toward us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8. Either you accept that or you don't.
5. God is coming back to redeem his creation. There will one day be a new heaven and new earth. Man has done everything he can to destroy and consume this creation. The world is getting worn out and nature is showing the strain of the sins of man. See Romans 8:22. Those of us who are redeemed will one day be in the presence of God with no reference to sin or death, dying or pain. There will be no heart problems, arthritis, diabetes, cancer or disease there. There will be no darkness there. I believe part of what that means is that darkness symbolizes sin. see Revelation 21:1
https://youtu.be/uLiovnm_xWw Greg Laurie's sermon on the afterlife
