Eternal Life

1.What is the Christian’s great hope for the future?

The return or the second coming of Christ.

looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:13

2.Does the Bible describe the second coming of Christ?

Jesus will come with His angels in power and great glory on the clouds of the sky.

and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Matthew 24:30-31

3.Who will see Jesus when He comes back again?

Everyone!

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

Revelation 1:7

4.When will this happen?

The exact time is not known.

Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.

Matthew 24:42

5.Is there any evidence, today, of the return of Jesus to the world?

Yes. Several signs point to the return of Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:4-14

Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.

Matthew 24:33

6.How should we live while we wait for the return of Jesus?

We should live a life of service to God and to our neighbor — dedication. We should also abstain from every kind of evil.

Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.

2 Peter 3:11-14

7.What will happen to those who die before the return of Christ?

They will rise even before those who are alive at the coming of Christ.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

1 Thessalonians 4:14-16

8.In the resurrection, will we have the same bodies we have now?

No. Our bodies will be transformed into beautiful, strong, immortal and spiritual bodies.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44

9.What will happen to the Christians who are alive at the return of Christ?

They will be suddenly transformed and will go up to meet Christ in the air.

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 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. So we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

10.What will Jesus do when He returns to earth?

He will judge all who have lived.

He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. “Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.

Matthew 24:31-33

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

11.What will happen to those who have loved and served Jesus in this life?

They will enter the eternal kingdom of glory.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Matthew 25:34

12.What will happen to those who have not loved or served Jesus?

They will be thrown into the eternal fire.

Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

Matthew 25:41

13.What will happen to the present universe at the end of time?

Our present universe will be destroyed and transformed into a new heaven and a new earth.

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 be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:10-13

14.What will the life of believers be like in the new world?

We do not know the details, but it will be a perfect, full life, free from any kind of suffering.

I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:3-4

There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:3-5