The future is a mysterious topic for obvious reasons. But as followers of Jesus, there are certain things that we believe about the future based on what we can read in the Bible.
While Jesus lived here on earth, he stressed three things to the people that were with him:
- He was going to return again
- There would be a final account of everything
- Those who love him would be with him for eternity
His Return
While Jesus was here on Earth, he predicted that he would leave, but that he was also going to return to Earth at some point in the future, and that his return would be unmistakable. Matthew 24:26,27 says, “So if any tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man”.
Many people have taken to try and predict when he will return. While this is a natural tendency (Jesus offered numerous “signs of the end of the age” in parts of the Bible, ie. Luke 21) there are two overriding principles that people sometimes miss.
1. We can’t know the exact time & place of Jesus’ return
2. His instruction to us was to live our lives in readiness for his return
Luke 12:38-40 says, "It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
A Final Accounting?
As part of his return, he is going to ask for a final account from every life that has lived and balance the accounts of justice and injustice. When Jesus was here on earth, he initiated the final show-down, the last fight against evil and suffering and explained to his followers that it was only the beginning. When he returns a second time, he will indisputably put down suffering and injustice and end death. In the meantime he asks his followers to believe he is their Saviour and follow his example, making personal sacrifices to continue the fight against suffering and injustice. When he returns, he will ask each person who ever lived to provide an account for what they did with the resources they were given in life and the decisions they made. Each person will be judged by the one person who can see into people’s hearts and know their true nature. The most important question asked of each person will be, “How did you respond to the truth claims of Jesus?” The Bible says that those who accept these claims will be rewarded by spending eternity with God.
Christians believe that while our physical bodies may be temporary, our souls are permanent and created to last forever. This may begin to explain why, as people, we struggle with questions around death and finding significance in life. It’s because we were designed to live forever. Not only that, but we were designed to live with God forever as he created us and desires that we would live in community with him and worship him forever. Christians believe that after death and after the final account referred to above, those who love Jesus will go and be with him for eternity.
Being with God was how we were designed to live. From Day One in the Garden of Eden we can see that a person’s greatest fulfillment comes when he/she is close to God. In eternity, we believe that there will be no more barriers to being close to God and we will experience true joy, peace and fulfillment as we are able to fully express our love for God and for each other. This is the true end-goal and meaning of our lives.
What's Next?
The statements above raise a lot of questions..
- What does it mean to live your life ready for Jesus Christ’s return?
- What are the truth claims of Jesus Christ?
- What will Jesus and his followers be doing for eternity (seems like a long time – is there a plan or something)?
If this page has raised more questions than it answered, that’s completely understandable. It is our goal to be a community of folks who recognize these as challenging questions and want to work through the answers together.
Read on ... So What?
