Reading: Lesson 11 - Exploring Further (Video Slides)

By Edwin D. Roels

1. Almost two thousand years have passed since Jesus ascended to heaven. Why is Jesus taking so long to return to earth?

The Lord may have many reasons for waiting, including some reasons he has not told us. The Bible tells us to keep at least two things in mind. First, what seems like a long time to us is almost nothing to the eternal God. To him a thousand years are like a day. Second, God is not slow but patient. By waiting he gives more time for the gospel to spread and more time for people to repent. (See 2 Peter 3:8-9)

2. Will believers get a glorious new body immediately after they die? If so, will this body be different from the body believers will receive at the time of the resurrection?

Many believers seem to have the impression that a Christian who dies will immediately receive a glorious new body like Christ’s resurrection body. The Bible, however, does not teach that. Believers will not receive the body described in 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 or Philippians 3:20-21 until Christ returns and the dead in Christ shall arise. Until that time, our souls exist in the presence of Christ in glory, but the Bible does not say that we will have a body during the time between death and final resurrection. Rather, 2 Corinthians 5:8 seems to indicate that we will not have a body during that time but will be “away from the body and at home with the Lord.” The book of Revelation does refer to believers during the time between their death and the time of resurrection, but much of the language in this book is figurative rather than literal. (See, for example, the picture of Christ presented in Revelation 1:12-17.) We read in Revelation 6:9-11 about the souls of martyrs who had been killed for Christ’s sake. These souls, described as being “under the altar,” were given “white robes” to wear. (There is no reference in this passage to any kind of “bodies” which believers have at that point.) For those of us who live on earth in our physical bodies, it is difficult to understand how souls can be seen or how they can wear robes. Most readers, therefore, understand this language to be figurative rather than literal. Though it is hard for us to understand what our life with Christ will be like during the interim period between death and resurrection, the Bible does clearly teach that believers’ souls will be with Christ and will not receive their immortal, glorious, spiritual bodies until the time of the final resurrection.

3. Will everyone receive a new body of some kind at the time of the resurrection?

Yes. Since everyone will arise from the dead at the time of Christ’s return, everyone will receive a new post-resurrection body. The new bodies of believers will be glorious, immortal, and spiritual (Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:35-54). The new bodies of unbelievers will be subject to suffering and pain and will in no way be glorious (Matthew 25:41,46 and Mark 9:42-48). However, since the Bible does not describe the post-resurrection bodies of unbelievers in any detail, it would seem best not to speculate too much on what these bodies will be like. There is much we will not fully understand until the time when Christ returns.

4. What does it mean that believers will receive a “spiritual” body when Jesus returns?

When Jesus arose from the grave, it clearly was the “natural, physical body” of Jesus which arose. Before his resurrection, the body of Jesus was lying lifeless and immobile in the tomb. After he arose, Jesus’ body was no longer there. In some miraculous way the body of Jesus had been transformed by the power of God into a glorious new body. It was still physical in the sense that it could be seen and identified as the body of Jesus, but there were some wonderful new dimensions to that body. It was not restricted or limited in the way our present bodies are. Jesus could appear and then disappear at will. He was no longer subject to tiredness, hunger, thirst, disease, suffering or death. He was still able to enjoy some of the things which we presently enjoy because we are physical beings, but he was essentially a spiritual being who was not limited, not mortal, and in no way affected by sin or by any of the results of sin. So, though in some ways it was a physical body, it was also much more than that. And so it will be with our own “spiritual” bodies after our resurrection. Those bodies will still have physical characteristics of some kind, but they will be much more than what we know as physical today. They will never suffer from sickness or disease or weakness or death, and they will be far more wonderful than anything we have ever known on earth.

5. Are we able to determine exactly when Jesus will return? Are we able to determine the approximate time when Jesus will return?

Already in New Testament times, there were people who were very confident that Jesus would return in their lifetime. (See, for example, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4.) One of the reasons for that is that many believers are very eager to have Christ return. Another reason is that some of the signs given in the Bible concerning the return of Christ can be interpreted in such a way that, in any age, they “prove” that Christ will return very soon. However, it is very unwise to make a prediction, as many have done, that Christ will come at a specific time. We simply do not know exactly when Jesus will return.

At the same time, the Bible does give us a number of signs that will precede the coming of Christ so that we may look expectantly for his return. Some of those signs are an increase in wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, persecutions, false teachings, and wickedness (Matthew 24:4-12). There is also a phenomenal increase in “knowledge” and information. (Some believers see this as a fulfillment of Daniel 12:4.) These signs are certainly all present today, but they have also been present in one place or another in almost every other generation as well. Some believers therefore focus on what they consider to be a unique sign: the establishment of Israel in 1948 as an independent nation and the significant role that the tiny nation of Israel continues to play in our contemporary world.

Matthew 24:14 points to one additional sign which is truly very special. Here we read: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Today the Gospel is reaching the world in a way that has never happened before. With modern technology, information can be spread much more quickly and much more widely. Many believers are using this new technology to translate the Bible, distribute the Bible, and make the Gospel message available through modern telephone technology, the internet, radio, TV, audio Scriptures, and in various other creative ways. We cannot say exactly when Christ will return, but at the very least believers should be alert, expectant, diligent, and eager to share the Gospel of Jesus with those people who have not yet heard it. Among the many passages that are relevant here are the following: Daniel 12:1-4; Matthew 24:3-44; Mark 13:3-37; Luke21:5-36; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Peter 3:8-12; Revelation 16:15, and 22:20.

6. How should we as Christians live as we wait for Jesus to return to earth?

We should be humble, wise, holy, faithful, loving and thoughtful. We should also eagerly be looking forward to the return of Christ while making the best possible use of our time, energy, resources, and all that the Lord has entrusted to us. We should stay away from anything and everything that would dishonor Christ, lead others astray, or cause us to put our roots too deeply into the things of this world while neglecting the things of the Kingdom of our Lord. All of us should continue to live faithfully, wisely and expectantly as we eagerly look forward to the coming of Jesus. Read the following Scripture passages: 2 Peter 3:10-18; Philippians 1:9-11; Titus 2:11-14.

7.  Christians have different views of the “millennium” (the thousand year reign of Christ described in Revelation 20). What are some of those differences? How important are those differences? What is your own view of the millennium?

There are basically three different views of the millennium called a-millennialism, pre-millennialism, and post-millennialism.

A-millennialism teaches that the “thousand years” are not to be taken literally any more than some other things in the book of Revelation are. For example, Satan is referred to in Revelation 20:1-5 as a dragon and a serpent that is bound with a chain even though he is a spirit being which cannot be bound with material things. He is thrown into a pit, though spirit beings are normally not “thrown.” He is put in a pit without a bottom, and the pit is locked and sealed. All of these things, as well as the “thousand years,” are considered to be symbolic and are therefore not taken literally. According to the a-millennial interpretation, Satan is bound or limited after Christ’s resurrection and ascension so that he is now limited in what he is able to do. The Good News of the Gospel will be preached in the whole world and Satan will not be able to prevent it. There will come a brief time, however, when Satan will again have great power and will strongly oppose the church, but as Jesus taught in Matthew 16:18, the powers of evil will not be able to prevail against it.

Pre-millennialism teaches that the thousand year period, as well as the binding of Satan in a bottomless pit and the other things mentioned in Revelation 20:1-5, are to be understood literally. Jesus will return to earth before (“pre”) the thousand years referred to. The millennium will be a period of great peace throughout the world, a time when righteousness will rule over the entire earth with Jesus himself serving as king over the world from his throne in Jerusalem. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the pit and will again have the power to deceive multitudes of people who will band together to oppose Jesus and his people. However, Satan will be defeated and destroyed. Jesus will then reign forever with his people in glory while Satan and his followers will exist forever in the place of punishment prepared for them. There are various versions of the pre-millennial position, but the explanation presented here is a basic component of each of them.

Post-millennialism teaches that before Jesus returns to earth the church will grow tremendously throughout the world and Satan will not be able to stop it. In fact, the growth of the church will be so great that the teachings of Jesus and his kingdom will in some measure dominate most of the world. This period of phenomenal growth is referred to figuratively as the “millennium.” Jesus will return to earth after (“post”) the millennium. When he returns, all people who have died will be resurrected. There will then be a final judgment of all the people who have ever lived, resulting in eternal glory for the saved and eternal loss for those who are not.

The differences among these positions are significant, but almost all Christians are in agreement that Jesus will return to the earth, all those who have died will be resurrected, all those who ever lived will be judged, Christ and his people will live forever in indescribable glory, and those who are not saved will be banished forever from the joy and glory of the saved. Though Christians differ about the millennium, we must not emphasize the differences so strongly that we fail to recognize the great truths on which we agree!

8.  How do you understand the “final judgment” the Bible refers to? Will people not know until the “final judgment” whether or not they are saved?

The Bible refers to a future judgment in various passages such as Matthew 24:50-51, 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-15; Romans 2:1-11. See also 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 11:20-22; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Peter 2:9, 3:7; 1 John 4:17; and Jude 15. The judgment referred to in these passages is a judgment of our works. John 5:24 clearly teaches that if we truly believe in Jesus, we have eternal life and will not be condemned. A few verses later, however, we read in John 5:28-29 that those who have done evil in their lives will be condemned. This passage teaches that a person’s life will reveal whether or not he is truly a child of God. Those who persistently do evil demonstrate that they were never truly born again. At the same time we should also recognize that a person can be truly saved and still live in a way that is not productive for the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). These people will not be lost, but on the Day of Judgment they will discover that little they have done in their lives is worthy of any “reward” from the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:15).

When we sincerely repent of our sins and put our trust in Jesus to save us, we can know with certainty that we have eternal life. We do not have to wait until judgment day to find out whether or not we are saved. However, we will have to wait until that day to learn how God has judged the way we have lived. In some situations, people who thought they were saved were never truly born again. In God’s sight their actions revealed the absence of true saving faith in their lives, and they will suffer an eternal loss (Matthew 25:41-46).

9.  Will unbelievers have a second chance to believe in Jesus after He returns?

Hebrews 9:27 would appear to indicate that the answer to that question is definitely NO. This passage says that it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. This interpretation would seem to be confirmed by Matthew 25:41-46 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. However, some of those who teach a pre-millennial interpretation of Revelation 20 suggest that non-believers who are living on earth at the time of Christ’s return will have a second opportunity to commit their lives to Christ during the millennial period. But neither Revelation 20 nor any other passage in the Bible explicitly teaches that unbelievers will be given a second chance to believe in Jesus. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 teaches, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

10. What will life be like in the new heaven and the new earth?

In Revelation 21 there are some references to streets of gold, foundations of precious stones and gates of pearl. In Revelation 22 we read some fascinating things about the River of Life which flows from the throne of God. We also read about this throne of God and of the Lamb and our reigning with our Savior for ever and ever. However, neither Revelation 21 or 22 tells us very much about daily living in our new home. Besides, many people believe that the statements in Revelation may be more figurative than literal. We may be sure, however, that in our eternal home there will be no more suffering, no more sorrow, and no more pain. Disappointments and frustrations will no longer exist. No pure desire will be unmet. No longing will be unfulfilled. There will be no separation from loved ones. No more death. No failures. No sin. And no more night.

On the positive side, we are confident that our future life with Jesus will be far more glorious and wonderful than anything we have ever experienced on earth. We anticipate unending joy and fellowship with our Lord and Savior, meaningful activities that will always provide satisfaction and pleasure, new discoveries which we cannot presently imagine, fellowship with other believers from around the world, interaction with splendid angels, and times of glory and blessing that will be richer than anything we have ever known on earth. Perhaps the Bible doesn’t give us many details about our future life since the glory and wonder of living in the new heaven and new earth is so far beyond anything we can imagine that no ordinary words can describe it!