Doctrine of Last Things
(Eschatology)
We teach that Jesus Christ will return in glory at the end of the age. His Second Coming will be personal, physical, visible, and glorious. Prior to Christ’s appearance, the Antichrist must first appear. This lawless one and son of destruction will be empowered by Satan and will usher in the great apostasy. He will be decisively defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming. (Acts 1:6-11; Titus 2:11-14; Second Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 19:11-21)
We teach that the appearance of Jesus Christ will not be hidden or secretive. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and every eye will see Him. His “Parousia” (i.e., appearance, manifestation, coming) will be accompanied by clouds of glory, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. (Matthew 24:23-31; Acts 1:6-11; Revelation 1:7; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58)
We teach that the Second Coming of Christ will be accompanied by one general bodily resurrection of all people of all time. Believers will be judged for eternal rewards…those works they did as born-again people who had been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Non-believers will be judged for eternal damnation…their rebellion against God and rejection of Christ. The glorious King of kings and Lord of lords will then usher in the eternal state. (Matthew 13:36-43; Ephesians 2:8-10; First Corinthians 3:10-17; Second Corinthians 5:10; First Corinthians 15:50-58; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 11:15-18; Revelation 19:11-20; Revelation 20:10-15; Revelation 21-22)
“God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good of evil” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 33, #1).
We teach that the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture of the church are one and the same event. The church will remain on earth until the Second Coming of Christ and Christians will go through the tribulation. The return of Christ will be after the tribulation, and the Lord will gather His own to Himself at the rapture. (Matthew 24:29-43; Mark 13:24-27; John 17:15; Romans 8:18-23; First Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Second Thessalonians 2:1-12)
We teach that when a believer dies, his soul/spirit is immediately at home with the Lord. His soul/spirit is alive and conscious in glory. When Jesus returns, He will bring with Him the souls of all believers in heaven, and they will receive glorified bodies. Their perishable, mortal bodies will be resurrected and will be immediately changed into imperishable, immortal bodies that will forever be united with their already-glorified souls. (Acts 7:54-60; Second Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians 1:21-24; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58; Philippians 3:20-21)
We teach that the elect of the Lord who are still alive on earth at Christ’s return will then receive their glorified bodies which will also be united to their glorified souls forever. They will be caught up in the air to meet their Lord and will be part of our Lord’s welcoming and worshiping entourage (along with the souls of believers coming from heaven with our Lord) as He triumphantly descends from Heaven. (First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58)
“The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them; the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, the Scripture acknowledges none” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 32, #1).
We teach that Jesus inaugurated His kingdom at His first advent. The Old Testament pointed to His coming kingdom. John the Baptist declared that the kingdom was at hand. Jesus preached that His kingdom was at hand, and He performed miracles to show that the kingdom had come. Jesus commanded His disciples to go out and bear witness to the world that He is the sovereign King of His kingdom. After redeeming His people through His once-for-all substitutionary, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven as the victorious and coronated King. He is now ruling and reigning over all things, and there is absolutely nothing outside His sovereign control. (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 12:22-30; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:6-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 5; Acts 4:23-31; Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-4)
We teach that the kingdom of God is both a present and future reality. The kingdom of God is “already” (a present reality which began at Christ’s First Coming), and “not yet” (a future fulfillment which will occur at Christ’s Second Coming). We reject the idea that the kingdom is fully realized in the present, or that the kingdom is limited only to the future. Both beliefs are contrary to the clear teachings of the New Testament. Jesus Christ came the first time as the Promised King. He is currently enthroned as the glorified King. He will return in glory as the triumphant King of kings and Lord of lords where He will judge the living and the dead and usher in His eternal kingdom. (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 28:18-20; John 18:33-38; Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-14; Revelation 1:5-7; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 21-22)
We teach that the 1,000-year millennial period is symbolic of a long period between the first and second advents of Christ. At His First Coming, Christ bound Satan so that he could no longer deceive the nations. Since then, the kingdom of God (the reign of Christ) has been extended through the preaching of the gospel. God has been bringing a people to Himself where Christ has become their Lord, their Savior, and their King. Shortly prior to the second coming of Christ, Satan will be loosed to deceive the nations and to usher in a time of great tribulation on earth. Christ will then return in glory where He renders final judgment and ushers in the eternal state. (Revelation 20:1-7; Matthew 12:22-29; Luke 10:17-18, John 12:31-32, Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
We teach that no human knows the exact hour or day of the Lord’s return. Therefore, we reject all speculative predictions and foolish attempts to calculate the time. The Lord’s return will be sudden and completely unexpected (“like a thief coming in the night”). The Bible is clear that we should be watchful and alert, faithfully living for our Lord and bringing glory to His holy name as we eagerly await His certain return. (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21; First Thessalonians 5:1-11)
“As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin; and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 33, #3).
We teach that the appearance of Jesus Christ will not be hidden or secretive. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and every eye will see Him. His “Parousia” (i.e., appearance, manifestation, coming) will be accompanied by clouds of glory, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. (Matthew 24:23-31; Acts 1:6-11; Revelation 1:7; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58)
We teach that the Second Coming of Christ will be accompanied by one general bodily resurrection of all people of all time. Believers will be judged for eternal rewards…those works they did as born-again people who had been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Non-believers will be judged for eternal damnation…their rebellion against God and rejection of Christ. The glorious King of kings and Lord of lords will then usher in the eternal state. (Matthew 13:36-43; Ephesians 2:8-10; First Corinthians 3:10-17; Second Corinthians 5:10; First Corinthians 15:50-58; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 11:15-18; Revelation 19:11-20; Revelation 20:10-15; Revelation 21-22)
“God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good of evil” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 33, #1).
We teach that the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture of the church are one and the same event. The church will remain on earth until the Second Coming of Christ and Christians will go through the tribulation. The return of Christ will be after the tribulation, and the Lord will gather His own to Himself at the rapture. (Matthew 24:29-43; Mark 13:24-27; John 17:15; Romans 8:18-23; First Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Second Thessalonians 2:1-12)
We teach that when a believer dies, his soul/spirit is immediately at home with the Lord. His soul/spirit is alive and conscious in glory. When Jesus returns, He will bring with Him the souls of all believers in heaven, and they will receive glorified bodies. Their perishable, mortal bodies will be resurrected and will be immediately changed into imperishable, immortal bodies that will forever be united with their already-glorified souls. (Acts 7:54-60; Second Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians 1:21-24; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58; Philippians 3:20-21)
We teach that the elect of the Lord who are still alive on earth at Christ’s return will then receive their glorified bodies which will also be united to their glorified souls forever. They will be caught up in the air to meet their Lord and will be part of our Lord’s welcoming and worshiping entourage (along with the souls of believers coming from heaven with our Lord) as He triumphantly descends from Heaven. (First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58)
“The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them; the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, the Scripture acknowledges none” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 32, #1).
We teach that Jesus inaugurated His kingdom at His first advent. The Old Testament pointed to His coming kingdom. John the Baptist declared that the kingdom was at hand. Jesus preached that His kingdom was at hand, and He performed miracles to show that the kingdom had come. Jesus commanded His disciples to go out and bear witness to the world that He is the sovereign King of His kingdom. After redeeming His people through His once-for-all substitutionary, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven as the victorious and coronated King. He is now ruling and reigning over all things, and there is absolutely nothing outside His sovereign control. (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 12:22-30; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:6-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 5; Acts 4:23-31; Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-4)
We teach that the kingdom of God is both a present and future reality. The kingdom of God is “already” (a present reality which began at Christ’s First Coming), and “not yet” (a future fulfillment which will occur at Christ’s Second Coming). We reject the idea that the kingdom is fully realized in the present, or that the kingdom is limited only to the future. Both beliefs are contrary to the clear teachings of the New Testament. Jesus Christ came the first time as the Promised King. He is currently enthroned as the glorified King. He will return in glory as the triumphant King of kings and Lord of lords where He will judge the living and the dead and usher in His eternal kingdom. (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 28:18-20; John 18:33-38; Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 1:1-14; Revelation 1:5-7; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 21-22)
We teach that the 1,000-year millennial period is symbolic of a long period between the first and second advents of Christ. At His First Coming, Christ bound Satan so that he could no longer deceive the nations. Since then, the kingdom of God (the reign of Christ) has been extended through the preaching of the gospel. God has been bringing a people to Himself where Christ has become their Lord, their Savior, and their King. Shortly prior to the second coming of Christ, Satan will be loosed to deceive the nations and to usher in a time of great tribulation on earth. Christ will then return in glory where He renders final judgment and ushers in the eternal state. (Revelation 20:1-7; Matthew 12:22-29; Luke 10:17-18, John 12:31-32, Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
We teach that no human knows the exact hour or day of the Lord’s return. Therefore, we reject all speculative predictions and foolish attempts to calculate the time. The Lord’s return will be sudden and completely unexpected (“like a thief coming in the night”). The Bible is clear that we should be watchful and alert, faithfully living for our Lord and bringing glory to His holy name as we eagerly await His certain return. (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21; First Thessalonians 5:1-11)
“As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin; and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 33, #3).