The Last Things - 2 - Resurrection.

In our last study, we saw that when believers die, their souls go to heaven to be with Jesus.

Now we learn that our bodies will rise from the dead and live again.

First we must ask, "What is the Gospel?"

Paul gives the answer:

1 Corinthians 151 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and he was raised on the third day.

That sentence answers man's greatest problems.

The problem of sin - Jesus died to save us from our sins.

The problem of death - Jesus has the victory over death.

Paul builds on those great truths.

If we are saved by Jesus, we too will share his victory over death.

We will live again and rise from the dead.

When will that happen?

Q 71 When will this world end?

A This world will end when Jesus returns in glory & judgement.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

Does "the end of the world" mean that the earth we live on will disappear, and we will be living in "space" or heaven?

No. The word for "world" sometimes means the earth, sometimes a long period of time [an age], and sometimes means eternity.

This age, with its sin & death, is coming to an end when Jesus returns.

Then there will be a new age, and a perfect new heaven & new earth where there will be no sin and no death.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

5 He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

6 He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

The new earth will be better than it was at creation, for there will be no more sin or death.

There will be a complete judgement, and sinners who rejected the Gospel will not be with God in glory.

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.

A lot of Bible prophecy is about the future.

We will look at Bible prophecy next time.