LAST THINGS

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LAST THINGS
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THE REFORMED VIEW

• WCF 321, 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. Besides these two
  places for souls separated from their bodies, the
  Scripture acknowledgeth none.

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THE REFORMED VIEW

• The soul continues to live after physical death
• Elect souls are perfected in righteousness, go to
  heaven and behold God
• Non-elect souls go to hell and are tormented
• There is no other place, such as purgatory.

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THE ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW

• The Catholic Church, by the teaching of the Holy
  Spirit, in accordance with Sacred Scripture and
  the ancient tradition of the Fathers, has taught
  in holy councils, and most recently in this
  ecumenical council, that there is a purgatory,
  and that the souls detained there are helped by
  the prayers of the faithful, and especially by
  the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar. The
  Council of Trent, 25th Session, Decree Concerning
  Purgatory (Denziger 1820)
•  The Church bases this on the distinction between
  Mortal Sins (sins unto death) and Venial Sins
  (lesser) for which post-mortem purification is
  necessary
• Scriptures used by the Roman Catholics include
• II Maccabees 1240-45, Sirach 733
• Matt. 1232, Mark 329, Luke 1210, I Cor.
  311-15.

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TERMS FOR THE HEREAFTER

• sheol, lAav., 66x, pit, grave, death,
  underworld, Sheol is the place of departed
  dead, of good and evil. It may be related to
  verb shaal, lav, to ask
•  adhj, Hades, KJV, hell, Hades is the NT
  word for the place of the departed dead, both
  righteous and wicked. It is parallel to sheol
• paradeisoj, paradeisos, 3x Luke 2343 II Cor.
  124 Rev. 27. Taken from Heb. pardes, sdrP,
  from the Persian word for garden, it is always a
  good place of righteous dead. It is parallel to
  third heaven, II Cor. 122,4, and the tree of
  life is found there, Rev. 27
• Abrahams bosom, Luke 1622, Lazarus

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TERMS FOR THE HEREAFTER

• ouranoj, ouranos, 284x, heaven, This word is
  often used for air, sky, space, or as
  circumlocution for God. Usually it is used for
  the abode of God and the angels, often in the
  plural form. Sometimes it is used in the church
  fathers as the place to which Christians go at
  death, cf. Rev. 69, 41-2. In NT, heaven is
  viewed as a source of blessings, II Cor. 51-2
  Matt. 512 620 Col. 15 I Peter 14
• geenna, geenna, gehenna, hell, Gehenna is
  from the Hebrew ge (ben) hinnom, valley of the
  sons of Hinnom. This is the traditional site of
  hell and the place of final judgment. Translated
  hell in the NT, it is used 11x in Synoptics,
  once in James 36

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TERMS FOR THE HEREAFTER

• Lake of Fire (Rev. 1920 2010,14,15 218)
  This is apparently the same as gehenna since it
  also includes fire. Cf. Matt. 522 189 but see
  also Luke 1624
•  tartarow, tartaroo, hold in Tartarus, II Peter
  24 Tartarus in Greek mythology was considered
  place lower than Hades, where divine punishment
  was meted out. Cf. Deut. 3222, lowest sheol.
  It is used in II Peter only for demons, not for
  the departed wicked

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INTERMEDIATE STATE RIGHTEOUS

• They are freed from sin
• There is no misery
• They have communion with Christ
• They await the resurrection
• Scriptural data blessedness
• Lazarus is in Abrahams bosom, Luke 1622-25
• Thief on the Cross is promised paradise, Luke
  2343
• Paul speaks about the joy of the presence of
  Christ, Phil. 123 II Cor. 58
• Church Triumphant, joyful assembly, Heb. 1223

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INTERMEDIATE STATE RIGHTEOUS

• The righteous dead in heaven are described as
  souls (Rev. 69, 204) or spirits (Heb.
  1223). Yet pronouns and nouns are used,
  suggesting personality e.g., Lazarus, Christ
  I and you
• While the NT emphasizes joy during the
  intermediate state, both the OT and NT teach that
  the state is incomplete and even, in the long
  term, undesirable
• Psalm 65 (cf. 885) 11517 Isa. 3818-9 Ecc.
  319-21 94-6 127
• Luke 16 Rev. chap. 6 713-17 chap. 14.
• II Cor. 51-5, uses the term naked speaks of a
  desire for the resurrection body, to be
  clothed. See also I Cor. 1553-4 Mortal
  swallowed- I Cor. 1554 earnest of Spirit-
  Rom. 823 and Eph. 114

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INTERMEDIATE STATE WICKED

• The lost are cast into hell
• Hell is a place of Torments
• All is in Utter Darkness
• Reserved to Judgment at the last day
• Scriptural Evidence concerning the intermediate
  state of the lost
• The rich man, thirsty and in torment, Luke
  1623-24
• The wicked punished/reserved for judgment, II
  Peter 29
• The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah suffer
  eternal fire, Jude 7

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THE RESURRECTION

• WCF 322-3 At the last day, such as are found
  alive shall not die, but be changed and all the
  dead shall be raised up with the self-same
  bodies, and none other, although with different
  qualities, which shall be united again to their
  souls for ever. The bodies of the unjust shall,
  by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor
  the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto
  honor, and be made conformable to his own
  glorious body.
• All the dead shall be raised
• Those in Christ will have the same bodies, but
  glorified
• Those who are lost will be raised to dishonor
• All those living believers, at the return of
  Christ, will not die, but will be transformed

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THE RESURRECTION SCRIPTURE

• Job 1925-7, in my flesh shall I see God,
  mibbesari, hzltx/a, yrIf'B.mi HAla/
• Gen. 178, 263, 2813 There are promises to the
  patriarchs that they would participate in the
  blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Cf. Heb.
  1113,19)
• Isa. 2619, the dead shall live
• Dan. 121,1 those who sleep will awake

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THE RESURRECTION SCRIPTURE

• I Thess. 413-7, the dead in Christ shall
  rise
•   I Cor. 1520-24, 42-44, 51-57, speak of the
  centrality of the resurrection for the Christian
  faith
• Acts 2415, Paul asserts the resurrection of
  the just and unjust 
• Phil. 321, transform the body
• See also Rev. 204-6, 11-14

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RESURRECTION MILLENNIUM

• Amillennial and Postmillennial Christians believe
  in a general resurrection of the just and the
  unjust that will take place at the return of
  Christ, preparatory to a general judgment. This
  has generally, in the past, been the Reformed
  view
• Premillennial and Dispensational Christians
  believe there will be a resurrection of the just
  at the beginning of the millennium and a
  resurrection of the unjust at the end of the
  thousand year reign

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RESURRECTION AND THE LOST

• They are raised to dishonor
• Their bodies have physical substance
• This substance will exist eternally
• These bodies will not be glorious, but
  befitting to a wicked heart

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HELL IN SCRIPTURE

• It is a place for the destruction of both body
  and soul, Matt. 1028 II Thess. 18,9
• It is the company of Satan and demons, Matt.
  2541 Rev. 1920 2010,15
• It is a place of fire, Matt. 2541 Rev. 2015
  (But, see Hodge, ST, III,868)
• Hell is a place of darkness, Matt. 2530
• It is a place of Torments, Mark 943-4 Rev.
  149-11
• There will be thirst, weeping, and gnashing of
  teeth, Luke 1624 Matt 2213 2530

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RESURRECTION THE REDEEMED

• There is identity with their bodies during
  life, a physical substance
• Cf. resurrection body of Jesus
• The disciples could feel his hands and side
• Jesus could eat fish
• His body was called flesh and bone, Luke 2439
• Jesus was able to transport without physical,
  spatial, barriers (See the discussion in Hugh
  Ross, Beyond the Cosmos, 44-49, 122ff for the
  extra-dimensionality of God)
• See the description of the resurrection body
  in I Cor. 1535-54
• Honor
• Power
• Spiritual
• Incorruptible

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THE JUDGMENT

• WCF 331, 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 the
  apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all
  persons that have lived upon 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 or evil.
• The judgment includes apostate angels
• It also includes all humans
• It covers all of ones life, thoughts, deeds,
  etc
• Rewards or punishments are based on the outcome
  of this judgment

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JUDGMENT AND SCRIPTURE

• Eccl. 317 119 1214, all will be judged
• Matt. 1026 1236-7, we will be judged for
  every idle word
• John 522, 26-7, 30, Christ will be the judge
• Rom. 216 1410-2, God will judge at the
  judgment seat of Christ
• I Cor. 313-5 II Cor. 510, Christians will be
  judged for their deeds
• Heb. 927, all are appointed to judgment
• II Peter 24, Jude 6, the fallen angels will be
  judged
• Rev. 2011-15, describes the Great White Throne
  judgment

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ETERNAL STATE

• Everlasting life
• Fullness of joy and refreshing
• Freed from all sin and misery
• Inconceivable joys
• All will be perfectly holy and happy in soul and
  body
• Saved will dwell in the company of saints and
  angels
• Vision and fruition of the Triune God.

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HEAVEN IN SCRIPTURE

• It is a place of unsurpassed beauty, Rev. 21,22
• There will be fellowship with others, Heb.
  1222-3
• There is Communion with God, Rev. 213 224
• Heaven is a place of Righteousness, II Peter
  313.
• There the people of God offer Service to God,
  Rev. 223.
• Christians exercise authority with God, Rev.
  225
• All will bow and worship God, Rev. 79-12,
  191.

• It is called Eternal life, Matt. 2546 John
  316
• There are no tears in heaven, Rev. 717
• There is no hunger or thirst, Rev. 716-7
• The Glory of God fills all and is in all, II
  Cor. 417
• Heaven is a place of Rest, Heb. 49
• There is eternal day- No night, Rev. 225
• In heaven, the curse has been removed, Rev.
  223

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LAST THINGS