Eschatology is the study of “last things”. I took a class by that name, and sure enough, we talked about “last things”! Mostly it’s about the second coming of Christ. We started looking at that last month in this space and will continue for at least a couple more. Maybe it was the “all skate” song we sang a few Sundays ago (actually it is “Jesus is coming again, but I always feel like I’m at a skating rink when I hear it!) that called me back to this again but it’s worth our time and consideration.

Paul wrote “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:13-18

The opportunity is for everyone who is in Christ to have HOPE because Jesus lives and will come again. Death seems so final to us if we don’t know what the Father has done through Jesus on our behalf. We MUST remember that when we die or when Jesus comes we don’t go from life to death, but from life to LIFE. Too many grieve more than is needed (yes, we miss our loved ones when they leave us — grief is an important part of that, but our loss is actually gain when Jesus is in their lives and ours). Our perspective changes because of that hope that only He can give.

So we look forward to that trumpet call (re-read I Thessalonians 4 above if that doesn’t sound familiar!), and that day that we get to be with Him! It will be a challenging time but our faithfulness to Him will be rewarded.

The challenge is, that since no one knows the day or hour of His coming (referenced in last month’s article — Matthew 24:36) we MUST be ready for it to be any and every day — including today! Sounds exciting! We look forward to it! Let’s tell everyone what wonderful things Jesus does for us in this life and the one to come!

Matt