World Future

Here is the fifth installment of Bible literacy in minutes:

At some future point, God has said in the Bible that there will be an event called the rapture. This word simply means “to be taken away” or snatched up. According to the Scripture, people who believe in Jesus will be taken immediately to heaven if they are alive. This is the one exception to the rule that everyone dies. Or, if they have died before the return of Jesus begins to unfold, their bodies will be raised up to life, and they will go back to heaven.

Following this event will occur a time of great difficulty on the earth. This period is called the Tribulation. The Bible presents it as lasting for 7 years. It is the subject of much of the last book in the Bible called Revelation.

At the end of the great time of trial, Jesus will return at what is called His “second coming.” It is “second” because He already came once, at which time He died for sinners and rose again from the dead. At the second coming, He will invade the earth and intervene in world affairs by setting up His kingdom. His kingdom will be worldwide and will be governed out of Jerusalem. This kingdom will be the true “golden age” of world history, and will last 1,000 years.

Then there will be a resurrection of all the rest of those who have died, and each one will be judged. Those who do not trust in Jesus Christ will be cast into Hell.

In the end, God will re-make the heaven and earth. The current earth will be burned up and everything on it will be gone. God’s people will forever dwell with Him on the new earth—which is what we normally think of as heaven. There, God’s people will enjoy His good gifts, and serve God amid a perfect society. This is the answer to the global pain and suffering that we see all around us in the world today.