1. The Doctrine of Last Things
Eschatology
The Doctrine of Last Things

2. Introduction Eschatology examines the last things. Topics include:
Death/Intermediate State
Resurrection
Heaven/Hell
The Millennium
The Kingdom of God

3. Eschatology Comes from eschaton or last things.
We live in a culture concerned with the end.
We want to know how things are going end? And When will this all happen?

4. Death and the Intermediate State
What happens after we die?
Why does death exist?
Will death ever be dealt with?
These questions are legitimate questions concerning death.
Reality: We’ve all lost someone we’ve loved. Either a grandparent, or a parent, or a close friend.

5. Origin of Death Romans 5:12-14 From this passage, we learn:
Sin reigned before the law was given, thus death reigned before the law.
The fact of death proves the presence of sin.
Before the entrance of sin into the world, death did not exist.
Death only existed after the fall.

6. Origin of Death Secular World: Death is a part of the natural order
Christian World: Death is a part of the fallen order
Genesis 2:16-17, God warned that the death that would happen is not only spiritual but physical.

7. Hope in Death
Our sentence for sinning is death. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death.”
Because of our sin, death will come for us.
But the hope of the Christian, Jesus has paid this penalty. So death is not the end for the Christian, but a moment of transition for the Christian.

8. Hope in Death
Phil. 1:19-24
Paul views death as better than life. He says living is good, but being with Jesus is infinitely better.
Illustration: The Desire to grow younger.

9. Hope in Death
For the Christian, death is better because we go be immediately with Christ, this is confirmed by the resurrection of Christ.
The Bible teaches both of a death and a final resurrection.
In fact, the Apostles Creed says “I believe in the resurrection of the body.”
We can be confident in this because Jesus walked out of the grave with a glorified body. So shall we
1 Corinthians 15:20-23

10. The Intermediate State
Time between our deaths and the final resurrection.
When we die, our bodies go into the grave, but our souls go immediately be with Jesus
In this state, we have a soul without a body, but with a confidence that at the consummation our soul and body will be reunited.

11. The Intermediate State
Some have suggested the idea of soul sleep
Soul sleep = upon death our souls enter into a state of personal unconsciousness and separated from Christ.
This is not the biblical view.
The Biblical view is that we immediately go be with Christ.