“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” I Corinthians 2:7-9
The world as we humans have always known it is soon to be dissolved. The end is near. I’ve heard that as long as I’ve been alive from precious preachers behind their pulpits, I’ve read it foretold in books, both fiction and non, I’ve seen it portrayed on screens big and small. From the hollows of this country to Hollywood, the verdict seems unanimous—we are heading toward a finale in this human race. This appears to be the prevailing thought in a very divided world population. Isn’t it curious that this is one time in our modern times that the popular opinion is correct?
Our Father has gone on record long ago and given us a glimpse of the end of this iteration of our existence. Based on the evidence we’ve been presented in the Bible and what we see unfolding before our eyes in our day, it sure seems like we are on the verge of that time of transition. There are many scared of what the days ahead hold for humanity, but for the believer in Jesus these should be exciting times. Why? Because God has much good prepared for us, even if there is a lot of unknown ahead.
Now, through the years people have speculated what the afterlife is going to be like. No doubt, just by chance, some of this speculation is accurate, but a lot of what you hear people say about life after this life is probably not. While it is true that there is plenty about the infinite ages to come that we don’t know, we can know some of what’s going to take place. We have a trustworthy record; our Bibles have given us the overview! This can calm fears and excite our faith as we prepare for what’s, more than likely, just around the corner.
First, in the world to come, we do know that the Almighty Himself will live among us. In Revelation 7:9-17 and again in Revelation 21:1-3 we read that the Father will “dwell among” us and that His tabernacle will be “with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” “Okay, so what!” some might say. I say think about it for a moment. Imagine life, joy, and peace personified living among us! You can’t be sad or unsettled in the presence of fulness of joy and peace. How great is that going to be! That’s just around the corner for a believer in Christ Jesus.
Secondly, the former effects of sin and the Fall will be completely annulled. Revelation 21:4 states, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” All the heartache brought about by sin will be overcome finally and completely. That’s in your future child of God!
A third thing we know about our future is that our bodies will become immortal. I Corinthians 15:50-57, I John 3:2, and Luke 24:36-43 all give us a foretaste of God’s plan for human body 2.0! When these mortal “garments” are changed the new ones will be tailored perfectly by God and suited to environments celestial and terrestrial. You won’t have to be concerned with the ravages of old age when that change is made!
Finally, and of the most comfort to me, God has promised to continue to show us His love and goodness throughout the infinite ages to come. Ephesians 2:7 relays, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” No matter what the future holds, God has promised to hold us dear to His heart because of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I don’t know about you, but I’m assured that the future is going to be wonderful for us. God isn’t going to run out of love for us 10,000 years from now and kick us out of Heaven. He’s going to love us always and forever, as long as forever is!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.