16.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• Jesus’ work is not complete yet. He will come again.
• When Jesus comes again, he will come:
  - in glory and power,
  - to judge everyone who has ever lived.
• If you believe in Jesus Christ, you have nothing to fear, because:
  - Your name is written in the book of life.
  - Your Judge is also the Lamb who died for your sins.
• As believers, we should look forward to the day of judgement, because:
  - On that day Jesus Christ will be glorified.
  - On that day Jesus Christ will give us full salvation.
• Jesus is coming soon–let us be ready!

16.2 – 2 Peter 3:9-14 (NIV)←⤒🔗

^9. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

^10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

^11. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

^12. as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

^13. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 

¹⁴. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him

© NET Bible

16.3 Revelation 20:11-15←⤒🔗

^11. Then I saw a large white throne  and the one who was seated  on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 

^12. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.

^13. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

^14. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

^15. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.

© NET Bible

16.4 Hope for the future←⤒🔗

Life is short. It is as Moses said: “The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

But as believers, we have hope. We know that God had cursed the earth because of Adam’s sin. But on that same day, God also gave a promise. He said that one day, a man would come who would crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).

Jesus Christ was that man. In this course we have seen that Jesus came to save us from the power of sin, Satan, and death. He gave his life, so that we can belong to him and to God his Father.

But the work of Jesus is not done yet. He will come again! That is why we have hope. As our passage from 2 Peter says, we “look forward to the day of God” (verse 12).

16.5 He will come as Judge←⤒🔗

When Jesus came the first time, he came to suffer and die. But when he comes the second time, he will come in glory and power. He will come to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

In our passage from Revelation 20, John sees a vision of this day of judgement. He sees how Jesus sits on a white throne. The glory of Jesus is so great, that “the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them” (verse 11).

Then John sees how all the people who have ever lived, come to stand before the throne. Every person’s body is raised from the grave. Then every person is judged according to what he has done (verses 12-13; see also John 5:28-29).

On the day of judgement, no sins will be hidden. On that day even the words we have spoken will be judged. Jesus warns that “people will give an account for every worthless word they speak” (Matthew 12:36). Everything that was in our hearts will be revealed on that day (1 Corinthians 4:5).

16.6 Judge and Lamb←⤒🔗

Does it make you afraid, to hear about the day when Jesus will come to judge? Then look again at Revelation 20:12. Here we read about a special book that will be opened on that day. This book is called “the book of life.”

The book of life has the names of all the people who have been saved by Jesus. It is also called the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8; Revelation 21:27). That is because Jesus is the Lamb who was sacrificed for his people’s sin.

If you believe in Jesus, you have nothing to fear. He, the Judge, is also the Lamb! He died to save you. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

As believers, we should look forward to the day of judgement! There are two reasons why we should look forward to it:

1. On that day Jesus Christ will be glorified.←↰⤒🔗

There are many people who rebel against Jesus Christ. They hate him and they hate his church. They follow Satan, even if they do not know it. But on the day of judgement, every knee will bow before Jesus (Philippians 2:10). Satan and the people who have followed him, will be thrown into hell forever (Revelation 20:15).

If you love Jesus Christ, you will look forward to the day when he will have all the glory and honour that he deserves.

2. On that day Jesus Christ will give us full salvation.←↰⤒🔗

On the day when Jesus comes again, heaven and earth will be destroyed with fire (2 Peter 3:10-11). Then we will receive “a new heaven and a new earth.” It will be a wonderful place, free from sin, death, and suffering. We will live there forever, with our Lord. We will enjoy the fullness of his salvation (Hebrews 9:27).

16.7 He is coming soon←⤒🔗

Already in the time of the New Testament, there were people who asked, “Where is his promised return?” (2 Peter 3:4). That is why Peter wrote to the church, to encourage them. He reminded them that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10). A thief always comes when no one expects it. In the same way, no one knows the day when Jesus will come (Mark 13:32).

The only thing that Jesus tells us is that he is coming soon (Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20). This means that he will not wait a moment longer than is needed. He will come as soon as the gospel has been preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14). He will come when all his people, whose names are written in the book of life, have come to faith.

This means that we must be ready! We must not be lazy in the faith. We must live lives of prayer and holiness (2 Peter 3:11, 14). Then, on the day when Jesus comes again, his name will be glorified in us (2 Thessalonians 1:12).

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20