QUOTE ON END TIMES/HEAVEN AND HELL

 “Jesus Christ said that heaven and hell are real places, so they are. The most important thing is to realize that Jesus Christ died so that we don’t have to go to hell! The amazing god has made a way for us to escape hell by accepting Jesus Christ and submitting to him as our lord and savior.”

–            Dr. Ezra Aniebue

 

We believe in the rapture of the church and the millennial reign of Christ Jesus. According to GOD’s promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment.

 

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matt. 24:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).

 

The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

 

We look for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds to catch away those who are prepared at His coming (Acts 1:9-11).

 

Read each of the Scripture verses cited. For your own benefit, on a separate  paper, write notes and insights you receive from reading these verses and parallel them with the stated statement of faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES ON END TIMES/ HEAVEN AND HELL

 

• And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4).

 

• They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).

 

• For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works (Matthew 16:27).

 

• Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell  fire (Matthew 18:8-9).

 

• For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matthew 24:27).

 

• And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

 

• But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Matthew 24:36).

 

• Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:44).

 

• When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 

 

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and                                   ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did             it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25: 31-46).

 

• Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64).

 

• Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).

 

• And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of GOD with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched  (Mark 9:43-48).

 

• Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not (Luke 12:40).

 

• But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:48).

 

• There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen,and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar namedLazarus,whichwas laidathisgate,full of sores,Anddesiringtobefedwiththe crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs cameand licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and wascarried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, andwas buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seethAbraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, FatherAbraham,havemercyonme,andsendLazarus,thathemaydipthetipof his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this                     ButAbrahamsaid,Son,rememberthatthouin thylife time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he iscomforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us andyou there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to                                  you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence(Luke16:19-26).

 

• And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall                      say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the house top, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where so ever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together (Luke 17:22-37).

 

• And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:27-28).

 

• Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in GOD, believe also in me. In myFather’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be  also (John 14:1-3).

 

• Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).

 

• Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given           assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:31).

 

• But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10).

 

• Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of GOD (1 Corinthians 4:5).

 

• Forhemustreign, till he hath put all enemies under his The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that GOD may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:25-28).

 

• But some man will say, how are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But GOD giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and                                    another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

 

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of GOD; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to GOD, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (Acts 15:35-58).

 

• For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

 

• For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working where by he is able even to subdue all things unto himself (Philippians 3:20-21).

 

• For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel (Colossians 1:5).

 

• When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

 

• For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will GOD bring with For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18).

 

• But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you (1 Thessalonians 5:1).

 

• And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

 

• That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:14).

 

• I charge thee therefore before GOD, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom (2 Timothy 4:1).

 

• Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).

 

• Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

 

• And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).

 

• Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (James 5:8).

 

• But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7).

 

• And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming (1 John 2:28)

 

• Beloved, now are we the sons of GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for                            we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

 

• And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints (Jude 14).

 

• I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelations 1:18).

 

• Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown (Revelations 3:11).

 

• And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand (Revelations 20:1).

 

• I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Revelations 22:13).

 

 

NOTES ON STATEMENT OF FAITH ARTICLE X

There are many various end-time beliefs regarding millennialism, rapture, tribulation events, timing, role of Israel, etc. We consider these secondary matters that are open questions. Rather than argue over our differences, we unite over the motto, “Jesus is coming again!”

 

 

ASSIGNMENT:

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

 

True and False: Write a “T” for true or an “F” for false for each of the following statements.

 

1. Jesus will return to earth in a vision, not
2. The righteous will receive glorified resurrected bodies and live eternally in

      heaven.

3. Unbelievers will get a second chance before being sent to
4. Unbelievers will suffer in hell for a time and then be