Future Events (The doctrine of Eschatology)
When Jesus came to earth He inaugurated God's kingdom. Though the kingdom in some sense is future, it is equally present and powerful. Key features of the kingdom include the forgiveness of sins (Luke 7:48-50), overthrow of evil (Matt. 12:28-32), cessation of death (1 Cor. 15:26; 2 Tim. 1:10; Rev. 21:4), and establishment of God's kingdom in its final form (Rev. 20-22).That Jesus would ultimately triumph the Bible affirms, though at times the church was eclipsed through persecution or spiritual compromise. God has always held both the timetables and how the specific prophecies would unfold (a truth that should give some prophecy pundits pause and, perhaps, a bit of humility in identifying fulfillments prior to God bringing it to pass in history. Though even conservative theologians differ on some details, they agree on the fundamental outworking of God's plan, culminating in triumph. They also agree that the chief components of eschatology, such as the state of believers following death, the return of Christ, and final judgment, constitute literal happenings. Of course this brief summary does not exhaust the details of all that will come, but's let's now turn to some particulars.
The Intermediate State (when death takes place before the Second Coming)
What happens between death and the resurrection? The Bible teaches the believer goes to be with Christ and thus when "away from the body" he or she is "at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8; see also Phil. 1:20-23). Some advance the doctrine of "soul sleep," where the believer's soul rests with his or her body until the resurrection, but the verses above strongly refute such teaching. Equally lacking biblical support is the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory, where upon death the individual's eternal status remains undecided. They allegedly enter a place called "purgatory" which is sort of a middle locale between heaven and hell, and where individuals may work toward ultimate promotion to heaven once cleansed of "venial" sins. The unbeliever, on the other hand, will not enter heaven but Hades, where he or she will await the resurrection. This Hades is a place of torment and punishment and probably is the actual place where the unbelievers will ultimately enter when reunited with a body at the resurrection. Millard Erickson writes, "Yet while the place of the intermediate and final states may be the same, the experiences of paradise and Hades are doubtlessly not as intense as what will ultimately be, since the person is in a somewhat incomplete condition" (Christian Theology, 1189). Prominant nineteenth theologian William Shedd concluded similarly that, for the unbeliever, at the final resurrection "hell without the body becomes hell with the body." One final note on the intermediate state: it is not a place of probation. Our fates are decided in this life only, and then we face judgment after death. Children of God need never worry about their eternal state for they will reside safely with Christ. But those who do not respond to Christ's offer of salvation will eternally perish in a place of anguish and torment (Rom. 2:8-9; Rev. 20:11-15).
Views on the Second Coming
The twentieth century witnessed a virtual explosion of speculation as to when Christ would return. While much of this discussion generated more heat than light, it did once again focus attention on a crucial doctrine of the Christian faith.
That Christ will one day come again is a truth acknowledged by those who know and believe their Bibles. But just when will He return and how will it all play out? From these questions have come several positions on the timing of the second coming and related events. We will here mention the prominant views among those who hold to a high view of Scripture (i.e., those who believe the Bible is the Word of God):
Premillennialism teaches that Christ will return to the earth to establish His earthly kingdom, an event lasting for approximately one thousand years, followed by the resurrection of the unsaved dead (and, according to some, believers who died during the millennium) and the final judgment and consignment to heaven or hell. Some premillennialists, called dispensationalists, actually break Chirst's return into two separate events. He, according to this teaching, will first return to snatch His church away in a secret "rapture," afterwhich will commence a horrific period on earth called the "tribulation." During this time, the gospel will be preached and many Jews and others will be saved. Other premillennialists object to the dispensationist teaching, pointing out its recent origin and lack of scriptural support. Both versions of premillennialism draw heavily on Revelation 20 and some other passages. The non-dispensational version is often called "historic premillennialism," and did enjoy support from many in the early church.
Amillennialism Some teach that the next event on the horizon will be the return of Christ followed by the resurrection of the dead and a general judgment. Accordingly, there will not be an earthly millennium between the second coming and the final judgment. Most who hold this view prefer not to be called "amillennialists" because they do believe in a millennium of sorts and do explain the millennial passge in Revelation 20. They instead prefer to be called "realized millennialists," believing we are now (in this present age) experiencing or "realizing" the very millennium mentioned in Revelation 20.
Postmillennialism. This final major position sees a gradual "millennialization" or "Christianization" of the world through a revitalized Christian church proclaiming the gospel throughout the world. Times will ultimately get better for God's kingdom and we will witness a general spiritual renewing that will then usher in the second coming of Christ. Postmillennialists generally grant more credence to the concept of a literal millennium than their amillennial counterparts, but do share many similar features as well. Within postmillennialism are various strains, such as theonomic postmillennialism, a view espousing proactive political efforts to introduce God's law into society. For more on theonomy, please see Theonomy: A Reformed Critique.
Note this helpful chart that details the major views.
The Resurrection and Final Judgment
However we might configure the final events of human history and construct our "timelines," we do know that Jesus certainly taught a resurrection from the dead:
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned" (John 5:28-29).
Once resurrected, individuals from every nation and tribe will stand before God to receive their eternal sentence. We should not call this a "judgment" in the modern sense, for there is no trial, just sentencing. The criterion for admission into heaven will center on what one did with Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. His message was the offer of eternal salvation, and what people did with that message determines whether they enter heaven or hell (John 12:48). Those who believe will experience eternal life, while those who do not will experience eternal death. Please see Acts 24:25; Rom. 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:7; and Rev. 20:11-15.
Will unbelievers face punishment or extinction, and is there a hell?
Some today espouse a view that virtually removes any post-death punishment from the unbeliever. Instead, this view sees unbelievers "ceasing to exist" after death. Or perhaps they will be raised from the dead only to be destroyed completely after judgment, but not punished. Some call this view "conditional immortality," since their immortality depends on whether they become Christians. If they don't, according to this view, they will simply become extinct upon entering their eternal state. Of course this raises an age old question, is there a hell? Though not a new question, even some Bible believing evangelicals now hold to some form of this view. We distinguish "conditional immortality" from "universalism," a teaching that claims all souls will ultimately be saved. Conditional immortality holds that only believers will live in any form, while unbelievers will simply expire eternally, ceasing to exist altogether.
What does the Bible teach? Psalms 11:1-7 throughout distinguishes between the righteous and unrighteous, and in v. 6 spells out the fate of the unrighteous, God "will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur" (v. 6). While not specific on just when this happens, we do see a vivid picture of God exercising wrath on the unrighteous. But we cannot mistake the clear portrayal of the fate of the unrighteous in Isaiah 33:14, "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the the godless; Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" See also Isaiah 66:24, an Old Testament portrayal of the exact place Jesus spoke of when describing the eternal abode of the unbelievers (Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:47-48). Elsewhere Daniel calls it a place of shame and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2).
When we get to the New Testament, Jesus gives most of the teaching on hell. Matthew 7:13-14 speaks of the broad road that leads to destruction, a place elsewhere called Gehenna, or hell (Matt. 5:29-30), a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 8:12; 24:51) and eternal fire (Matt. 18:8-9). Many stand in danger of going to this place (Matt. 5:22), from where there is no escape (Matt. 25:46). We should be quick to add that God does not send people to hell, they send themselves by their own sin and failure to appropriate God's only remedy, the good news of Jesus Christ.
Are there degrees of punishment in hell?
The Bible indicates that may well be the case. The citizens of Sodom, forever an example of those who will face God's judgment, will experience a more "tolerable" judgment than Jesus' hearers in Korazin and Bethsaida (Matt. 11:21-24). See also the parable of the servants where some will receive greater punishment than others (Luke 12:42-48). Of course God has not seen fit to reveal all the details of future punishment or, for that matter, future bliss in heaven. But we do know He will act in character when He judges, and not arbitrarily condemn anyone.
Heaven
The Book of Revelation describes a twofold state of existence prior to final judgment, one in heaven and the other on earth. In heaven sings the great choir of redeemed voices, sounding forth the praises of God (Rev. 5:13; 7:10-17; 14:1-3; 15:2-4; 19:1-3). Indeed in heaven all is serene, peaceful, and under God's control. But on earth John describes a dreadful scene, one of famine, bloodshed, and general horror (Rev. 6:7-8, 15-17; 7:1-3; 8:6-13; 9:1-21; 16:1-18:24). One day God will remove the curse on this earth brought on by man's disobedience (Gen. 3:1-19; Rom. 8:20-21; Rev. 22:3). Since God Himself is perfect, He will surround His children with perfection, indeed they will be perfect. We read of streets of gold and gates of pearls (Rev. 21:12), but we must remember that the true essence of eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). Someone correctly noted that the only hell Christians will ever face is here on earth. And John aptly describes the earthly scene in the final book of the Bible. But truly we enjoy part of our reward now, a bit of heaven in our hearts as sort of a down payment of what we oneday will receive (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14). Yet God will decorate the heavens with such splendor that no one can describe, and He will spend eternity displaying His kindness to His children (Eph. 2:7). People often ask, "Will we know our loved ones in heaven"? God will probably do us one better, and allow us to know everyone in perfect love and fellowship. He will remove all barriers and distinctions that now divide us. We will exist in perfect conditions and with perfected souls.