Questions about life after death: 6. How will the world end?

How will the world end?

The Bible says it will happen in the ‘twinkling of an eye’

The Bible is very clear that the world will not come to an end by a nuclear bomb, a collision with another planet, or even a catastrophic natural disaster, such as portrayed in the film, The Day After Tomorrow. Instead we are told that the end will come only at the time God chooses.

When Jesus first came to this world He came as a baby, laid in an animal trough. At the conclusion of the world He will come again, this time not as a baby, but as King of all the kings in the world and Lord of all. The Bible says that everyone will bow down to worship Him the moment He returns. He will rule the world in righteousness and have His rightful place in creation and in the minds of men and women.

Nobody knows the exact date and time of His return, but Jesus described how the world would be immediately before His return. So we can look for and recognise the signs and eagerly await His return. In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life there is detailed teaching about the world as it will be before His return.

The Book of Revelation further describes the turmoil that the world will witness before the momentous event when Christ comes to reign. In John’s Gospel, we read how Jesus comforted His followers saying that He was returning to heaven to prepare a place for them, and all who put their trust in Him.

This is how the Apostle Paul describes what will happen when Jesus returns to this world: ‘We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Then we will be with the Lord forever.’ (1 Thessalonians 4 v. 15 – 17 NLT)

For millions who have rejected the Lord Jesus, His return will be a time of immense regret and distress. If you are trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins then you can, with confidence, be looking forward to the bodily return of Jesus. It seems that so many of the signs of His imminent return have happened, and we must be ready for His return.

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