Death & Eternity (The Sting)

By Andrè Robbertse

Death & Eternity (The Sting)

By Andrè Robbertse

Who has had an experience with death? I’m sure everybody has. Life on earth is fragile and death is such a permanent thing in this life. What are you doing with your limited time on earth?

Revelation 20:11-15 says, “And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21:1-4 continues, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””

Death personified. Death is described as a person. No. It is a consequence of sin. In the behinning, before Adam and Eve sinned, death did not exist. John personifies death. Death is sometimes treated as an enemy. As mentioned in 1 Corinthiand 15:26, “And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Death’s judgement. On judgement day, everyone will appewr before God. No one will be able to escape it. No one will be spared. You will have to give account for everything that you did and if your name is not found i. The Book of Life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire, the second death

The second death is the lake of fire. It is the place of punishment that will last forever. It is a place where you will be completely separated from God. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in utter darkness.

Death’s absence. Revelation 21:4 & 2 says, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” This is such a great contrast between heaven and hell. While those in hell will experience complete separation from God, those in heaven will be by His side forever and ever. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Your time in this life has big consequences for what happens in the next. The time you spend in this life is nothing compared to the length of time you will spend in eternity or in hell. Think about it.

Where are you in your relationship with God? Are you doing things for your own personal gain? Or are you doing everything for Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life? Would you persevere even if someone is trying to kill you? Does your faith produce obedience? Are you living your life where you are seeking ovedience in everything you do or are you just living your life? Do you despise sin or are you happily living in it? Is Christ’s love transforming how you treat people?

Live your life in view of eternity. 2 Corinthiand 4:16-18 says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Set your sights on Jesus only.