The End Times
The Bible teaches that history is moving toward a goal - the return of Jesus and the completion of God's kingdom. The end times are about hope, not fear. Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, and make all things new.
The Return of Jesus
Jesus promised to come back, and the angels confirmed this at his ascension.
2In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πατρός μου μοναὶ πολλαί εἰσιν· εἰ δὲ μή, εἶπον ἂν ὑμῖν ⸀ὅτι πορεύομαι ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν·
3And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also.
καὶ ἐὰν πορευθῶ ⸀καὶ ἑτοιμάσω ⸂τόπον ὑμῖν⸃, πάλιν ἔρχομαι καὶ παραλήμψομαι ὑμᾶς πρὸς ἐμαυτόν, ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἦτε.
10They were staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white robes stood beside them.
καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πορευομένου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο παρειστήκεισαν αὐτοῖς ἐν ⸂ἐσθήσεσι λευκαῖς⸃,
11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go."
οἳ καὶ εἶπαν· Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε ⸀βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναλημφθεὶς ἀφʼ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οὕτως ἐλεύσεται ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ, καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον,
17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα.
Signs of the Times
Jesus described signs that would precede his return.
6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see that you are not alarmed. This must happen, but the end is not yet.
μελλήσετε δὲ ἀκούειν πολέμους καὶ ἀκοὰς πολέμων· ὁρᾶτε, μὴ θροεῖσθε· δεῖ ⸀γὰρ γενέσθαι, ἀλλʼ οὔπω ἐστὶν τὸ τέλος.
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν, καὶ ἔσονται ⸀λιμοὶ καὶ σεισμοὶ κατὰ τόπους·
8All these are only the beginning of the birth pains.
πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων.
11Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
καὶ πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐγερθήσονται καὶ πλανήσουσιν πολλούς·
12And because lawlessness will increase, the love of most people will grow cold.
καὶ διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν ψυγήσεται ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν.
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
καὶ κηρυχθήσεται τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, καὶ τότε ἥξει τὸ τέλος.
1But understand this: in the last days there will come times of hardship.
Τοῦτο δὲ γίνωσκε ὅτι ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐνστήσονται καιροὶ χαλεποί·
2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
ἔσονται γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι φίλαυτοι, φιλάργυροι, ἀλαζόνες, ὑπερήφανοι, βλάσφημοι, γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς, ἀχάριστοι, ἀνόσιοι,
4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
προδόται, προπετεῖς, τετυφωμένοι, φιλήδονοι μᾶλλον ἢ φιλόθεοι,
5holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Keep away from such people.
ἔχοντες μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι· καὶ τούτους ἀποτρέπου.
Be Ready
No one knows the day or the hour - therefore we must be awake and ready.
42So stay awake, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
γρηγορεῖτε οὖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε ποίᾳ ⸀ἡμέρᾳ ὁ κύριος ὑμῶν ἔρχεται.
44So you too must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι, ὅτι ᾗ ⸂οὐ δοκεῖτε ὥρᾳ⸃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται.
13So keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
γρηγορεῖτε οὖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδὲ τὴν ⸀ὥραν.
7The end of all things is near. So be clear-minded and sober for the sake of your prayers.
Πάντων δὲ τὸ τέλος ἤγγικεν. σωφρονήσατε οὖν καὶ νήψατε ⸀εἰς προσευχάς·
Judgment
All will stand before God's judgment seat and give an account.
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες ⸀οἱ ἄγγελοι μετʼ αὐτοῦ, τότε καθίσει ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ·
32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
καὶ ⸀συναχθήσονται ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἀφορίσει αὐτοὺς ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, ὥσπερ ὁ ποιμὴν ἀφορίζει τὰ πρόβατα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐρίφων,
34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
τότε ἐρεῖ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ· Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
10But you—why do you judge your brother? And you—why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; ἢ καὶ σὺ τί ἐξουθενεῖς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ,
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself.
⸀ἄρα ἕκαστος ἡμῶν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον ⸀δώσει.
11Then I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From his presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them.
Καὶ εἶδον θρόνον μέγαν λευκὸν καὶ τὸν καθήμενον ⸂ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ⸃, οὗ ἀπὸ ⸀τοῦ προσώπου ἔφυγεν ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ τόπος οὐχ εὑρέθη αὐτοῖς.
12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened as well—the book of life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.
καὶ εἶδον τοὺς νεκρούς, τοὺς μεγάλους καὶ τοὺς μικρούς, ἑστῶτας ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου, καὶ βιβλία ἠνοίχθησαν· καὶ ἄλλο βιβλίον ἠνοίχθη, ὅ ἐστιν τῆς ζωῆς· καὶ ἐκρίθησαν οἱ νεκροὶ ἐκ τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐν τοῖς βιβλίοις κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.
New Heavens and a New Earth
God's plan does not end with judgment, but with restoration and perfect blessedness.
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν· ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ πρώτη γῆ ἀπῆλθαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι.
2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς.
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne say: "Look, God's dwelling is with humanity. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.
καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ ⸀θρόνου λεγούσης· Ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκηνώσει μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ⸀λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ⸂μετʼ αὐτῶν ἔσται⸃,
4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; there will be no more grief or crying or pain. The former things have passed away."
καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ⸀ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ⸀ἔτι. τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.
5And the one seated on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new." Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ· Ἰδοὺ ⸂καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα⸃. καὶ ⸀λέγει· Γράψον, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ⸂πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί⸃ εἰσιν.
13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
καινοὺς δὲ οὐρανοὺς καὶ γῆν καινὴν κατὰ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα αὐτοῦ προσδοκῶμεν, ἐν οἷς δικαιοσύνη κατοικεῖ.