What We Believe About Death, the Second Coming, & Eternity

The End Times - Eschatology

We teach the futuristic interpretation of the prophecies found in the book of Revelation and literal interpretations of Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel and the future glorious kingdom.

Death

We teach that upon a believer’s death, he is immediately present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:19-26). We teach that upon an unbeliever’s death, he is immediately separated from God and punished in hell. We teach the distinction between Hades and Gehenna. We reject the idea of purgatory (Gal. 3:1-14).

We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Rom. 8:10-11, 2 Cor. 4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Dan. 12:2; John 5:29; Rev. 20:13-15).

The Rapture of the Church and the Tribulation Period

We teach the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the tribulation to translate His church from the earth (1 Thes. 1:10; 4:17; 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Rev. 3:10; 7:1-3, 14). We teach that Christ can return at any time to rapture His church, followed by a seven-year tribulation of Israel and an unbelieving world (Daniel 9:24-27; Rev. 16), at the end of which Christ will physically return in power and glory and will establish a literal kingdom on earth lasting 1000 years. We teach that Christ will reward believers according to their works at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).

The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign

We teach that after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 20:1-7; Ezek. 37; Acts 1:10-11). We teach that the kingdom will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel to restore them to the land promised to Abraham and to His promise to David to establish his kingdom. We teach that the Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, and righteousness (Is. 11; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:33-38).

The Judgment of the Lost

We teach that the millennium will be followed by the temporary release of Satan (Rev. 20:7), the judgment of Satan, and the judgment of all unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment, at which the lost will be cast forever into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 25:41).

Eternity

We teach that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thes. 1:9; Revelation 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 20:15; 21-22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Rev. 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Rev. 21-22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15:28).