_|_ | C O P | N E T Judgment Day or The Promise of Eternal Life Through Resurrection A Sunday School Lesson College Level We are all members of the church's body, the head of which is God. Therefore, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ proves that we too (like Him, the head of the church) will beat death and enjoy an Eternal Life. In this discussion, we will try to address some questions related to the fulfillment of this promise. 1. Are the concepts of "Resurrection" and "Eternal Life" invented by Christians? Did the people of the Old Testament believe in a "life-to-come"? 2. What did Jesus Christ say regarding His second coming? Did he tell us "what day and which hour"? Does it really matter? 3. What is our responsibility on earth? Do we have a mission? What does God expect from us? 4. What is God's judgment criteria in his second coming? Did he say anything about it? Are we all going to be judged on the same "standard"? Is that fair? The following verses from the Bible will help us understand and (maybe) answer some of the above questions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prophesies About Eternal Life ----------------------------- Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; Job 19:26 and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! The Second Coming of the Lord ----------------------------- Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 23:39 "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' " Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, Matthew 24:39 "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Our Mission on Earth -------------------- Matthew 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. Matthew 25:15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Matthew 25:16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. Matthew 25:17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. Matthew 25:18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. Matthew 25:19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Matthew 25:20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' Matthew 25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Matthew 25:22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' Matthew 25:23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Matthew 25:24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ' Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Matthew 25:25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' Matthew 25:26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. Matthew 25:27 'Therefore you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Matthew 25:28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. Matthew 25:29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 25:30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Our Priorities in This Earthly Life ----------------------------------- Luke 12:15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Luke 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. Luke 12:17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' Luke 12:18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. Luke 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' Luke 12:21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:22 And He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Luke 12:23 "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Luke 12:24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? Luke 12:25 "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Luke 12:26 "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Luke 12:28 "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? Luke 12:29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. Luke 12:30 "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. Luke 12:31 "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Watch out for the Test ---------------------- Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Matthew 19:17 ... If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' Matthew 19:19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " Matthew 19:20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Matthew 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:25 When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, "Who then can be saved?" Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." God's Fairness -------------- Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Matthew 20:2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matthew 20:3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, Matthew 20:4 "and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And they went. Matthew 20:5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. Matthew 20:6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' Matthew 20:7 "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' Matthew 20:8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' Matthew 20:9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. Matthew 20:10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. Matthew 20:11 "And when they had received it, they murmured against the landowner, Matthew 20:12 "saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' Matthew 20:13 "But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Matthew 20:14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Matthew 20:15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' Judgement Day ------------- Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. Matthew 25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another" Matthew 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Be Ready and Watch! ------------------ Matthew 24:43 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Matthew 24:44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him. Matthew 25:6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Matthew 25:10 "... The bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Matthew 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Luke 12:37 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. Luke 12:38 "And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. Mark 13:32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Mark 13:33 "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:35 "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming; in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; Mark 13:36 "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. Luke 21:34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. Luke 21:35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Mark 13:37 "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ This article is one of many more articles about the Coptic Orthodox | Church, the Christian Apostolic Church of Egypt. These articles can be | retrieved from Copt-Net archives at http://pharos.bu.edu/cn/Menu.html COP|NET For more information, contact Copt-Net server at CN-request@cs.bu.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------