The end of the world?

Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Perhaps you have not experienced in this country the kind of friendliness and hospitality that you would have expected. Jesus experienced something similar. When Jesus came to world, there was no place for him in the inn (Luke 2:7). Already as a baby he had to flee as a refugee away from his own country. He came to the chosen people of God, but his own did not want to receive him (John 1:10-12). Hospitality is an important thing. In the Bible it is told that one day three men came to
Abraham. Without hesitation he receives these sojourners as guests and offers them the best food. A little later two of the guests leave and one of them stays to talk with Abraham. Then we are told that this is God himself. Through this event Abraham teaches us hospitality (Hebrews 13:1-2). This teaches us that we can extend hospitality towards God himself. Jesus came to world, so that we could receive him as a welcomed guest. Jesus knocks on the door and waits for someone to let him in. Then he comes in and eats with you (Revelation 3:20). Jesus tells by a parable how people have rejected God for centuries, and finally they will kill the Son of God (Matthew 21:33-40). This will result in the wrath and judgement of God.

The Bible says that God shows hospitality towards us. We have been invited to a feast (Matthew 22:1-14). In some countries extending an invitation can be just polite talk, and one cannot take it immediately seriously. In Finland the invitation is almost always serious. Especially if a time is agreed it is very impolite if one doesn’t show up. A proud person may think that the invitation is not worthy enough for him or her to go. This kind of a person wants to show his assumed superiority by not caring about the invitation. Imagine if you would get an invitation to have dinner with some very important person. Certainly you would arrange your schedule so that you could be as a guest at the dinner. You would also think how to dress up so that you would respect your host. A man who doesn’t accept the hospitality of God comes under the judgement of God. A person who believes in Jesus wants to be in that great feast which God himself will prepare.

The Bible tells of many specific events at the end of the world. Especially the last book in the Bible, the Revelation of John, contains many hidden messages about the end times. This has inspired many to make their own theories. Many have enthusiastically drawn accurate maps about how everything will take place at the end. This can be very interesting, but when Jesus teaches about the end of the world, he focuses all the time on one event: his second coming. Jesus comes back in the clouds in the same manner as he left. Christians are waiting for the second coming of Christ – not wars, natural disasters or any other signs of the end times, even though also those will come (Matthew 24). No man knows exactly when the second coming of Jesus will take place. Only God knows that day and hour – for human beings it will be a surprise. The second coming of Jesus means the end of the time of mercy and the moment of judgement. Every human being will be resurrected for his eternal destiny. In God’s just judgement wickedness will finally get a punishment. Mankind has cried in the midst of injustices and asked God to avenge the wrongdoings. Finally God hears these prayers. What is frightening in this fair judgment of God is that every one of us deserves the wrath of God (James 2:8-11). Sins have to paid for in every single case. It is just a question of whether we want to pay ourselves for our sins in hell, or we accept the payment that Jesus has already made for us on the cross. The judgement will take place according to deeds. A person whose name is written in Jesus’ Book of Life will get, based on the life and deeds of Jesus, eternal life as a gift and a heavenly inheritance (Matthew 25:34 and Revelation 20:11-15).