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 Beginning in paragraph 1 of chapter 31, the bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknowledgeth none. At the last day, such of the saints as are found alive shall not sleep, but be changed, and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor. The bodies of the just by his spirit unto honor and be made conformable to his own glorious body. Amen. Well, these last two chapters deal with what is called eschatology, and the word eschatology simply means the study of or the doctrine of last things, from the Greek word eschaton, which simply means last. And there are sort of two distinctions we can make or two sort of subsets between eschatology. There's what's called individual eschatology and then there's what's called cosmic. Now this chapter deals primarily with individual that does touch a bit on cosmic and then of course the last chapter deals more specifically with cosmic eschatology. Individual simply means the study of the future state with reference to individual persons, and it concerns death, the intermediate state, and ultimately the resurrection. Cosmic eschatology has to do with the entirety of the cosmos, the created order by God, deals with the rule of Christ, the resurrection, final judgment, and the eternal state. So you see there's a bit of a distinction there, or sort of subsets in the overall teaching of the Bible with reference to eschatology. What happens to us when we die? What happens to the entirety of the cosmos when Jesus Christ returns? And so the Bible is specific or conspicuous in dealing with this particular theme. Now, I think that the tendency is or the temptation is, on the one hand, to avoid eschatology because no one can really figure out all that the Bible says concerning that great doctrine, or on the other hand, being obsessed with it and trying to sort of see every event and every detail in life and how that all feeds into the greater narrative in terms of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are those who become preoccupied with eschatology, but it ought not to be the case that we never ponder it or we never think of it because it is most important. The Bible speaks to the doctrine of the last things in a whole host of ways. There's a wealth of data beginning in Genesis chapters 1 to 3. There's eschatology in Genesis chapters 1 to 3, namely the betterment of man ultimately by his federal head, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that speaks to eschatology. As well, the impact on Christian ethics. We ought to appreciate our view of the future will affect our conduct in the present. For instance, there's a sort of an eschatological school called dispensationalism, and they tend to think that everything is just getting worse and worse and worse as the days progress. And it has led some to conclude why polish the brass on a sinking ship. In other words, the ship is sinking. Why would we try to have any effect positive upon the society or the culture that we find ourselves in? Well, I don't think that's a biblical position, and I think that eschatology certainly impacts on Christian ethics. In fact, for this point, turn to the book of 1 John. 1 John chapter 3, where we see eschatology, or our understanding of the last things, having a present impact on our current conduct. In 1 John chapter 3, verse 1, it says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. So we're not supposed to be taken up with, you know, identifying the Antichrist in terms of a particular political figure in our own day and age. Rather, we're to take the hope of the Christian and let it impact us in such a way that we, by God's grace, those who have this hope will purify ourselves just as he is pure. And then one other passage to show the impact that the last things has upon our present conduct. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, of course, is a very detailed sort of treatment concerning the resurrection from the dead. And after having given all of the jots and tittles concerning that glorious truth, in 1 Corinthians 15, 58, the apostle says, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. In other words, all that is said concerning the resurrection ought to have a present impact on the people of God in their current situation. As well, we see with reference to the doctrine of eschatology, the hope that it produces or promotes in the Christian. In other words, we ought to live as a hope-filled people. We ought to be encouraged at the reality that God has not only saved us by grace through faith now and that we enjoy the present forgiveness of sins, that we enjoy communion with God, both privately and publicly, when we gather together with the people of God to worship him, we enjoy communion with God. But this is an already possession of something that has not yet been fully realized. The scripture is clear. We just saw it in 1 John chapter 3. We shall see him as he is. This is the hope of the believing people of God, that we will be where God most high reigns and rules forever and ever, world without end. Amen. And then as well, eschatology should promote terror for unbelievers. And I don't mean that in some lighthearted sort of way, but it really ought to. The apostle Paul, in another context, talking about the terror of the Lord, says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade man. In other words, we ought to preach the love of God as it is in Jesus Christ. We ought to preach the graciousness of God as it is in Jesus Christ and mercy and kindness and forgiveness, but we ought never to forget the true wrath of God Most High and the future state of unbelievers. Our confession deals with that here specifically in chapter 31 and in chapter 32 in terms of what awaits the unbeliever. And biblical eschatology should promote that sort of terror in the hearts of those who are outside of Jesus Christ with the hope, of course, that they seek Christ, that they flee to Christ, and that they find salvation in Christ. And then as well, I think another helpful reason we ought to understand eschatology is for the overall appreciation and recognition of God's plan. In other words, as we have studied in the book of Genesis in chapters 1 to 3, we see that what God begins there, he ultimately completes in Revelation 21 and 22. That one specific study where we looked at the preparation of the garden and we saw that the garden was the first temple. It wasn't simply Adam's task to be a farmer, but Adam's task was to be a priest. And he was to extend that garden temple to encompass the earth, filling it with image bearers of the living God to magnify and glorify the God of heaven and earth. Well, we see that that was obviously lost there in Genesis chapter 3. We saw that on Wednesday night. But when we looked at that temple motif, we looked at Revelation 21 and 22 and saw the connections between Genesis 1 to 3 and Revelation 21 to 22. They are conspicuous and they are a multitude. In other words, what God does at the beginning, he consummates or he completes through the work of the second or last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I think that if we understand eschatology, again, not as something to satisfy our vain curiosity, but as an indicator of God's redemptive plan, it should lead us to praise and worship and glorify him. Paul says, for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. So we appreciate not only the beginning and the middle, but we appreciate the end as having been decreed by God and that plan executed by the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's why we should study eschatology. Now let's look specifically at the chapter. Note the intermediate state is dealt with in paragraph one. And the intermediate state simply refers to that period between death and the resurrection. In other words, our individual death and the general resurrection or the resurrection of all men at that day when Jesus Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. That's what we mean by the intermediate state. In other words, what happens if you and I were to breathe our last breath today? What is true of us? That's what this particular chapter is dealing with, the intermediate state. Now notice the confession highlights what the Bible highlights everywhere, this distinction between body and soul. Now, certainly man is composed of body and soul, but there is a distinction between body and soul. Of course, the body is the material or the physical, and the soul is the immaterial. It is that invisible portion of man. And the confession highlights this. The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption. But their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately returned to God who gave them. So this underscores something that is contrary to what is true of God. Remember that in chapter 2, paragraph 1, it says that God is without parts. Now, that may seem like odd terminology for the 21st century ear, but it simply means that God is a simple being. Now, that may seem like odd terminology for the 21st year because God isn't simple. I mean, he's wrathful, he's angry, he judges wicked people, but he forgives me of my sins. And, you know, it's somewhat complex to sort of get my mind wrapped around the doctrine of God. Well, the doctrine of divine simplicity simply means that God is pure act. He's not composed of parts. He's not made up of other little things that has somehow produced God. If God were not simple, if God were with parts, that would mean there was something more ultimate than God, and we simply cannot have that. God is. He says in Exodus 3.14, I am who I am. And I don't know that we fully explore or have explored the significance of that statement. I suggest come on Wednesday night. I figure we'll be in Exodus 3.14 in probably, I don't know, three years or so. But hopefully it won't be that long for us. But that's a packed statement and rich in significance in terms of who God is. But God is a simple being. He is without parts. We, however, are not simple beings. We are composed of parts. There is something more ultimate than us and God has put us together. And so the distinction is there. The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. So we notice here specifically that the confession here highlights that the doctrine of soul sleep is inaccurate or it's false. There are those Seventh-day Adventists and others in the history of the Christian church that have taught the doctrine of soul sleep. In In other words after someone dies their soul goes to sleep until that final judgment or that final resurrection The confession reflecting truly what the Bible teaches indicates there is no soul sleep which neither die nor sleep. And then notice it highlights the immortality of man's soul, having an immortal subsistence immediately returned to God who gave them. Now, when we discuss immortality as it pertains to man, we need to understand that our immortality is derivative. In other words, we receive that from God. God is underivative. He has not sort of become immortal based on something outside of him. That's who God is. That's part and parcel, excuse the pun, no parts, just a figure of speech. That's who God is. That's his essence. He is underrived. From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. There never was a time when there was no God. There never will be a time when there will be no God. God is underrived or has underrived immortality. Ours, however, have been received by God or given to us by God himself. And then notice specifically the indication with reference to death. It says, The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately returned to God who gave them. And I think this highlights the fact that death is ultimately a penal consequence of sin. Paul says this in Romans 6, 23. Death is not natural. Death is unnatural. It's by Adam's transgression that death entered in. It's by Adam's sin that death was spread through all of his posterity. And so death is an unnatural thing. I know it's natural in the sense that it happens to everyone. I know it's natural in the sense that persons die each and every day. But in terms of the biblical narrative, Adam, again, speaking as a man, was supposed to do what God told him. And had he done what God had told him, he would have confirmed his posterity in righteousness. But because Adam sinned, Christ came and he confirms his posterity in righteousness. However, on this side of the resurrection, bodies still die. And the scripture and the confession highlight that. And then notice that death is a temporary separation of the body and soul. Again, we're dealing with the intermediate state. What happens to us if we were to die today, there is a temporary separation of body and soul. As the confession says, The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having that immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. Now it highlights the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. Notice the second sentence there in paragraph one. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into paradise where they are with Christ. And behold the face of God in light and glory waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. Again, that's a blessed prospect, isn't it? If we were to breathe our last today, and I'm certainly not wishing this on anyone. I'm simply suggesting it could happen. We are not eight foot tall and bulletproof. You know, there's a whole host of ways of people leaving this world as we are certainly convinced of or assured of. But this is a blessed thought. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise where they are with Christ. And behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. I mean, that's what we have to look forward to in terms of the intermediate state. That's not the full fruition or the consummation of God's redemptive plan. I mean, that's certainly a down payment and it's certainly glorious and it certainly beats what we have in terms of this world. But that's still not the full benefits that Christ has secured for us. But it's certainly most blessed and most wonderful. Now, there are several passages that indicate this in terms of the soul departing to be with the Lord. You can turn to the Gospel of Luke in Luke chapter 23, a familiar passage, I think, to all of us. but one certainly underscoring this reality. Luke 23, verse 39. And one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed him, saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. It's a beautiful expression of this man's faith. He acknowledges the lordship of Jesus. Now, remember the scene. Jesus isn't wearing a crown at this particular time. He's not wielding a scepter and he's not sitting on a throne. He's rather on a cross. He does have a crown of thorns and he is being crucified. And yet this man looks through the gore, looks through the shame, and calls him Lord. As well, this man casts himself upon the mercy of this Lord when he says, remember me. It's a beautiful thing. He acknowledges or he recognizes or he realizes that within this man hanging upon the cross, there is this mercy, there is this kindness to be had. And so he says specifically, remember me. And then notice as well, he acknowledges the fact that he possesses a kingdom. Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. So again, looking through the shame, looking through the gore, looking through all of that stuff, he makes this glorious confession of faith. And Jesus returns with, assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise. Well, how could that be the case without this doctrine of the intermediate state. The souls go to be with God. The bodies go into the grave where they see corruption, waiting, of course, until the redemption of their bodies. And then notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, again underscoring this intermediate state and the situation concerning the righteous. 2 Corinthians 5.1, for we know that if our earthly house, this tent is destroyed. We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And then notice in verse 6, so we are always confident knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. And then in verse 8, we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So for the apostle Paul, there's no soul sleep. And for the apostle Paul, there's no sort of dissolution of the soul. When the body dies, the soul goes to be with God. And then notice in Philippians chapter one, Philippians chapter one, specifically verse 23, for I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. So for the apostle to depart is to be with Christ. And the true, or the same rather, is true of us. And this is what the confession highlights when it says concerning the souls of the righteous. And again, the intermediate state is underscored because it says waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. You see, That's the ultimate, that's the consummated glory, the resurrection of the dead, when all men, all sinners, all redeemed, all believers, all unbelievers are raised from the grave and then reunited body and soul, and the righteous go to be with God, and the unrighteous go to hell. And then notice, with reference to the wicked, in that selfsame paragraph, it says, and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. So the same idea, separation of body and soul, whereas for the righteous, the soul is present with God, awaiting the redemption of their bodies, but the soul that is wicked is cast from God. They're cast into hell where they remain in torment and utter darkness reserved to the judgment of the great day. So you see the teaching here is very simple, very straightforward, and certainly does reflect the Bible's teaching on this subject. Now note the exclusivity of these alternatives, the exclusivity of these two places. Notice the last statement in paragraph one. Besides these two places, four souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknowledgeth none. So you see, the confession is sort of rebuking or rejecting, rather, a couple of Roman Catholic teachings, a couple of doctrines that were sort of popular in the Roman Catholic mind then and are certainly popular today. There is a doctrine called the limbus patrum, and that simply means that the faithful who died before Christ's passion have been shut up as in a dark prison underground, and being without torment and for the time wanting happiness have been kept close there until Christ's resurrection and ascension into heaven. And then there's called the doctrine of limbus infanta. And essentially what this teaches is that infants dying in infancy prior to their baptism suffer also eternal punishment, but not a punishment of sense. Rather, they just receive the punishment of loss cut off from all the goodness of God. And of course, what's called the doctrine of purgatory. Again, I think it's only me and you that are ex-papists here. So I always look like everybody's just going, what? What is all this? But this is stuff, it's pablum when you're brought up in Romanism. You're just taught this. It's part of the warp and the woof of biblical religion. As far as you're concerned, everybody expected purgatory. Nobody ever thought, you know, they're going to die and go right to be with Jesus. You just assumed you were going to do purgatory. And essentially, purgatory, as defined by the papists themselves, is the place and state in which souls suffer for a while and are purged after death before they go to heaven on account of their sins. In other words, purgatory is what sort of the intermediate state looks like for Romanists. Romanists. And it's not one of being in the presence of God, awaiting the redemption of the body, having the fullness and the beauty and the glory of Jesus Christ. It's basically you're suffering for your sins. Your sins are being purged, hence the name purgatory. And so the confession rightly underscores the fact that no such place exists. Besides these two places, heaven and hell, four souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknowledges none. Now, the reason why or how we know that there is no such thing as purgatory is because there is a lack of any indication in the Bible. That certainly should make us wary of the position when we don't find any teaching in scripture. As well, it rests upon an unbiblical foundation between a moral and a venial sin within the Roman Catholic Church, the thief on the cross. Certainly, he would have been a great candidate to do some purgation work because of his crimes of having been associated, most likely, with Barabbas, who was an insurrectionist, a terrorist, and a murderer. Certainly, Jesus could have conveyed forgiveness on him, but it would seem that he should have done some time in purgatory to sort of clean up and fulfill all that he needed to do. And then the righteous, according to Revelation 14, 13, they cease from their labors. They don't go off into purgatory to continue to try and make atonement for their sins. And ultimately, that's the fundamental problem with the doctrine of purgatory. It's an attack upon the atoning work of Jesus. In other words, it's not the case that Jesus' sacrifice simply atones for 80% of our sins, and then we die and then we go to purgatory and there we pay for that other 20 It simply cannot be If there is not full atonement in our Lord Jesus Christ there no atonement And so Romanism falters at that particular place where they reject the efficacy of the cross work of our Lord Jesus Christ. David Dixon writes concerning this. He says, because Christ's satisfaction for the sins of believers is most full, complete, and perfect, and doth not need our imperfect satisfactions, whether for the fault or the punishment. He says, neither by our sufferings in purgatory is Christ's satisfaction applied to us. First, because our sufferings there cannot be an instrument for applying Christ's merits to us. For on God's part, we have the word, sacraments, and the spirit as means for applying his merits to us. On our part, we have faith. Was it ever heard in the word of God that the Lord made use of exquisite torments for applying his grace to apply mercy by the executing of justice? Is forgiving debt applied by exacting the debt? Shall pardon be applied by the punishing of us? See what he's saying? There's no grace of God and mercy of God if it's affected by punishment upon us in a place called purgatory. The doctrine makes absolutely no sense, but you see that it does within the institution called Roman Catholicism. It's another means to operate, you know, sort of control and manipulation and extortion and a whole host of other things that are not good. A. A. Hodge says concerning the doctrine of purgatory, it is nowhere taught in Scripture. It is opposed to the teaching of Scripture as to the intermediate state. it rests upon anti-Christian principles as to the efficacy of the atonement of Christ, as to the sin expiating and soul purifying efficacy of temporary suffering, as to the sacrifice of the mass, and as to prayers for the dead, etc. So the confession, rightly interpreting the Bible, acknowledges there is no limbo and there is no purgatory. There is no other alternative than heaven or hell. I think this doctrine of purgatory can also promote licentiousness. If a person is willing to do an extra few years, he's going to live in any way that he chooses to live. It seems to me that if somebody accepts the idea that they're going to do a thousand years, a thousand and five years ain't going to be that bad either, so I'll go ahead and engage in this particular sin. It's really unfortunate when persons, when institutions, sort of concoct doctrines that have no biblical foundation or warrant and that go against the clear teaching of scripture in terms of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We can't supplement that work. We can't add to it. We can't help it along. We can't sort of make it, you know, that much more effectual unto us. Either Christ saves us or Christ doesn't save us. And if he does save us, We need to rejoice in the fact that all our sins, past, present, and future, have been forgiven, have been atoned for, have been dealt with. Now, of course, we don't use that as a means to go out and pursue sin and unrighteousness and ungodliness. We don't go, you know, we won't say, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? But we need to get that doctrine down. We need to understand justification by faith. We need to understand the salvation of God as wrought out in the lives of his people and the efficacy of the cross of Jesus Christ. It's because of that the believer is heaven bound. It's because of that we will breathe our last and wake up in the presence of God Almighty. Not because we were purged in some afterlife, not because we went to some sort of compartment of pain and suffering so that we were purified. No, Christ went through pain and suffering. Christ went through curse. Christ bore our sin on the cross. Christ took the punishment that was due for us. And to suggest that there is a doctrine of purgatory is to do great injustice to the doctrine of the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice, the confession moves on to the final resurrection in paragraphs two and three. So you see the movement. We go from the intermediate state to the resurrection. Again, I said there was some cosmic elements in terms of chapter 31, but primarily with reference to the individual. Notice the resurrection of the saints in paragraph 2. At the last day, such of the saints as are found alive shall not sleep, but be changed. And all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies and none other, although with different qualities which shall be united again to their souls forever. Now, those who are living at the return of Christ, that's what it's speaking to. At the last day, such of the saints as are found alive shall not sleep. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 again. In other words, the confession is dealing with the situation. What if somebody doesn't die? What if body and soul isn't separated before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? What happens to them if they're alive when Jesus returns? What is it that's going to transpire? 1 Corinthians 15, 20, I'm sorry, 1551. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. So you see that. Such of the saints as are found alive shall not be changed, and all the dead shall be raised up. You can look at 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Those who are dead at the return of Christ. In other words, what happens if we're alive at the return of Christ? We'll be changed. What happens if we're dead at the return of Christ? We'll be changed. We'll be raised from the dead. Notice in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 13 to 18. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. Now, sleep there means death, obviously. We don't typically sorrow over those who are taking a nap. We sorrow over those who have died. The language of falling asleep or sleeping is often referred to the righteous when they pass from this life into the next. Now notice in verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. Now, you probably heard this passage referred to as teaching the secret rapture. And in dispensational eschatology, they suggest that there is this secret rapture where the church, the Gentiles, are taken up into the presence of God, and then God's purpose and plan for the Jews gets going. It's executed. That's not what this passage is about. It's not a secret rapture. As Albert N. Martin said, this is the loudest secret that has ever tried to be kept. Notice in verse 16, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. That's a pretty loud secret. It's not secret rapture. It's the question of what happens to our dearly departed loved ones who died in Jesus. Will they be left behind? No pun intended. Will they be left out? Will they not be concerned or considered among the blessed of God. No, the Lord's going to raise up those bodies and that final resurrection, both the dead in Christ who have been raised and those who are alive at his coming will be with the Lord. And I love what verse 18 says, therefore, comfort one another with these words. We ought to comfort one another with biblical eschatology. We ought to comfort brethren who have lost loved ones with the reality that you will see them again. We ought to comfort one another that this idea of a secret rapture is not what's in view here, but God's redemptive plan brought to fruition and consummated for his people. It's a beautiful and a wonderful thing. Notice what the confession goes on to highlight in terms of the characteristics of or the character of the resurrection. It says about in the middle of paragraph two, and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies. it might be a bit of a discouragement to some you might have wanted to come back as Brad Pitt or I don't know whoever you might like but it's the self same bodies remember Jesus sets the pattern the Jesus that went into the tomb is the Jesus that came out of the tomb they were able to recognize him they were able to identify him they were able to see the wounds on his body that he bore for us on the tree. The self-same body. But the confession goes on. And none other, although with different qualities which shall be united again to their souls forever. The different qualities simply indicates the glorified state. A body that's fit and equipped and enabled to live in the presence of God Almighty forever and ever, world without end. Amen. That kind of body. A body ultimately, and I love to think about this, without free will. Do you realize that in the consummated glory, we won't have free will at that point? Or we will, but it will only be confirmed in the right direction. You know, this idea of free will. Yeah, free will is what got us into the mess that we are in. When we are confirmed in righteousness, when body and soul is raised from the dead, our free will will only be bent toward worshiping and praising and glorifying and honoring God. There will be no sin. There will be no choice for wickedness. There will be no sort of competitors for our affection. There'll be no tendency to go downward, but rather we will be confirmed in that state to bring glory and honor and praise to God. It's a beautiful and a wonderful consideration concerning what the Lord has for us. And then notice, which shall be united with the same bodies, none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever. So that forever-ness is truly glorious. What are we going to be doing? You know, when we sing that hymn, when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing his praise than when we first begun. 10,000 years just sounds like a long time, doesn't it? But it's really not. It's a drop in the bucket. We're talking forever. I remember reading Thomas Boston's Human Nature in its Fourfold State, and I think it was specifically with reference to hell as he is trying to explain eternity, which, I mean, that's a fool's errand. Who can explain eternity? But he says something to the effect of, imagine a bird, you know, a seagull. I don't know if it was seagull, but it makes sense. He says that bird goes to the seashore, and he picks up one grain of sand and he flies, you know, 100 miles away and he drops that grain of sand down. Well, imagine him doing that, you know, over and over and over again. He could eventually finish the task and yet forever exceeds that. I remember going, man, that's hard to imagine. And that's the point, the foreverness. You know, we look at this world and it seems like forever. We have something in our horizon or in the future that's either good or bad. And it seems like forever until it gets there. No, we are heading toward forever with a body that is remade or not remade in the sense of it being altogether new, but equipped with new qualities that will indeed be fit for the enjoyment of God forever. And then notice the resurrection of the unjust. So you see, we have the intermediate state, dead believers and unbelievers both die When believers die the body goes to the ground it sees corruption the soul goes to be with God When the unbeliever dies the body goes to the grave to see corruption and the soul goes away from God to suffer eternal torment. But there is this resurrection when body and soul will be reunited by God Almighty. And then in paragraph three, it speaks specifically concerning the bodies of the unjust. They shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor. The bodies of the just, by his spirit, unto honor and be made conformable to his own glorious body. So it highlights the resurrection of the unjust and the resurrection of the just. So the bodies of the unjust shell by the power of Christ, not by the power of Satan, not by that foul fiend of hell, but it's the power of Christ. It's the execution of God's wrath. It is the execution of justice and righteousness. Brethren, at times this seems to be an offensive concept to the people of God. And yet when we go to the book of Revelation, after the judgment of the great whore of chapter 18, what are the saints doing in heaven in chapter 19? There's a fourfold hallelujah. Why? Because that great whore persecuted our brothers and sisters. There's that idea within the people of God in that glorified state that God's justice is to be vindicated. And we ought to imitate that now. Again, not rejoicing over, you know, the mishappenings or the misfortune of somebody that we have a personal problem with. But in the execution of God's righteousness, we as God's people ought to rejoice so the bodies of the unjust shall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonor. Well, in conclusion, I think this section of our confession, along with the next, we'll notice as we look at the next chapter, it doesn't get too detailed in terms of all the things that occupy us in discussions of eschatology. In other words, there's no millennial reference in the section. There's no condemnation of either pre or post-millennialism. I think that the confession of faith does what the Bible does. It presents to us a very simple eschatology. In other words, I'm just not convinced it needs to be as hard as persons make it out to be. In fact, turn to John 14 for just a moment. John 14, just to underscore this truth of a simple view of eschatology. John 14, 1, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know in the way you know. That's pretty simple. Jesus goes after his death, resurrection and ascension on I to prepare places for his people. And then he comes and he fetches them and he brings them to those places or to that place. It really doesn't need to be as difficult as some make it. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Again, one of the most extensive passages of teaching concerning resurrection, but specifically 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28. I think if you get 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28 down, you can answer or understand just about every facet of biblical eschatology. Notice, but now Christ has risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in his own order. Christ, the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under him is accepted. Now, when all things are made subject to him, then the son himself will also be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Now, just go back for a moment and notice, for as in Adam, verse 22, all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ, the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. So what happens when Christ comes? Then comes the end. Notice he doesn't come and set up an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem. Notice that he doesn't come and do a whole host of other things that people studying biblical eschatology tell us that he's going to do. He comes, then comes the end. When that end comes, what does he do? He delivers up the kingdom to God the Father when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. You see, it's a pretty simple approach that our confession adopts that I think does reflect what Scripture teaches. Now, when you get to Revelation 20, of course, there's a reference there to a thousand years. And of course, there are some things that are difficult to sort of untangle in Revelation 20. But a fundamental principle of biblical interpretation is we let clear passages like 1 Corinthians 15 help us with the not as clear passages like Revelation 20. Not saying we get rid of Revelation 20, but we don't take the obscure or difficult or highly charged symbolic passage and let it dictate what a very straightforward narrative passage teaches us. And I would suggest that 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28, along with John 14, along with Revelation 20, all present the very same thing. And the eschatology taught to us in the Bible is very simple. You don't need to be a rocket scientist. You don't need to listen to some of these guys out there with their charts and their newspapers and their books by Hal Lindsey. I think the simplicity of biblical eschatology is well reflected in the creeds. The Apostles' Creed says, I believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. I think that's a great confession, and it reflects what we believe. The Nicene, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Brethren, that does get at what the Bible teaches concerning eschatology. The Athanasian Creed says, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, at whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their works or their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting. And they that have done evil into everlasting fire. To get into, you know, identifying whether or not, you know, Barack Obama or Prime Minister Trudeau is the man indicated in Revelation 13 is really to go beyond Revelation 13. It's really to go beyond sort of the proper confines of biblical revelation. And I think it's become part and parcel of eschatology, at least the discussion of eschatology, since about the early part of the 1800s to really go hog wild and to try to answer a bunch of questions that the Bible never intended to even address, let alone provide sort of an overarching or all-encompassing explanation of every jot and tittle. Suffice it to say, Jesus is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And there is a world everlasting for the people of God where they go to be with their God. A second observation we ought to appreciate in terms of not only our confession of faith, but also the biblical record is the anti-Gnosticism of the Bible and the confession. And Gnosticism was sort of an approach to truth. And Gnostics believe that truth just came right to them. The word gnosis simply means knowledge. But the Gnostics had this sort of view that they were esoteric and they were a bit above everybody else. And they had this direct line to God. But they also thought that the flesh was bad. They thought that the body was bad. This is why, say, for instance, in 1 John, One of the sort of arch things that John emphasizes in 1 John is that Christ came in the flesh. Who's an antichrist but those who deny that Christ came in the flesh? You think, or we think, well, who would do such a thing? The types of people that would become Gnostics. The types of people that thought that the body was bad. That it was sort of a necessary evil. It was the prison that the soul was in. And the soul is so much better. and the soul is primary and the soul is really what it's all about. The Bible doesn't adopt that position. Now, we are composite beings, body and soul. We don't say just soul, we say body too. We are identified as body and soul. And the Bible does not see the obliteration of the flesh as the chief aim. In other words, there is a resurrection from the dead. The bodies that go into the ground that see corruption are going to be raised by God. Remember, the self-same body. Not, you know, whoever your favorite looking person is. No, what you go into the grave as is what you're going to come out of the grave as. With different qualities, to be sure. You see, the Bible is not a Gnostic document. It's not a denial of the goodness of the flesh. We see that in the Genesis creation account. God made Adam and Eve. He made them body and he made them soul. And he says that they were good. They were image bearers. They are image bearers. Man is image bearer. So the body isn't a necessary evil. It's not something that's lesser. The body is something that God made for his glory. The body will be raised again. It will be reunited with the soul and body and soul will be in the presence of God Almighty. It's a beautiful and a wonderful thing. We shouldn't be Gnostics. We shouldn't be against the body. And this should indicate how we ought to have respect for the body. We ought to tend to it. We ought to take care of it. We ought to seek by the grace of God to present ourselves as living sacrifices, not just the soul, but the body. We are to present ourselves unto God as whole men and whole women. And I think that's something underappreciated. We oftentimes, even in biblical or in preaching, or I know I've been guilty of that, you know, the redemption of our souls. Yeah, the redemption of our souls and our bodies. Our souls and our bodies will be with God forever and ever and ever. It's not bodies that God has, you know, opposition to. It's sinful bodies. It's the sin that we do. Again, Albert N. Martin has said elsewhere, God's not at war with our nature. God's not at war with the fact that we are body, soul, composite beings. He's at war with our sin. It's not the body that's bad. Just get rid of the body and everything will be okay. You have enough sin to commit as, you know, disembodied souls. If you had the opportunity or the space to give it then. The Bible, nor our confession, nor the early creeds were Gnostic documents. And then as well, we ought to be encouraged at the glory that awaits the believer that this chapter sets forth so wonderfully and so clearly. Well, let's close in a word of prayer. Father, we thank you for what you have purposed in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that when we die, our souls will go to be with you where we await that redemption of the body, that Romans 8 reality, that the creation itself groans and this curse is felt throughout the created order. But when Jesus comes and that curse is lifted, we will see him as he is and body and soul will be in the presence of God Almighty forever. May these things encourage us and may you cause us to comfort and encourage one another with these truths. Go with us now and help us as we worship to bring glory and praise and honor to you. And we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.