Words for Life: What a Day That Will Be! - Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Revelation 20:11—21:4

a sermon preached by the Rev. Dr. Fred A. Holbrook, September 1, 2024

A preacher was preaching a funeral service. The focus was on the second coming of Christ and the resurrection from the dead. He kept preaching and preaching and couldn’t seem to find a stopping place.

The funeral director grew concerned about the time. He stepped over to a church member and whispered, “Does your pastor always speak this long at funerals?”

“Isn’t it a fine sermon?” the member replied.

Somewhat embarrassed, the funeral director agreed. But he continued to look at his watch every few minutes. After a while, the church member looked at the funeral director and whispered, “What’s the matter? Don’t you believe in the second coming and the resurrection?”

“I do,” the funeral director answered. “But I’m afraid we won’t get this man buried in time for Jesus’ second coming.”

Next Sunday, our new Children’s Minister, Mukshah Phom, and Hannah Garrity will start offering children’s messages again. These are very special moments because you never know what the children are going to say.

One Sunday, a pastor sat with the gathered group of children. She talked to them about being good and going to heaven. At the end of her talk, the pastor asked, “So, where do you want to go?”

The little voices shouted in unison, “Heaven!”

Then, hoping to hear them repeat something about goodness and being good, the pastor asked, “And what must you be to get to heaven?”

 They all yelled, “Dead!”

 That’s when we quickly pray, dismiss the children, and continue with the rest of worship!

This summer we have looked at some of the classic texts of scripture. Today we turn to the final judgment found in Revelation 20 and 21.

The Apostle John had a vision while banished to the Isle of Patmos. We call it the Revelation to John. It’s the final book of the Bible. Some interpret the Book of Revelation literally. I don’t.

Some dismiss this revelation as the fantasy journal of a delirious disciple imprisoned in the scorching Mediterranean heat. I don’t think it is a fantasy.

I believe that the Book of Revelation is a series of visions recorded by John that symbolize the cosmic battle between good and evil. In fact, the visions are seven in number and are increasingly intense. From the first vision through the mid-point of the sixth, it is unclear whether good or evil, whether God or Satan is going to win the battle. In the text for today, the decision has been made and the final judgment has begun.

Just prior to the beginning of the year 2000, what we called “Y2K,” many Christians were reading the Left Behind series by LaHaye and Jenkins. I found the books a fascinating read. But theologian Reinhold Niebuhr once said: “It is unwise for Christians to claim any knowledge of either the furniture of heaven or the temperature of hell.” He went on to say that it is wise to accept the testimony of the heart. I don’t know about you, but when I read these words from Revelation, my heart testifies to their truth.

The focus of my Doctor of Ministry project was ministry with young adults. Two weeks ago, I was sitting with a 36-year-old who asked me what I believe happens to us when we die. I shared that I believe there is life after death and that, if I am wrong, it is better to live this life hoping for such than to live life convinced that, upon death, our souls just vanish.

I believe in the resurrection of the dead. I believe that there will be a final judgment of all who have died and all those who are living and are taken up to heaven on the last day. I believe we will all stand before the great white throne much like the throne that the prophet Daniel saw. I believe each one of us will be judged, not by our church membership or our family or nation or religion, but by what we have done. God alone is the judge and will make the determination of what will happen with faithful Hindus and Buddhists and Muslims and Taoists and Jews and all other faith groups. What we know from verse 12 of Revelation 20 is that we are judged according to our works. Verse 13 says all are judged by what we have done. Let that sink in.

This is a tough text for those of us in the Reformed tradition whose theological perspective embraces Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Revelation 20 does not negate the fact that we are saved, that we are justified by faith. It balances that with a touch of the Book of James where we are told, “Faith, without works, is dead.” The Book of Revelation says that our names are recorded in the Book of Life based solely on what we have done during our lives. This echoes Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 where the goats are separated from the sheep based on what they have done for the hungry and the thirsty and the stranger and the naked and the sick and the prisoner.

When the Book of Life is opened and all are standing before the throne, Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. This is the fire of annihilation which I embrace as a symbol of the amazing grace of God. Why? Because, rather than have unbelieving souls burning for eternity in a Hell or living for eternity separated from God, God simply and graciously annihilates those souls. Their existence ends. Period. Chapter 20 concludes with God’s grace given to those who don’t believe. This concept is tough but, as Dr. Brian Blount reminds us in his commentary on Revelation, “John recognizes the freedom that God gives to each human to make choices, and he weighs the responsibility those bear, but John never allows the ultimate eschatological decision to rest with anyone other than God.”

Then chapter 21 begins: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” Passing away here does not mean that heaven and earth will be totally annihilated by what one modern day, quaky prophet calls a “quadrillion megaton explosion.” To annihilate the earth and heaven in a quadrillion megaton explosion would be breaking God’s everlasting promise to humanity. As an aside, if the current inhabitants of earth do not take better care of this world, we may end up being the cause of a “quadrillion megaton explosion.” Throughout these next two months, we will be focusing on Earthcare. We are caretakers. But that’s another sermon.

The Greek language really helps us here. John, as he records his vision, uses the word kainos instead of neos when he speaks of the new heaven and new earth. Neos means totally and completely new. The old is wiped out. The new is totally different. But John uses kainos which means renewed, new in nature and quality. Heaven and earth are renewed, transformed. The best is made even better. Blount reminds us that Eugene Boring wrote: “God does not make ‘all new things,’ but ‘all things new.’”

And the old passes away. Literally, this means it loses force. It becomes invalid.

One writer described it with these words:

The world into which we shall enter in the second coming of Christ is therefore not another world; it is this world, this heaven, this earth; both, however, passed away and renewed. It is these forests, these fields, these cities, these streets, these people, that will be the scene of redemption. At present they are battlefields full of the strife and sorrow of the not yet accomplished consummation; then they will be fields of victory, fields of harvest where, out of the seed that was sown with tears, the everlasting sheaves will be reaped and brought home.

What a day that will be! God promises the end to sorrow and tears. God promises that there shall be no more funerals or saying goodbye to ones we love.

God promises no more crying or pain or cancer or heart attacks. No more Covid or chemotherapy or EKG’s or fatal accidents. No more stealth bombers or cruise missiles or invasions or starving children or school shooters or unhoused persons. No more abuse of women or children or older adults. No more Fentanyl or addiction or alcoholism or human trafficking. No more!! No more!!

What a day that will be! What a day that will be!

We have no idea when Jesus will return. But until that day, we believe we are to live every day for Christ, making sure that everything we do honors God. What we do is recorded in the Book of Life and it will have eternal significance for each of us on the last day. What is written on your page in the Book of Life?

The story is told of a man who lived a “safe” life. He decided not to love too much because love was costly. He decided not to dream too much because dreaming only brought disappointment. He decided not to serve too much because serving got your hands filthy and could get you in trouble.

When the man died, he presented his life to God—undiminished, unmarred, unsoiled by the messiness of a fallen world. He proudly said, “God, here is my life!”

And God said to the man, “Life? What life?”

Friends, what kind of day will that final day be? Serve others, through Christ, now…and it will be a great day!

Prayer of Commitment: God, we stand on your promises. Help us live each day as if it is our last, loving and serving; loving and serving; loving and serving. Amen.