God is moving history to a future that He has planned since the beginning. There are dozens of passages in the Old Testament, the words of Jesus, the letters to the early church, and the book of Revelation that help articulate what this will look like. Those studying what the Bible teaches about the future (eschatology) see a concentration of passages focusing on the following significant concepts.
Tribulation
We will experience a growing period of evil and pain that affects our world (Matt. 24; 2 Thess. 2; 2 Pet. 3:1–15; Rev. 8–9, 16).
Jesus’s Return to Earth:
Jesus will return to earth literally and physically, and we will forever be with Him (Matt. 24:30; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; 2 Thess. 2:1–2; Rev. 19:11–12). There are signs of this return, but God only knows the timing (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Tim. 3; 2 Pet. 3:1–10).
Judgement:
God will take over our world, bring peace, remove Satan, and establish His rule (Dan. 7–9; Rev. 11:15–18; 21:1–22:21). All who have accepted God will be with Him, and those who reject God will be removed (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 13:41–42, 25:41–46; Heb. 10:26–31; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:10–15, 21:8).
Final Destination
There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21–22). We will be forever with Jesus, free from sin and pain (Rev. 21:3–4). We will be recreated with new physical bodies (1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:10; 2 Pet. 1), we will be given rest-filled roles by God (Matt. 25:14–34; Rev. 22:3), and we will walk in new types of relationships (Luke 20:34–36). We will be able to experi- ence new life as it was meant to be lived.
ORDER OF EVENTS
It is important to note that there are three significant theological perspectives, with several variations of each perspective on these future concepts. While studying these perspectives goes beyond the scope of this study, they are known as amillennialism, post-millennialism, and pre-millennialism.