In this life the faithful may suffer and be repressed. God never promised that it would be any different. But it will, in the future! God has promised His children a glorious future of complete bliss.

Joyfully read what the Bible says about the future!

The great expectation about the future that every believer has is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. 'While we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.' (Titus 2:13). The Bible describes the return on Christ. The Lord Jesus will come with his angels, in power and great glory, on the clouds of heaven. 'And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. '(Matthew 24:30b-31) 'He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him'. (Revelations 1:7a)

When all this will happen is not known, no one knows the time exactly. 'So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming.' (Matthew 24:42) The faithful, however, will not be completely surprised by Jesus return, for many signs will indicate His coming. Jesus told them: "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come." (Matthew 24: 4-14).

As the faithful wait for the Lord's return, they will distance themselves from all evil and live in peace with God. 'Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! You should look forward to that day and hurry it along--the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God.' (2 Peter 3:11-14). The people who died before the Lord Jesus return will be resurrected from the grave when He comes. Once all the dead will hear His voice. 'Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment.' (John 5:28b-29).

The faithful will not have the exact same body that they do now, because their bodies will have changed so that they will be glorious and immortal. 'Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies.' (1 Corinthians 15:42b-44).

The faithful who are still alive at the return of Christ will suddenly be changed and ascend to meet Christ in the air. 'With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. Encourage each other with these words.' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

When the lord Jesus returns on earth He will judge everyone who ever lived. 'When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.' (Matthew 25:31-33). They that loved and served the Lord Jesus in this life will enter the eternal Kingdom of glory. 'Then the king will say to those on his right, "My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created.' (Matthew 25:34). Those who did not serve and love the Lord Jesus will be cast into everlasting fire. 'Then the king will say to those on his left, "Get away from me! You are under God's curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!' (Matthew 25:41)

At the end of time our present world will be destroyed and a new Heaven and a new earth will come in its place. 'The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!'. (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Life in the new world will be delightful to the faithful and exceed everything that we can imagine. 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.' (1 Corinthians 2:9) 'The home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.' (Revelations 21:3b,4).