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“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” - Revelation 20v11-15


“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her Husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21v1-4


We saw when we looked at the question “why are we here?” that human beings are made in God’s image, we have immortal souls.  Our bodies die and then decay, we know that, but our souls do not die.  When someone dies their soul leaves their body and goes to one of two places.  When someone who has trusted in Jesus as their Saviour dies their soul goes into the presence of God to wait for the end of time.  When someone who has not trusted in Jesus as their Saviour dies, their soul goes into a place that could be described as Hades.  This is not because God is mean, but because God is holy, and unforgiven sin cannot enter His presence.  As the only way for sin to be forgiven is through Jesus’s death on the cross, therefore only those who have asked for forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ can enter God’s presence.


Finally, when the end of time comes, the universe we now know will be destroyed, and every single soul will be reunited with a new, immortal body, to stand before God in judgement.  Then those who have not had their sins forgiven by asking Jesus for salvation will be cast out of God’s presence forever, into what is described as a lake of fire.  This, finally, is the moment when the people of God, who did ask Jesus for salvation, will join Him for all eternity in the new heaven and the new earth.


The answer to the question “where are we going?” depends totally on our response to God’s invitation to come back into a right relationship with Him by asking for forgiveness of our sins through the death of Jesus Christ for us and His resurrection.


Where are you going?


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