On things unseen this week, we've been reflecting on the return of the Lord Jesus,

His second coming.

Earlier in the year, we reflected on what's sometimes called individual eschatology, death

and judgment and heaven and hell. But this week we're really thinking about cosmic eschatology, death and judgment and heaven and hell. But this week

we're really thinking about cosmic eschatology, that is what's going to happen at the end of

history when Christ returns. Remember how the angels told the apostles after Jesus' ascension,

He will return again from heaven in the same way you have seen him go into

heaven. And this is the big thing, the main thing. This same Jesus is going to return. The

Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever, he's the one who's going to return. But that's not all we know about the future, is it?

I wonder if you're familiar with the way Paul gives us a kind of basic theological map of the future.

He does it in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 versus 20 through 28, the great chapter and the resurrection.

He gives us what we might call a taxonomy, a shape of Christ's future triumph. First of all, the bodily resurrection of our Lord

Jesus has already taken place as the first fruits of our resurrection.

Second, when the Lord Jesus returns in majesty and glory, our bodily resurrection will take place.

Thirdly, Paul says Jesus will destroy all opposition towards himself, all opposition to his kingdom, and he

will put all his enemies under his feet, and in particular the last enemy, death.

Then Paul says, the end will come.

Now, end is an interesting word, isn't it?

It can mean that's the end.

There's no more, finished, done, end of.

But there's another meaning to the word end, isn't there?

Remember the first question of the shorter catechism?

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