The End Times

I would like to share with you what the Orthodox Church believes about the end times and the hope that we have in Christ. Many groups speak about the last days in confusing or frightening ways, but the teaching of the Church is clear and full of hope, because it comes from the Bible.

Christ will come again. Just as Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, He will also return. The angels told the Apostles: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). His return will be visible to all, not hidden or secret. “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).

No one knows the exact day or hour. Jesus Himself said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). This means we do not try to calculate dates. Instead, we live in readiness, trusting His promise.

The dead will be raised. The Bible teaches that when Christ comes again, the dead will rise. Jesus said, “The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29). Saint Paul also writes, “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Christ will judge the living and the dead. We confess in the Creed that Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” The Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). This judgment is not meant to frighten us but to remind us to live in faith, repentance, and love, trusting in God’s mercy.

Our final hope is eternal life with God. For those who belong to Christ, the end is not destruction but joy. Saint Paul says, “So we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The book of Revelation gives us this beautiful promise: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

The Orthodox Church teaches that the end times are not something to fear, but something to hope for. Christ will return, the dead will be raised, and those who love Him will share eternal life in His Kingdom. Until that day, we are called to live faithfully, always ready to meet Him.

With love in Christ,
Fr. Charles

Next Letter: The Nicene Creed