“After This…”
"And as it is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." – Hebrews
9:27
Death
This text speaks of death. We naturally shun the subject of death. We do not like to think about it; but we should. “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning” (Eccles. 7:2-4).
“It is appointed unto men once
to die.” -- This sentence speaks particularly of physical death, the death
of the body, not spiritual and eternal death. Even this physical death of the
body is the wages of sin.
Divine Appointment
The all-wise God has from eternity
appointed and decreed the length of every man’s life and the time, place, and
means of every man’s death. Our days can neither be lengthened nor shortened.
Some imagine that there is a
contradiction here because we are plainly told that both Enoch and Elijah
escaped death and that some will be translated into heaven at the second advent
of Christ. But all undergo that change which is equivalent to death. For the
believer, death is but release from this body of sin. That is what Enoch and
Elijah experienced. That is what the saints living at the time of Christ’s
second advent will experience. And that is what our departed friends have
experienced. The believer’s death is not death at all, but release from this
body (John 11:25-26). Blessed release!
For the believer death is to be
experienced but once! On those who are born of God, those who are partakers of
the first resurrection, the second death shall have no power (Rev. 20:6,
11-15).
Blessed Comfort
It is the statute law of heaven
for men to die, and that but once. So our Lord Jesus Christ died once, only
once. He will die no more. This is our souls’ great comfort. -- Though we must
die the first death, we shall not be hurt of the second death, because Christ
died for us, enduring all the penalty of God’s holy law as our Substitute to
the full satisfaction of justice.
You
who are yet without Christ have no such consolation. The Lord God has appointed
the day and place of your death as well. Soon, you must meet God; but for you,
the death of your body will be but the beginning of everlasting torment. Oh,
may God be pleased to grant you life and faith in Christ. If you die without
Christ, you shall be forever damned!
Urgency
Since our days in this world are
numbered by our God let us be diligent in the days he has given us, serving him
with meekness and fear. The day of our departure is certain to God, though
unknown to us. None of us know how much time we have left in this world. Yet,
this is certain: No one has time to spare! The very thought of this ought to
make rebels tremble. Oh, be wise! “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found!
Call ye upon him while he is near!” – “Prepare to meet thy God!”
Every believer should seek wisdom
and grace to live every day as though he was certain it would be his last.
Whatever it is that we have to do for the glory of Christ, the furtherance of
the gospel, the increase of God’s kingdom, and the good of men’s souls, let us
do it today! We ought to live every day with a sense of urgency. Life is
urgent, for “time is short!” We would be wise to pray with Moses, “Teach
us,” O Lord, “to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.”
Judgment
The Lord God has appointed the day
of our death; but death does not put an end to our existence. We are all men
and women with living, undying, immortal souls. We will spend eternity
somewhere. Either we will spend eternity with Christ, his holy angels, and all
the saints of God, in the beauty, bliss, and glory of heaven, or we will spend
eternity in hell, with the damned, in the everlasting torments of God’s
offended justice.
“But after this the judgment”
– There is also a day of judgment appointed by God.. There shall be, in the
last day, a great, general resurrection and judgment. We must all appear before
the great white throne judgment. In that great day Christ will be the Judge.
I do not doubt that there is a
judgment which all experience immediately after death, by which, the souls of
men are condemned to their proper state of bliss in glory or banishment in
hell. But there is also that final, eternal judgment, at which all must stand
to be either declared holy or filthy, blessed or condemned. This great day of
judgment has been appointed by God from eternity. How will it be for you in
that day? Will you stand before the bar of God in the linen white, blood washed
garments of perfect righteousness in Christ, holy, unblameable, and
unreproveable; or will you be found in the filthy rags of your own righteousness?