Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ will return corporally, visibly, and unexpectedly to judge the living and the dead. This event, often referred to as the last day or the end of the world, will be marked by the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and the ushering in of the eternal kingdom for the redeemed.
The return of Christ is not a secret or mythical event but a future, public, and glorious reality. The Scriptures teach that He will come again in the same manner He ascended—corporally and visibly—with great power and glory (Matthew 25:31). This coming is ordained by God to consummate history and enact final justice upon the world (Acts 17:31). Because the timing of this day is known to no one, Christ calls His church to a state of perpetual readiness and watchfulness (Matthew 24:44).
At the sound of the trumpet, all who have died will be raised; their souls will be reunited with their own bodies, which will be transformed into an incorruptible state (1 Corinthians 15:52). This general resurrection serves as the prelude to the universal judgment, where every person will give an account of their lives before the throne of Christ. This is a foundational article of the faith, as affirmed in the 1689 LBCF Ch.31 §1, where we confess that believers are gathered to enjoy the presence of God eternally, while the wicked are cast into everlasting punishment.
While the prospect of judgment is a solemn truth, it is the joyful, climactic hope of the believer. We are not awaiting an uncertain fate, but a Savior who has already secured our righteousness through His death and resurrection. The final day is the moment our deliverance is fully perfected, wiping away all tears and confirming our status as the redeemed of the Lord. Thus, the church joins in the apostolic prayer: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).