Where Will You Spend Eternity?
7 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Heb. 9:27
There is one topic that very few people enjoy discussing. What is that topic? It is death. Rarely do you find an individual who enjoys discussing the end of life concerning anybody, especially not one's own death. And yet, death is inevitable for us all. The Bible, our primary source of information about the inevitability of death, clearly describes the indicators that death will come. The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, verses 3-8, spells out the 18 changes the body will experience as it moves through old age and death. Let’s review those changes.
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
The house is the body, its keepers of the house are the arms, and the strong men are the legs. The arms will tremble, and the legs will bow, unable to support the body's weight. The grinders or teeth will cease because they are few or fall out with age. Those that look out the windows, the eyes, become darkened or blind.
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
The doors are the mouth and ears. They shall be shut or unable to speak and hear. The sound of the grinding is low, which refers to the gums attempting to grind food after the teeth have fallen out. And, of course, their sound is low compared to the sound of teeth. People begin to rise early from sleep at the sound of the birds or when music is played.
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
That which is high refers to God. Even the most unconcerned individual, if he has any wisdom, begins to fear God as he ages. Fear also concerns the journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Many people do not fear death or the cessation of life as much as they fear the dying process. And rightfully so, because this is an experience that most of us have never experienced before. However, we can lean on Ps. 23:4 for comfort.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The almond tree shall flourish refers to grey hairs sprouting and falling to the ground like almonds falling from a tree. The grasshopper shall be a burden; that is, even the slightest weight will be a burden to carry. Desires shall fail, meaning desires and passions that drive most of our lives will subside. This happens because it is time to die and for others to mourn our deaths.
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
The silver or spinal cord is loose, and the golden bowl or head is broken. The pitcher (heart) is broken at the fountain, or the heart, as a pump (wheel), is broken or unable to function as a pump to keep the body alive. A loosened spinal cord, a broken head, or a non-pumping heart will indeed cause death.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Then shall the dust, our bodies, return to the earth from which it came, according to Gen. 3:19, which states:
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
And our spirit shall return to God who gave it. (Gen. 2:7 and Heb. 12:9)
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
So, there we have it. Eighteen clear-cut indicators that the dying process is actual and death is inevitable to all men. For those who still may not be convinced of the inevitability of death, please direct them to any person who is older than 130 years of age and who also still lives on earth. Of course, they will not find that individual because in modern times, Jeanne Calment of France, the longest-living individual in modern history, died at 122 years and 164 days of age in 1997.
So now that we have established the inevitability of death, what are the implications for those of us who are yet alive? The most critical thing we must do is ensure that our souls are right with God, the Ultimate Judge. The Holy Bible, our life guide while here on earth, tells us that
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Heb. 9:27
Knowing that we will meet God at the end of this life should motivate us to desire to meet Him in peace. We will be judged for the decisions that we make during our lifetime. The most important decision anyone can make is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There is only one way that we can meet Our Heavenly Father in peace when we die, and that is to be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son.
Adam and Eve, our original parents, sinned, causing the curse of sin to fall upon each of us. However, God, in His incredible love for mankind, sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. The plan of salvation is simple for us because the hard work has already been done through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. All we must do is repent of our sins, commit to a life submitted to the will of God, and request to be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. It is this power that helps us to live a holy life that is required of us.
Sin’s ultimate payday is eternity separated from God, while salvation’s payday is eternal life spent with God. A wise man or woman will choose Jesus Christ as their Savior so that their eternity is spent with God. Where will you spend eternity when you die? My prayer is adapted from the words of a song entitled “I Pray We’ll All Be Ready” by the Chicago Mass Choir.
I pray we’ll all be ready. I pray we’ll all be ready. I pray we’ll all be ready when we die.
I pray that we’ll get our business straight so we can meet up at the gate. I’ll pray we’ll all be ready when we die.
Let’s remember, we are all going to die. Where we spend eternity is up to us. I pray that we’ll all be ready when our time comes. I choose Jesus. I choose to spend eternity with Our Creator. What about you?
