“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?