The Last Hour

Humans have the ability to draw in life-giving breath through their nostrils without fully comprehending when they will exhale it. According to scripture, God breathed life into Adam’s nostrils, granting him life. The cycle of inhalation and exhalation will one day come to an end, with the scripture proclaiming that our breath will return to our Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Furthermore, no one can predict the hour of their departure (Ecclesiastes 9:12). Even those on their deathbed, while aware that the end is near, cannot pinpoint the exact moment of their last breath. Although doctors may advise loved ones to prepare, many assume stability and depart, not knowing the exact hour of their end.

The Eternity

During His final breath, Jesus entrusted His spirit to His Father, with the intention of reclaiming it within His Kingdom. This act was not solely for His own benefit, but also for the benefit of humanity. God reconciled the life of His only Son for the sins of the world, and Jesus presented His blood in a tabernacle not crafted by human hands, providing us with access to His Father’s Kingdom.

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NIV)

Hence, it is an eternal truth that we are cleansed of our sins and made worthy to enter the Kingdom of God by the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no need for rituals; it is only necessary to believe that through the unblemished blood of Jesus, we will enter the Holy Place. However, we must rid ourselves of any feelings of guilt, as the devil, our accuser, constantly seeks to undermine us in this regard. Only when we entrust our spirit to Jesus with the assurance of forgiveness, can He present us unblemished before His Father.

Death Of The Righteous And The Wicked

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Revelation 14:13-14 (NIV)

The passing of a righteous individual is a source of delight to God and brings about a prevailing sense of peace. Strengthened by God, the righteous persons commit their spirit to Him, thus receiving abundant peace as they close their eyes on this earth. According to the scripture, the righteous person dies sooner as he accomplishes the purpose of his earthly life.

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV)

At the same time, God does not find joy in the demise of the wicked. When a wicked individual passes away without repentance, it is said that the devil claims their soul, thus snatching them away from the hands of God. This may explain the unexplainable sorrow that descends upon a place when such a death occurs. The bereaved are often unable to comprehend or accept the loss, resulting in prolonged and irreversible grief. Healing from such sorrow may take an extended amount of time.

When Moses, a man unwaveringly faithful to God, passed away, the devil attempted to claim his body. God had decreed that Moses would not enter the resting place, Canaan, as Moses led His people, but did not mention His Kingdom. The incident serves as a solemn reminder of the devil’s intent to lure us away from God’s grasp. It underscores the paramount importance of our faith in the forgiveness of our sins and commitment to God.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Jude 1:8-9 (NIV)

Unfortunately, even those saved by His grace sometimes doubt their salvation and seek ways to amend themselves. They torment themselves on their deathbed, contemplating the wrongs they have done or that have been done to them, striving to make amends in a physical sense before passing. They rely on mediators to facilitate the negotiation of a peace treaty with them. This precarious state serves as a boon to the devil, as it is evident that the dying individual is uncertain of their salvation, making them susceptible to being lured away from the hands of God.

Confession at the last hour

Whether we are on our deathbed or not, it is crucial to understand that the assurance of forgiveness is attained through genuine confession to God and not through any human intermediary. When we sin, we are transgressing against God, and only He has the authority to forgive us. Even Jesus, while on the Cross, appealed to His Father for the forgiveness of others, without asserting that He was extending forgiveness based on His sacrificial death. If the Son of God, our ultimate role model, sought His Father’s forgiveness for wrongdoers, how can we claim to be worthy of withholding forgiveness from others?

Let us not delude ourselves with the enticing words of forgiveness while still clinging to grudges. Instead, let us seek God’s forgiveness for both ourselves and others, so that we may be certain of absolution. Otherwise, in our final moments, we may be tempted by the devil to depend on intermediaries to orchestrate a superficial and insincere reconciliation, thus granting the devil authority over our souls.

The thief who was crucified alongside Jesus serves as a perfect example, as he gained entry into the Kingdom through a genuine confession at the final hour. This serves as a reminder not to postpone confession until the last moment, as it may not always be possible. Furthermore, confessing well in advance not only saves the individual but also has the potential to save our family. While the thief received a solitary entry, Zacchaeus could have secured a positive outcome for his entire family by confessing while still having time to live.

Let us retain our salvation, not by passing through fire, but by earnestly building our lives on the teachings of Jesus. By doing so, we dedicate our lives into the hands of our redeemer, who will lead us into eternity during our last hour.

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Corinthians 3:15 (NIV)