The end times and the nature of eternity are profound topics that spark curiosity among believers. Questions about Israel’s role in the end times, the fate of our loved ones, and what heaven will be like often arise as we try to understand God’s plan.

Hi, I’m Craig Smith, and I love answering questions about the Bible and offering insights based on biblical teachings and theological perspectives. In this blog, I’ve answered some top questions people ask about the end times and eternity. Let’s dive in!

What happens to Israel in the end times?

Will all Jewish people be saved because they are God’s chosen people on earth? The Bible clearly states that in order to be saved, we must make a personal decision to put our faith in Jesus Christ. This applies to everyone, regardless of whether they come from a Jewish or non-Jewish background; each individual must make that decision for themselves.

Being born Jewish doesn’t automatically mean that someone will be saved. However, the Bible suggests that as we approach the return of Jesus, a significant number of Jewish people will come to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and put their faith in him. This isn’t about being saved simply because of their Jewish heritage, but rather about a resurgence of belief in Jesus as the Messiah. These individuals would become Jewish followers of Jesus, sometimes referred to as Jewish Christians, and it’s this faith in Jesus that saves them.

So, while there will be a large number of Jewish people turning to Jesus in the end times, it still requires a personal decision for salvation. Not every Jewish person will be saved by ethnicity alone; it must be a conscious choice to follow Jesus.

Will I remember people on earth when I am in heaven?

Often, what people really want to know is, “How can I experience pure joy and happiness for all eternity if I’m remembering people who aren’t there with me?” Some even wonder if our memories will be wiped in heaven.

The Bible doesn’t say that our memories will be erased. Instead, it emphasizes that heaven will be a place of complete joy, with no more mourning, crying, or pain. I don’t know exactly how it will work, how we can have perfect joy while still remembering people who aren’t with us in heaven. The Bible doesn’t provide specific details on this.

If I had to guess, I might compare it to standing in a shaft of pure light that completely overshadows any darkness. Perhaps in heaven, the overwhelming joy and light will transform our memories, so that any sadness is completely overshadowed.

While I can’t fully imagine how this will work, the Bible assures us of eternal happiness. It doesn’t say that we’ll lose our memories of earth, so that’s my best attempt at answering that question. It’s a great question, but I’m not entirely sure how it will all unfold.

How are Christians in God’s presence if they are resurrected when Jesus comes back?

The answer is that both are true. When followers of Jesus die, they immediately enter the presence of Jesus, but they do so without their physical bodies. This is known as the “intermediate state,” which is the period between our current physical bodies and the resurrection bodies we’ll receive when Jesus returns.

The Bible says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So, yes, anyone who has followed Jesus and has died is currently in the presence of Jesus, but without a physical body. When Jesus returns, we will receive new, glorified bodies and will be with him forever in those bodies.

So, we’ll always be with Jesus—the difference lies in whether we’re in the intermediate state without a body or in the final state with a resurrected body. But in both cases, believers will be in the presence of Jesus.

Can people still be saved after the rapture?

Yes. This is true regardless of whether you hold to pre-tribulation rapture or post-tribulation rapture.

The pre-tribulation rapture view says that Christians will be raptured (taken away from earth) before the 7 years of the Great Tribulation. So, they won’t have to live through it —they’ll be with Jesus in heaven, waiting to return with him.

The post-tribulation rapture view says that Christians will live through the tribulation with Jesus, and then they’ll be raptured, only to return to earth with him right away.

There are also mid-tribulation views that suggest the rapture might happen midway through the tribulation.

But regardless of which view you hold, the answer to the question remains the same: Yes, people can still be saved during the tribulation if they put their faith in Jesus. Whether the rapture happens before, in the middle of, or after the tribulation, there is still an opportunity for people to be saved before Jesus returns.

One likely reason people will be saved during the tribulation is that Christians will still be present, spreading the good news of Jesus. People will hear this message and have the chance to accept it. So, yes, there will definitely be the opportunity to make the decision to follow Jesus during the tribulation.

What is the Preterist view of the end times?

The Preterist view, sometimes called Preterism, is a perspective on end times prophecies in the Bible. It basically holds that all of those prophecies were fulfilled by around 70 A.D., meaning none of them are future predictions. According to Preterism, the prophecies in the book of Daniel, the book of Revelation, and Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 24 have already come to pass and they don’t relate to future events.

I don’t subscribe to the Preterist view. While I believe that some events described in Daniel, Matthew 24, and Revelation have been fulfilled, I also believe that many of them are yet to be fulfilled in the future. So, I am not a Preterist, but that’s what it is—the idea that all those predictions were already fulfilled by around 70 A.D.

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