The Appointment

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin
unto salvation. Heb. 9:27-28

There is a universal appointment and truth that everyone will experience. It is the day and time of our death. Some points will be brought out concerning this appointment:

HERE WE SEE AN APPOINTMENT, A DECREE, A SENTENCE: WHEREIN FOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE TO BE OBSERVED.
1. By whom this appointment is made, namely, by God Almighty, in whom there is not a shadow of turning, and which is able to bring that to pass which He hath appointed. Men are mutable; they appoint and disappoint; it is not so with God; hath He said it, and shall He not do it? Therefore, as sure as God is in heaven, this appointment shall stand. Who at any time has resisted His will? who can break His appointment?
2. What it is that is appointed—once to die. What is death? Properly to speak, it is a separation of the soul from the body.
3. There is an extraordinary dying, and an ordinary. Some have died twice, as Lazarus, and those that rose with Christ at His resurrection; but ordinarily it is appointed to all men once to die. It is not appointed to all to be rich, wise, learned, but to die.
4. Why was this appointment made? Because of sin (Rom_5:12), “at what time thou eatest, thou shalt die the death.” Why are we afraid of the plague? Because it will kill us. Sin will kill both soul and body; therefore let us all be afraid to sin.
5. The persons to whom this appointment is made, to men—to all men. There is no man living but shall see death: it is appointed to kings to die, to dukes, earls, lords, knights, gentlemen, merchants, clothiers, husbandmen, to high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned. It is appointed to the ministers to die, and to the people; to the master, and servant; to the husband, and to the wife. We read of a woman that had seven husbands, they all died, and in the end the woman died also. None can avoid the stroke of death: the physicians that cure others, at the length die; the godly die; so good men and women die, as well as bad, as the faithful are sick as well as the unfaithful, so also they die as well as others. The rich, and the poor alike, will meet together-and all will be judged. 

The Contrast of Death Between the Sinner and The Saint

​As it is appointed unto men once to die, etc. The fixed order for all men is to die once only, and to be judged after death. When they die, finality is stamped, on their life work.
This verse settles the argument on reincarnation-it does not exist. No one is going to come back again, and get a second chance to redeem themselves, or evolve into a higher plane of existence. God's set order is we are born once into this life, and it is here we are in the school of good verses evil. The choices we make in this life, and what we do with Jesus Christ here, is what determines our eternal fate.

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Everyone, when they come to the throne of God, will bow the knee to Jesus Christ, and honor Him, whether they believe in Him or not. 
Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 
Mat 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 
Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 

So Christ was once offered. Died once as a sin offering. But judgment followed, and he was justified and vindicated by his resurrection. He died once, and after it was the judgment, that made him the King of glory. His work of redemption was done once for all.

The resurrection is the basis for the Christians faith. He died once, rose again and ascended into heaven. In John ch. 14, he gave specific promises to those who believe in Him, which we can hold onto:
Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
This reference is not to Christ's return from the grave, but to a return from heaven, the second coming of the Lord, which is a very important part of the Christian faith. 
Also the verses spoken by Paul give the assurance to the believer, of what happens to those who died in faith and trust in Christ:
2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 
2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 
2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
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So unto them that look for him. All the saints who desire his appearing; to them he shall appear a second time, at his second advent, sinless and the mighty Savior. He becomes a sin offering but once, and appears the second time without a sin offering, because he hath done the work once and forever.

​Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 
Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 
Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

"Sinners in the Hands Of An Angry God"
Jonathan Edwards

​(Excerpt from “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards)

"All wicked men’s pains and contrivance, which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for this own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing , or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that the contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the greater part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done. He does not intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take the effectual care, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail.

But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise s those who are now alive; was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell ever to be the subjects of that misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief: Death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying Peace and safety, then suddenly destruction came upon me."

During the years I worked with seniors and the disabled, many fit the description given by Jonathan Edwards. I watched some of them go to their death in that state, without ever having any desire to know the God who created them. They were unprepared to meet God, and had made the decisions that were sealing their fate; a Christless eternity in hell. I witnessed a variety of attitudes in these lost souls, arrogance, mocking, indifference, cursing, up until the last days and hours of their life. But, when the last day came; there was also much fear, torment, sorrow, and in some cases anger. One thing could have changed the entire outcome, simple repentance, and asking Jesus to forgive them and receive His mercy, and receive Him as their Redeemer. Some of them, I had prayed for many months and years. I had the pleasure of praying with a few of them, who did get saved, and saw the peace that came over them, and the quiet assurance of knowing they would be in heaven soon. But, there were also those who did not, and saw the difference in their last hours; my heart wrenched knowing their fate, which was soon to come. Instead of reaching out for the love and forgiveness of God, and letting Jesus in, they kept their hearts shut up, and dead in trespasses and sins. Even then, in their last moments, would not change their hearts or minds.

Are you among those described by Edwards in this excerpt? Are you unprepared to meet the Lord? I pray you will consider this question, because it is the most important one you need to face in this life. No one will escape the appointment we all must face with Him.
​Lorna Couillard