“The last day” is coming—the last day for life on this earth, the last day for the existence of this earth, the last day to have an opportunity to obey the gospel and be saved, the last day to make preparations for judgment and eternity!
While the day of Christ’s return will be “the last day” (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 12:48), it will also be the beginning of eternity for all people. Look carefully at Matthew 25:46. Jesus discussed the “eternal” rewards that await every person who has ever lived. Regarding the unrighteous, Jesus said that “these will go away into eternal punishment.” Then regarding the righteous, Jesus said that these will go “into eternal life.” What does the word “eternal” mean?
Notice that the same word “eternal” (from the Greek aionios) is used for both heaven and hell. Whatever it means for one it means for the other. Greek scholars define aionios as “pertains to a period of unending duration; without end; never to cease; everlasting.” Think about the terms in that definition as they apply to heaven and hell. There is nothing “temporary” about the “eternal,” as you see those two terms contrasted in 2 Corinthians 4:18. As eternal as “the everlasting God” is (Rom. 16:26), so eternal is the duration of the final destinies of all mankind.
There will be eternal, everlasting, without-end, never-to-cease “life” in heaven for the righteous. This is for those who “believe” in Jesus Christ (John 3:16), “obey” the will of Christ (Heb. 5:8-9; Matt. 7:21), are “in Christ” and in the Lord’s church (Rom. 6:23; Heb. 12:23; 1 Cor. 15:24), are the “few” who walk the “narrow way” (Matt. 7:13-14) and have their names written in the Book of Life (Rev. 20:15; 21:27). These will dwell eternally with the Lord in the place that Christ has prepared (1 Thess. 4:17; John 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:1-8).
There will be eternal, everlasting, without-end, never-to-cease “punishment” for the unrighteous. This is for those who “do not obey the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8), for those who live in sin (Rev. 21:8; Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10), for those who once did obey but later “turned” from “the way of truth” (2 Pet. 2:20-22; Jas. 5:19-20), and even for some religious folks who do not actually “do the will of the Father” (Matt. 7:21-23). These will dwell eternally in punishment and torment “away from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 14:11; 20:10; 21:8), in the place that is “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).
Those in hell will endure a punishing for the same length of time that those in heaven will enjoy rest—forever. No one knows when “the last day” is going to come. You must be ready “this day,” in case it is “the last day.”