Last Words

Last Words

The world calls men fools because they believe One sinless Man died for sin, made men clean and new and promised them an eternal reign in glory with Him.

The world calls men fools because they believe JESUS' righteousness transcends sin.

But at the hour when a man is called to "slip the surly bonds of earth" one final time and depart from himself to his eternal self, his faith in JESUS or lack thereof makes a profound difference on how he goes.

A man’s final words reflect his eternal destiny…

Twenty-one Coptic Christians:
“… and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus, and because of the word of God...” Revelation 20:4.

The intended “victory” proclaimed by their executioners was instantly and permanently nullified by the steadfast voices of the 21 -- putting their trust in Christ to sustain them, not in whispers but in shouts:

“Yasouh, Yasouh-- Jesus, Jesus”, even as the deed was being done—literally for the world to see and hear!!

And we know this was not the end of the story, according to the promise of our Lord in Revelation 2:10, “…Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.”

Last words of famous believers and unbelievers:

Steve Jobs:“OH WOW, OH WOW, OH WOW.”

President George Washington: “Doctor, I am dying, but I am not afraid to die. It is well,”

President Abraham Lincoln: “I’d like us to visit the Holy Land, we could go to Jeru”.....(at that point Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth).

Clarence Darrow, the Scopes Trial lawyer in the famous 1925 debate, while on his deathbed asked several clergymen to “Please intercede for me with the Almighty. During my life I have spoken many times against Christians, and I now realize that I may have been wrong.”

Edward Gibbon, author of the ‘Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire’: “All is lost, irrecoverably lost. All is dark and doubtful.”

John Wesley, preacher and songwriter: “The best of all is that God is with us, farewell, farewell.”

Marilyn Monroe: “I don’t need your Jesus.”

Michelangelo, famous painter and sculptor: “I die in the faith of Jesus Christ, and in the firm hope of a better life.”

Thomas Andrews who designed the Titanic and drowned when it sank April 14th 1912: “No, not even God could sink the Titanic.”

David Brainerd, (well known missionary): “I am going into eternity and it is sweet to me to think of eternity.”

Alexander the Great was an admirer of Socrates and Plato (both were atheists). When he died he threw a handful of his blood at the sky in defiance of God.

Talleyrand (called the most brilliant mind of his generation) when asked about his condition while on his deathbed replied: “I am suffering the pangs of the damned.”

William Pitt, British statesman: “I throw myself on the mercy of God, through the merits of Jesus Christ.”

Joseph Stalin, (who murdered many millions of his countrymen), while on his deathbed -as related by his daughter Svetlana to Malcolm Muggeridge: “He suddenly sat up, groaned, shook his fist at the ceiling as if he could see beyond it, then fell back and died.”

Sir Michael Faraday, (brilliant English scientist 1791–1867), was asked when he was near death: “What are your speculations now?” He answered: I have no speculations. I rest upon Jesus Christ who died, and rose again from death.”

Sir Francis Newport allowed his name to used on a brand of cigarettes. On his deathbed he cried out: “Oh eternity. Oh eternity”. And he uttered a groan of inexpressible horror as he cried out, “Oh the insufferable pains of hell, forever, forever.”

Voltaire, one of history’s best known atheists, often stated that “by the time I’m buried, the Bible will be non-existent.” His last words were: “I am abandoned by God and man;I shall die and go to hell alone.”

His condition had become so terrible that his associates were afraid to approach his bedside, and as he passed away, his nurse said that for all of the wealth in Europe, she would never watch another infidel die.

A few years after he died the Geneva Bible Society purchased Voltaire’s home and turned it into a print shop to print Bibles.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, beloved preacherand author, on his deathbed: “I can hear them coming!” He sat straight up in bed and asked: “Don’t you hear them? This is my coronation day. I can see the chariots, I’m ready to board.”

Famous French author Guy de Maupassant (1850 –1893) of whom it was said: “critics praised him, men admired him, women adored him.” Before he went insane and died at the early age of 42, as a result of having contracted syphilis, he penned his own epitaph: “I have coveted everything, found pleasure in nothing.”

Socrates was probably the most brilliant man of his millennium. The government of ancient Greece charged him with polluting the minds of the youth of his day, and sentenced him to death. He drank poison to activate his sentence. As he lay dying his students asked him: ‘Is there life after death?” His answer was: “I hope so.”

Julian the Apostate (Roman emperor who hated Christians), was leading his forces in the battle for Persia in 363 AD. He was mortally wounded, and as he lay dying on the battlefield, picked up some of his own blood, mingled with dirt, flung it skyward and said: “Thou hast conquered oh Galilean.” (A reference to Jesus).

Dwight L. Moody, famous preacher and founder of the Moody Bible Institute, while on his deathbed: “Can this be death? Why it is better than living! Earth is receding, heaven is opening. This is my coronation day.”

Robert Ingersoll, noted lecturer and avowed anti-Christian on his deathbed said: “Life is the cold and barren value between two eternal peaks. I strive in vain to see beyond the distant height. I cry out and the only answer I hear, is the echo of my empty wail.”

Dietrich Bonhoffer, German theologian, standing in front of a firing squad during World War II, for speaking out against Nazism, “This may seem to be the end for me, but it is just the beginning.”

Sir Julian Huxley,English evolutionist, biologist and staunch atheist, on his deathbed: “So it is true after all, so it is true after all.”

King David, recording his last words for his son Solomon: “I go the way of all the earth; be strong therefore, and prove yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God. To walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

Charles Darwin, on his deathbed: “I regret that I suggested a theory, and that gullible men gobbled it up, as though it were fact. I never intended that.”

Augustus Toplady, author of ‘Rock of ages.” His final words: “All is light, light, light.”

Queen Elizabeth I, grabbed her physician by the sleeve and pulled him down over her bed and said: “Half of the British Empire for six month of life.” He could not even give her six minutes and she died.

H.G. Wells, historian and the ‘apostle of modernism’, and a determined atheist: “Here I am at age 64, still searching for peace of mind. It is a hopeless dream”

John Knox, Scottish clergyman and founder of the Presbyterian Church was asked on his deathbed: “Hast thou any hope?” Unable to speak, John Knox slowly lifted up his arm, and with his index finger pointed heavenward, and with a peaceful countenance he died.

P. T. Barnum the circus magnate on his deathbed asked: “How are the circus receipts today?”

Hobbs the atheist said: “I am taking a fearful leap into the dark.”

Byron the famous English poet on his deathbed said: “My days are in the yellow leaf. The flowers and the fruits of life are gone. The worm and the canker and the grief are mine alone”.

Some billionaires on the day of their death, if they were coherent were still making deals. On the very day! Among them were Howard Hughes and H. L. Hunt.

Tancredo Neves, president-elect of Brazil, during the election campaign of 1985 said: “If I get 500,000 votes from my party, not even God will remove me from the presidency.”

On March 14th1985, a day before his inauguration, he became very ill, and shortly thereafter he died.

Thomas Payne, originally one of America’s great patriots in his book: “The age of reason” ridiculed the Christian religion. He slowly lost his friends. He left America and while in England came to a premature death. On his deathbed he said to a friend, ‘I would give worlds if I had them, if the ‘Age of Reason’ had never been published. Oh Lord help me. Christ help me. You stay with me. It is hell to be left alone.”

Bon Scott, a singer with the band AC/DC, in 1979 sang a song with this line in it: “Don’t stop me, I’m going down all the way, down the highway to Hell.” On February 19th, 1980 Bon Scott was found dead, having choked on his own vomit.

John Lennon: Shortly before he died he was interviewed for a US magazine. He was quoted: “Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain Jesus was O.K., but his subjects were too simple. Today we (the Beatles) are more famous than Jesus.” Lennon died on Dec 8,1980 from gunshot wounds.

Adolph Eichmann, was offered the services of a Protestant Minister a few hours before his execution. He declined by saying: “I am not a Christian and I don’t have time for this. I don’t believe in life after death. Long Live Germany and long live Argentina.”

Cesare Borgia, a famous writer and politician (it was he who Machiavelli used as his model for the Prince in his timeless novel) was a meticulous planner. He planned everything to the minutest detail. When he knew he was dying said: “When I lived I provided for everything, except death. Now I must die, and I am totally unprepared and un-provided”.

Cazuza (bi-sexual Brazilian composer-singer-poet, during a show in Rio de Janeiro, while smoking a cigarette, puffed out some smoke into the air and said, ‘’Here God, this is for you.’’ Shortly thereafter, at age 32 while suffering the effects of Aids, he died a very painful death.

Adams, the infidel said: “I’m lost, lost ,lost. I am damned forever.” His agony was so great that as he died, he tore the hair from his head.

Christine Hewitt, Jamaican journalist and entertainer was quoted: “The Bible was the worst book ever written. Shortly thereafter, in June 2006, she was found, burned beyond recognition in her automobile.

Alfred Krupp, the great manufacturer of munitions, said to his doctor: “Physician, I will give you one million marks if you can prolong my life 10 years.”

Sir Walter Scott the skeptic said: “Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty.”

When Christians die, they often report, on their death bed, of seeing angels. Quite often they hear the most beautiful singing they’ve ever heard. The closer to death, the more beautiful the sound.
There is only one book that deals authoratively with life after death, and it’s your Bible.

The Apostle John wrote: “We have written these things that you may know you have eternal life.” I John 5:13.

THE FINAL WORDS OF THE UNBELIEVER ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JESUS? WHAT WILL YOUR LAST WORDS BE?