As the baseball season draws to a close, a great deal of attention is focused on the 'wild card' race. Some years ago the American and National baseball leagues inaugurated a new program called the wild card system. Previous to this the baseball season ended up with only two pennant winners, one in the American League and one in the National League, and these two teams competed in the World Series for the championship The result was that near the close of the season, it became obvious who the pennant winners were, so all the other teams were losers and the rest of the season games were colorless. Attendance fell off, so something had to be done to spark a new interest toward the close of the season. It was decided to introduce the possibility of those in second place to have a chance at the final championship So it was decided that the second place teams in both leagues could compete as wild cards. This 'second chance' at the championship stimulated attendance as the number of contending teams was doubled.
This same 'second chance' mentality has invaded the religious world, and theologians have interpreted Scripture so that death is really not quite final after all. Various extra-biblical scenarios have been proposed to accommodate the desire for a 'second chance.' One theory proposes that a few saints go directly to heaven when they die, and the incorrigible sinners go straight to hell, but that the greater part of the dearly departed go to a halfway house called purgatory. In this never-never land they are given a 'second chance' to be purified before they can pass through the heavenly gates. Another arrangement for a 'second chance' is that of baptism for the dead. According to this plan for a 'second chance,' a person can be baptized as a proxy for some departed loved one, or even a long departed relative. Extensive genealogical files have been researched for this purpose. Another popular teaching that promotes the promise of a 'second chance' is the secret rapture. In this scenario some saintly individuals are snatched or raptured secretly to heaven Those who are 'left behind' have a thousand years of probation when Christ sets up His Kingdom on earth. There are other examples, such as reincarnation, but they all hinge on the concept of a second chance.
None of these 'second chance' scenarios can be supported by a thorough study of eschatology. The Bible teaches that after death comes the judgment (Heb. 10:27); it teaches that probation ends at death. and that there is no more sacrifice (offerings, baptism, etc.) for sin (Heb. 10:26). The dead are not in purgatory but they are in the grave sleeping until Jesus appears. When Christ returns, every eye will see Him and all the dead will be resurrected, some to eternal life and some to eternal damnation. There will be no 'second chance;' there will be only winners and losers. There will be "no wild card saints."
