The Coptic Orthodox Church teaches that the ultimate destiny of the redeemed is full participation in divine life—theosis—in the resurrection of the body and the eternal Kingdom of God. The saints already enjoy the presence of God and intercede for the living; the final resurrection will bring soul and glorified body together in the everlasting Kingdom. This conviction is expressed in Coptic Paschal theology, which sees Easter as the beginning of the new creation.

Coptic spirituality is deeply shaped by the example of the martyrs, who are venerated throughout the liturgical year in the Synaxarion. The Egyptian Church suffered extensive martyrdom both under Roman emperors (the Era of the Martyrs, 284 AD, is the starting year of the Coptic calendar) and in modern times. The Coptic Church's readiness to embrace martyrdom rather than deny the faith reflects a strong eschatological conviction that death is not the end and that the saints reign with Christ in heaven.