Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:31 pm Post subject: Introduction to the Great Tribulation
The Great Tribulation Setting the Stage
In the beginning, God created man, and gave him dominion over the earth. When Adam sinned, he gave Satan control by a power of attorney. Later, during the reign of the infamous Nimrod, Satan began to organize the nations more effectively. Events, which took place at the tower of Babel, clearly show that Satan was in control of the people who would become the future nations. In fact, the word “Babylon”, which means the same as “Babel”, has become a Scriptural symbol for Satan’s evil kingdom.
When the apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, he stated that Satan was well organized, and had a whole hierarchy of servants. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). While Daniel was praying for understanding, God sent the angel Gabriel to minister to him. Gabriel told Daniel that he would have been there sooner, but he was slow in coming because the prince of the kingdom of Persia had hindered him for twenty-one days (Dan. 10:13b). This prince was one of Satan’s lieutenants, and seemed to be ruler over the nation, Persia. Satan may have assigned demonic leaders to each nation on earth.
When Satan tempted Jesus, he offered to give Jesus the nations. “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve'" (Matt. 4:8-10). It is very clear that Satan has control over the kingdoms of the world.
In the book of Daniel we have reports of visions which are more fully revealed in the book Revelation. In the second chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that Daniel interpreted for him. Daniel told him that he had dreamed of a great image with a head of gold, “its chest and arms of silver and its belly and thighs of bronze”. It had legs of iron and feet partly mixed with iron and partly of clay. “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan 2:34-35).
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he represented the head of gold, that the silver represented an inferior kingdom, which would follow, and that the bronze represented a third kingdom, which would rule over all the earth. "And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 'Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile” (Dan. 2:40-42). History has shown these kingdoms to be Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greece, Rome, and a revived Roman Empire. We may be seeing the revived Roman Empire being rebuilt as the new European Common Market.
Daniel continues with the interpretation. "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure" (Dan 2:44-45).
In the seventh chapter Daniel also had a vision. Dan 7:2 “Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!' After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it” (Dan 7:2-6).
Some people believe that the first three beasts represent Babylon, Medo-Persian, and Greece. Others believe that they represent the modern nations of England, Russia, and an alliance of Islamic states from Africa and the Middle Eastern Arabic states. After these three beasts, Daniel saw another beast. “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words” (Dan 2:7-8).
The horns represent power and kingdoms. Ten kingdoms that will control the whole world will come out of this beast. The little horn, which comes from among the ten kingdoms, is the world leader who is called the Antichrist. Daniel continues, "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” (Dan 7:11-14).
In the seventeen chapter of Revelation, we are given a symbolic imagery of the kingdoms that the Antichrist reigns over during the tribulation period. Although Scripture is focusing on the destruction of his kingdom, we now have a better view of the first three and one-half years of The Tribulation. We have in view two images of Babylon (call Mystery Babylon) – one is mystical and one is authentic. John writes. “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Rev 17:1-3).
Let us now focus on the beast that the harlot sits upon. The implication is that the beast controls the harlot. The beast, the Antichrist, sits on many waters. Revelation 17:15 tells us that the waters are “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues”. The Antichrist obtains his power from the masses that desire a one-world government. The beast has seven heads. John continues to tell us their meaning. "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition” (Rev 17:9-11).
Some writers tell us that the seven heads represent Rome. However, the angel’s interpretation says that they are seven sequential kings or kingdoms, and the beast is the eighth, which comes out of the seventh kingdom. Some writers have interpreted this vision as being the six emperors of Rome with the seventh being the head of the revived European Common Union. The Bible clearly states that the beast will be the eighth, and will come out of the seventh. Others see these seven kingdoms as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Revised Roman Empire. The beast’s ten horns represent the ten kingdoms of the world that will be under his control.
We are told that the great harlot, who is riding the beast, is both the city of Babylon (Rev. 17:18), and a great spiritual harlot who has committed spiritual adultery. As a harlot, she is the “Babylonian religion of idolatry” which has its roots at the tower of Babel. This is a one-world religion consisting of all the false religions of the world, including Humanism and New Age. The one-world religion will exercise great control over the political, legal, and economic systems. This city will be the world headquarters for the reign of the Antichrist and his subordinate kings. “These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast” (Rev 17:13).
We don’t know when the Day of the Lord will begin, but Daniel tells us how long it will last. We must remember that God has His focus on Israel during this period, and He will bring wrath down upon both Jews and Gentiles. “The Tribulation” or “Day of the Lord” begins with a peace treaty between the beast, who is the Antichrist, and Israel. We recall that in the ninth chapter of Daniel, an angel presents God’s future plans for Israel to Daniel in the form of seventy weeks or 490 years, with each week representing a seven-year period. After the Messiah is cut off and the temple is destroyed, we read of the last week or seven years. “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (Dan 9:27)
We will look at the abominations later, but now we see that the Antichrist enters into a peace treaty with Israel, and then breaks it after three and one-half years. Near the end of Daniel chapter twelve, Daniel wanted to know more about the events to come. However, God had other plans. “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan 12:7-9).
In the first chapter of Revelation, the Glorified Christ appeared to John, and told him to write about “what was”, “what is” and “what will be”. Beginning with the fourth chapter of Revelation, John is taken up into heaven to witness the things that Daniel was not allowed to see. Those details, which were sealed for Daniel, are now revealed to John. Beginning with the fifth chapter, God begins to execute His plan for the final destruction of Satan’s evil empire.
Last edited by wayne on Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:42 am; edited 2 times in total
Before, we get further into the activities of the Antichrist, perhaps it would be helpful to look at what is given in the Bible about him. The following is taken from Tim LaHaye’s book on Revelation.
“Just as Jesus Christ is the promised ‘seed of the woman’ (Gen. 3:15), the Antichrist is the promised ‘seed of the Serpent.’ Counterfeiting the work of God has ever been the work of Satan, the master enemy of the soul of man. For six thousand years he has tried to counterfeit everything God has done for man. The crowning piece of counterfeit will appear when Satan raises up a man to be a substitute of the Lord Jesus Christ – a man referred to as the Antichrist. It should be pointed out that this term which has been universally accepted by fundamental Bible teachers and prophetic students is nowhere in the Bible used in connection with a specific person. The title is employed by the apostle John in his first epistle but repeatedly refers to one who opposes Christ, particularly one teaching anything contrary to the deity of Christ. The Bible repeatedly predicts, however, that one will arise as the embodiment of all anti-Christian activities, purposes, and motives that Satan has implanted in his emissaries throughout past centuries. We call him Antichrist because he is opposed to everything which Christ represents.”
Titles of the Antichrist
Many titles are given to the Antichrist in scripture – at least twenty in number. Some are given below as examples.
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject: The Interlude Chapters
The Interlude Chapters
Chapter Seven
The Jewish Evangelists and Tribulation Saints
Chapter seven is the first of the interlude chapters of Revelation. These chapters provide flashbacks and look forward to activities and characters participating in events of the tribulation. Sometimes they are symbolic and add insight for our understanding.
Chapter seven provides information and evangelistic activities taking place during the tribulation. These activities were probably triggered by the rapture and began shortly there after. The disappearing of millions of people and the catastrophic events that followed would cause many people to question what was going on. Many, including the Jews would diligently search their Bibles for answers. Also, after the church is raptured, spiritual blindness of the Jews regarding Christ, would be removed and they would be awakened to the fact that He was the Messiah.
God will then turn back to a selected group of Jews to evangelize the world. “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.' And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed “ (Rev. 7:2-8).
Many, including the Seventh-day Adventist and the Jehovah’s Witness, have claimed that these verses apply to them. However, it is clear that these evangelists are Jews. We must keep in mind that God took the job of evangelism away from the Jews before giving the great commission to the Church and it is very important to understand that the Church must be removed before He gives that job to another group. At this time, He is not giving the job to Israel but to a small sealed group of Jews.
It is interesting to note that two tribes, Dan and Ephraim, are missing from the 144,000 and Joseph and Levi have been included in their place. It is also interesting that when the kingdom of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom, Jeroboam, king of the Northern Kingdom set up the golden calf worship in Dan and in Bethel. Bethel was located within the land given to the tribe of Ephraim. Could God be punishing these two tribes because of their golden calf worship?
God will seal the 144,000 evangelist so that harm cannot come to them and they will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world in the midst of great adversity. During this time there will be a great soul harvest for the kingdom as both Jews and Gentiles are saved. These saved people are called Tribulation Saints. They are a unique group of people in God’s kingdom just as Israel and the Church are unique. The many martyred Tribulation saints will receive special crowns and rewards for their service.
It has been estimated that more people will be saved during the tribulation than during the entire Church age. There will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the evangelists just as it was at the Day of Pentecost. They will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will perform many miracles. Their zeal and enthusiasm will be equal to or exceed that of the Apostle Paul. There could be three times as many Jewish evangelists as present day Spirit filled pastors, evangelists and missionaries. With current or future technology such as satellites, web sites and E-mail, they could reach the world for Christ very quickly.
Catastrophic events and vicious persecutions will polarize people for God and against God. Millions will turn to him but millions will harden their hearts and follow the Antichrist to their destruction. God will place His mark on His people and the Antichrist will place his mark on those who follow him.
The next verses in chapter seven gives us an idea of the soul harvest. “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!' All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:9-12).
These are the Tribulation saints who have been martyred but John does not recognize them and he questions their identity. “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?' And I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' So he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'" (Rev. 7:13-17).
It is not clear what the role of the Tribulation saints will be in God’s kingdom and at what point they will receive resurrected bodies. It is interesting that their service is in his temple. They will fine peace and happiness in their place of service.
Chapter Ten
The Angel and Little Book
Between the seventh and tenth chapters we have the trumpet judgements and now we come to another interlude. The tenth chapter tells us about a special angel who is sent to the earth to claim the earth for the Lord.
“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them'' (Rev. 10:1-4).
There has been much discussion over the identity of the mighty angel. Many have tried to identify him with Jesus but other verses will show that this is a special angel.
Angels are messengers and they are quite active in the book of Revelation. Although Jesus appeared as “The Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament, He has not appeared as an angel in the New Testament. The angel is a special envoy of Christ who has been sent to the earth to claim it for Jesus. He has a little book, which many claim, is the title deed to the earth. However, the scroll given to Jesus in chapter five is the title deed to the earth and unless this book contains the same scroll, then it is not the title deed to the earth. We don’t know what it is and only would be speculating if we guessed.
When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices from heaven. We do not know what these voices uttered because John was told not to record it. He may not even know what was said. We are not told if anyone on earth heard the voices.
The angel now exalts the Lord and explains that soon that Great Tribulation would be over. “The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:5-7).
We are in the middle of the Tribulation and there are seven more judgments to come and the next few years will be the worst of all but the end is near when Jesus will have final victory.
John is now told to eat the little book. This probably means that it is not the book containing the scroll and seals. “Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, 'Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.' So I went to the angel and said to him, 'Give me the little book.' And he said to me, 'Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.' Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, 'You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings'"(Rev. 10:8b-11).
The word of God was bittersweet. John is to record what he is seeing as it is prophesy about latter days.
Chapter Eleven
The Jewish Temple and the Two Witnesses
When the Antichrist signs the covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27), he will permit Israel to rebuild their temple and they will once again make animal sacrifices. At the beginning of chapter eleven, we are told about that temple. John was asked to measure it. “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, 'Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months'” (Rev.11:1-2).
Even though there will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists during the Tribulation, the majority of the people will continue to harden their heart against Jesus as the promised Messiah. The remaining verses of chapter twelve tell us about the two witnesses that God will send to Israel, probably Jerusalem, as a witness to the Jewish people.
"'And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.' These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire” (Rev 11:3-6).
Most scholars believe that these two witnesses are Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. However, since Enoch and Elijah did not die but were taken up into heaven, some believe that Enoch is one of the witnesses.
The witnesses have two roles. The first role is to stand against the Antichrist just as Moses stood against Pharaoh during the exodus. They will be able to perform miracles as Moses and Elijah did during the Old Testament days. Their second role is to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will play an important role in training the 144,000 witnesses. Those who come against them will be destroyed. The Antichrist will try to kill them but he will be unable to do so until their time is fulfilled. With the availability of today’s news coverage, most of the world will be able see and hear their witness.
We can assume that the two witnesses arrived at the beginning of the Tribulation. We are now reading about the termination of their role at the mid-point of the tribulation.
When their time is fulfilled, the Antichrist will kill them. “When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them'” (Rev. 11:7-12).
It is quite apparent that the whole world has been watching what is going on in Jerusalem. Since the Antichrist appears to have won, there is great rejoicing at the death of the two witnesses. But much to everyone’s astonishment, the two witnesses are resurrected and taken into heaven in a cloud.
After this God’s wrath is again poured out upon the people. “In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Rev. 11:13).
“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!' And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned'" (Rev. 11:14-17).
There is a great celebration of victory in heaven but at the same time, God’s wrath has hardened the hearts of many people on earth. They are about to confirm the Antichrist as the promised messiah.
The next scene lets us see some of the details of the temple which is heaven. We will recall that the Tribulation saints were placed in the temple. “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (Rev. 11:19).
Chapter Twelve
Other Characters and Activities
Beginning with chapter twelve, we have several characters or scenes which we need to identify.
“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth” (Rev. 12:1-2).
The woman, a symbol of Israel, gave birth to Christ. Israel was a light bearer in the Old Testament and from Israel a remnant of 144,000 Jews serves as light bearers during the Tribulation.
“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:3-6).
The red dragon is Satan and he was about to declare war in heaven. The male Child of the woman is Jesus and Satan is at war with Him. We will recall that Satan tried to kill Jesus as soon as He was born. There is a lot of symbolism in the above verses.
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12:7-9).
For reasons that we do not understand, Satan and his angels have had access to heaven. Now there is war in heaven between Satan and Michael, the Archangel, and Satan and his angels (demons) are cast out of heaven unto the earth.
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time'” (Rev. 12:10-12).
There was great rejoicing in heaven after Satan and his angels were removed from heaven. Now Satan is about to turn up the heat on Israel on earth.
“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:13-17).
The devil will indwell the Antichrist and turn against Israel. Israel will then be under the last three and one half years of the Tribulation and experience the worst persecution in its history as a nation. God has sealed the 144,000 witnesses and he will hide and protect them from Satan and the Antichrist. Some believe that God will hide all Jewish believers during this time.
Chapter Thirteen
The Antichrist and The False Prophet
We saw the introduction of the Antichrist when the first seal was opened. In the thirteenth chapter, we have more information given to us about him. We are approaching the middle of the Tribulation period and the Antichrist will become much more aggressive. Now that Satan has been denied access to heaven, he will take even a more active role on earth as he indwells the Antichrist. The following verses provide a more detailed description of the Antichrist.
“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Rev. 13:1-3).
First, notice that the beast came up out of the sea. The sea represents the multitudes of people and the Antichrist has come out of a New World order. He consolidated power and became a world dictator during the first three and one half years. He has seven heads and ten horns. The horns represent ten kings or divisions of his consolidated kingdom. They will be puppet kings with no real power. Scholars differ in opinion as to the meaning of the seven heads. Some believe that seven great kingdoms are in view: (1) Assyrian, (2) Egyptian, (3) Babylonian, (4) Medo-Persian, (5) Greek, (6) Old Roman Empire and (7) Revived Roman Empire. Other believe that the heads represent periods of Roman rulers with the last being the Antichrist. The description of the beast is very similar to the beast that Daniel saw and the seven heads represented the kingdoms.
Maybe the beast symbolizes both kingdoms and the head of the kingdom. We will note that the dragon, Satan, gave power, a throne and great authority to the beast. This would imply that the beast is symbolic of a man. Also, we see that one of the heads was mortally wounded but the wound was healed. This symbolizes that the Antichrist was killed and was resurrected.
Chapter seventeen gives additional insight. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is” (Rev. 17:8). The statement “was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit” implies death. Now we see the beast ascending out of the bottomless pit which is the dwelling place of Satan.
"So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.” (Rev.13:4-5).
When the Antichrist is resurrected, Satan will be incarnated into the body of the Antichrist. It will actually be Satan himself who will control the kingdom during the last forty-two months.
“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Rev. 13:6-10).
The last three and one half years of the Tribulation will be hell on earth. Never have God’s saints been more persecuted. It will be a time of great warfare between Satan and God.
Next, we see another creature come on the scene. “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Rev. 13:11-12).
This is the infamous False Prophet who will elevate and assist the Antichrist during the last three and one-half years. He came out of the earth and some believe this means that he will be Jewish. Most every time the earth is mentioned it refers to the nation, Israel. Israel’s eternal home is on the new earth, which will be re-created. Many believe that the False Prophet will be the one who will resurrect the Antichrist. Apparently he will be able to do many miracles just as Christ did when He was on earth. With the arrival of the False Prophet on the scene, we have the satanic trinity, Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet, ruling on earth just as there is the divine trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in Heaven.
“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed" (Rev. 13:13-15).
The primary role of the False Prophet will be to focus worship upon the Antichrist who at this time is indwelled by Satan. It has always been Satan’s desire to pre-empt the throne of God and to have the people worship him. The False Prophet will create an image of the Antichrist and place it in the Jewish temple where he will declare the Antichrist to be the promised Messiah. The Jewish temple, which has been rebuilt, will now be defiled. Jesus quoted Daniel by called it “the abomination of desolation." "'Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place' (whoever reads, let him understand), 'then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains'” (Matt. 24:15-16).
This is a period of time called “Jacobs Troubles”. “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7). The Bible tells us that only one third of the Jews will survive the tribulation. “'And it shall come to pass in all the land,' says the LORD, 'that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it” (Zech. 13:8).
The image of the Antichrist, which the False Prophet created, appeared to come alive and speak. If the people do not worship the image they will be killed. The False Prophet required all the people to acquire the mark of the beast, which was a symbol of allegiance and devotion to the Antichrist. 'He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666'” (Rev. 13:16-18).
Many have speculated concerning the number, 666, but no one knows what it means. God will also mark his faithful people with His mark and at this time the people will be polarized into two groups. Those who take the mark of the beast will be destined for hell and eternal separation from God. Their hearts will become harder and harder as they support the Antichrist and worship Satan.
Chapter Fourteen
Other Information about the Tribulation
Chapter fourteen opens with a word of encouragement for those who do not take the mark of the beast. The scene may not actually take place but is symbolic as John looked down on the earth. “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps“ (Rev. 14:1-2).
The scene is one of Jesus protecting the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Jesus may physically be on earth or He may be there in a vision as He first appeared to John at the beginning of the Revelation. The important thing is that the evangelists can stand on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and not be harmed by the Antichrist because they have the same protection as the two witnesses did when they were on earth.
After seeing the scene, there is rejoicing in heaven. “They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev. 14:3-5).
The scene moves to an announcement of the final destruction of Satan’s kingdom by three angels. The first angel presents the gospel one last time. “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water'" (Rev. 14:6-7).
The second angel announces the destruction of Babylon. “And another angel followed, saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication'” (Rev.14:8). Babylon is a city which is symbolic of Satan’s evil empire. The city, which has been the capital of the Antichrist kingdom, will soon be destroyed.
"Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'” (Rev. 14:9-11).
It seems that these three announcements are made before anyone actually receives the mark of the beast. These announcements are a final warning that are preached around the world. Jesus said when the gospel of the kingdom will be preached around the world and then the end would come (Matt. 24:14).
The final verses tell us of the harvest of evil that is soon to come. “'So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.' So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs” (Rev. 14:16-20).
The final harvest will come with the war of Armageddon. The word “Armageddon” means Har Megiddo (Mount of Megiddo). This mountain sits at the edge of the Plain of Esdraelon, a major trade route and the crossroads of the world, and has been a major battleground throughout the history of the Holy Land. This is the site of last great battle before Jesus comes back to reign.
Chapter Fifteen
Introduction to the Bowl Judgements
This chapter announces the seven bowl judgements, which contains the wrath of God. “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete” (Rev. 15:1).
The four living creatures gave the seven angels the bowls of wrath and the temple wall filled with smoke from the glory of the Lord. No one was allowed to enter the temple of the Lord which was in heaven until the seven plagues were fulfilled (Rev. 14:7,8).
Last edited by wayne on Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:53 pm; edited 2 times in total
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:22 pm Post subject: Mystery Babylon
Mystery Babylon
Chapter Seventeen
The seventeenth chapter introduces us to Mystery Babylon, which has a double meaning. Mystery Babylon is symbolic of the city and she is a mother – a harlot. The emphasis in chapter seventeen is upon the world religious system.
One of the seven angels that John saw holding a bowl came to him and said: "'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.' So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:1b-5).
This woman was seen by John to be enthroned above the waters and she was sitting on a red beast that had seven heads and ten horns. The waters are symbolic of the masses of people and the beast is the Antichrist. Very early in the administration of the Antichrist, he united all the religions of the world except born again Christians. The harlot has been active during the entire Tribulation period. We are seeing the concept of new age sweeping the world today welcoming all religions except right-wing Christianity, which declares that Jesus is Savior and King.
“I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement” (Rev. 17:6). We have already seen that the followers of Christ will suffer great persecution during the Tribulation. It is interesting that the new age manifesto states that the Christians will be killed if they do not conform to new age unity.
Verses seven through twelve restates the meaning of seven heads and ten kings which we have already identified. It is interesting that the seven heads can also represent the Seven Hills of Rome. Many believe that the pope will lead the one world religion and the Vatican will be its temporary headquarters before being moved to the city of Babylon.
“Then he said to me, 'The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth'" (Rev. 17:15-18).
The ten kings, who will reign under the Antichrist, will hate the world religion system and its leader and will try to destroy it. State and Church have never worked well together because of the power struggle between their leaders. History has shown that the leader of the church has always tried to rule the nations. The marriage of politics and religion usually end in a violent divorce. As we have already seen at the middle of the Tribulation, the False Prophet will require all the people to worship the Antichrist thus ending the system of one-world religion.
Chapter Eighteen
Destruction of Babylon
The angel proceeded to show John the destruction of Mystery Babylon’s second identity – the city. "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury'" (Rev. 18:1-3).
This is a picture of the merger of government and business. World leaders have dreamed of a one-world government where there will be one financial system with one currency providing free world trade. History has shown that a centrally controlled style of leadership becomes greedy and leads to a dictatorship. This has been demonstrated with communism leaderships. That is also exactly what will happen with the Antichrist and his kingdom.
“For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her” (Rev 18:5-8).
This godless city will be filled with pride and be against all the things that God stands for. God is going to pour out His wrath on this wicked city and will destroy it with fire. The weeping of those who have participated in the world system of commerce is stated in verses nine through nineteen. They will see the power of God as destruction comes on the city in one hour.
“'Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!' Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth'" (Rev. 18:20-24).
Chapter Nineteen
There will be great rejoicing in heaven when Satan’s evil empire is finally destroyed. Its roots were in the sin of Adam and it became a kingdom of nations under Nimrod. (You may want to read Rev:19:1-21.)
Christ returns as Lord of lords and King of kings and will bring with him His angels and saints. Then He will judge the Nation Israel and the Gentile Nations. This will be followed by his 1000 year reign in the millennium kingdom.
Last edited by wayne on Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject: The Millennium Kingdom
The Millennium Kingdom
Introduction
Much has been discussed and debated over a time period called “The thousand year reign of Christ”. Both the Old and New Testament teaches that Christ will reign during this time period. The time period is actually the time between when Jesus returns to restore the earthly kingdom and the time evil is completely wiped out. It continues until the bodily resurrection of the unsaved and the completion of the judgment at the “Great White Throne”. This time period will last for a thousand years.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev 20:4).
This verse makes it very clear that Christ will reign for one thousand years. The idea that Christ will reign on earth as the Jewish Messiah is taught throughout Old Testament prophecy. This promise was the hope of the nation, Israel. The angel Gabriel had these words of promise to Mary about her promised new son.
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).
One of the last statements Jesus made to the disciples was about the coming kingdom. “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority’” (Acts 1:6-7).
Revelation chapter nineteen makes it clear that Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords. ” He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:13-16).
Upon his return to earth He will judge among the Jews and the Gentiles and determine those who will go into His kingdom. Only the saved will go into the kingdom.
Who will reign with Christ?
In the last days before Jesus went to the cross, some of His disciples were requesting to set on the right and left hand during His reign. The Old Testament tells us that King David will sit on his right hand as a prince. "I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd” (Ezek 34:23).
The disciples were promised a role in the reign of the Messiah. “So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt 19:28).
Revelation 20:4 says the saints who were beheaded (or martyred) will reign with Christ. These would include the tribulation saints who died.
Scripture tell us that the church, as His bride and joint heirs, will reign with Him. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom 8:17) “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” Rev 5:10). “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us” (2 Tim 2:12).
It also appears that the Old Testament saints will have a leadership role in the kingdom on earth.
There will be many jobs with different levels of authority in the Millennium kingdom. Our level of authority will be based upon our works while we are in our non-glorified physical bodies.
“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor 3:12-15).
We are to be given rewards and crowns based upon our faithfulness as we serve Him. Our leadership role in His kingdom will be based upon the rewards we receive.
We are told that we will have leadership roles with the angels. “Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life” (1 Cor 6:3). The angels will also have roles within the kingdom and with glorified bodies we will be able to see and communicate with them.
At this point we should realize that the leadership of the kingdom would be those with glorified bodies. Those will glorified bodies will have great privileges. We will discuss this more as we talk about life in the Millennium.
Subjects of the Kingdom
A fact that we may not have considered is that many will go into the kingdom with natural non-glorified bodies. They will have a sin nature and be restricted by their bodies much we are restricted today. These bodies will be what the Bible calls “corruptible” bodies (1 Cor 15:53).
There are two groups who will go into the kingdom with corruptible bodies.
The first group consists of the Jews who are still alive at the end of the tribulation period and have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” (Ezek 20:37).
The second group consists of the converted Gentiles who are still alive at the end of the tribulation period. “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa 2:4).
Although the Jews have been promised special blessings pertaining to the land, the Gentiles will also share in the blessings of the kingdom. The glory of the kingdom both for Israel and for the Gentiles will far exceed anything that the world has experienced before.
There will be people with natural bodies and a sin nature who will live out life much as we do today. These people will be those who have not died before the end of the tribulation period. People will till the land, go into the market place and perform all the other occupations that make up the kingdom. They will be births and deaths during this period. People going into the kingdom under the age of accountability and those born during the Millennium must be tested and some will reject Christ as their Savior and Messiah. Jesus will deal with them with justice.
Isaiah tells us about little children playing and others dying. “The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den” (Isa 11:8). "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isa 65:20).
Perhaps people will live many hundreds of years as they did before the flood. In fact, some believe that only sinners will die during the Millennium.
Isaiah also tells us about life in those days. “They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isa 65:21-24).
We can see that the kingdom will be very stable and peaceful, the people will live to be old like a tree and God will bless them in a mighty way.
The kingdom will be a worldwide kingdom with all of the nations coming under the reign of Christ. “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Dan 2:44).
Justice and Peace.
The New Kingdom will be one of harmony, peaceful coexistence, and very little evil activity. Some of us remember when we did not lock doors and were not afraid to hitchhike. This was true because punishment for crime was more severe and people feared the consequences of criminal activities. During the Millennium, evil activities will be dealt with swiftly and with justice. Jesus will rule with an Iron rod.
During these days people with corruptible bodies will have a sin nature, however Satan and his demons will not influence them during most of the thousand-year reign because they will be bound in the bottomless pit. If people sin and rebel against the Messiah, they only have themselves to blame and they must pay the price. Jesus will use the death penalty many times. The sin nature is taken away with physical death and those with glorified bodies will not commit sin.
The kingdom will be an absolute monarch. We could say that Jesus will be a benevolent dictator. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isa 9:6-7).
The psalmist has these words about Jesus. “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel” (Psa 2:8-9).
Isaiah also has these words. “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist” (Isa 11:2-5). Jesus will use the death penalty as a means of punishment.
The law of the land will be the Sermon on the Mount. This will be the standard by which Christ will rule his kingdom. The Sermon also states that evil thoughts will be dealt with harshly. There will be zero tolerance from the King of kings.
This dispensation will be a time of final testing and the overthrow of all evil and rebellion. God will remove all who will not conform to His kingdom of justice and righteousness. The final testing will come at the end of the thousand-year reign when Satan will be let loose for a short time to deceive the people (Rev 20:3, 7-10). Many will choose to follow Satan and will be killed and be cast into hell. All those who remain faithful will go into eternity with God.
The Environment
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and He said it was very good (Gen 1:1, 1:10). God created a beautiful garden called Eden and He placed man and the animals there. In the garden there was absolute harmony between the man and land and between man and the animals. There was utopia on earth with perfect peace and perfect communication with God. Since God’s ultimate goal was to have fellowship with man, He was very pleased.
Soon under the temptation of Satan, man sinned against God and the destruction of the earth began. Death came upon the scene and the beautiful harmony was disrupted. Animals turned on animals and because Satan controlled the earth it began to be destructed. The apostle Paul tells us about this destruction. “For the creation was subjected to futility” ( Rom 8:20). “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Rom 8:22).
Today we have smog, evaporation of the ozone layer, scarcity of resources, hunger in the world and major pollution of the earth, rivers and the ocean. Tyrannical dictators around the world are raping the land and placing people in bondage. Experts tell us that the civilization, as we know it, will soon disappear if changes are not made to the environment.
Revelation tells us about the great tribulation which will come and make things worst. During this period God will pour out His wrath upon earth which will bring about major changes and civilization, as known today, will indeed disappear. The entire earth will be destroyed if Christ does not return as King of kings and Lord of lords.
God will use the tribulation to prepare the earth for the millennium age. The earth will be in great upheaval, seas and inlands will disappear and new islands will appear because of the massive forces of major earthquakes. Volcanic activity will turn the earth inside out and spread rich volcanic ash around the world. Since demolition must take place before renovation can take place, God will use the tribulation to bring about demolition.
Isaiah put it this way: “Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth” (Isa 40:4).
Christ will begin renovation of the earth very soon after He sets up His kingdom on earth. Much of the renovation will be miraculous but the subjects of the new kingdom will also play a part in the reconstruction. Those with glorified bodies and with the mind of Christ will manage this effort. The earth will be returned to Edenic perfection. We can not imagine what it will be like to live in a land of utopia.
Paul reminds us: “But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 cor 2:9).
Throughout the Bible God has left us with little tidbits of information about the Millennium kingdom. Ezekial said: “Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them” (Ezek 34:27). "And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations” (Ezek 36:30).
Isaiah tells us about the harmony on the restored earth. “"For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” ( Isa 55:12).
With pure water, fertile soil, and a pollution free atmosphere, the earth will bloom and bring forth food for all the people for one thousand years. New technology will make transportation and industrialization pollution free. Since technology will be greatly advanced, we will live in a much more efficient world.
There are some who believe that the 22-degree tilt and wobble of the earth will be corrected. Some meteorologists say these irregularities contribute to the climate extremes: hurricanes, floods, blizzards, droughts, etc. We know that tilt of the earth creates the seasons of the year.
During the last dispensation mankind will be tested in an almost perfect world. It cannot be perfect because some people with natural bodies will continue to rebel and sin. There will be no more excuses about a person’s environment contributing to their behavior.
The Animal Kingdom
A most interesting aspect of this dispensation will be our relationship to the animal kingdom. Hosea tells us that God will enter into a covenant with the animals. “In that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely” (Hosea 2:18).
Isaiah provides some very interesting details. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD” (Isa 65:25).
Before sin entered the world the animals lived in harmony with each other – there was no death. Both animals and man ate of the fruit of the land (fruits and vegetables). After the fall of man, many of the animals turned carnivorous. Also, after the flood, man was allowed to eat the flesh of animals. It appears that during the Millennium both man and beast will be vegetarians.
Isaiah also tells us about the relationship that man and the animals will have. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:6-9).
What a beautiful harmony will exist between man and the animals and they will truly enjoy their relationship.
We have to speculate about the insect world but God will probably deal with the insects so that they will not harass us or destroy the crops and vegetation.
World Capital
Christ will set up his capital at Jerusalem. This has been a major prophecy of the Old Testament. “Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously” (Isa 24:23). "At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts” (Jer 3:17).
Christ will begin His reign by returning to the Mount of Olives in the same way He ascended into heaven – in a cloud (Acts 1:11). Zechariah gives us these details. “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south” (Zeck 14:3-4). “And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," And His name one” (Zeck 14:8-9).
During the final days of the tribulation period, major changes will occur in Jerusalem. The earthquake will split the city thus the land will rise to a higher level. Waters from the Mediterranean Sea will flow into the Jordan valley flooding the Dead Sea and life will return to the Dead Sea. When Christ sets up His Theocratic Kingdom, major renovations will take place in the world capital of Jerusalem. In fact, the whole land of Palestine will undergo major changes. Air traffic to this area will be the busiest in the world.
Many will go there for the worship of the Lord. "Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD” (Isa 66:20). “And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy; everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem” (Isa 4:3).
People will be required to go up to Jerusalem each year. “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain” (Zech 14:15-17).
Jerusalem will also become a major education center. “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isa 2:3). “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children” (Isa 54:13).
The glory of the Lord will flow out of Jerusalem and fill the whole earth. “And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. (Psa 72:19)”.
A two-tiered Millennium Society
It is difficult to conceive of an almost perfect world consisting of some people with glorified bodies and some people without glorified bodies. The apostle Paul tells us that when we are translated in the rapture that we will receive new power with a body like Christ. “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (1 Cor 15:43). We will be blessed with new pleasant energies and can enjoy the full-spectrum of live. Our five senses will be intensified and we will be given flawless memories. We will be given wisdom and understanding capable of grappling with the problems that now baffle the world’s greatest minds. We will have the minds of Christ. Our bodies will become very mobile and we will see and be able to communicate with the spirit world.
When we look at the resurrected Christ, we can get some insight into the type of bodies that we will have. He ate food, had the ability to move freely from place to place and could walk through walls. We will be able to do all these things. During the Millennium, we will be very content and efficient with our new bodies. This is why God can use us in the management of the kingdom.
During those years, perhaps some of our jobs will be consulting, advising and teaching. Christian education will enhance the learning process thus increasing wisdom and knowledge to a level beyond our imagination. We will lead worship services as we worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. The angels will also be assisting in this role.
It has been said that sin is to the mind as sand is to the gears of a machine. Today, we use only about seven percent of our brains so there is a much room for mental growth. Those living in earthly bodies will grow mentally to highs never dreamed of. Millennium advances in technologies will be incredible. With atomic and magnetic power, machines will have silent and efficient propulsion. Controlled and safe atomic energy will revolutionize transportation, industry and commerce.
Millions of people with non-glorified bodies will not have the physical or mental capacities of the glorified saints. However, they will be far superior to any previous generation.
They will live long lives and retain their youth for many years. When they are one hundred years old, they will still be considered as children (Isa 65:20). Their childbearing years will be extended; thus there will be large families. Sickness may be wiped out, as people will live healthy practically sin free lives. A pollution free environment will bring healing to the bodies. The land will become so fertile that there will be an abundance of food.
We have never lived in an atmosphere free from human and demonic pollution. We will all enjoy the beautiful scenery with clear streams of water, rainbows, waterfalls, singing hills, exploding greenery and beautiful flowers with a new sweet fragrance. We may not realize it but sin has a very bad odor. Our new Edenic environment will not only be clean but will also smell clean. There will be no choking weeds, no devouring insects and no floods and droughts which bring about death and destruction.
The Psalmist says that we will all rejoice in the lord. “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD” (Psa 96:11-12).
Ultimate happiness will be experienced and the Lord will give the glorified saints the joy and peace of the Lord – His joy and peace which is beyond our comprehension. We will have peace that passes understanding. Since we have never known what it is like to live in a harmonious tension-free world, this will be a welcome change and it will be pure ecstasy.
Probably the many changes to the climate will eliminate the harsh winters and summers thus giving us spring like conditions the year-round. Similar conditions presently exist in the tropical islands where many of us like to vacation. The warm weather would allow year-round lush growing seasons, therefore; providing bountiful harvests for the feeding of the people.
Final Testing
The entire Millennium is a period of testing to determine who can live in God’s eternity. Christ will know their hearts and will judge with justice and righteousness. At the close of the Millennium, Satan will be released and there will be a final testing in which he will tempt the people one last time. We must remember that the glorified saints are not being tested. “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (Rev 20:7-9).
It appears that millions will choose to follow Satan again and will rebel against the Messiah. War will break out and there will again be major destruction on the earth. However, it will be short lived as the King of kings will conquer the enemy and bring an end to all sin. “And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:9-10).
God’s final judgement will come at the Great White Throne. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:11-15).
The saints, who come out of the Millennium with natural physical bodies, will be translated into glorified bodies and will enter a sin free eternity. If there are saints who died during the Millennium, their bodily resurrection will probably take place at this time.
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4).
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:19 pm Post subject: The Great White Throne Judgment
The Great White Throne Judgment
The New Testament teaches that there are two resurrections – one for the saved and one for the unsaved. In what is referred to as the first resurrection, all the saved will be resurrected, but not all at the same time. However all the saved will be resurrected by the end of the Millennium. In the second resurrection, all the unsaved are resurrected at the same time. The second resurrection takes place at the time the Bible calls “The Great White Throne Judgment”. This judgment takes place after the Millennium because the Millennium is the final testing period of mankind.
Although many believe that everyone will stand before the “Great White Throne” for judgment, the Bible does not teach this. Those who are in this judgment are the ones who have refused to act upon the revelation of God, and refused to come into fellowship with Him. They face eternal darkness and no hope for the future.
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:11-15).
The last verse of the book of Isaiah says it this way. “And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isa. 66:24).
After this final resurrection and judgment, all rebellion will have been eradicated, and God can move to the final stage of His master plan for the ages. He will create a New Heaven and a New Earth.
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject: The New Heaven and New Earth
The New Heaven and New Earth
Chapters twenty-one and twenty-two of Revelation provides us a preview of what the new heaven and the new earth will be like in eternity. In verses one through eight, we have a review of eternal issues – a summary view of things. The New Jerusalem is described in verses nine through twenty-seven, and the first six verses of chapter twenty-two. The remaining verses of chapter twenty-two provide a Divine epilogue of practical messages from the glorified Lord.
The twenty-first chapter begins with a statement about a new heaven and a new earth. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea” (Rev. 21:1). The concept of a new earth is foreign to most of us for we have always assumed that when we die we would go to heaven. We sing about its beauty and of our going there. But what do we know about the earth? We know it is going to be burned up, and we assume there will be no need for the earth. However, Jesus said that both heaven and earth will pass away (Matt. 24:35). The new heaven and new earth will move close to each other, and the New Jerusalem will be the center of the universe. All creation will revolve around the New Jerusalem.
Both Isaiah and Peter write of a New Heaven and New Earth. However, they place the new creation in the context of the Millennium or “The Day of God”. "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isa. 65:17). Chapters sixty-five and sixty-six of Isaiah provide us some of the details of the Millennium.
From the writings of Isaiah and Peter, it is easy to assume that the New Heaven and New Earth will be created before or during the Millennium. Since the New Heaven and New Earth are sin free, this can only be true if the Millennium precedes the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth. It is difficult to determine the sequence of events and programs from the written prophecy. All prophecy must be looked at as a whole and in view of God’s grand plan for the ages. However, there will be much renovation taking place preceding and during the Millennium.
Isaiah tells us that our memories will fade, and we will not remember many things of the past. How much we will remember is not known, but the Bible is clear that we will know each other in our new glorified bodies. We may not remember many sad things like our sorrows, and tribulations and those who have perished.
The apostle Peter said this when discussing the events to come. “But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:7-8).
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13).
It seems that Peter is giving us a summary of events beginning with the return of the Lord to earth. We must keep in mind that the Bible speaks of three heavens. At the end of the Tribulation period, both the earth and the first heaven, the atmosphere, will be burning. This probably refers to the destruction during the final days of the Tribulation.
There is another issue. In eternity, since the light of the Lord will be our light (Rev 21:23), there will be no sun or moon. This means that the sun and the moon will be destroyed and raises questions about the rest of the stellar heaven – the second heaven. What is going to happen to the stars and planets?
Although there has been much discussion about the New Heaven and New Earth, we must remember that John saw the vision after the Millennium was completed. Also, there was some rebellion and evil on the earth during the Millennium, but chapter twenty-one and chapter twenty-two of Revelation clearly states that there is no evil in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Some scholars suggest that there are two views of the New Heaven and the New Earth – taking place at two different times. However, this is not unusual in the prophetic word as there are many prophetic shadows. After all evil is removed from His presence, God will complete His final creation.
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death'” (Rev. 21:2-8).
John saw the New Jerusalem, which is the crowning glory of God’s creation, descending out of heaven. The New Jerusalem will be the New Heaven, and God will dwell in it and have fellowship with His people. The New Jerusalem is moving to a new place, probably to the New Earth. The Bible does not tell us that the New Jerusalem is created at this time. We do not know when it was created, but it is being moved to a new location. It is going to be the capital of the eternal kingdom, and Christ and His saints will rule over His kingdom from the New Jerusalem.
Based upon the fact that the above, verse two, follows the statement about the earth, John is seeing the city move to the earth. Most prophetic scholars believe that there will be a New Earth, possibly larger than the present earth, with the New Jerusalem attached to it or just above it. We must remember that God has promised the Jews an eternal home on the earth. It appears that those coming out of the Millennium will receive new glorified bodies, and will live upon the New Earth. Seas, which have separated the Nations for a long time, will no longer exist. The people will also have a pure language.
Description of the New Jerusalem
John described the New Jerusalem as a foursquare city that is 1500 miles (12000 furlongs) wide, 1500 miles long and 1500 miles tall. Its shape could be that of a cube or a pyramid. Some think the view may be better from a pyramid, which would look like a huge mountain. However, the view will be great from any point in the city. The glory of God will provide the light of the city, and it will shine as a precious jasper stone – clear as crystal. The walls of the city will be over two hundred feet thick and made of jasper. The wall will be symbolic of the exclusiveness of the city – the gates will never close.
We will get a better understanding of the size of the city when we compare it to a landmass with which we are familiar. The city would encompass an area from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Mississippi River to the Eastern Seaboard. There will be enough room for everyone to have a great mansion.
The wall sits upon twelve foundations made of twelve precious stones (see separate description). Some have speculated how these stones will be laid. They may be side by side with each being about 500 miles long or they may be laid on top of each other. Some have suggested that they will become columns supporting the New Jerusalem above the earth. On each foundation is written the name of one of the twelve apostles.
The twelve apostles were promised by Jesus that they would sit on twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:27-28). Now we see that their names are written on the twelve foundations of the city. This is symbolic of their role of bringing the gospel to the world. Paul tells us:: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph 2:20). The question remains, who will be the twelfth apostle – will it be Matthias (Acts 1:26) or Paul?
The city has twelve gates, three on each side, and each gate is made of a single pearl. Standing beside each gate are twelve angels, and on each gate is the name of one of the tribes of Israel. It was through Israel that God revealed Himself by the law and the prophets, and from Israel that God sent His Son to pay the price of sin.
The city is pure gold and appears as pure glass. At the apex of the city is the throne of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. There is no temple in the city since the Lord is the temple. There is no longer a need for a temple as the people have free access and fellowship with the Lord. The people worship God at His throne. From the throne, the glory of God shines with more brilliance than the sun.
A great street will run down from the throne of God and the river of life, which is as clear as a crystal, will flow through the middle of the street. No one will ever thirst again. The trees of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, are on each side of the river. The trees will yield fruit each month leading many to speculate that there will be a different type of fruit each month. In the Garden of Eden, man was not allowed to eat of the tree of life, but now he can eat freely thereof. The leaves of the trees are used for the healing of the nations on earth, a symbol of peace and goodwill to all.
In the New Jerusalem, there will be many mansions. We are not told this in Revelation, but Jesus said that in His Father’s house there are many mansions and that He was going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2). Based upon the size of the city, it seems that these mansions are going to be very impressive.
There will no longer be a curse on God’s creation. No longer will there be death, mourning, crying or pain. Darkness will pass away, there will always be light, and the people will serve the Lord and Lamb. God will write His name on their foreheads.
In the New Jerusalem there will be many mansions. We are not told this in Revelation but Jesus said that in His fathers house there are many mansion and that He was going to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-2). Based upon the size of the city, these mansions are going to be large.
There will no longer be a curse on God’s creation. No longer will there be death, mourning, crying or pain. Darkness will pass away and there will always be light and the people will serve the Lord and Lamb. God will write His name on their foreheads.
The Epilogue
In the last few verses of the Bible, we are told that these words are faithful and true and that these things must shortly take place. Jesus says that He will come quickly and blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Jesus said that He would bring His reward with Him. We will be receiving crowns and rewards based upon our works. Jesus said that He is the Alpha and the Omega and those who do His commandments may have the right to the tree of life and may freely enter into the city.
John is told to not seal the words of prophecy, which he has received. We will remember that Daniel was told to seal his words of prophecy. The word of prophecy is now complete and John is not to seal it. It can now be understood. A final warning is given to us not to add to or take away from prophecy or our names will be taken out of the book of life, and we will be eternally separated from God. He will not allow mankind to modify His plan for the ages and we cannot devise a plan to save ourselves.
Last edited by wayne on Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:36 am; edited 2 times in total
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:16 pm Post subject: A Profile of the New Jerusalem
A Profile of the New Jerusalem
• Crowning feature of the creation of God
• Earth and New Jerusalem move close to each other – Center of creation.
• Foursquare City – Each side 12,000 furlongs (1,500 miles) in length. As high as it is wide.
• Approximately size consists of the space between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi River and the Eastern Seaboard.
• Shape of a cube or pyramid (the mountain of God).
• Shines with the glory of God, brilliance like Jasper, clear as crystal.
• Twelve foundations garnished with precious stones.
a. To reflect the glory of God
b. On them were the names of the twelve apostles – Church built on the foundation of the apostles (Eph 2:20)
• High wall with twelve gates of a single pearl – three gates on each side.
a. On the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel – From Israel came the law, prophets and the Messiah.
b. Twelve angels were at each gate.
• Each wall was 144 cubits (216 feet) wide and was made of Jasper. Each wall suggest an exclusive city.
• The city was pure gold, as pure as glass.
• No temple in the city – The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. God will be with and have fellowship with His people.
• No sun or moon – all light will come from the glory of God and shine with more brilliance than the sun.
• There will be no night or darkness.
• The throne will be at the apex of the city.
• A great street will run from the throne.
• Down the middle of the street a river of water of life, as clear as crystal will flow from the throne.
• On each side of the river is the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit and yielding its fruit every month.
• The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Everlasting peace and goodwill to men).
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject: Precious Stones of the New Jerusalem Foundations
Precious Stones of the New Jerusalem Foundations
• Jasper – A clear gem that could be a massive diamond.
• Sapphire – A clear blue gem similar to a diamond in hardness.
• Chalcedony – A greenish agate with possible a few stripes of other colors mixed in.
• Emerald – A bright green stone.
• Sardonyx – A reddish white onyx similar to the color of healthy fingernails.
• Carnelian – a fiery red and blood-colored stone from Sardis.
• Chrysolite – A transparent golden-yellow stone.
• Beryl – A sea green emerald lighter in color that the third foundation.
• Topaz – A transparent greenish-yellow stone.
• Chrysoprase – A yellowish pale green stone similar to the modern aquamarine color.
• Jacinth – A violet hyacinth-colored gem.
• Amethyst – A purple –colored stone.
Note: These stones are the same as used in the High Priest’s breastplate.
Comments: The number twelve is used in the Bible for administrative completeness. It is used throughout the description of the New Jerusalem.
The city has twelve foundations made of the precious stones listed above. Many believe that each foundation being 500 miles long was laid flat, next to each other under the 6,000-mile wall of the city. Some expeculate that the stones were bulit on top of each other, each layer extending 6,000 miles around the city. Others even think that the foundations form columns holding the New Jerusalem above the earth.
The light of the Lord would shine through these stones proesenting a gorgeous dazzling display of light and color - beautify unsurpassed.
Last edited by wayne on Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:33 pm Post subject: What the Bible Says About Heaven
What the Bible Says About Heaven
“Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints” (Ps 116:15).
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago; whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows; such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man; whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows; how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (II Cor 12:2-4).
“But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him'” (I Cor 2:9).
"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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven” (II Cor 5:1-2).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
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