After the great white throne judgment, that will occur at the conclusion of Jesus thousand year reign and Satan being thrown into the lake of fire, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. With Satan and his demons being cast into the lake of fire, where they will be captive forever, Jesus can now do a new thing. With all His creative power, He will now create a new heaven and a new earth, where it will never again be corrupted or influenced by the adversary know as Satan. It will be a different world. It will be a world of true peace, for the agitator will no longer be around to cause his deception and lies to produce strife among the people. This time Jesus will create a new heaven and a new earth that he knows will be around forever. John starts off in Chapter 21 with this in verses 1-4;
(1)"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.(2) And I saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband.(3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall
dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God
himself shall be among them,(4) and He shall wipe away
every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any
death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or
pain; the first things have passed away.'
The holy city that we see coming down out of heaven from God is the new Jerusalem. This is the very city known as Mount Zion, that Jesus and His saints were ruling from during Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. The heavenly Jerusalem was referred to as the Mountain of God, in the Old Testament, because it was above the mountains in Israel. I wrote a blog that covered all Old Testament writings that showed this. If you have not read the blog it would help to do so to understand more about this. It will be a new heaven and a new earth because the heavenly kingdom will come down out heaven to the earth making heaven different and coming down to the earth making the earth different. God's dwelling place will be among men.
There will be no more death because Jesus won victory over death when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Jesus finalized it when He threw death into the lake of fire. There will be no mourning because there will be no more death or suffering to mourn. There will be no more crying because there will be no more pain or suffering or death because the first things have passed away. There will only be life because Jesus is the Life and the Life will be among men. Their will be peace because Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the Prince of Peace will be among men.
John continues Chapter 21 with this in verses 5-6;
(5)"And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' And
He said, 'Write , for these words are faithful and true."(6) And He said to me,
'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end, I will give to the one who thirsts from the springs of
the water of life without costs.'
In these verses, and the ones that will follow, there are some very important insights that are revealed. This is why the one who sits on the throne said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true', making special notice of what He was about to say. He says 'It is done.' After the great white throne judgment, eternity destinations will be settled. Those who chose Jesus for eternal life will be with Him in His kingdom. Those who chose not to chose Jesus to gain eternal life, would have instead chose the consequence, which would be eternal death in the lake of fire. Likewise, Satan and his demons will be there in the lake of fire for their rebellion against the Most High. Then the One on the throne says, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.' This is how we know that the One on the throne is Jesus. In the first Chapter of Revelation, verse 8, John hears this;
(8)"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and
who is to come, the Almighty.'"
In the first Chapter of Revelation, verses 17 and 18; John is told this;
(17)"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,(18) and the living One; and I was
dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades."
It is what follows in Chapter 21, verse 7, that reveals something very interesting as to who Jesus is, when He says the following;
"He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and He will
be my son.
If you remember back when we covered, in Revelation, the letters to the seven churches, Jesus finished each letter with, "He who overcomes".......and then the reward. These are all the rewards for the saints who overcame and remained faithful to the end, even unto death. Here Jesus tells the overcomers that he will be their God and they will be His sons. This is the first time that Jesus came right out and said that He was God. Even more revealing is that if the ones who overcome will be His sons then Jesus is revealing that He is their Father. I am going to do a whole section in my blog that will show in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that Jesus is God and Father. Not common thought, but if I can't show you, don't believe me.
When it says that the overcomers will inherit all these things, all these things are the new heaven and the new earth. The apostle James wrote this in his letter, Chapter 2, verse 5;
(5)"Listen, my beloved brethren; did not God choose the poor of this world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who
loved Him?"
The ones who chose Jesus will inherit the kingdom of God and the other groups destiny is described in Revelation 21, verse 8;
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be
in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Cowardly- Those who were not willing to be persecuted or die for their faith in Jesus.
Unbelieving- Those who chose to reject the truth of Jesus.
Abominable- Those who mock Jesus, the saints and the truth.
Immoral people- Those who corrupt themselves and others.
Sorcerers- Those who corrupt the minds of people with drugs.
Idolaters- Those who chose to put their security and trust into anything else but Jesus.
Liars- Those who don't speak truth and purposely lie for an advantage.
The first death is the death of the body, the second death is the death of the soul. I have written before that the souls of men are eternal, having one of two eternal destinies, eternal life or eternal death.
Again as always, when I talk about the eternal death or the lake of fire, I have to emphasize that this was never God's plan for man. The lake of fire was intended for Satan and the demons, never the souls of men. When Jesus conceived the plan of creating man, where in their souls He would offer to create an eternal being that would live forever with Him, He thought it would be a no brainer and many, if not all, would choose Him. What he saw after He put it in motion was probably very disheartening. It is His desire for all to come to Him, just as the apostle Peter wrote in his second letter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."
If you have not turned to Jesus, please consider it. If you have, please remain faithful to the end.
Main Jesus' peace and strength be with you.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
To Express The Truth
I know that my site is being monitored. At one point I discovered that my site could not be accessed through a search or even keying in my actual address. The only thing that will stop this information from getting out is Jesus. If you want to tangle with Him, I must warn you that He will win. There are a lot of other things on the internet that are way worse than the Truth. You must ask yourself why the truth is the enemy and all the 90% of the internet is porn and there is not the concern with that more than my site. I have looked at what is available on the internet and found that people are starving for the true Love to fill their souls. They are looking for someone to notice them so that they can feel that their life has a purpose and that they are alive. If they can understand that the Creator of the universe (Jesus) notices them and not only wants to fill their soul and give them real life, so that they can feel real love, but also at the same time give them eternal life, then they would not settle for empty searches and actions for false affections. I have looked at what is on the internet that is available to an easy view and I appreciate what Google has done to control the content to make it a step more to access certain videos. All I want is the same availability that everyone has to express themselves. I am harming no one and in fact I am looking out for the eternal destiny of peoples' souls. How offensive can that be. If Truth is not malice towards deception, then it is not truth. If there is more than one Truth , then there is no truth at all. If Jesus is not, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, then we are all to be pitied.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Revelation Chapter 20 (Part 3) Great White Throne Judgment
The great white throne judgment will occur at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign over the earth. At the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, the time will come for those who wait in the balance to be judged. Everyone who has ever come into existence, will come before the throne of God and will give account for what they did with their existence. Every created being was created to be eternal. A God whose whole essence is the eternal life, cannot create a being that does not have eternal life. All the angels were created to have eternal life, but a third of them surrendered that life when they chose to rebel and follow after Satan. The result of their rebellion was that they surrendered the eternal life for eternal death. Since they are eternal beings, they cannot cease to exist. Therefore they will be cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophets and then Satan will be cast after his final rebellion. This is the lake that burns forever and ever. This was not God's plan for them. It was the result of their own doing and choice. This lake of fire was never intended to be the destiny of the souls of men. When man was first created, Adam and Eve were created eternal beings. They were living beings with living souls. God gave them one commandment and that was that they do not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God told them this, as recorded in the book of Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 17;
"But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in
the day that you eat from it, 'you shall surely die'."
They did eat from the tree, but they did not die, or did they. Something died. Before they ate of the tree, they were living beings that had living souls that had eternal life. After they ate from the tree they were still living eternal beings, but the life part was gone. Because of their rebellion, they surrendered the part of themselves that had the existence of eternal life. They ceased from having living souls and became fallen beings who no longer had living souls with the life of God in them. God in His eternal life nature could not create anything that did not have eternal life. So without having to create such a being, they now were coming into existence though the now fallen beings, Adam and Eve. This was God's plan before the foundation of the world. God, knowing all, knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree and become fallen beings. Therefore it was God's plan to have fallen beings, but why? God was doing a new thing. Every being that had come into existence, was spoken into existence through God. They had no choice. This is why the angels that fell, did not appreciate their Creator. They took Him for granted and followed after their own lust and desires. Their result was that they became fallen angels, known as demons. They surrendered the life part of themselves and now were destined for eternal death.
With Adam and Eve now existing in a fallen state, God now had the vehicle in which He could do a new thing. There would now come into existence fallen men with empty lifeless souls. He allowed this because in these empty souls, He would make a New Creation. One that would come into existence by choosing Him and the Life He offers. Therefore we have the gospel of Jesus. God Himself, at the proper time, would come in the likeness of man, Jesus. He would allow Himself to be the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of the fallen nature, sin. With Jesus dying on the cross, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, He would unlock man's heart (Soul) door. Then any who would invite Him into their dead soul, He would come in and give their dead soul life, for He would become their life. Every man is born with a dead and empty soul. Jesus came to give the soul life to anyone who would choose Him. This is the difference between the angels that were spoken into existence verse the New Creation that would come into existence by choosing to be with Him. In the gospel of John in Chapter 3, verse 16, it is summed up in this;
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
There will be just two things that will determine a person destiny. Did they choose Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life or did they refuse the offer of eternal life and stay in a fallen state with eternal darkness in their soul. An eternal soul without the life, cannot live in the eternal presence of the Life and must go where all darkness will be retained forever in the lake of fire..John writes this in Chapter 20, verse 11;
"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them."
We know that the One on the throne is Jesus, because it was at Jesus presence that that earth and heaven fled away. John continues in verse 12;
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead
were judged from the things that were written in the books, according to their deeds."
If you notice, there are two groups of books here. There are books and then 'another book'. Then it
says that the dead would be judged by their deeds that are recorded in the 'books'. It did not mention any judgment pertaining to the book, which is the book of life. This is because the book of life holds the names of all those who chose to choose Jesus for the gaining of eternal life, becoming a New Creation. In the gospel of John Chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, it follows what we read above about the promise of eternal life, with this;
(17)"For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through Him.(18) He who believes in Him is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God."
So we have the two different groups. Those who chose to be saved and those who refused to be saved. When we read about the books that were opened and the dead were judged according to the things that were written in them, we must note that this does not include the New Creations because they are no longer dead. They participated in the first resurrection and are alive. Remember, those who participated in the first resurrection are blessed because over them the second death has no power. The second death is the death of the eternal death soul. John continues in Revelation Chapter 20, verse 13, with this;
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead which were in them; and they were judged, everyone of them according to
their deeds."
Hades is the holding place for all the souls of people that refused to receive the gift of eternal life that comes with choosing what Jesus did for them. Jesus is the Light of the world. When a person comes to Jesus, it is like bringing with you all the things recorded in your life that you did in this earthly body on film. When it is exposed to the Light, the film is over exposed and there is nothing showing on the film. That is why it says this in Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, verses 1 and2;
(1)"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(2) For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
death."
The prophet Isaiah writes this in his 1st Chapter, verse 18;
"Come now and let us reason together, Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as
scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they
will be like wool."
Jesus looks at our sins through His shed blood. If you look at anything red through a piece of red glass, the red looks white. It is the shed blood of Jesus that makes our red sin, white and cleansed, because we are under the covering of His blood. There is nothing to see. Nothing recorded. No condemnation.
In contrast, all those who remain in the darkness all their deeds are recorded on the film where it is developed in the darkroom for all to see. Therefore they are recorded in the books. Everything that they have done will be exposed for all to see. John concludes Chapter 20 with this in verses 14 and15;
"And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire.(15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.
As difficult as man has made religion, the simple truth comes down to this, accept Jesus and live, or reject Jesus and accept the consequences of doing so.
2nd Peter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
May Jesus grant you the wisdom and understanding to see His will.
"But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in
the day that you eat from it, 'you shall surely die'."
They did eat from the tree, but they did not die, or did they. Something died. Before they ate of the tree, they were living beings that had living souls that had eternal life. After they ate from the tree they were still living eternal beings, but the life part was gone. Because of their rebellion, they surrendered the part of themselves that had the existence of eternal life. They ceased from having living souls and became fallen beings who no longer had living souls with the life of God in them. God in His eternal life nature could not create anything that did not have eternal life. So without having to create such a being, they now were coming into existence though the now fallen beings, Adam and Eve. This was God's plan before the foundation of the world. God, knowing all, knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree and become fallen beings. Therefore it was God's plan to have fallen beings, but why? God was doing a new thing. Every being that had come into existence, was spoken into existence through God. They had no choice. This is why the angels that fell, did not appreciate their Creator. They took Him for granted and followed after their own lust and desires. Their result was that they became fallen angels, known as demons. They surrendered the life part of themselves and now were destined for eternal death.
With Adam and Eve now existing in a fallen state, God now had the vehicle in which He could do a new thing. There would now come into existence fallen men with empty lifeless souls. He allowed this because in these empty souls, He would make a New Creation. One that would come into existence by choosing Him and the Life He offers. Therefore we have the gospel of Jesus. God Himself, at the proper time, would come in the likeness of man, Jesus. He would allow Himself to be the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of the fallen nature, sin. With Jesus dying on the cross, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, He would unlock man's heart (Soul) door. Then any who would invite Him into their dead soul, He would come in and give their dead soul life, for He would become their life. Every man is born with a dead and empty soul. Jesus came to give the soul life to anyone who would choose Him. This is the difference between the angels that were spoken into existence verse the New Creation that would come into existence by choosing to be with Him. In the gospel of John in Chapter 3, verse 16, it is summed up in this;
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
There will be just two things that will determine a person destiny. Did they choose Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life or did they refuse the offer of eternal life and stay in a fallen state with eternal darkness in their soul. An eternal soul without the life, cannot live in the eternal presence of the Life and must go where all darkness will be retained forever in the lake of fire..John writes this in Chapter 20, verse 11;
"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them."
We know that the One on the throne is Jesus, because it was at Jesus presence that that earth and heaven fled away. John continues in verse 12;
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead
were judged from the things that were written in the books, according to their deeds."
If you notice, there are two groups of books here. There are books and then 'another book'. Then it
says that the dead would be judged by their deeds that are recorded in the 'books'. It did not mention any judgment pertaining to the book, which is the book of life. This is because the book of life holds the names of all those who chose to choose Jesus for the gaining of eternal life, becoming a New Creation. In the gospel of John Chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, it follows what we read above about the promise of eternal life, with this;
(17)"For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through Him.(18) He who believes in Him is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God."
So we have the two different groups. Those who chose to be saved and those who refused to be saved. When we read about the books that were opened and the dead were judged according to the things that were written in them, we must note that this does not include the New Creations because they are no longer dead. They participated in the first resurrection and are alive. Remember, those who participated in the first resurrection are blessed because over them the second death has no power. The second death is the death of the eternal death soul. John continues in Revelation Chapter 20, verse 13, with this;
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead which were in them; and they were judged, everyone of them according to
their deeds."
Hades is the holding place for all the souls of people that refused to receive the gift of eternal life that comes with choosing what Jesus did for them. Jesus is the Light of the world. When a person comes to Jesus, it is like bringing with you all the things recorded in your life that you did in this earthly body on film. When it is exposed to the Light, the film is over exposed and there is nothing showing on the film. That is why it says this in Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, verses 1 and2;
(1)"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(2) For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
death."
The prophet Isaiah writes this in his 1st Chapter, verse 18;
"Come now and let us reason together, Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as
scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they
will be like wool."
Jesus looks at our sins through His shed blood. If you look at anything red through a piece of red glass, the red looks white. It is the shed blood of Jesus that makes our red sin, white and cleansed, because we are under the covering of His blood. There is nothing to see. Nothing recorded. No condemnation.
In contrast, all those who remain in the darkness all their deeds are recorded on the film where it is developed in the darkroom for all to see. Therefore they are recorded in the books. Everything that they have done will be exposed for all to see. John concludes Chapter 20 with this in verses 14 and15;
"And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire.(15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.
As difficult as man has made religion, the simple truth comes down to this, accept Jesus and live, or reject Jesus and accept the consequences of doing so.
2nd Peter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
May Jesus grant you the wisdom and understanding to see His will.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Gog and Magog Destroyed
In my last blog, we covered the verses in Revelation Chapter 20 that told about Satan being released from his prison. Remember, Satan was bound for a thousand years following Jesus' wrath. At the end of Jesus' thousand year reign with His saints, Satan will be released. John wrote about it this way in Revelation Chapter 20, verses 7-9;
(7)"And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his
prison,(8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners
of the earth, Gog and Ma-gog, to gather them together for war; the number of
them is like the sand of the seashore.(9) And they came up on the broad plain of
the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire
came down from heaven and devoured them."
The only other reference to Gog an Ma-gog, in the entire Scriptures, is in the writings of the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel wrote this in his 38th Chapter;
(1)"And the word of the Lord came to me saying, (2)'Son of man, set your face
toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and
prophesy against him,(3) and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against
you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.(4) And I will turn you about,
put hooks into your jaws,, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and
horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield,
all of them wielding swords;(4) Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them
with shield and helmet;(6) Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the
remote parts of the north with all its troops-many people with you.(7) Be prepared,
and prepare yourself, you and all your company that are assembled about you, and
be a guard for them."
Satan, when he is let loose, will go again to the nations to gather their armies to come against the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. You might wonder why all these nations would come against Jesus after the earth has been at peace for a thousand years. One thing to note is that all these nations are out of the area around Israel. The heavenly Jerusalem will be visible to all the people living in the nations surrounding Israel. They will see the glory of God in the mist of Jerusalem. We will see in Chapter 21 of Revelation that the heavenly Jerusalem is 150 miles wide, by 150 miles long, and 150 miles high. When is says that the heavenly kingdom will be a canopy above Israel, its measurements show that it will cover the area of land promised to Israel. All the nations that Satan will entice to come against Jerusalem when he is let loose, will have been out of the sight of the kingdom for a thousand years. None of these nations that will come with Satan are from the area around Israel.
During the thousand years, Demons and evil spirits may still be active on the earth. I have not read anywhere in scripture that says where the Demons and evil spirits are during the thousand years. The only two in the lake of fire at that time, as far as I know, are the beast and the false prophet. If the Demons and the evil spirits are still active in the earth, I am sure they are hanging out as far away from the presence of Jesus as possible. This is why it might be so easy for Satan to deceive these nations to come against Jesus. These will be counties that will lay in the remote parts of the earth, away from the presence of Jerusalem, that have been under the influence of these Demons and evil spirits, that have been waiting for Satan's release.
Ezekiel continues in verse 8;
(8)"After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into
the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from
many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its
people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
(9) And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering
the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you. (10) Thus says the
Lord God, 'It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind,
and you will devise an evil plan, (11) and you will say, "I will go up against the land
of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all
of them living without walls, and having no bars and gates, (12) to capture spoil and
to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited,
and against the peoples that are gathered from many nations, who have acquired
cattle and goods, who live in the center of the world."(13) Sheba, and Dedan, and the
merchants of Tarshish, with all its villagers, will say to you, 'Have you come to
capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away
silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"
The areas of Sheba, and Dedan, and Tarshish have probably been interacting with Israel during the thousand years and know that Jesus and the saints have been ruling the area. When they see these people showing up from the remote parts of the earth to come against the Land, they are probably thinking that they are crazy, and know that they are doomed to be destroyed.
(14) Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"On that day when my people Israel are living securely, will you not know it.?'
(15) And you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you
and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a
mighty army;(16) And you will come against my people Israel like a cloud to
cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I will bring you against My
land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through
you before their eyes, O Gog."................(22) And with pestilence and with blood
I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and all his troops,
and with the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones,
fire, and brimstone."
Ezekiel writes this about Gog in Chapter 39;
(4) "You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the
peoples who are with you; I shall give you for food for every kind of predatory
bird and beast of the field......(6) I shall send fire upon Magog and those who
inhabit the coastlands in safety; and you will know that I am the Lord. (7) And
My holy name I shall make known in the mist of my people Israel; and I shall
not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am
the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
In Revelation 20, verse 10, John wrote this about Satan's fate for deceiving the nations again;
"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and
night forever and ever."
Jesus' peace be with you.
(7)"And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his
prison,(8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners
of the earth, Gog and Ma-gog, to gather them together for war; the number of
them is like the sand of the seashore.(9) And they came up on the broad plain of
the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire
came down from heaven and devoured them."
The only other reference to Gog an Ma-gog, in the entire Scriptures, is in the writings of the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel wrote this in his 38th Chapter;
(1)"And the word of the Lord came to me saying, (2)'Son of man, set your face
toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and
prophesy against him,(3) and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against
you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.(4) And I will turn you about,
put hooks into your jaws,, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and
horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield,
all of them wielding swords;(4) Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them
with shield and helmet;(6) Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the
remote parts of the north with all its troops-many people with you.(7) Be prepared,
and prepare yourself, you and all your company that are assembled about you, and
be a guard for them."
Satan, when he is let loose, will go again to the nations to gather their armies to come against the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. You might wonder why all these nations would come against Jesus after the earth has been at peace for a thousand years. One thing to note is that all these nations are out of the area around Israel. The heavenly Jerusalem will be visible to all the people living in the nations surrounding Israel. They will see the glory of God in the mist of Jerusalem. We will see in Chapter 21 of Revelation that the heavenly Jerusalem is 150 miles wide, by 150 miles long, and 150 miles high. When is says that the heavenly kingdom will be a canopy above Israel, its measurements show that it will cover the area of land promised to Israel. All the nations that Satan will entice to come against Jerusalem when he is let loose, will have been out of the sight of the kingdom for a thousand years. None of these nations that will come with Satan are from the area around Israel.
During the thousand years, Demons and evil spirits may still be active on the earth. I have not read anywhere in scripture that says where the Demons and evil spirits are during the thousand years. The only two in the lake of fire at that time, as far as I know, are the beast and the false prophet. If the Demons and the evil spirits are still active in the earth, I am sure they are hanging out as far away from the presence of Jesus as possible. This is why it might be so easy for Satan to deceive these nations to come against Jesus. These will be counties that will lay in the remote parts of the earth, away from the presence of Jerusalem, that have been under the influence of these Demons and evil spirits, that have been waiting for Satan's release.
Ezekiel continues in verse 8;
(8)"After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into
the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from
many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its
people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
(9) And you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering
the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you. (10) Thus says the
Lord God, 'It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind,
and you will devise an evil plan, (11) and you will say, "I will go up against the land
of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all
of them living without walls, and having no bars and gates, (12) to capture spoil and
to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited,
and against the peoples that are gathered from many nations, who have acquired
cattle and goods, who live in the center of the world."(13) Sheba, and Dedan, and the
merchants of Tarshish, with all its villagers, will say to you, 'Have you come to
capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away
silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"
The areas of Sheba, and Dedan, and Tarshish have probably been interacting with Israel during the thousand years and know that Jesus and the saints have been ruling the area. When they see these people showing up from the remote parts of the earth to come against the Land, they are probably thinking that they are crazy, and know that they are doomed to be destroyed.
(14) Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"On that day when my people Israel are living securely, will you not know it.?'
(15) And you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you
and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a
mighty army;(16) And you will come against my people Israel like a cloud to
cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I will bring you against My
land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through
you before their eyes, O Gog."................(22) And with pestilence and with blood
I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and all his troops,
and with the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones,
fire, and brimstone."
Ezekiel writes this about Gog in Chapter 39;
(4) "You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the
peoples who are with you; I shall give you for food for every kind of predatory
bird and beast of the field......(6) I shall send fire upon Magog and those who
inhabit the coastlands in safety; and you will know that I am the Lord. (7) And
My holy name I shall make known in the mist of my people Israel; and I shall
not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am
the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
In Revelation 20, verse 10, John wrote this about Satan's fate for deceiving the nations again;
"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and
night forever and ever."
Jesus' peace be with you.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Revelation Chapter 20 - (Part 2) Satan Freed After 1,000 Years
At the end of Jesus' one thousand year rule over the earth with His saints, Satan will be freed from being bound during that period. Satan will then go out and deceive the nations again. How that happens baffles me. Here the earth has been as peace for one thousand years under Jesus rule, yet still Satan, again, is able to gather many nations to come against Jesus. It just lets me know how deceptively evil he is. The world today is upside down because of him, but don't worry, he is going to make it all better. Then after he makes it all better, with his false "Peace and Safety", he will go into his mass destruction mode. You might look at it like this.
It is like someone robs everything you have and you are thrown out into the street. Then someone comes along and says he knows who robbed you and he helps you find the robber and throw him in jail. Then the person who helped you find the robber, helps you off the street and into a house. After you are settled into your home you invite him over for dinner to thank him. After dinner he leaves and you and your family feel all secure in bed. In the middle of the night, while you are all sleeping, he comes back and burns down your house with all of you in it. You died not knowing that he was the one who robbed you in the beginning, and the one who he helped you throw in jail was about to offer you real help.
John continues Revelation Chapter 20 with this in verses7-10'
(7)"And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from
prison,(8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners
of the earth, Gog and Ma-gog, to gather them for the war; the number of them
is like the sand of the seashore.(9) And they came up on the breadth of the earth
and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down
from heaven and devoured them.(10) And the devil who deceived them was
thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
So here he comes again. Satan was locked up, not only for deceiving the people of the world, but for destroying the earth and his murderous rage also. When Satan is let loose, somehow he again is able to deceive the nations into coming to war in Israel. He leads the nations to come against the camp of the saints, which is the heavenly kingdom that dwells above the area of Israel, and the beloved city, which is the earthly Jerusalem. The difference between the wrath at Jesus return and the judgment that will take place, at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, is that it will be a swift judgment with fire coming down from heaven and devouring all of them. The only other reference to Gog and Ma-gog in the entire bible is found in the writings of the prophet Ezekiel. I will do my next blog on those passages.
Jesus' peace and grace be with you.
It is like someone robs everything you have and you are thrown out into the street. Then someone comes along and says he knows who robbed you and he helps you find the robber and throw him in jail. Then the person who helped you find the robber, helps you off the street and into a house. After you are settled into your home you invite him over for dinner to thank him. After dinner he leaves and you and your family feel all secure in bed. In the middle of the night, while you are all sleeping, he comes back and burns down your house with all of you in it. You died not knowing that he was the one who robbed you in the beginning, and the one who he helped you throw in jail was about to offer you real help.
John continues Revelation Chapter 20 with this in verses7-10'
(7)"And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from
prison,(8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners
of the earth, Gog and Ma-gog, to gather them for the war; the number of them
is like the sand of the seashore.(9) And they came up on the breadth of the earth
and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down
from heaven and devoured them.(10) And the devil who deceived them was
thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
So here he comes again. Satan was locked up, not only for deceiving the people of the world, but for destroying the earth and his murderous rage also. When Satan is let loose, somehow he again is able to deceive the nations into coming to war in Israel. He leads the nations to come against the camp of the saints, which is the heavenly kingdom that dwells above the area of Israel, and the beloved city, which is the earthly Jerusalem. The difference between the wrath at Jesus return and the judgment that will take place, at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, is that it will be a swift judgment with fire coming down from heaven and devouring all of them. The only other reference to Gog and Ma-gog in the entire bible is found in the writings of the prophet Ezekiel. I will do my next blog on those passages.
Jesus' peace and grace be with you.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Mount Zion - The Heavenly Jerusalem
We just got done reading in Revelation Chapter 20, that Satan will be bound for a thousand years and Jesus will rule with the saints over the earth for that thousand year period. The earthly capital during Jesus' thousand year reign will be the earthly Jerusalem. The heavenly capital, where Jesus will rule from with His saints, will be the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. The Old Testament has many references pertaining to this heavenly city. The New Testament has some mentions of this city and in Revelation, as we near the end of the book, we will see how John described the city. We have covered this before, but I will repeat it again to set up what we will see in the Old Testament about the heavenly city. Jesus told His disciples this in the gospel of John in the 14th Chapter, verses1-3;
(1)"Let not you heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go and prepare a place for you.(3) 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."
Jesus told the disciples in John Chapter 13, verses 33 and 36;
(33)".........'Where I am going, you cannot come.'(36).........Where I go, you cannot
follow Me now, but you shall follow later.
The apostle Paul wrote this in his 1st letter to the Thessalonians in the 4th Chapter, verses 16-18;
(16)"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
(17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and those we shall always be with the Lord.
(18) Therefore comfort one another with these words."
When Jesus was brought before Pilate, He told Pilate this, as recorded in the gospel of John, in his 18th Chapter, verse 36:
"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, then my
servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as
it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."
To look at where this kingdom will be located during Jesus' thousand year reign, we can find some insight from the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verses 2-4;
(2)" Now it will come about in the last days, the mountain of the house of the
Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and it will be raised above
the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.(3) And many peoples will come and
say,
'Come let us go up to the mountains of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; that He might teach us concerning His ways, and
that we may walk in His paths.'
For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(4)And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many
peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will
they learn war."
What we see here, is that the house of the Lord, the heavenly kingdom, will be raised above the hills. People of the nations will come to the earthly Jerusalem to see the heavenly kingdom above Israel.
Jesus will rule over the nations, making judgments an decisions between and for many people. They will come to learn from Him. It will be a rule of peace and no war. That is one of the reasons why He is called the Prince of Peace. He is also the Prince of internal peace of the soul.
Isaiah wrote this in Chapter 4, verses 3-6:
(3)"And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem
will be called holy-everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.(4) when the
Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed
of Jerusalem from her mist, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,
(5) then the Lord will create the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies
a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flame of fire by night; for
over all the glory will be a canopy.(6) And there will be a shelter to give shade
from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain."
The ones who have been recorded for life in Jerusalem are the remnant who Jesus will bring back right before He returns. The heavenly kingdom will be a canopy over the area of Israel. It will provide its light and shade and protection from the elements.
Isaiah wrote this in his 10th Chapter, verse 12;
"So it will be that when the Lord has completed His work on Mount Zion and on
Jerusalem, He will say, 'I will punish the fruit of the king of Assyria and the
pomp of his haughtiness.'"
What this shows is what we have already covered. Right after Jesus calls his believers to be with Him in the Heavenly kingdom, Mount Zion, and gathers His remnant back to Jerusalem, then Jesus will remove the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria is the one who come against Israel with the power of Satan. When Isaiah wrote this, the city of Tyre was part of the Assyrian Empire. This is the king of Tyre.
The prophet Amos revealed this in his 9th Chapter, verse 6, when he wrote this;
"The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens, and founded His
vaulted dome over the earth,..."
The prophet Micah echoed the prophet Isaiah when he wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verses 1-3;
(1)"And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the Lord will
be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it.(2) And many nations will come and say,
'Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the
house of the God of Jacob, that He might teach us His ways
and that we may walk in His paths.'
For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(3) And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty,
distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation. and never
again will they train for war."
The prophet Zechariah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verses 10-13;
(10)"'Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and
will dwell in your mist', declares the Lord.(11) And many nations will join
themselves to the Lord in that day and will become my people. Then I will dwell
in your mist, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
(12) And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will
again choose Jerusalem. (13) Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is
aroused from His holy habitation."
The prophet Zechariah wrote this in his 8th Chapter, verse3;
"Thus says the Lord, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the mist of Jerusalem.
Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord
of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain."
Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth because Jesus will be in the mist of Jerusalem. The mountain of the Lord of hosts is called the Holy Mountain because it is the heavenly kingdom in which Jesus dwells with His hosts, the New Creations, who will reign with Him.
May Jesus' peace and understanding be with you.
(1)"Let not you heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go and prepare a place for you.(3) 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."
Jesus told the disciples in John Chapter 13, verses 33 and 36;
(33)".........'Where I am going, you cannot come.'(36).........Where I go, you cannot
follow Me now, but you shall follow later.
The apostle Paul wrote this in his 1st letter to the Thessalonians in the 4th Chapter, verses 16-18;
(16)"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
(17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and those we shall always be with the Lord.
(18) Therefore comfort one another with these words."
When Jesus was brought before Pilate, He told Pilate this, as recorded in the gospel of John, in his 18th Chapter, verse 36:
"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, then my
servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as
it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."
To look at where this kingdom will be located during Jesus' thousand year reign, we can find some insight from the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verses 2-4;
(2)" Now it will come about in the last days, the mountain of the house of the
Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and it will be raised above
the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.(3) And many peoples will come and
say,
'Come let us go up to the mountains of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; that He might teach us concerning His ways, and
that we may walk in His paths.'
For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(4)And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many
peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will
they learn war."
What we see here, is that the house of the Lord, the heavenly kingdom, will be raised above the hills. People of the nations will come to the earthly Jerusalem to see the heavenly kingdom above Israel.
Jesus will rule over the nations, making judgments an decisions between and for many people. They will come to learn from Him. It will be a rule of peace and no war. That is one of the reasons why He is called the Prince of Peace. He is also the Prince of internal peace of the soul.
Isaiah wrote this in Chapter 4, verses 3-6:
(3)"And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem
will be called holy-everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.(4) when the
Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed
of Jerusalem from her mist, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,
(5) then the Lord will create the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies
a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flame of fire by night; for
over all the glory will be a canopy.(6) And there will be a shelter to give shade
from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain."
The ones who have been recorded for life in Jerusalem are the remnant who Jesus will bring back right before He returns. The heavenly kingdom will be a canopy over the area of Israel. It will provide its light and shade and protection from the elements.
Isaiah wrote this in his 10th Chapter, verse 12;
"So it will be that when the Lord has completed His work on Mount Zion and on
Jerusalem, He will say, 'I will punish the fruit of the king of Assyria and the
pomp of his haughtiness.'"
What this shows is what we have already covered. Right after Jesus calls his believers to be with Him in the Heavenly kingdom, Mount Zion, and gathers His remnant back to Jerusalem, then Jesus will remove the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria is the one who come against Israel with the power of Satan. When Isaiah wrote this, the city of Tyre was part of the Assyrian Empire. This is the king of Tyre.
The prophet Amos revealed this in his 9th Chapter, verse 6, when he wrote this;
"The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens, and founded His
vaulted dome over the earth,..."
The prophet Micah echoed the prophet Isaiah when he wrote this in his 4th Chapter, verses 1-3;
(1)"And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the Lord will
be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it.(2) And many nations will come and say,
'Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the
house of the God of Jacob, that He might teach us His ways
and that we may walk in His paths.'
For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(3) And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty,
distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation. and never
again will they train for war."
The prophet Zechariah wrote this in his 2nd Chapter, verses 10-13;
(10)"'Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and
will dwell in your mist', declares the Lord.(11) And many nations will join
themselves to the Lord in that day and will become my people. Then I will dwell
in your mist, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
(12) And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will
again choose Jerusalem. (13) Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is
aroused from His holy habitation."
The prophet Zechariah wrote this in his 8th Chapter, verse3;
"Thus says the Lord, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the mist of Jerusalem.
Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord
of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain."
Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth because Jesus will be in the mist of Jerusalem. The mountain of the Lord of hosts is called the Holy Mountain because it is the heavenly kingdom in which Jesus dwells with His hosts, the New Creations, who will reign with Him.
May Jesus' peace and understanding be with you.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Revelation Chapter 20 - Satan Bound 1000 Years
In my last four blogs, I covered Jesus' return with His Saints, the New Creations, as told in both the New and Old Testaments. A lot of what we saw were very devastating to the earth. We have to put things into perspective and realize that the God who spoke this world into existence in 6 days is the same God who judged it. He is also the same God who will speak back into existence that which He wills to be here on earth during His 1000 year reign over it. We will look a little bit at how that will look during Jesus' reign.
When we last finished in revelation Chapter 19, we saw the beast and the false prophet thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the place of the second death. It is an eternal death. Jesus is an eternal God. When Jesus created man, He created them to be an eternal being with an eternal existence. When all is completed, each person would have either chose to have eternal life or eternal death. The lake of fire was not intended for man. It was intended for Satan and his demons who rebelled against God. Satan continues to deceive and drag as many eternal souls as he can into the lake of fire with him. Remember this, that I repeat over and over again, from the apostle Peters' 2nd letter in his 3rd Chapter, verse 9, because this is the heart of God;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some might count slowness, but is
patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish but for all to come to
repentance."
I think when Jesus conceived the concept of making a New Creation, He thought that many would love to have eternal life with Him. What He ends up finding is what he spoke is the gospel of Matthew in the 7th Chapter, verse 13 and 14;
(13)"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads
to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.(14) For the gate is small, and
the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it."
The gate is narrow because their is only one way to gain eternal life and that is through Jesus. Satan has supplied many other ways, in mans mind, how they can achieve gaining eternal life or even just die and cease to exist. Apart from Jesus there is no life.
At the end of Revelation Chapter 19, verses 20 and 21, this is the reason why the beast and the false prophet are the first two to be cast into the lake of fire, where they will be a thousand years before anyone will join them;
(20)"And the beast was seized, and the false prophet who performed the signs in
his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and
those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire
which burns with brimstone.(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which
came from the mouth of Him (Jesus) who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were
filled with their flesh."
Revelation Chapter 20 begins with Satan being bound for a thousand years, when John sees this in verses 1-3;
(1)"And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss
and a great chain in his hand.(2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old,
who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,(3) and threw him
into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the
nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he
must be released for a short time."
You are probably wonder why Jesus is going to bind Satan for a thousand years and then release him again. Why not just throw him into the lake of fire with beast and the false prophet? Jesus wants to make sure that everyone understands that Satan is the great deceiver and will never change and that is why he deserves to be cast into the lake of fire. When Satan is released for a short time at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, he again deceives the nations to rise up against Jesus. This is after everyone under Jesus' reign have been living in peace.
John continues with this in verses 4-6;
(4) "And I saw thrones , and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.
And I saw souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus
and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his
image, and had not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and
they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.(5) The rest of the
dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first
resurrection.(6) Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
In these verses we start off seeing that there are a people who are sitting on thrones and judgment was given to them. We know From Chapter 19, that when Jesus returns to execute His judgment with the saints, that they are given white horses like His. These horses are the thrones on which those who overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and their testimony of Jesus, will sit as they execute the wrath of God with Jesus.
We read this in Revelation Chapter 12, verse11;
"And they overcame Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death."
They were willing to die for Jesus, not rejecting the truth. They did not receive the mark of the beasts. This is the mark that the beast would require for anyone to be able to buy or sell and they did not worship the beast or his image. They were not afraid to give up what they owned or ever their lives to be faithful to Jesus. Their reward for their faithfulness to the truth is that they will come back to life and be caught up to be with Jesus in the air as we read in Paul's 1st letter to the Thessalonians Chapter 4, verses 16 and 17;
(16)"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
(17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."
After the wrath is complete, the saints, the New Creations, are going to rule over the earth with Jesus for a thousand years. They will rule the earth from the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. This is the place that Jesus said that he was going away to prepare, when He said this in John's gospel, Chapter 14, verses 1-3;
(1)"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.(3) and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you to Myself; that were I am, there you may be also."
In Chapter 21 we will see a description of this heavenly Jerusalem, the real 'city of peace'. In my next blog I am going to show in the Old Testament where it talks about this heavenly city and how it will dwell above the earth during the thousand year reign of Jesus.
After the first resurrection, when the faithful are caught up to meet Jesus in the air, there will be a second resurrection a thousand years later. Those who take part in the first resurrection are blessed and holy(set apart) and will not take part in the second death, the eternal death of the soul, in the lake of fire. After the thousand years are complete, there will be a second resurrection where all the rest who have died will be resurrected. Then there will be what is know as The Great White Throne Judgment, where Jesus will make judgment on those who did not participate in the first resurrection.
When Jesus takes over rule of the earth from Satan, He will rule in righteousness for a thousand years. The earth will be different then it has ever been. The prophet Isaiah wrote about how it will be in those days, where in his 11th Chapter, verses 6-9;
(6)"And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with
the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy
will lead them.(7) Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down
together; and the lion will eat straw with the ox.(8) And the nursing child will
play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned will put his hand in the vipers den.
(9) They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full
of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."
Again in Isaiah in his 65th Chapter, verses 17-25, it describes this;
(17)"For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will
not be remembered or come to mind.(18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what
I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness.
(19) I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; And there will no
longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.(20) No longer
will it be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live
out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred and the one who does
not reach the age of a hundred shall be thought accursed.(21) And they shall build
houses and inhabit them; They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
(22) They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so shall be the days of my people, and my chosen ones
shall wear out the work of their hands.(23) They shall not labor in vain, or bare
children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord, and
their descendants with them.(24) It will also come to pass that before they call,
I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.(25) The wolf and the
lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw with the ox; and dust shall be
the serpent's food. They shall do no harm in all My holy mountain, says the Lord."
I know that the blogs that I have written pertaining to Jesus return, to stop Satan from destroying the earth and judge those who made the choice to reject His offer of eternal life, might not sound like a good thing, but it will result in a great thing.
Jesus' peace and understanding be with you.
When we last finished in revelation Chapter 19, we saw the beast and the false prophet thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the place of the second death. It is an eternal death. Jesus is an eternal God. When Jesus created man, He created them to be an eternal being with an eternal existence. When all is completed, each person would have either chose to have eternal life or eternal death. The lake of fire was not intended for man. It was intended for Satan and his demons who rebelled against God. Satan continues to deceive and drag as many eternal souls as he can into the lake of fire with him. Remember this, that I repeat over and over again, from the apostle Peters' 2nd letter in his 3rd Chapter, verse 9, because this is the heart of God;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some might count slowness, but is
patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish but for all to come to
repentance."
I think when Jesus conceived the concept of making a New Creation, He thought that many would love to have eternal life with Him. What He ends up finding is what he spoke is the gospel of Matthew in the 7th Chapter, verse 13 and 14;
(13)"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads
to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.(14) For the gate is small, and
the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it."
The gate is narrow because their is only one way to gain eternal life and that is through Jesus. Satan has supplied many other ways, in mans mind, how they can achieve gaining eternal life or even just die and cease to exist. Apart from Jesus there is no life.
At the end of Revelation Chapter 19, verses 20 and 21, this is the reason why the beast and the false prophet are the first two to be cast into the lake of fire, where they will be a thousand years before anyone will join them;
(20)"And the beast was seized, and the false prophet who performed the signs in
his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and
those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire
which burns with brimstone.(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which
came from the mouth of Him (Jesus) who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were
filled with their flesh."
Revelation Chapter 20 begins with Satan being bound for a thousand years, when John sees this in verses 1-3;
(1)"And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss
and a great chain in his hand.(2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old,
who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,(3) and threw him
into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the
nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he
must be released for a short time."
You are probably wonder why Jesus is going to bind Satan for a thousand years and then release him again. Why not just throw him into the lake of fire with beast and the false prophet? Jesus wants to make sure that everyone understands that Satan is the great deceiver and will never change and that is why he deserves to be cast into the lake of fire. When Satan is released for a short time at the end of Jesus' thousand year reign, he again deceives the nations to rise up against Jesus. This is after everyone under Jesus' reign have been living in peace.
John continues with this in verses 4-6;
(4) "And I saw thrones , and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.
And I saw souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus
and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his
image, and had not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and
they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.(5) The rest of the
dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first
resurrection.(6) Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection;
over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
In these verses we start off seeing that there are a people who are sitting on thrones and judgment was given to them. We know From Chapter 19, that when Jesus returns to execute His judgment with the saints, that they are given white horses like His. These horses are the thrones on which those who overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and their testimony of Jesus, will sit as they execute the wrath of God with Jesus.
We read this in Revelation Chapter 12, verse11;
"And they overcame Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death."
They were willing to die for Jesus, not rejecting the truth. They did not receive the mark of the beasts. This is the mark that the beast would require for anyone to be able to buy or sell and they did not worship the beast or his image. They were not afraid to give up what they owned or ever their lives to be faithful to Jesus. Their reward for their faithfulness to the truth is that they will come back to life and be caught up to be with Jesus in the air as we read in Paul's 1st letter to the Thessalonians Chapter 4, verses 16 and 17;
(16)"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
(17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."
After the wrath is complete, the saints, the New Creations, are going to rule over the earth with Jesus for a thousand years. They will rule the earth from the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion. This is the place that Jesus said that he was going away to prepare, when He said this in John's gospel, Chapter 14, verses 1-3;
(1)"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.(2) In My
Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.(3) and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you to Myself; that were I am, there you may be also."
In Chapter 21 we will see a description of this heavenly Jerusalem, the real 'city of peace'. In my next blog I am going to show in the Old Testament where it talks about this heavenly city and how it will dwell above the earth during the thousand year reign of Jesus.
After the first resurrection, when the faithful are caught up to meet Jesus in the air, there will be a second resurrection a thousand years later. Those who take part in the first resurrection are blessed and holy(set apart) and will not take part in the second death, the eternal death of the soul, in the lake of fire. After the thousand years are complete, there will be a second resurrection where all the rest who have died will be resurrected. Then there will be what is know as The Great White Throne Judgment, where Jesus will make judgment on those who did not participate in the first resurrection.
When Jesus takes over rule of the earth from Satan, He will rule in righteousness for a thousand years. The earth will be different then it has ever been. The prophet Isaiah wrote about how it will be in those days, where in his 11th Chapter, verses 6-9;
(6)"And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with
the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy
will lead them.(7) Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down
together; and the lion will eat straw with the ox.(8) And the nursing child will
play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned will put his hand in the vipers den.
(9) They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full
of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."
Again in Isaiah in his 65th Chapter, verses 17-25, it describes this;
(17)"For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will
not be remembered or come to mind.(18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what
I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness.
(19) I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in my people; And there will no
longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.(20) No longer
will it be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live
out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred and the one who does
not reach the age of a hundred shall be thought accursed.(21) And they shall build
houses and inhabit them; They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
(22) They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so shall be the days of my people, and my chosen ones
shall wear out the work of their hands.(23) They shall not labor in vain, or bare
children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord, and
their descendants with them.(24) It will also come to pass that before they call,
I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.(25) The wolf and the
lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw with the ox; and dust shall be
the serpent's food. They shall do no harm in all My holy mountain, says the Lord."
I know that the blogs that I have written pertaining to Jesus return, to stop Satan from destroying the earth and judge those who made the choice to reject His offer of eternal life, might not sound like a good thing, but it will result in a great thing.
Jesus' peace and understanding be with you.
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