INTRODUCTION
Last week Pastor Josh talked to us about the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb in vs. 1-10. The Bible often describes the relationship
of the believer with Jesus as that of a bride waiting the return of her
Bridegroom.
In the customs of Bible times, when a young man and woman were to be
married there was first a betrothal, which was stronger than our engagement.
It was a binding promise of the future marriage. Once betrothed the couple
was considered married: It took a divorce to end the betrothal.
The betrothal typically lasted up to one year.
 During that time
the bridegroom would be away preparing a dwelling for his future bride,
usually in his
father’s
house.
The actual wedding
took place only when the father determined that the new dwelling was ready
The father would
then give his permission for his son to go and retrieve his bride.
The bridegroom
would return for his bride secretly and unannounced to take her to her
new home.
She would, therefore,
remain ready and watchful for his imminent return.
When the bridegroom did come, even though it was unannounced, he would
come with the wedding party and have trumpets blown to announce that he
was coming. He would go to the bride’s home and take her to his father’s
house where the wedding ceremony took place and was followed by a great
wedding feast. After a honeymoon period with his bride, the bridegroom
then began doing his life’s work.
How beautifully all this pictures Biblical truth! Old Testament prophecies
spoke of a Messiah that would do two main things: deliver people from sin
and establish a kingdom of peace on this earth. Jesus came the first time
as the Suffering Servant for the purpose of being our Savior. Having completed
this work by His death and resurrection, He then went back to heaven where
He prepared a place for His people.
Already in the Book of Revelation we have seen the bride (all true believers)
united with Christ in heaven. Revelation
19:1-10 tells us about the great Marriage Feast celebrating this reunion.
There is only one thing left for Jesus to do - to come to earth as Conquering
King and establish His Kingdom of Peace here on earth, ruling the world
from Jerusalem.
I. THE CONQUERING KING
The closing months of the seven year Great Tribulation will feature
great military activity on earth. There will be series of battles in the
Middle East. In Revelation 16 we saw that God would supernaturally draw
all of the armies of the world into the Valley of Megiddo. Jesus will return
with His bride in the midst of what we call the Battle of Armageddon.1
The armies of the world will be engaged against one another, but as Jesus
returns, they will join forces to fight against Him.
Rev. 19:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And
He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He
judges and makes war. 12His eyes were like a flame of fire,
and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew
except Himself.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
There is a sense in which all that has come before leads us to the event
described here. In Revelation
4:1 (NKJV) heaven is opened to let John in. Here heaven is opened to
allow Christ to revealed in all His glory and power.
Rev.19:13-16 (NKJV)
13He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name
is called The Word of God. 14And the armies in heaven, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15Now
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. 16And
He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
We return with Jesus and are called His "army." We’re not really dressed
for battle, though, and we have no real participation in the battle except
as observers of His glory and power.
Jesus will strike the nations gathered against Him. His weapon is the
Word He speaks - His Word will overcome His enemies.
Jesus subdues all the kings of the world and rules the world with a
rod of iron. Rebellion will not be tolerated. Lawlessness will be dealt
with immediately. Righteousness will fill the land. His rule will be fair.
It will be right. It will be absolute.
Rev. 19:17-21 (NKJV)
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried
with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven,
"Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,18 that
you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty
men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of
all people, free and slave, both small and great."
19And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse
and against His army. 20Then the beast was captured, and with
him the false prophet who worked 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 cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the
mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their
flesh.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
What we call the Battle of Armageddon is actually not much of a battle.
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire. The
rest of the unbelievers on the earth are destroyed and sent to their eternal
destiny.
Contrast this scene with first coming that we celebrate at Christmas.
He came the first time in humility as a baby in Bethlehem. It is precious
to us and speaks of His access to everyone.
But the next time He comes, Jesus comes as Judge and as a General to
make war. This is a Jesus we can’t control. When seen as who He really
is, Jesus demands not only our attention, but also our submission.
II. THE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN
Scripture describes the time in which we now live as an evil age and
Satan is called "the god of this world." (John
12:31; 2 Cor. 4:3-4, NKJV) Revelation 20 describes the events that
bring an end to Satan’s party.
Rev. 20:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the
key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2He
laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan,
and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should
deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But
after these things he must be released for a little while.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
We have just seen Jesus, in chapter 19, conquer the Antichrist, the False
Prophet, and all the kings of the earth. Before He sets up His kingdom
on this earth, He removes Satan from the earthly scene by having one of
His angels bind Satan and throw him in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.
We are told that Satan will be loosed for a season at the end of this time;
but we will deal with that a little later in the message.
Who will be on the earth in the Millennium? Even after the Rapture and
the vast judgments of the Great Tribulation, there will be many people
left on earth. Those who have not taken the mark of the beast will live
in Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. These people will have children and repopulate
the earth during these 1,000 years.
We aren’t given much information in Revelation but the Old Testament
prophets had more to say about this Millennial Kingdom in their prophecies
than any other period of time. For instance, from their prophecies we learn
that, during the Millennium:
-
Israel will be the superpower of the world (Is.
2:1-3; Eze. 17:22-24, NKJV)
-
There will be no more war (Is.
2:1-5, NKJV)
-
Nature will be returned to a Garden of Eden like existence with the fierceness
taken out of animals (Is.
11:6-9, NKJV).
Rev. 20:4-6 (NKJV)
4 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
(see note #2) 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. 5But the rest
of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who
has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power,
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him
a thousand years.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
Consistent with the rest of Scripture, these verses mention two resurrections
that will take place 1,000 years apart. The first resurrection is a resurrection
to eternal life; the second, to eternal death.
The first resurrection is the granting of glorified bodies to the redeemed
of all ages. It is not an "event" but a "class" encompassing the Old Testament
saints, those saved during the Church Age, and those saved during the Great
Tribulation. The Holy Spirit, through John, does to great lengths in verse
4 to assure the Tribulation Saints that they are included.
These verses tell us that believers will rule with Christ during this
1,000 year reign. What a sight! Believers with glorified bodies assisting
Christ in imposing righteousness and peace on the human population on earth
for 1,000 years. (See also 1
Cor. 6:2-3, NKJV)
Rev. 20:7-10 (NKJV)
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be
released from his prison 8and 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. 9They
went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints
and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured
them. 10The 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.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
Here we are given more information about the statement in verse 3 that
at the end of the Millennium Satan will be loosed for a season. Why would
God do this?
One reason God does this is to test the people who have been born during
the Millennium. There is a real sense in which they have not chosen
to follow Christ. For a brief period they are given another choice of whom
to follow. And, unbelievably, Satan is able to gather an army of people
who choose to rebel against Christ.
How could they do this? For the same reason that Christ has to rule
with a rod of iron!
Human beings struggle with temptations to sin from three areas: the
world, the flesh, and the devil. During the Millennium the world will be
a utopia. No drug pushers, no pornography, etc. The devil will be bound,
so he won’t be a problem, until this brief period at the end.
But men will still be in their flesh and that will be the source of
their temptations. Even during this glorious age, man is still a sinner
in need of a Savior. This time when Satan is loosed is when they make their
choice.
Satan and his newfound followers surround Jerusalem to do battle with
Jesus. But before the battle begins, the followers of Satan are devoured
with fire and Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire along with the Antichrist
and the False Prophet where they will suffer torment eternally.
III. THE FINAL JUDGMENT
Rev. 20:11-15 (NKJV)
11 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. 12And 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. 13The 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.
14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life
was cast into the lake of fire.
(AMP)
| (NIV)
| (NLT)
| (KJV)
| (NASB)
The Bible describes two judgments:
-
The Judgment Seat of Christ at which the lives of believers will
be evaluated.
-
This happens just before the Millennium.
-
These verses describe the other judgment - The Great White Throne Judgment.
-
I believe that the Bible teaches that the Judge at this judgment will be
Jesus as well.
Verse 5 told us that the "rest of the dead did not live again until the
1,000 years were finished." In a round about way we gather from verse 6
that the "rest of the dead" are unbelievers who will experience what is
called the "second death."
Human beings are born physically and die physically (the only exception
being believers who are raptured just before the Great Tribulation). Everyone
is going to be resurrected to one of two possibilities (John
5:28-29, NKJV):
-
Second life: Eternal life in the presence of God.
-
Second death: Eternal death separated from God.
The Great White Throne Judgment is not a trial where facts are presented
to try to determine the truth. It is a sentencing as indicated by the fact
that those who come before God are standing.
The books are opened. What books?
-
One of these books is probably the Bible.
-
The other books seems to be records of the lives of the people standing
before God. Every act they ever did (public and private), every thought
they ever had, is revealed.
Then the dead are sentenced according to their works. This seems to indicate
that there will be degrees of punishment for those who reject Christ. This
fact vindicates the fairness and rightness of God’s judgment and, in no
way, is any grounds for comfort to those who reject Christ. Look at verse
15, "Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake
of fire." Even the lightest sentence in the Lake of Fire (Hell) is still
in the Lake of Fire. And it's forever!
The only way to escape this judgment is to have your name written in
the Book of Life. The only way to have your name in the Book of Life is
by placing your trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross. When you
do, the Bible tells us that not only is our name written in the Book of
Life, but our sins are wiped out from the book of our lives, never to be
remembered against us again! |