Judgment of the Nations to The Great White Throne

      Recapitulation: The Rapture began the Seven-year Tribulation Period, the fulfilling of the prophecy given in Daniel 9:24-27. Four-hundred-eighty-three years of that 490 year prophecy were fulfilled when Christ was “cut off,” or crucified. When the Christians were taken out at the Rapture, that began the last seven years of the prophecy given in Daniel 9:24-27.

      During the seven years of the Tribulation Period, God has dealt with the Jews, and the whole world. After the first three-and-a-half years, the Antichrist rises to power, and demands the whole world worship him as the true God. He requires every person he can get to worship him, by receiving his Mark of 666, thus sealing their soul to Hell. At the end of the Tribulation Period, in Chapter 19, we saw Christ coming back to the Earth, with His Saints, to establish the Kingdom. He has destroyed the 200-million-man army at the Battle of Armageddon.

1. Christ, at His victorious Armageddon appearance, deals with all the wicked forces of the Earth, and all who have taken his Mark, 666.
2. The “Beast,” who is the human Antichrist, personally indwelt by Satan, was the “son” of the Unholy Trinity. The False Prophet was the “unholy spirit” of the Unholy Trinity. Both have been cast alive into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 19:20.

“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the Mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

3. Then Christ, in Revelation 19:21, slays the armies of the Beast gathered at Armageddon.

“And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

4. The Tribulation Period ends.

NOTE: There is no time interval between Revelation 19:21 and Revelation 20:1.

Revelation 20:1-3. Satan Chained for 1,000 Years in the Bottomless Pit.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand (1). 

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (2). 

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (3).

Christ sends an angel to imprison Satan for 1,000 years, as we see here in Revelation 20:1-3. Now, Satan is bound for a 1,000 years while we have the Millennial Reign of Christ on the Earth.

Previously, God had permitted Satan freedom to attempt to deceive, and mislead, believers from serving the Lord, or winning others to Christ. Christians were advised to be vigilant in their daily walk.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour(8): Whom (you) resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Notice the word “devour” in Verse 8, above. It is the Greek “katapino,” from “kata,” meaning “down,” and “pinto,” meaning “drink,” therefore the Devil seeks to swallow you up with his demonic influence. God puts a halt to this, and chains him for a thousand years. Just think! A thousand years with out Old Scratch.

Satan is spoken of in Isaiah, Chapter 14, and Ezekiel, Chapter 28. When Satan joins the Beast and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire, millions are going to look, in shock, and ask themselves, “Is this puny little runt the one that convinced me to reject Christ? What a deceiver he is, and how stupid and foolish I have been!”

Why is the seal set upon Satan? “That he should deceive the nations no more…” During the Millennium, Satan will be absolutely out of the picture, as he is confined to the Bottomless Pit.

Revelation 20:4. The Resurrection and the Judgment of the Nations.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

The word “thrones,” here, and the statement that “judgment was given them” is interesting. In the next two verses we are given a glimpse into the position, and the privileges, which will be enjoyed by all Christians, and all of the redeemed, in the Millennial Kingdom. Here “judgment was given them.” This statement means that authority was granted unto them to judge. The fact that they sat on “thrones,” indicates they will also have some authority to rule under Christ during the Thousand-Year Reign. This is in perfect accord with other Biblical teachings.

1.    1 Corinthians 6:2,3.

“Do ye not know that the saints [the Christians] shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (2)  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” (3).

2.    “The saints shall judge the world...”

      The “saints” are the Christians. We are “saints,” as that is how God views us, positionally. The words “sanctification, holiness, and saints” all come from the same root. We are holy for the reason that, at salvation, we have the very righteousness of Christ placed to our account. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

3.    “We shall judge angels…”

      This is during the Millennial Reign of Christ. We see an example of this in Luke 19:16-19 where we find “The Parable of the Ten Pounds.”

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (16). And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities (17). And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds (18).  And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities” (19).

4.    “And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus...”

…and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

   From the description here, we see that those who come out of the Tribulation, having refused the Mark of the Beast, and having put their faith in Jesus Christ, will be given a resurrected body, and they will rule with Christ during the Millennium. They will not be merely disembodied spirits.

   All the redeemed are raised at the beginning of the Thousand-Years, and are part of the First Resurrection. The lost are not raised, as they are waiting for the Second Resurrection a thousand years later. Therefore, all of those who have died in Christ, will rule and reign for the thousand years. Those beheaded during the Tribulation Period, spoken of in Revelation 20:4, represent all the multitudes who have been saved by faith in Christ down through the ages.

   There is a parallel passage to Revelation 20:4,5, with more information, in Matthew 25:31-46. Here Christ is going to separate the sheep from the goats, or the saved from the lost, and start the Millennium out with all saved people.

      Matthew 24:40 tells us that,

 “Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left.” 

      This is speaking about the same thing as Matthew 25:29,30. At this time, we will only quote verses specific to the subject at hand.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (29): And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (30).

He is coming back, roaring, as the Lion out of the Tribe of Judah.

 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8):

 “ And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:5)

He is now going to judge the nations. This is found in Matthew 25:31-34.

 “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his  sheep from the goats: (32)  

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (33)  

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (34)

Notice what happens to the saved. “Come…inherit the kingdom….” It couldn’t be any clearer. You are the people who are going to start the Kingdom. You are going to live right on into the Kingdom, in your earthly body, and bear children during the Kingdom.

Notice what he says to the Goats [the lost], those on the left hand.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (41):

So we find this takes place at the end of the Tribulation Period, after the Battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 20:5.

“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

The Millennial Reign.

As we go on, we will get a little background here.

1. The Thousand-Year Reign, or Millennial Kingdom, of Christ is ushered in by the Lord, Himself. Some refer to the Thousand-Year Kingdom Reign as the Millennium, as it comes from two Latin words, “mille” meaning a thousand, and “annum” meaning “years”; therefore, a thousand years. The Thousand-Year Reign of Christ will take place right here on this Earth.
2. At the Battle of Armageddon, which takes place at the end of the Tribulation Period, Christ returns to the Earth, and His feet touch down on the Mount of Olives. What happens is recorded in Zechariah 14:4:

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

Well, something very interesting occurs here. Notice Zechariah 14:8.

 “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

The “former sea” is the eastern, or the Dead Sea. That fact is important! The “hinder sea” is the Mediterranean Sea. To anyone who studies anything about the Dead Sea, it is a marvel to consider.

“The Dead Sea has no exit and water does not escape at all, except, through evaporation. The present Dead Sea is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River. Its surface and shores are 429 metres (1,407 ft) below sea level. The Jordan River, the main body of water that feeds the Dead Sea, flows South to the Dead Sea. When it reaches its destination, there is no exit.

In recent decades, the Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking because of diversion of incoming water from the Jordan River to the north. The southern end is fed by a canal maintained by the Dead Sea Works, a company that converts the sea's raw materials. From a water surface of 395 m (1,296 ft) below sea level in 1970, it fell 22 m (72 ft) to 418 m (1,371 ft) below sea level in 2006, reaching a drop rate of 1 m (3 ft) per year. As the water level decreases, the characteristics of the Sea, and surrounding region may substantially change.

There is great concern over the condition of the Dead Sea, and it is being artifically managed to conserve its draw for tourists to the region, and the use of its minerals by fertilizer companies. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea)

God will transform the Dead Sea into a living and productive sea. The Lord tells us that these “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem.” Let us look at Zechariah 14:8 again.

 “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, [half of them east to the Dead Sea] toward the former sea, and [half of them west to the Mediterranean Sea] toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. “

“That day” is when Christ returns to the Mount of Olives. The “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem,” east to the Dead Sea, and west to the Mediterranean Sea. In today’s Jerusalem, there is no water running through there. But, at the ushering in of the Millennial Thousand-Year Reign, not only will there be a river in Jerusalem, but the death-giving waters of the Salt Sea will come alive. It will not only come alive, but its banks will be lined with all varieties of trees for food. They will always be bearing fruit, and there will be fishermen, on both sides, spreading their nets.

Go back to the book of Ezekiel with me to a passage that speaks of this same time. In Ezekiel 36, you find the Valley of Dry Bones, which is the gathering of Israel in the last days back into the land. One of the main signs of this is that on May 14^th, 1948, the United Nations declared that Israel is now a sovereign state. It had not been for some 1900 years.

In Ezekiel 37 and 38, God protects Israel in the land. Ezekiel, In Chapters 38 and 39, Russia makes a move down toward Israel in the First Battle of Gog and Magog, when God destroys Russia and her allies. Ezekiel 40-48 gives all of what will be, in detail, of the Millennial Temple, the distribution of the Land, and the characteristics of the 1,000-year Millennial Reign. Ezekiel 47:8 is speaking of the Dead Sea.

 “Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.”

[The waters that are being healed are the waters of the Dead Sea.] The sea is called "dead," because its high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms, such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present. (ibid)

 “And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.” Ezekiel 47:9

When God remakes this Earth for the Kingdom, a river will come out of Jerusalem and flow into the Dead Sea. Notice Ezekiel 47:10 concerning the Dead Sea.

“And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim, they shall be a place to spread forth nets, their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea [the Mediterannean], exceeding many.”

Ezekiel 47:12. “Fruit for Meat,” Leaves for Medicine.

“And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”

These are wonderful things to look forward to. God said these things are going to happen, and, if God says it, you can “take it to the bank.”

 “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Isaiah 42:9).

 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16)

I want to say a word about Amillennialism here. The “a” before “millennial” in the Greek is negative, and indicates that these people deny the literal reign of Christ in his Earthly Kingdom for a 1,000 years. Amillennialists are false teachers who say that we are living in the Millennium now. Revelation 20:3 absolutely disproves that. The Amillennialists say that the 1,000-Year Kingdom is taking place today, and that Satan is bound today. Well, if Satan is bound today, he must have a very long chain. If Satan is bound today, he must be bound to them, as they are absolutely in error. It only takes one verse to disprove this, and that is Revelation 20:3.

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

We are not yet in the Millennial Reign, or there would absolutely perfect peace in this world. If we were in the Kingdom now, Christ would be on the Davidic Throne and ruling this world with a “rod of iron.”

Two Characteristics of the Kingdom:

1. Christ rules with a “rod of iron.”

 “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Revelation 19:15

2. Satan will not be deceiving the nations at all.

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:3

Numerous Scriptures, daily news headlines, and the pages of History, show that, during this present time, to say that Satan is chained is simply a lie that Satan wants you to believe. Satan, contrary to what Amillennialism says, was not in prison at the time of the Cross, in the context of Revelation 20:3, “that he should deceive the nations no more.” Therefore, neither during the early centuries of Christianity with their persecutions, nor through the Dark Ages, and on to our modern times with the rise of many diabolical religions, you can see with your own eyes that Satan is free to deceive the nations!

“And after that [Greek is “meta tauta”] he (Satan) must be loosed a little season.” Satan will be chained a thousand years and there will be perfect peace with Christ ruling on His Throne.

“…after that he must be loosed a little season.” Again we see “meta tauta,” is referring to the thousand years, showing us the progression of time in this verse. God has set things in motion, and they are happening right on schedule. God, in his wisdom, has a reason for loosing Satan. God chained Satan for 1,000 years, and, he could have chained him for ten thousand years, if He had so desired.

God desires to show us the true sinful nature of man. Even after a thousand years of peace when sin is held down, and with Christ ruling, giving an opportunity to all, some will still rebel.

The following is an excerpt from the author’s Book on Bible Prophecy, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.

“Unfortunately, even in the time of God's perfect peace on Earth, there will be a negative side. At the beginning of the Millennium, Satan will be chained, the Beast and the False Prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire, and the most Wicked Angels will still be imprisoned in Tartarus. (2  Peter 2:4). However, the remainder of the one-third of the angels which followed Satan, are still free. Many people will be possessed. (Matthew 8:16 and Luke 4:33,41). But the Great White Throne awaits these wicked angels who followed Satan, “from the beginning,” and they will, then, be cast into the everlasting fire.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41):

The Millennial Reign of Christ starts with all saved people, and there will be children born to them.

"There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die (Hebrew, "put to, worthy of, death") an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

Some will trust Christ, and some will not. Long ages will again be instituted. If a son or daughter has not trusted the Lord by the age of 100, they will be "put to death,” and cast into “Hades,” in other words, Hell.

The lost will have the old nature, and may become hostile, doing anything to disturb the peace that the saved are enjoying, even thinking of murder. (John 16:1,2). This will not be tolerated (Isaiah 2:4, 11:4), and they will be killed before murder can be accomplished.

 “But with righteousness shall he [Christ] judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he [Christ] shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he [Christ] slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).

Others will be obedient out of fear of judgment, BUT not out of love for the Lord. (Psalm 37:11-15, Psalm 2, Psalm 11, Revelation 20:7-9). Therefore, they have 100 years of Grace to trust Christ as their Savior. There will be no infant death of any kind. The minimum span of life will be a 100 years.

   NOTE: In 2 Peter 3:8, "a thousand years is as a day with the Lord." God told Adam that the "day that thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17). Because of sin, not one person of the Antediluvian World lived to reach a 1,000 years of age.

1. Methuselah, \ 969 (Genesis 5:27).
2. Noah, 950 (Genesis 9:29).
3. Jared, 962 (Genesis 5:20).
4. Enos, 905 (Genesis 5:11).
5. Adam, 930 (Genesis 5:5).
6. Seth, 912 (Genesis 5:8).

Therefore, the saved that enter the Millennium in their physical bodies will live through it, and will be 1,000-plus years old at the end.”

Before we go on, we must ask, “What will life be like during the Millennium?”

1.    There will be no war.  Isaiah 11:6-9.

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. (6)

 And the cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox (7).  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den (8).  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (9).

2.    You will have 100 years to accept or reject Christ: Isaiah 65:20.

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 65:20).

      The Hebrew word for “die” in this verse is “mût,” meaning to “die suddenly.” The Bible says, “There shall be no more…an old man who hath not filled his days.” Compare that to a child “dying suddenly” at a hundred years, and the hundred-year old sinner being accursed. You, then, arrive, deductively, at the conclusion that, if you have not trusted Christ by the time you are a hundred years old, you have lost the privilege of “filling your days.” You will then, “mût,” “die suddenly,” or be cut off, because you are “accursed,” and be cast alive into the Lake of Fire.

3.    There will be long life and health. Isaiah 33:24.

 “And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.”

4.    A time of unequaled prosperity. Isaiah 35:1-2.

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose (1).  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God” (2 ).

      Can you imagine. God is going to make the desert bloom like the rose. There is going to be joy in labor. Many people say this, and I’m sure I have said it myself, “If it hadn’t been for Adam and Eve, we wouldn’t have to be doing all this work we are doing. In other words, we would not be laboring with our hands. We’d all be back in the Garden of Eden eating strawberries! In reality, that just isn’t so. God gave Adam a job in the Garden before he ever sinned, and that was to till and take care of the Garden. He was to work, but it was going to be happy work. Now, notice in Isaiah 65:21, 22:

 “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. (21) They shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, (21) and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (22)

These are the things that are going to take place during the thousand-year Millennial Reign of Christ. People will still have children in the Millennium. Those saints, that have lived through the Tribulation Period and enter the Thousand-year Millennial Reign, in their natural bodies, will be able to have children. Even though Satan has been chained, there will still be satanic influence. The remainder of the one-third of angels which followed Satan are still free. Many people will be possessed.

Revelation 20:6. Second Death.

 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

1.    “The second death.”

The first death is physical. The second death is separation from God for all time and eternity.

2.    “But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years...”

      That is you and I. Truly, the redeemed are blessed. We were lost in sin, deserving of the Second Death and eternal separation from God, but God, in His love,  reached out to sinners like you and I.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

      Now, the Second Death no longer has the power to claim us. In Romans 8:33, 34, we find that, if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we can no longer be condemned to death for our sins.

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth (33). Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (34).

      While we are in Romans, Chapter 8, let me show you the greatest security that we have. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can never lose your salvation.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (38)  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”  (Romans 8:38-39).

3.    “But they shall be priests of God and of Christ,...”

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

      All believers are priests, for the reason that they may pray directly to God without any human mediator in the position of a priest or rabbi.  Christ is the one mediator between God and man. The Bible says only God can forgive sins. Notice 1 Timothy 2:5.

“ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

      The general outward obedience of the nations during the millennial period, unfortunately, does not mean that every individual will come to Christ, and accept Him as their personal Savior. There will still be many rebellious individuals who are not content, just as we have today.

Revelation 20:7, 8. Satan Is Loosed.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (7) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea”  (8).

I am sure if you remember any of your World History at all, you will remember the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. He lost the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig, and in 1814, the allies had him exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. Napoleon was now defeated and barred from Europe—forever! Or, it seemed so anyway.

Then, suddenly in 1815, rumors had it that Napoleon had escaped from his prison. Soon, the armies of France rushed to Napoleon’s leadership. The Battle of Waterloo in Belgium in 1815 was to, once and for all, settle Europe’s destiny. Bonaparte was defeated by Wellington and Bleucher, and exiled forever on St. Helena’s Island in the far-away South Atlantic, where he later died.

This is actual History, but had it occurred before Revelation, Chapter 20, was written, the modernists would have, assuredly, declared that Chapter 20 was Napoleon’s story, re-written, with only the names changed. How foolish and deceitful.

Though Christ will rule the nations during the Millennium, sin will yet be present here upon the Earth. Those born during the Millennium will still need Christ’s payment for their sin, just as we do today. “Ye must be born again” in any dispensation of time. As we have said before, a lttle known fact is, the remainder of the one-third of the angels, now demons, which followed Satan will still be free. Many people will be possessed.  Even under absolute perfect conditions, there will be multitudes who will not believe. They will be like the Pharisees who saw the miracles, but refused to accept Christ as their Savior.

4.    “The number of whom is as the sand of the sea…”

      With the population explosion, we often hear huge population statistics. This is a concern to many world leaders today. With human longevity restored during the Kingdom, the length of a woman’s childbearing years will increase accordingly, resulting in such a population increase, the number of those who follow Satan will be huge.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat (13):  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

1. The word “few” is the Greek word “OLIGOS” and is defined as: “few, little, small, and slight.” The majority of the populace will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
2. The word “find” is “HEURISKO” and means “perceive, get, or obtain.”

      In spite of all this, only a few will obtain eternal life by the “strait and narrow way,” defined by Christ, Himself, in John 14:6.

 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Some have asked, “Why loose Satan?” The answer: At the beginnning of the Millennium, God cast Satan into his specially prepared prison. Why does God release Satan and, once again, allow him to rampage through the Earth? I believe there is an answer: During the Millennium, the nations were under an authoritarian theocratic government ruled only by God. Christ rules with a rod of iron, as Revelation 2:27 and 12:5 testifies to. Some quietly rebel and go underground. Others will become self-righteous, living under ideal conditions, and will see no need for salvation. In their eyes, they already have Heaven on Earth.  God is giving them their last opportunity to decide for His Kingdom, or for Satan. They must decide who they will believe.

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Only a few will choose life, the multitude will choose death?

Revelation 20:8-10: The Second Battle of Magog.

There are two great battles that are identified as “Gog and Magog:”

1. The first is found in Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39, where Russia and her five allies march against Israel, and are completely annihilated. The word “Gog” appears ten times from the same Hebrew word “magowg.” One time, it is the name of an Israelite (1 Chronicles 5:4). The other nine times it is found in Ezekiel, Chapters 38, and 39, and is in reference to a “northern nation.” From the context it is clear that this nation is Russia. (See Chart on Page 46, “F,” the First Battle of Gog and Magog.)
2. The word “Gog” appears one other time in Revelation 20:8.

“And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

      Here it is used in reference to Satan, and his last attack against Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. This is known as the Second Battle of Gog and Magog, which occurs before Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. (See Chart on Page 46, “M,” the Second Battle of Gog and Magog.)

Satan’s Army Will Be Made Up of Gentile Nations

Here is another little known fact. The Second Battle of Gog and Magog will be antisemitism to the Nth degree. It is Satan’s army that is made up of Gentiles.

As we read this verse, there is a lot more depth in it than appears from a casual reading. I would like to bring out each item that I feel will be of help in understanding the context.

1. “Nations” is the Greek “ethnos,” which is in the plural. “Originally a multitude, denotes a nation or people of the same nature or genus. It is used in the singular of Jews. In the plural of ‘nations’ (Hebrew, ‘goyim’), other than Israel.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)
2. The saved Gentiles, of such a multitude that could not be numbered, come out of the Tribulation Period alive. (Revelation 7:9)

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9),

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (13)  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13-14).

Notice the word “nations” in Revelation 20:8 (above). It is the Greek “ethnos,” in the plural (i.e., Gentiles). This lets us know that there are hundreds of thousands that enter the earthly kingdom, in their earthly bodies, to reign with Christ. These will have children during the Millennium, which will be born to Christian parents. Being born of Christian parents, today, does not make someone a Christian. They must accept Christ, individually, as their Savior.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name(12):  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Notice in Verse 13:

1. “Not of blood....” Their biological birth does not make them a Christian.
2. “Nor of the will of the flesh...” No amount of good works will ever merit one eternal life.
3. “Nor of the will of man...”

 “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches (6),  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:6-7):

      You cannot buy someone into Heaven by bribing God with your money! I am going to speak the truth against a satanic lie, perpetrated by the Roman Catholic organization. One of the biggest money rip-offs ever put forth by organized religion, is that of Purgatory. This leads people to believe they can get a loved one out of a place, that never existed, with their money.

3.    They have 100 years to accept Christ.

      They have 100 years to accept Christ. If they do not, they will be cut off (die suddenly), and be sent to Hell (Gr. “Hades).

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isaiah 65:20)

      Those that are cut off at 100 years old are all lost people who may have had children during their life. These children will have been raised in a non-Christian home and the majority will not be saved, but will end up with their parents in Hell. This does not mean that all their offspring will be lost, but only a few will be saved.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat (13): Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”(Matthew 7:13-14).

      The majority of the Gentiles born during the Millennium will tolerate the Lord, but will not accept Christ as their Savior. At the end of the Millennium, those Gentiles who have not reached the age of 100 will make up Satan’s army, which will be so large that it is not numbered specifically, but illustrated as “…the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

4. The “Nations” fight on Satan’s side in the last battle of Satan’s long war.

Revelation 20:8a states, concerning the Antichrist’s getting his tremendous army from all over the world to defeat his Arch-enemy, the Lord Jesus Christ,

“And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth,...”

      As previously stated, “nations” here is “ethnos” in the plural, as it includes all people and nations that are not Jewish, but Gentiles. When in the singular, it is referring to the Jewish people, or their nation.

      Note: Did you ever wonder why God did not have John write the following?

“And go out to deceive the nation (singular, Jews) and nations (plural, Gentiles).” (paraphrased)

      It, then, would have included Jews and Gentiles in the army of the Antichrist. The following could give us the answer. There will be Jews saved all through the Tribulation Period. Some will die, and some will go into the Millennium in their physical bodies to reign with Christ. (Romans 11:26,27).

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (V.26) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26,27)

   When Verse 26 states,  “...all Israel shall be saved....” This is not every Jew, but ALL who are alive when Christ returns, and have not taken the Antichrist’s number, 666. There will be a great slaughter of the Jewish people in the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation Period, after the Antichrist breaks his “peace” covenant with Israel.

After a thousand years, the doors of Satan’s specially prepared prison swing open. The big moment has arrived! The final stage for Satan has been set. “Just one more time,” that’s all that Satan asks. Just one more time to win the war he has waged since the beginning of God’s Creation.

In Genesis, Chapter Three, Satan convinced our first parents into thinking that they could rebel against God, and improve their lot. He also convinced them that they might not incur the awful promised penalty of death for their sin. During the thousand years of his imprisonment, he probably rehearsed in his mind all the evils that he had perpetrated through men down through the centuries. Being the deceiver that he is, he will have hatched his final tactics to go out and deceive the nations once more. Somehow, by some means, Satan will be able to lure astronomical numbers of people to follow him into rebellion against Jesus Christ.

Even after a thousand years of perfect peace, some men will still be dissatisfied. Satan will gather His army “as the sand of the sea.” What a heartache God must have, and has already had, with mortal man. Is it any wonder that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be established until all the tares are firmly rooted out, and destroyed forever?

How much sand is in the sea. We are told the sea occupies some 70.8 per cent of the surface of the Earth and since most of the shores and bottom are covered with sand, this is an infinite number.

“And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea (8). And they went up on the breadth [Greek, “a flat, broad surface] of the Earth, and compassed the camp of the saints [the Christians] about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (9).

Conclusion As To Why Satan’s Army Will Be Composed of All Gentiles.

1. Satan “shall go out to deceive the nations...” (Gentiles) (Revelation 20:8).
2. Satan will “gather them (Gentiles) together to battle” (20:8).
3. The size of Satan’s army, “...the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” (20:8).
4. There will be “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations...(plural, Gentiles),” “which came out (were not killed, but survived) of great tribulation...” (Revelation 7:9,14).
5. The 144,000 Jews are saved. Satan cannot use them in his army (Revelation, Chapters 7 and 14).
6. Nine-tenths of all the Jews in the world, outside of Israel, will be killed during the Tribulation Period. (Isaiah 6:11-13).
7. Two-thirds of all the Jews in Israel will die. (Zechariah 13:8,9).
8. The Jews that are alive and go into the Millennium are saved, so, Satan cannot induct them into his army. It is true that they will have children during the Millennium. These Jewish people that come out of the Tribulation alive will, by comparison, be a hand-full compared to the Gentiles of such “a great multitude which no man could number.” And the Jews have what they have always dreamed of, their Messiah, and their land.
9. The Gentile population of the world at the time of this writing is estimated at 6 Billion, 995 Million, 505 Thousand, Nine-Hundred and Thirty-two. That is 6,995,505,932.

       The world population of Jews is 13.3 Million, and there are 5.4 Million living in Israel. We do not have any idea how many of either that are saved, and will go at the Rapture. The basic difference between the population of Jews and Gentiles would be similar in the Tribulation, and on through the Millennium to the end. This would indicate why Satan’s army would be composed of Gentiles, due to the difference in the volume of people.

Revelation 20:9,10. The “Battle” and Satan’s End.

“And they went up on the breadth of the Earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (9).

The battle is swift and short! One could hardly call it a battle. No offense is recorded from the enemy. God just brings fire down from Heaven! It will be over within a minute. Fighting against the Lord would be like trying to break down a brick wall with a wet noodle.

Revelation 20:10. Satan Cast Into the Lake of Fire.

The end of Satan as ever having anything to do with the Lord’s Creation is finished—forever!

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (10)

They “compassed the camp of the saints” that is Jerusalem. It is the capital, according to Zechariah 8:22, and the rebellious multitudes come up against it. God destroys them, suddenly and miraculously. God speaks, and fire comes down out of Heaven, and consumes them all. It is just that simple! Satan’s war is over and his doom follows swiftly.

Satan had a fatal flaw—pride! Pride always underestimates the enemy. Though he was the most powerful angel, he was not stronger than God. The War of the Ages ends in utter defeat, and he will be cast into the Lake of Fire just like any other demon. He is not the King of Hell. He will be in the agony of flame, with all the rest of humanity who have rejected the salvation Christ purchased by his death on the Cross. And you will look at him and say, “Is this the puny little runt that deceived me into Hell?” In reality, you will probably be in such agony yourself that you will not have time to think of anything else.

 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.(10)

Now, God’s purposes having been achieved, Satan is rewarded according to his iniquity. He is “...cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are...” The Greek literally reads “and they, all three of them, shall be tormented.” This is not annihilation, as some cults teach. This is being tormented, day and night, in a body that will not burn, separated from God for all eternity.

The physical Kingdom of God, which began at Christ’s Second Coming, will not be ended or destroyed by this brief rebellion at the end of the thousand years.

Daniel 2:44 prophesies,

 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

This Kingdom continues on into the New Heavens and the New Earth.

10. Oliver Bushwell, in his Systematic Theology, suggests that this verse, in connection with Revelation 21:1, speaks of the rennovation of the present Earth and the atmospheric heavens, according to 2 Peter 3:10. in preparation for the coming of the New Heaven and New Earth. That the Earthly scene of sin should be burned away at the same time that the sinners are forever cast into Hell, sounds quite reasonable. The timing also fits as at the beginning of Revelation, Chapter 21, we see the former Earth gone and the new Earth present.

The Two Resurrections.

We are not going into an exhaustive analysis of the Resurrections, but a brief summary is in order. Please refer to the “Diagram on The Two Resurrections” on Page 356.

A. The First Resurrection, Made Up of All the Saved.

1. Daniel 12:2: Here we have the first mention of two resurrections, “some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt.”

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

2. John 5:29: Now, as we turn to the New Testament, in John 5:28,29 we again have the two resurrections mentioned.

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (28) And shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation"(29).

3. Acts 24:15:

And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

The First Resurrection consists of ALL SAVED, and is composed of five separate resurrections. The Second Resurrection, which is the Resurrection of Damnation, consists of ALL LOST, resurrected to the Great White Throne Judgment. In the First Resurrection, all are saved.

1. The Resurrection of Christ, the First Fruits.

The Resurrection of Christ, who is the first fruits of them that arose. (1 Corinthians 15:20,23)

2. Saints Resurrected After Christ's Resurrection, the Sheaf Offering To God.

A group of saints resurrected after Christ's Resurrection. They appeared in Jerusalem, and were offered by the Lord, as a sheaf offering to God. (Matthew 27:52,53, Leviticus 23:10,11.) They are in Heaven, and will return with Christ to set up the Kingdom.

3. The Resurrection At The Rapture, The Harvest.

This is the Resurrection at the Rapture. Those resurrected are the Christians, who have died between Pentecost and the Rapture. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54) They meet Him in the air on the way to Heaven, then return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

4. The Resurrection Of The Two Witnesses.

This is the resurrection of the Two Witnesses in the middle of the Tribulation Period. Their testimony during the first three-and-one-half years is now finished. They are allowed to be killed, and their bodies put on display in Jerusalem for three-and-one-half days. After that, they are resurrected, and ascend up to Heaven. (Revelation 11:1-12) These would represent the gleanings of the harvest of resurrected bodies of the saved. They will return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

5. Old Testament And The Martyred Saints Of The Tribulation, The Gleanings.

This is the resurrection of all the Old Testament Saints, and all  the Christians martyred during the 7-Year Tribulation Period. They are resurrected to reign with Christ in the Kingdom. (Revelation 20:4,6).

Try to memorize the five parts of the First Resurrection, it will help you as you study the Scriptures. Remember, the First Resurrection consists of only the SAVED, none of the lost are included.

B. Second Resurrection, Made Up of All Lost.

There are no saved here, all are lost. In Revelation 20:5 we are told,

"But the rest of the dead (the lost), lived not again until the 1,000 years were finished." (See Revelation 20:11-15.)

The Torment side, of Hades, is now emptied at the end of Christ's reign. They appear before the Great White Throne Judgment, then are cast into to Hell (“Gehenna”).

The Diagram of the Two Resurrections is inserted to give the reader an overall view of the resurrections of the saved and lost, as they relate to their respective eternal destinations. It must be noted that there is no single, general resurrection of the saved and lost at the same time. The five separate resurrections, which complete the First Resurrection, fulfill what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 15:20 and 23.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept" (20).

"But every man in his own order" (23).

Note: One Exception: Notice on the Diagram, at the end of the Millennium. At this point, the Heavens and the Earth are destroyed, and in 2 Peter 3:10, 13 we are told that:

 ”..In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (10).

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness”( 13).

Further information is gleaned from Isaiah 65:17,

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new Earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

You will recall that the Millennial Kingdom is started with all saved people, in their human bodies (Matthew 25:34), who will bear children during the Millennium. We have no record of these, or any other Christians, dying during the Millennium. Longevity will be extended as it existed, prior to the Flood, and a short time after. The Christian during the Millennium will still possess the old, Adamic nature, just as we have today. So, to dwell in the New Heaven and New Earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness,” their sinful bodies must be exchanged for new, resurrected bodies.

All Christians at the end of the Millennium will have a resurrection, exchanging their terrestrial bodies for a celestial body as found in 1 Corinthians 15:40.

“There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” (1 Corinthians 15:40)

 In 1 Corinthians 15:53 we are told,

“For this corruptible (dead) must put on incorruption (bodies that can never decay), and this mortal (those alive) must put on IMMORTALITY (bodies that will never taste death).”

We are told why in 1 Corinthians 15:50,

“Now this I say, brethren, that FLESH and BLOOD cannot inherit the kingdom of God...”

...And in Philippians 3:20, 21

“For our conversation (i.e. citizenship) is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (20): Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself“ (21).

Revelation 20:11-15: The Great White Throne Judgment.

 This is the judgment of all the lost that have ever lived on this Earth. All the lost went to their temporary abode, identified as “Hades” in the Greek, and translated “Hell” in the English. The Lord gave a literal account of Hades. It had two compartments, separated by a great gulf. One was for the saved, and the other for the lost. It was located in the center of the Earth.

When Christ went back to Heaven after His Ascension, He emptied Paradise, and they are now in Heaven. (Ephesians 4:8,9).

 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (8).  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” (9). 

The Final Sentence.

All those in “Hades” will be there, until they are brought up to the Great White Throne Judgment. This final judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15.

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the Earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them (11).  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works  (12).  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death [the condition] and hell [the location] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works (13).  And death and hell [Gr. “hades”] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (14). And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (15).

Revelation 20:11.

 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the Earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.”

Here we see Christ, on the throne, judging the ungodly sinners. Christ came the first time to go to the Cross as the Sinless Lamb of God, with grace and mercy offered to everyone. Here are a few verses that describe those who mocked Him and thought themselves to be little gods, themselves.

“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (Jude 8).

“But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves” (Jude 10).

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (14). To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14-15).

 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts (3), And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (4). For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water” (2 Peter 3:3-5):

Here they stand before Christ, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5), the “King of Kings, and LORD of LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16). All of these fulfill Proverbs 14:12.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Concerning the last phrase of Verse 11, “the Earth and the heaven fled away.” This was Satan’s domain, as he was “the prince of the power of the air AND the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan has had a field day for over 6,000-plus years, deceiving people into Hell.

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor.  4:4).

This old Earth, and the atmosphere above it, will be cleansed by fire, and renovated to be just as beautiful as when God spoke it into existence, “In the beginning...”

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new Earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17).

1. The Lost. Something to keep in mind: all the lost that ever lived on this Earth are, now, in “Hades,” or the Lake of Fire.

      The lost have been suffering in the flames of Torment all these thousands of years. Now they are hauled up to stand before the Great White Throne. Perhaps rumors of false hope, perpetrated by Satan’s lies, flash through the multitude standing there awaiting their final judgment. “Are we getting a second chance?” “Maybe there is a Purgatory after all.” Soon they realize, they should have accepted Christ while they were living. Now, it is forever too late, as they realize, there is no Purgatory!

2. The Saved. All of the saved have their resurrected bodies, and possess no old sinful nature. The 144,000 witnesses, along with all the saved that were born during the Millennium, along with the others that entered from the Tribulation Period, will still be in their physical bodies. They will, at this time, be given a new, resurrected body, without the old sin nature, to enjoy the New Heavens and New Earth. The reason is described in 1 Corinthians 15:50.

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

Revelation 20:12.

1. “The dead, small and great, stood before God.” Your achievements on Earth, whether president of a nation, senator, congressman, state governor, mayor, president of a bank or company, etc., were for your benefit only. You are here at this judgment because you rejected Jesus Christ as your Savior.
2. “And the books [plural] were opened.” There are two books used at the Great White Throne Judgment. These books have everything you have ever thought, or done with your life while on Earth. God knows everything about every person,

”..and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (12). Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12, 13).

 “For I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” (Ezekiel 11:5b)

       There is a parallel passage in Daniel 7:9-10.

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire (9). A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (10).

3.    “Judged out of those things which were written in the books.”

      They “were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.” These books are not recorded for God’s memory, but for yours, to resurrect things you have long forgotten. The time and date of every act and thought, including every time a Christian loved you enough to witness to you about Christ, but you continually rejected their witness. This judgment is to determine what degree of punishment you suffer in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, for all eternity.

4.    The Book of Life.

      The Book of Life has the name of every person ever born in it, from the time of conception. It does not deal with your works, but only the opportunities you had to be saved. You had rejected them until you died. At that moment, your name was blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that is the reason you are here at the Great White Throne Judgment.

“Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness (27). Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous” (Psalm 69:27-28).

5.    The saved will never have their names removed.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5)

      Satan has instilled into the minds of many people that, if their good works outweigh their sins, they will be saved. The word, “overcome,” in 1 John 5;4,5, makes Satan and his ministers liars.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith  (4). Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (5).

 Revelation 20:13.

 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

This is a resurrection of the bodies of the lost.

1. “The sea gave up the dead...” This is in reference to their bodies, not their true being, i.e., the soul and spirit.

“For as the body without the spirit is dead,...” (James 2:26a).

Remember, all of these are the unbelievers, the lost that had gone to “Hades” (Hell), and are very much alive in their spiritual bodies. “The sea” lets us know that is where their physical bodies are, whether cremated, embalmed, killed in war and never found, etc. They will have a resurrected body, at this judgment, which will never burn up, or die from the flames of Hell. Therefore, they will suffer their torment for all eternity.

   I recall when I was on the Police Department, I was called to investigate a young boy who had been burned over three-fourths of his body, and did not have long to live. At the hospital, I went in to see the boy. The nurse advised me that he would let out a scream of pain now and then. His screams sent chills down my spine! He died shortly thereafter, and there was no more pain or screams. This is unlike those in Hell, as the pain will never stop, and the resurrected body will never die.

1. “Death and Hell (“Hades”) delivered up the dead...”

      Death. This is physical and spiritual death. They had to die, physically, in order to go to “Hades,” because they were spiritually dead by rejecting Christ as their Savior. “Hades” is the temporary abode of all the lost from Creation to the Millennium, until they are brought up to the Great White Throne Judgment. Here, their works are judged for degrees of punishment.

Revelation 20:14.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

This death is two-in-one, and happens to the same person. This person died physically, and spiritually, without Christ. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that a person only dies once, and, then the judgment as to where they go, Heaven, or Hell (“Hades”).

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Therefore, you can only die once as a lost person. Now, since Hell (“Hades”), the temporary abode of the lost, is cast into the Lake of Fire, it has now become non-existent. A person cannot die twice, spiritually. Therefore, one cannot ever redeem themselves out of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for a second chance, as some people and preachers claim.

 Revelation 20:15.

 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Their names were in the Book of Life, until they died without accepting Christ as their Savior. Their names are not re-registered a second time for a second chance. At death their destiny is sealed, forever!

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41):

This is the end of Satan’s children (unbelievers) ever associating with God’s children again. This is a welcome sight to every Christian, as their desires are realized. All Christians will be praising the Lord’s judgment, as their resurrected body does not contain the old nature with its faulty thinking!

“Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.” (Psalm 104:35)

We are now ready to move on to the New Heavens and the New Earth.