Revelation 22:1-21 – The Final Message of Christ

As we close out our study of the book of Revelation, we see a final description of the heaven-like earth that was described in chapter 21. It also contains a final challenge to all from the God who came to die for the sins of the world. It is fitting how this, the greatest of the prophetical books and the last of God’s eternal library, comes to a close, because the cannon of Scripture closes similarly to the way it opens. In the first two chapters of Genesis, we see God’s creation of an earth with heaven-like conditions and man in perfect fellowship with God. In the last two chapters of Revelation, we see heaven on earth and man in perfect fellowship with God. The chapters in between describe the conflict of the ages that brings us full circle to the place God originally created us to be, perfect and holy. These middle chapters describe Satan’s attempt to conquer God through the rebellion and destruction of the human race. In this ending, we see that God defeats Satan, and the rebellion of the human race will be no more.

The Final Description of Eternity

Revelation 22:1-5 – And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

In this final description of New Jerusalem we see that a river of life will flow from the city. This river will provide abundant life to everything that drinks of it; plants, animals, and people. This is the final and complete fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in John 4 & 7. As you also see, we will eat from the tree of life. In Genesis 3, after the sin of Adam and Eve, man was forbidden to eat of this tree because it would allow us to live forever. This shows the blessings and immortality that we will receive with our glorified bodies. This one tree will have a variety of fruit which makes it far different from any tree on the earth today. The leaves are for the health of the nations. This once again means that there will be no sickness or death, no unfair or inhumane treatment of other races, just complete and total harmony and perfection. There also will be no more curse. This will have been partially lifted for the Kingdom, but will be fully lifted in eternity. The full potential of the earth and humanity will finally be realized in eternity. We will serve God for eternity and we will see His face. No man has ever (John 1:18), or can ever (Exodus 33:20) see the face of the Father and live. We will truly be privileged in eternity to be face to face with God the Father Himself. We will be sealed on our forehead with His name as His people forever. God will light the world forever and there will be no night. Finally, we will reign with Him forever.

Christ’s Final Challenge

Revelation 22:6-7 – And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

1. Believe! These are faithful and true sayings from the only faithful and true thing. He reaffirms the messenger and the timing told to us in chapter 1.
2. Believe because He will come suddenly! This is repeated 3 times in the final 14 verses of scripture; do you think He wants us to know that His return is imminent. This is a call for us to live like He would have us to live and live like He will return at any moment.
3. A special blessing and challenge
   is given to those who study this book. Know the book and live prepared and you will receive the blessings of the book. Things like being the bride of Christ, eternity with God and all the others are for those who keep this book and other things we will see in a moment.

Revelation 22:8-9 – And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

We see that John again falls down at the feet of the angel, and is told to worship God alone. This is just another proof that Jesus is God, because 10 times in Scripture He accepted worship from people.

Revelation 22:10 – And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

John is now told no to seal the sayings of this book. This is the opposite of what Daniel was told about his prophecy in his book. Daniel 12:4 – But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. That the angel said the time is at hand shows that the time of Christ’s return could be at any moment. We have seen all there is to be seen, the cannon of Scripture is complete, and prophecy is unfolding before our eyes. Daniel’s people hadn’t even seen the Messiah, so there was no way for them to understand his prophecy which is why he is told to seal it.

Revelation 22:11 – He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Watch what habits you form. If you are unjust and filthy, you will remain unjust and filthy. This is a challenge to Christians. If you live holy and righteous, you will remain holy and righteous. Live as if Christ could return at any moment.

Revelation 22:12-15 – And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

When He comes, he will reward man’s works. This is the truth of judgment. Whether your works are judged in service to the Lamb at the Judgment Seat, or your works are judged on their own merit at the Great White Throne, you will receive a reward. It will either be crowns, salvation alone, or eternal damnation. Are you ready for His return? A special blessing is given to those who follow His commands (John 14:15). You will have eternal life and you will have access to New Jerusalem. If we don’t follow His commands, we are no different than dogs, addicts, whores, murderers, idolaters, and liars. Whether or not we do these things, without salvation, we will face the same judgment as those that do.

Revelation 22:16-21 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Here Jesus tells us to listen to the Spirit and the church when they call. These are the two that testify of Christ on this earth. They bring the invitation to those who thirst. Those who thirst must choose to drink. Also, there is a special curse is promised to those who add to or detract from this book of prophecy. This is a willful action by evil men. They will face the plagues of this book because they do not believe, and they will receive damnation because their hearts are so hardened they will never believe.

Over these 38 posts in our study of end times, we have seen God’s plan to once and for all defeat Satan, and eliminate sin from the universe. We have seen the supernatural come alive before our eyes and have seen the ever evil and rebellious heart of man. We see tonight that the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could happen at any moment; are you ready? Are you ready to be raptured, or does it all sound too hokey? Are you taking a wait and see approach? When it happens will you believe? The greater question should be will you be alive? Just as Christ could return at any moment, your life could end at any moment. Be ready. Accept Christ. Have the same attitude as John in verse 20, and those who can’t wait to see Jesus face to face; Come, Lord Jesus. If you do, I promise the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with you forever.

If you are ready or have any questions concerning this study, please e-mail me and I will do my very best to answer them and/or counsel you in becoming saved. My e-mail is revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com.

Until next time (which may be a while, and will not be as frequent as this study due to a very time consuming study I will be teaching at my church J)…God Bless!!

Revelation 21:1-27 – Eternity

The thousand year reign of Christ is complete, the Satan has joined the rest of his trinity in the Lake of Fire, and those who followed him in their physical lives have been cast in with them. Eternity has begun, but what will it be like? Revelation 21 and part of Revelation 22 give us a detailed picture of what is to come. Let’s take a look at the promises of the Lord.

Revelation 21:1-5 – And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

God promises five new things:

1. New heaven
2. New earth
3. New Jerusalem
4. New place for God’s throne
5. New things

Heaven and earth, which were restored for the Millennium, will be destroyed by fire (II Peter 3:10) because, though those heavens and earth will have been restored, they will still be contaminated with sin. With this new earth, there will no longer be a sea. 2/3 of the earth is now covered by water, but in eternity it will be completely covered with land. Of the remaining 1/3 of the earth today, a vast portion is deemed worthless due to deserts and mountain ranges and can’t be inhabited. The 6.5 billion people alive today only live on and use about 1/3 to 1/2 of the land on the earth. I will not be this way in eternity. Also, New Jerusalem will come down from heaven. When Jesus tells us in John 14 he is going to prepare a place for us, this is the place he has prepared. It will be the city of righteousness because God Himself will dwell in it. It will probably be inhabited mostly by the church which is due to the symbolism of a bride being prepared for her husband, like the church, is what makes many think this. Again, God Himself will live among us. He will no longer make His headquarters away from us in Heaven, but will live on earth with us for eternity. He will remove any form of trouble that we suffer in life. All semblance of humanities plight will pass away. Tears, death (the result of sin…since sin will be destroyed so will its penalty), sorrow, and pain will be no more. All things will be new. Our way of life will be so different and grand that God doesn’t even try to explain what this means.

Revelation 21:6 – And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

This is the eternal promise of Jesus that He freely gives living water to those who seek it and it is still given freely in eternity. When He says that He is Alpha, Omega, Beginning, and End shows that this promise is still the same as it was 2000 years ago.

Who’s Where in Eternity

Revelation 21:7-8 – He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Only overcomers, or those who are saved, will enter into eternity. As co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), we will inherit all things and we will have a Father-child relationship with God forever. In contrast, the unbeliever’s inheritance is eternity in the Lake of Fire. God reiterates this right here for a reason. Hell, judgment, and the Lake of Fire are real. People will go there because they chose sin over God. This is once again proof that there is no annihilation or second chance after death as some teach.

New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:9-27 – And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

John is taken by an angel to a mountain to see Christ’s bride. This does not suggest that the bride is a city, because chapter 19 shows us that the church is the bride. This is again a probable reference to the inhabitants of the city, the church. It has the glory of God. This shows that this city is the expression of God’s power and love for His people. Its light is so beautiful it’s as if it shines off of a crystal.

The great high wall shows a couple things:

1. That the city is exclusive – it was specially made for special people.
2. That all do not have access to God – Those who don’t love Him according to His plan don’t have a relationship with Him.

It is built with twelve’s which is the governmental number of Scripture and shows that God will rule. For example:

1. Twelve gates always open– open access to God for all saints
2. Twelve angels
3. Names of the twelve tribes of Israel – The Jews will have ready access to it.
4. Twelve foundations – These foundations are stacked on top of each other to build the walls. Each foundation is a different type of precious stone. They are:
   1. Jasper – Clear with a gold cast
   2. Sapphire – Blue
   3. Chalcedony – Sky blue with other colors running through it
   4. Emerald – Green
   5. Sardonyx – Red and white
   6. Sardius – Red
   7. Chrysolyte – Clear gold
   8. Beryl – Sea Green
   9. Tolpaz – Greenish gold
   10. Chrysoprasus – green
   11. Jacinth – violet
   12. Amethyst – Purple
       1. Some of these colors are general colors and the exact shades are unknown, but the description is one of unmistakable beauty.
5. Names of the twelve apostles written in the walls. Those faithful Apostles built the walls of the “city” on the foundation of Christ. Something to think about is that the gates of the city, or the access to God, have the names of the tribes of Israel. Through these tribes the promises of access to God came. In the walls are the names of the twelve apostles, who built the walls of the church by faithfully witnessing to the entire world. God shows that He rewards the faithful.

From the rest of the description we see this. The walls will surround a 1500 square mile city and are 1500 miles tall. This is equivalent to the land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River from east to west, and the area between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. So basically, an area equivalent to the size of the eastern half of the United States will be one city that is surrounded by 1500 mile tall walls. To put it in perspective…in that space, 20 billion people could each have a one cubic mile plot, which is 1/3 long, 1/3 wide, and 1/3 tall, if it were a perfect cube if all the homes were stacked on top of each other. Each gate of the city is one solid pearl and will remain open because there will be no evil or threat and all will be allowed to enter freely. Also, the streets of this city are made of gold. There will be no temple. The massive temple that Christ built for His Kingdom it seems will melt away with the old earth. Throughout history, God has used a temple to fellowship with His people, including the bodies of His believers but this will be no more. We will finally have full, face to face access to the full glory of God. There will also be no sun or moon. God’s glory will light the city and there will be no night. Again, nothing evil will ever enter the city.

God’s city will be beautiful and perfect. If you are not an overcomer, God has promised that you will not have access to it. Become an overcomer today by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you are ready, e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com so that I can counsel you in your decision.

Only one more chapter left and we will study it next time.

Until then…God Bless!!

Revelation 20:7-15 – Evil Conquered for Eternity

There has been a thousand years of peace, prosperity, happiness, and love under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted His plan of salvation in all ages have walked with Him for up to one-thousand years, but as we have seen…sin has not yet been eliminated. God has a plan still left to accomplish, and those who trust in Christ will finally get to see all prophecy come to a close, the struggle of god & evil ended, and perfection fully established for all of eternity.

Satan’s Final Conflict

Revelation 20:7-8 – And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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.

At the end of the Kingdom, Satan will be released to deceive the nations. He will gather all the rebellious of this time together to battle Christ. Even after all prophecy is nearly fulfilled, his greatest possibility of defeating God through the antichrist and his armies squashed, and being chained for a thousand years as promised…Satan will STILL believe that he can defeat God. Not only will he believe it, but the number of those he deceives is, just like those who accept Christ during the Tribulation, as the sands of the sea. There will be millions, if not billions, of people that will join Satan in this battle. Remember, all of those who do so will be under the age of 100.

Revelation 20:9 – 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.

The army that will come against Christ will gather at Jerusalem. As they prepare their attack, fire will come down from heaven and devour them. Thus, the battle will be over before it starts. Once again, the devil stands no chance against the power of the Creator, and he will find that out here for the last time.

Revelation 20:10 – 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.

The Devil will then immediately be cast into the Lake of Fire to join his two servants, who have been there alone for a thousand years. This is the first of the judgment of the sinners. Immediately after, the rest will be judged.

The Great White Throne Judgment

Revelation 20:11-13 – 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. 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. 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.

For this, the final judgment, the throne of God will come down from heaven. At this point, all of the unbelieving dead will be raised. All those who are small and great (weak and powerful, rich and poor), all those who are buried in the sea, all those who are in the grave, and all those who are in hell will be raised. This is not to say that some are not in hell if they are physically dead, but it is simply a detailed description of where their bodies and souls come from to rejoin for their final judgment. For this judgment, the books will be opened. These books are (in the least) the Book of Life, the Lamb’s Book of Life, and the Book of Works. If there are other books, they are not mentioned in Scripture. Remember, the Book of Life is the book of names of all those who have ever lived. When someone dies, their name is blotted out of this Book of Life unless their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, which means they accepted Christ as their Savior. Their names are not removed from the Book of Life because they will never die, or in Scriptural terms, be separated from God. The Book of Works is the book from which God judges sinners. They have chosen to live by their own merit and their own works, instead of the merit and work of Christ. Their works will bring them eternal punishment because all human works are as filthy rags before a Holy God.

Revelation 20:14-15 – And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

All who stand before the Great White Throne will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. They will pay the price for their sin and be separated from God. This is the second death. Many don’t believe that a good God will torment His creation for eternity, but Scripture is clear that this will happen. God did not want or choose this, but He had no other choice. The price for sin must be paid and it has been by His Son, God Himself, Jesus Christ. We only need to accept it. If we do not, WE have chosen our eternity in the Lake of Fire, not God. He created it for the devil and his angels…not for man, but in our rebellion, our doubt, and our disbelief…we have put ourselves in the position of judgment. If we choose Christ, He has taken our place…if we do not, we must suffer the consequences of our actions. God IS a loving God, but He is holy, holy, holy! He cannot just wink at our sin and sweep it under the rug. God IS merciful, long-suffering, and gracious…but WE have to choose to accept His mercy, patience, and grace. All those who want their right to choose how to live their life have that choice, but our choices have consequences eternally just as they have consequences here on earth. If you want to choose God and not your pride…please e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com so that I can counsel you in your decision.

As sad and surreal as this truth is, I want to end this chapter on a very powerful and great note. Looking at the numbers: the fruitfulness of the earth and the slow aging of humans during the Kingdom allowing them to be at a child bearing age for hundreds of years; the fact that all of Israel will be saved; the fact that Christ’s physical presence on the earth will make the world an ideal place to raise children and the decision for salvation seemingly a “no-brainer”; and the fact that the majority of people will not die, will leave the world with probably more people on it after a thousand years than all those who lived from Adam to the Second Coming combined. What this means is that God will make it possible that more of the people He created will enter into eternity with Him than will end up in the Lake of Fire. I believe that this, more than anything else, is the reason for the one-thousand year delay between the end of the Tribulation and eternity. What an awesome and loving God we serve.

Until next time…God Bless!!

Revelation 20:6 – Thy Kingdom Come (Part III): It’s Purpose

Last post we saw the temple, and sacrifices that will happen during the Kingdom, but what about our lives and lifestyles? What is the purpose of the Kingdom? Why not just go into eternity? Why will Satan be released to deceive the nations one last time? Who will he deceive if all who enter are believers? These are the questions that we will see answered from Scripture today, and hopefully others.

Zephaniah 3:9 – For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

The entire world likely will learn one language. This language will probably be Hebrew or Aramaic, but also could be a heavenly language never spoken by man.

The Kingdom according to Zechariah

Zechariah 14:8-11 – 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. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

Living waters shall go out from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The Dead Sea, which is so full of salt nothing can live in it and the heaviest men float in it, will be healed and become inhabitable. The Mediterranean Sea will be made inhabitable again after the second
bowl judgment. Jesus will rule the whole earth and it will be peaceful. These, and more, are confirmed by Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 47:7-12 – Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 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. 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. 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, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 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.

Not only will the seas be healed, but the land in the paths of these waters will be full of plant life. These plants will be for food and healing. These rivers will be full of fish and other aquatic life. As we have seen, the world will be flat due to the seventh bowl judgment (Revelation 16:18-20). The only exception is Jerusalem (Ezekiel 14:10, see above)

Isaiah 2:2-4 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

The world capital of Christ will be raised high above all other lands.

Zechariah 14:16-19 – And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Every year, every nation will come to Jerusalem to worship Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. If any land does not come, they will face a plague of no rain. Apparently, Egypt will commit this sin because they are mentioned by name.

Joel 3:18 – And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

There will also be rivers of milk and new wine for us to drink.

The Kingdom according to Isaiah

(Isaiah 2:2-4, see above)

There will be no human 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. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The animals will no longer war either. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will sleep by the kid, and the lion will sleep by the calf. These are contrasts of the most vicious and defenseless animals that will get along without fear of each other. All of the animals of the earth will graze and eat
vegetation, and the little child will lead them all. The children of the Kingdom will be able to walk and play with all animals. The baby will play in the snake’s hole and small children will play in the vipers den without any fear of harm or injury.

Isaiah 30:26 – Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

The night will be as bright as the day is now, and the day will be seven times brighter than now.  The glory of Jesus will light the whole earth.

Isaiah 65:17-25 – For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 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. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, 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. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

The heavens (atmosphere) and earth will be made new. Let’s look at what new once was.

Genesis 1:6-8 – And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

What this is saying is, during creation, God took half of the waters of the earth and put them in the upper atmosphere, creating an earth-wide tropical environment, which is the firmament. This is probably what allowed men to live 700-900 years as they did in the early days of the earth, due to a global climate and “greenhouse effect”. When the flood of Noah came, the water in the upper atmosphere came down and eliminated that environment. That is why, after the flood, human life-span decreased dramatically. It seems God will reinstitute the firmament between heaven and earth, so the heavens will be made new by putting the water back in them. As the earth is flattened, there will be excess water that will need to be removed. Why do I say this? We see here that men will live as long as trees, and in fact, believers will never die, because the things of the old earth will not come into our hearts. The old world system was controlled by Satan. The pain of persecution and loss will be no more. Loved ones who rejected Christ likely won’t be thought about. Those who lived through the Tribulation are who this mostly may be referring to. All of these things could be what Isaiah means. There will be no more weeping. No more persecution, pain, or suffering. The glory of the Lord will bring peace to the hearts of men. Babies will no longer die before adulthood, and all children will live at least 100 years and be considered a child until their 100^th birthday. All those born to human parents (those who were raptured or have died at any point cannot have children according to Matthew 22:30) will have 100 years to accept Christ as Savior. They must do this because, though they will be born during the reign of Christ, they will still have a sin nature passed to them by the seed of man. If they do not accept Christ, they will be accursed and die on their 100^th birthday.  All of these that do will be Gentiles.  Remember, only one-third of the Jews that enter the Tribulation will enter the Kingdom. After that, as Paul says in Romans, all of Israel shall be saved. We will build our own houses, and grow our own food. We will no longer labor for someone else to enjoy the fruits of it; we will enjoy it ourselves for a long time. Before we call out to the Lord in prayer, He will answer. Everything will go back to its created state except the serpent. I will still be forced to eat dust.

This will be a wonderful time of peace, prosperity and worship…but remember we have not yet reached eternity. Man still has a sin nature, and that nature will reel its ugly head one more time before time ends and we enter into complete perfection. We will look at that in our next post.

Revelation 20:6 – Thy Kingdom Come (Part II): Rebuilding

Now that we have established that a literal interpretation of prophecy leads us only to a physical, one thousand year reign of Jesus on the earth; let’s see what Scripture says about this Kingdom. There are only three things John tells us about this Kingdom in Revelation: it’s timing, that it will happen, and how long it will last. Where we can go to learn some of the things about the Kingdom is the books of the Old Testament prophets.

The Kingdom According to Daniel

Remember, in this Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. He called his wise men to him and told them not only to interpret the dream, but first tell him what the dream was or they would all die. Daniel heard of this and he and his friends prayed that God would reveal both to them which he did. He found that the dream was of an image that had: a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, stomach and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay mixed (2:31-45). This was a dream of the future kingdoms to come. History reveals four of them to us; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The other two are yet to come. One is the revived Roman Empire. Remember, the ten toes represent the ten kings under Antichrist. In verses 34&35, Daniel tells us of a stone cut without hands that destroys the statue and the dust of the statue is carried away by the wind, while the stone spreads into a mountain that fills the whole earth. He describes this Kingdom in verse 44. It is the final world kingdom, the Kingdom of Christ. This will be an everlasting Kingdom in which we will go from this Kingdom into eternity with God as the head. Psalm 2:5-12 gives us a picture of the coming King ruling the whole world with a rod of iron.

Psalm 2:5-12 – Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

In Daniel 12, Daniel gives us some interesting information about the transition between the kingdom of Antichrist and the Kingdom of Christ. Remember, many posts ago we established that the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation would be the time Antichrist would have complete dominance, which is 1,260 days in the prophetic calendar (12, 30 day months which is the Jewish, lunar calendar). Now, look what Daniel says in Daniel 12:11-12.

Daniel 12:11-12 – And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

We have already seen that, from the time of the abomination of desolation to the return of Christ is 1,260 days. Now, Daniel speaks of a time from the abomination of desolation to a certain point being 1,290 days. Then, he says blessed is he that waits for and comes to the 1,335 days. So, what we see is that there is a 75 day gap between the Tribulation and the Kingdom. Here is the likely explanation for what will happen during those 75 days. Since the first 30 days come in reference to the temple, it is safe to assume that this is the time Christ will take to cleanse and rebuild the temple. I also believe that in the first couple days, He will cleanse the earth of unbelievers with the sheep and goats judgment, and resurrect the Old Testament Saints and Tribulation martyrs for their judgments. The final 45 days, I believe, is the time that He will spend rebuilding the earth. He built it with just spoken words in 6 days the first time, so just think of how marvelous it will be after 45 days of renovation. Those who live through these 75 days will enter into the Kingdom.

The Kingdom According to Ezekiel

The prophecies of Ezekiel take on a logical progression: chapters 36-37 speak of the return of Israel to their land which began in 1948, 38-39 speaks of Russia and other enemies of Israel coming down to attempt to destroy them when God intervenes which will happen either prior to the Tribulation or prior to the Millennium, and 40-48 speak of the Kingdom itself, particularly the temple and Jerusalem during the Millennium. To save space and time, I will not post these 8 chapters of Ezekiel right here, but invite you to read them for yourself sometime in your Bible. In a nutshell…this is what Ezekiel describes of the Millennial Temple. In these measurements, we are referring to a cubit as 18 inches, which is the common belief of the length of a cubit (some measure it as 21 inches, but that is more uncommon than the traditional 18 inch belief).

This temple will be larger than any other temple ever built. (40:10-42:20)

1. The profane place (most outer court/common area) will be 5,250 square feet. This alone will be about as large as the Old City in Jerusalem, which is one square mile.
2. The outer court will be 750 square feet
3. The inner court will be 450 square feet
4. The alter court will be just over 150 square feet
5. The temple area will be just over 150 square feet
6. The walls of the squares will be 10 ½ feet wide and 10 ½
   feet tall.
7. In each of the four corners of the outer court, there will be boiling places (kitchens) that are 45 feet by 60 feet 4 inches.
8. There will be a separate place outside the west wall of the temple area that is also 150 square feet.
9. The alter will be just over 29 square feet and be in the very center of the building.
10. It will have three gates: an east gate, a south gate, and a north gate. Jesus alone will enter into the east gate; no man will be allowed to enter by it. (44:1-3)
11. It will be 12 miles north of Jerusalem. A paved road will lead all from Jerusalem to the south gate of the new Temple
12. There will be sacrifices made in the new Temple. Ezekiel speaks of: burnt offerings (43:24-27; 45:17-25; 46:1-24), sin offerings (43:19-23; 45:17-25; 46:1-24), meat offerings (45:17-25; 46:1-24), trespass offerings (46:20), and peace offerings (43:27). The Levitical feasts will also be observed. The feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread will be combined as one (45:21), and we will also observe the Feast of Tabernacles (45:25). You may be asking, “If Jesus was the fulfillment of the law, and all of these sacrifices were made obsolete through Him, why will we be required to do them?” That is a very good question! Here is the likely reason. They will be a reminder of the work Christ did on the cross, just as the Lord’s Supper is for us today. In the Old Testament, they pointed to the work that was coming…in the Kingdom, they are a reminder of the work that was accomplished.
13. The prince will enter by the vestibule of the east gate to eat with the Lord. The prince is likely David. He will rule under Jesus and we will rule under him.
14. Jerusalem will be extended for the land of the Levites and the priests of Zadok (45:1-12). Their land will total about 40 square miles and the new temple will be in the middle of this land.

Here is a drawing of what this temple might look like from http://www.templemount.org/ezektmp.html

And a scale model from

http://www.sonstoglory.com/ThirdTempleEzekielsMillennialTemple.htm

 

Check out these websites for more pictures & info.

 

We see that this temple will be enormous and active. Why so big? Because it will be the only temple in the world for man to come and worship Jesus. Christ’s iron rod rule makes clear what is required in His Kingdom for all. Those who truly worship Him will love to remember what He’s done, just as today. Those who don’t, will not and they will be punished, as we will see in our next post. 

Until then…God Bless!!

Revelation 20:6 – Views of the Millennium

There are many pre-conceived biases about the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, making chapter 20 of Revelation one of the most controversial in all of Scripture. Revelation 20:1-7 six times mentions a thousand year reign of Christ. This in itself does not cause the controversy, but the timing of this event does because it conflicts with many concepts that theologians have had for years. This is the only place in all of Scripture that mentions the length of the earthly reign of Christ and leaves without a doubt that there will be such a Kingdom Age to anyone who believes that the Bible truly is the inspired Word of God. This Kingdom is one of the most frequent mentioned topics in all of Scripture, and is often labeled the Millennium which is derived from the Latin words mille, which means “one thousand”, and annum, which means year. This term is never used in Scripture, but has tended to be added to the Scriptural word for this time, “Kingdom”. This period will literally fulfill the prayer “thy kingdom come” in Matthew 6:10. The point of controversy again is not the Kingdom itself, but whether or not He Himself will bring the Kingdom or whether the world will get better and better allowing Christ to come to a righteous earth. Very few try to spiritualize Scripture to explain away the Kingdom all together.

The three concepts of the Kingdom are as follows: premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism.

Before examining the Kingdom itself, it is necessary to view these three concepts to examine where they stand in the light of Scripture. It is important that when we go into this we don’t attempt to try to make Scripture fit our doctrine, but allow Scripture to form our doctrine. Remove any pre-conceived notion and act as if this is all a new concept. I promise, the Word will reveal itself in all truth.

Premillennialism

This is the belief that Jesus will return to the earth before the Kingdom begins and His presence will institute the Kingdom. Generally speaking, the way one views the Scriptures will determine their view of the Kingdom. If one takes the Bible literally wherever possible, the only logical view is a pre-millennial view. Do you remember how we determined the only way to understand prophecy was, when we started this study? “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate text, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate otherwise.” Some scholars separate prophecy from other passages. They take Scripture literally unless they are dealing with prophecy. Belief in a loving God who is involved in our lives leaves us only the option of a literal view. If He gave us His plan for the end so that we can know it, why would it be wholly symbolic and thus left to endless interpretation? Virtually anyone who interprets Scripture literally has a pre-millennial view. With a literal view, it’s easy to determine that the people of the early church were premillennialists. They believed that Christ would come during their lives to establish His Kingdom. Also, Paul taught many times to live as if Christ could return at any moment. Paul also taught that there would be a falling away toward the end times. This meant that there would be a falling away from true doctrine and moral standard that seemed to stay fairly even for years (I Timothy 4).

During the time in which Constantine combined church and state toward the end of the third century, the spiritualizing of Scripture began to take over theological thought. As the Dark Ages came, which is the time when God’s word was banned from possession of church members, premillennialism all but died out. Not until after the Reformation was premillennialism revived. The first generation of reformers, such as John Calvin and Martin Luther, didn’t spend much time studying the Second Coming which kept their views still in line with the Roman church. They are not necessarily to blame for this because their main goal was teaching salvation by grace through faith and not the “end times”. Their reformation led the second generation of Bible scholars to re-inherit a literal interpretation of Scripture which allowed premillennialism to revive. As this view gained steam, by the 20^th century, Bible institutes sprang up in America with an overwhelming majority holding to premillennialism.

Amillennialism

This is the belief that there will be no literal Kingdom on the earth after the Second Coming of Christ. This is the view that arose from the spiritualization of prophecy starting in the late third century. They attribute the church to all the prophecies concerning Israel, which as we have seen is a huge mistake. This view was founded by Augustine who founded most of the doctrine of the Roman Church. The spiritualization of the doctrine of the Kingdom has left this view divided. Some believe that the millennium is being fulfilled now on the earth (Augustine), while others believe that the millennium is being fulfilled now in heaven (Kliefoth). Either way, they believe eternity begins at the Second Coming of Christ. They believe Satan was bound at the First Coming of Christ. In fact, Augustine wrote in his book The City of God that the present age was the battleground between “The City of God” and “The City of Satan” (Church vs. Rome). This battle would ultimately end with the church defeating the world, leading to the return of Christ followed by eternity. He taught on the basis of Luke 10:18, that Satan had been bound on the earth by Christ, and the fact that the Roman government under Constantine endorsed Christianity as the state religion showed that the Church was winning the battle. Amillennialism, being the doctrine of the dominant Roman church for hundreds of years, naturally had an effect on early reformers. People like John Calvin and Martin Luther took their cue from Augustine and adopted Amillennialism. These were men who were raised in the Roman church that God used in great ways, but they still were greatly influenced by what they had been taught throughout their lives. Because of this, Amillennialism flourished during the Reformation and is overwhelmingly the view of most Christians today. Most Amillennialists either come from the Roman church, natural or reformed, or are liberal in their thinking. It’s not correct to say that all Amillennialists are liberal, but it is correct to say all liberals are Amillennialists. One can’t hold this viewpoint without spiritualizing Scripture which, as we see, tends to cause different views and confusion. Another problem that we see is that the world is not getting better. In fact, it is getting worse. Murder and other violent crimes are on the rise, the family unit is failing, apostasy is taking over at an alarming rate, and wickedness is beginning to fill the earth. This is exactly what a literal interpretation of Scripture said would happen.

Postmillennialism

This is the view that Christ will return to a kingdom of peace. This is the youngest and newest of the three views and is virtually extinct at present time. This view says that the world will get better and better until it becomes fully Christianized, at which point Christ will return. This view was very popular at the turn of the twentieth century and was given more momentum because of the great revivals under Finney, Moody and others (not people who were necessarily postmillennial). The two World Wars, the Great Depression, the rise of Islam, and the rise of moral evil have caused its virtual extinction. It has made a limited resurgence in a group called Theonomists. Most that had this view now have an Amillennial view.

I told you all of this, not because I’m uncertain in my views or because I want to confuse you, but so that you would know what other people believe and know what they are talking about if you run into someone with an opposing view. For those of you who have been reading this blog for any length of time, from what I just described it is pretty easy for you to know my view without me telling you, but I am Premillennial in my views. There are many reasons why and I’ll name a few in just a moment, but since I believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture, this view is the only logical choice.

Why Premillennialism?

1. When Christ comes, he will separate the sheep and goats. The sheep will come into the Kingdom prepared for them while the goats will be sent to Hell and be resurrected for judgment after 1,000 years. Therefore Christ has to come before the Millennium. (Matthew 25).
2. When Christ comes, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years. We see in Revelation 12 that Satan is not bound, and in fact will still have access to God’s throne until the midpoint of the Tribulation. Therefore Christ has to come before the Millennium. (Revelation 20:1-3)
3. When Christ comes, Antichrist will be destroyed, but because Antichrist is to come before the Millennium there can be no Millennium before Christ comes. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:20).
4. When Christ comes at the Rapture, He will come like a thief in the night, so we are told to watch so that we are not caught unaware. Why would we be told to watch and wait for something that could be 1000 years away? This is what Postmillennialism leaves us with.

This is just 4 of many reasons why Scripture leaves us only a Premillennial view of the Kingdom.

Next time, we will begin to look at the details of the Kingdom and see what life will be like. Until then…God Bless!!

Revelation 20:4-6 – Thy Kingdom Come (Part I): Judgment

There is much Jesus has to do after the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty. As we saw last post, He begins His work on the earth by judging the Satanic Trinity. With these judgments, the antichrist and false prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire, and Satan is chained by an angel and sealed for 1000 years in the Bottomless Pit so that he can tempt and deceive those in the Kingdom no more till the thousand years are complete. With those three gone there are still many, dead and alive, left to judge.

These judgments will happen in the valley newly created through the Mount of Olives, created when Jesus lands on it, which seems to extend the Valley of Jehoshaphat. In fact, the name Jehoshaphat means “Jehovah judges”.

The Tribulation Martyrs

Revelation 20:4-6 – 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.

Here, we see that thrones come down from heaven. We don’t know how many thrones or who are on them except for one. I think the plural refers more to multiple judgments more than it refers to multiple judges…you’ll see why in a minute. We know, in either case, that Jesus is seated on one because He is the judge of man. The judgment referred to here is for those who were killed by the beast, the Antichrist. These are those who didn’t take his mark or worship his image. This is not all who didn’t take his mark and worship his image. There will be many “undecided’s” who will face the blade of Antichrist, but didn’t accept Christ as their Savior. Though they didn’t take the mark, their indecision was still a decision against Christ. They chose to control their own life and not submit it to the god of this world, Satan, or the one true God. These Tribulation martyrs will live and reign for 1000 years with Jesus in His Kingdom. Remember, this is the same opportunity that has been given the church. Though it took drastic measures for these to submit, they still reap the same rewards eternally through their salvation. The rest of the dead from the Tribulation will not live until the end of the Kingdom. These are the unbelievers of all ages. This judgment is the first resurrection. Just as the return of Christ comes in two phases: the Rapture, and the Glorious Appearing; the first resurrection comes in three: the church age saints, the Old Testament saints, and the Tribulation saints.

1. The Church Age Saints – As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, those who are dead “in Christ” will rise. The only time one can be in Christ is after the day of Pentecost when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in his people. They are those who accepted God’s gift of salvation. These will be resurrected at the time of the Rapture just before those who are alive are raptured.
2. The Old Testament Saints – These are those who were justified by faith (Romans 4) before the first coming of the Messiah. It seems that this will happen just after the Tribulation, according to Daniel 12:1-2 – And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 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. Here, deliverance is promised to Israel at the close of the Tribulation. There is a thought by some that compare Psalm 50:1-6 with Revelation 19:7-9 and think it will happen just before the Tribulation. Their main argument is that since Israel is in attendance as guests of the groom at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which is in Heaven just before the Return of Christ, Israel has to be resurrected before that. It’s a possibility, but I think that Daniel is pretty clear about the timing of this. Israel will be in attendance as spiritual beings (just their spirits and not with their bodies) and the supper could continue for a short time onto the earth after these judgments so those; Tribulation Israel, and the Tribulation Saints can be there in their glorified bodies.
3. The Tribulation Saints – We see here that those who are martyred by the Beast and Mystery Babylon will be resurrected after the Tribulation and before the Kingdom. In Revelation 6:10-11, the early martyrs of the Tribulation ask God when he will avenge their blood and God tells them it will happen when their number is complete. These martyrs will have fallen under the persecution of the one-world church, so we see that this will be the martyrs of both the beast and his one-world religion of the first half of the Tribulation.

All of those who are part of the first resurrection are blessed and holy. Blessed means happy, which only truly comes from God. Such happiness is linked with holiness. Perfect happiness is not attainable in this life due to sin. When we are in the presence of Christ, holiness prevails in us which brings perfect happiness. Those who receive this happiness can have no fear of the “second death”. This is the judgment that leads to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire. We will look at this very soon. These, like the church, will be priests and kings for 1000 years. Our jobs will be to rule under Christ and lead children in the Kingdom to a saving knowledge and relationship with Christ.

The Judgment of the Living Gentiles

Matthew 25:31-40 – When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 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: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 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: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The throne of His glory is His judgment throne. All nations here refer to all Gentile nations. He will separate them as sheep and goats and the sheep will be on His right. The sheep will enter into the Kingdom. They are the ones who helped Israel and did not persecute them, because when He says my brethren, He is speaking of the Jews, for He Himself was a Jew. These are the surviving Tribulation Saints that are not Jewish. They will enter into the Kingdom in their human bodies.

Matthew 25:41-46 – 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: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The goats will be on his left. They will enter into destruction. They are the ones who persecuted or ignored Israel during the Tribulation who survived the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty. These are the undecided’s and those who followed the Antichrist but weren’t part of his army.

The Judgment of Israel

We’ve seen the Gentile and martyr judgments, but where does the Israeli remnant fit in? When will they be judged?

Ezekiel 20 tells us that the Tribulation is when Israel will “pass under the rod” (v.37) of God’s judgment. This whole chapter is a short history of God’s mercy on Israel followed by their rebellion and the cycle of this that has continued throughout history. Zechariah 13:8 tells us that two-thirds of Israel will die during the Tribulation, but all of the remainder will be saved. This one-third will enter into the Kingdom having “passed” their judgment.

How will they get there, and how will they know which line to get into? I believe that God will bring all people supernaturally to the Mount of Olives in the valley that is made by His feet touching the ground. I also believe that God will speak to the hearts of men telling them where to go. There will be no arguing your case, no second chances. Those who are sheep follow their shepherd into His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and utopia. Those who are goats will spend 1000 years in Hell before their final judgment results in eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is not a game, it is not fantasy. The prophecies of Scripture, even today, are coming alive before our eyes. Have you made your eternal decision? Have you chosen to avoid all of this mess that we have talked about over the last couple months, or are you skeptical and need more evidence? Will the disappearance of millions of people change your mind? Are you sure? The devil is a great deceiver and without God, most will be deceived. If you are not willing now to submit yourself, why would you then? If you believe and have not received; receive today. It is God’s will that all be saved and come to repentance. Have you? Will you? If you will, or want more information, please e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com so that I can help.

Until next time…God Bless!!

Revelation 19:20-20:3 – The Binding of Satan

The Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty is over, the victory is ours. Jesus Christ the Lord, Savior, and Righteous Judge has fought, judged, and destroyed the armies of Antichrist with His Word, and left only flesh and blood for the birds and beasts to eat. He stands on the Mount of Olives as it is split in two and His heavenly army is behind Him. What happens now? The first thing that has to be done is prepare for the Kingdom in which Christ rules with an iron rod. To be able to do this, the Satanic Trinity has to be dealt with. In this section, we will see what God does to do this.

The evils of this world have been caused by the devil. No created being has brought more misery to beings both natural and supernatural than Lucifer. One-third of angels and the majority of the adult population of the world have followed him in his rebellion against God. This will provide them only what they have sought after in this life, separation from God. Those who have chosen to follow Satan will have earned what Jesus called “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41), but it was never God’s intent for man to inhabit this place. The decision was our alone, and it was made when we sinned and then rejected salvation from that sin.

The book of Revelation is not only a book unveiling God’s plan for the ages, but it is a book of ending. This section talks about the doom of Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet. Before we look at the ending of these beings, we need to look at the beginning of the head of them, Lucifer.

The Origin of Satan

Since the devil is a living being, he has to have been created. If God is good and created all things, how could he have created something so evil? This is one of the questions of skeptics and unbelievers, and I believe it is a valid question for honestly seeking people. Ezekiel 28:11-19 gives us the answer to how this can be. In the first section of Ezekiel 28, we see what God has to say about the king of Tyrus. The next section goes beyond the king of Tyrus to a supernatural being for a few reasons.

Ezekiel 28:11-19 – Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

These can be said of no man during that time, or any time: He was the sum of perfection, in wisdom and beauty; he has been in Eden; he is the anointed cherub (a type of angel); and he was on the holy mountain of God. Obviously this has to be Satan. Look at how God describes him to Ezekiel. He was the sum of perfection, the wisest and most beautiful of the angels. The stones he is clothed in talked about in verse 13 are the stones on the breastplate of the High Priest of Israel, so he had a role similar to that in heaven. He was THE anointed cherubim, which shows that he was in charge of those who always stand before the throne of God, so he led the worship of God in heaven in heart and in song (the workmanship of tabrets & pipes refer to his musical ability). In Isaiah 14:12, he is called “the son of the morning” which basically means the morning star. He was put as the leader over the angels. It seems Lucifer was the greatest of God’s creations.

The Fall of Satan

He was perfect in every way until sin was found in him. He became full of pride because of his beauty, wisdom, and splendor and corrupted himself due to this. Isaiah 14 gives us a more detailed picture of Satan’s attitude.

Isaiah 14:12-25 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

He, in his pride, believed he was greater than God. This attitude constituted his sin, but God promises that he, his kingdom (Babylon), and his man (the Assyrian – Antichrist) will be brought down, humbled, and cast away for all eternity!

In both of these texts, the king of Tyrus and the king of Babylon seem that they were indwelt by Satan himself. These are oracles written to those kings followed by God’s chastisement of Satan in them. That is the picture we get and it is a common one in Scripture. Satan uses human government to work against the will of God, just like he will be allowed to do during the Tribulation.

The Problem of Evil

Having looked at all of this, we still haven’t answered our main question: if God is good and created all things, how could He have created something so evil? Well, God IS good and He IS holy, holy, holy. He could not have created evil because it is opposite His nature and He can’t do anything opposite His nature. Here’s the problem that people have…Satan could not have created evil either. Nowhere in Scripture do we see Satan create anything from nothing, just as man can’t create something from nothing. Like other of God’s creations with a free will, he can manufacture items from the things God has created. So, in truth, Satan took the perfect forces created by God combined them with imperfect forces (his mind and pride), and manufactured evil. So evil is the misapplication of the perfect creation of God. For example, table salt has a main ingredient of sodium which is one of the essentials of life; but if you mix it with the wrong chemicals, it can become a deadly poison. So just a chemist doesn’t create poison but manufactures it, Satan manufactured poison with the things God already created. This shows us something very important. It shows us that evil is the matter of our will and that the basic force used in evil is pride. Satan said; “I will ascend“, “I will make myself“. I will, I will, my will, forget God’s will. Those who pit their evil will against God’s perfect will commit evil and bring God’s judgment. It is against God’s will for us to sin, but He still made a way for us. He has given us the opportunity to get back in His will by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, yet most still only care about their own will and what they want…living life based on their own pride.

The Conflict of the Ages

Because Satan believes that he is greater than God, he has done everything he can to corrupt and destroy God’s special creature, the human being. Ever since he deceived Eve, and through her Adam, he has attempted to destroy God’s promised “seed of the woman”. He had Cain murder Abel eliminating the first two sons of Eve. He corrupted the human race through sin so much that, after only 1600 years, only 8 people sought after God’s will, Noah’s family. After the flood, he used Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler to attempt to eliminate God’s chosen people. He attempted many times to kill and tempt Jesus and all his attempts failed. He has tried to destroy the church with persecution, complacency, corruption, paganism, and the banning of Scripture from church members. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church, and though the church is not fully where God wants it as a whole, He has kept His word. In the future, Satan will be given seven years to do his will and he will corrupt the world so greatly that Jesus says no one would survive unless He returns when He does. In the end, he will corrupt two men so greatly that they will be the first to face their eternal judgment.

The Fate of Antichrist and the False Prophet

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.

The antichrist and the false prophet will be the first people thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the eternal place for those who reject Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:10-15). Hell, now, is only the temporary abode of those who rejected Christ to follow their own will. These two will be there, in the Lake of Fire, alone for a thousand years.

Revelation 19:21 – 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.

We finish chapter 19 with the conclusion of what we’ve already looked at in the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty.

Satan Bound

Revelation 20:1-3 – And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.

After the battle is won and Antichrist and the false prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire, an angel comes with a key and a chain. The key is for the bottomless pit, which is the same pit that chapter 9 describes containing the demon locusts and 200 million horseman, but we are not told if it is the same angel. This key represents the authority God has over Satan. The chain is brought to restrict Satan from interaction with humanity. The angel binds him in the chain to be imprisoned for 1000 years and sets a seal upon him. This seal is God’s guarantee that he cannot escape sooner and that God’s mind will not be changed. Satan is bound here so that he cannot tempt or deceive humanity during the Millennial Kingdom. Because of this, the majority of those living during the Millennium will be believers. After a thousand years, he will be released for a short time, which we will look at soon.

As we see, the Tribulation does not end the conflict between God and Satan because the bottomless pit is not the final judgment of Satan. God will still allow him one more opportunity to exploit the free will of man. Even after living in utopia, many humans will still care only about their will. Satan will deceive so many that John describes them as numbering as the sands of the sea. You can follow down this path and face only destruction, or you can go from saying “my will be done” and finally say “thy will be done”. The choice is yours alone. If you want to make this choice…e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com and I will help you with any questions you may have.

Until next time…God Bless!!

Revelation 19:17-19 – The Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty

Now that we have seen the details of the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ, we will look at the details of the events that happen as a result of His coming. Often called “The Battle of Armageddon”, the one day war that takes place between the armies of heaven and the armies of the world is so much more than just one battle at a place the Hebrews call Armageddon. In fact, Armageddon is only one of four battles in which Jesus destroys His enemies. This is possibly the most misunderstood and misnamed event in all of prophecy, but we will see the full scope of what will happen on this great day. Since the Glorious Appearing is such a climactic event, we can expect to see many references about it in Scripture. Many of our references come from the Old Testament prophets.

Revelation 19:17-19 – And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Now, let’s put it all together.

The Battle of Edom

Isaiah 63:1-6 – Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

This is where Christ likely will come first. This is where Israel has been protected and sustained by God for 3 ½ years. He will gather the remnant to join His army, and protect Israel from the final onslaught of Antichrist. The red dyed garments that are blood stained are the same as in Revelation 19:13. These descriptions of this man can only be of Jesus: Moving in the greatness of His strength, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save, treading the winepress alone (see also Revelation 14:20), his day of vengeance has come, the year of His redeemed has come, and the battle is fought by Him alone. In this battle, He will conquer the armies that have come to destroy the Jews in the wilderness once and for all.

The Battle of Armageddon

Revelation 16:12-16 – And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Ezekiel 39:17-22 – And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

Let’s review what we’ve already seen about this. The sixth bowl will dry up the Euphrates River, which makes a clear path for the armies of the east to come and join the armies of Antichrist. The three froglike spirits are released by the Satanic Trinity to deceive the kings into sending their armies to the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty. History shows us that the Valley of Megiddo has seen its fair share of bloodshed in the past. Napoleon himself called it the greatest battleground on earth. There have been at least 14 major battles fought in this valley alone with generals like: Ramses, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, Pompeii, Titus, and St. Louis of France. Satan and his people have battled God and His people in this area before. The carnage of this battle is described in Ezekiel 39:17-22 and Revelation 19:17-18, both have been read above. Due to this battle, the birds and beasts will drink the blood and eat the flesh of the men and horses of the Antichrist’s armies. This is called the supper of the great God. So, as you see, putting Ezekiel 39:17-22 and Revelation 16:13-26; 19:17-18 together, we find the armies of man coming from all over the earth to be slain by Jesus, leaving nothing but food for the animals of the earth.

The Battle of the Valley of Jehoshaphat

Joel 3:1-2, 9-17 – For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land…Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

On this day there are “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision”. The decision is no longer in the hands of man, but in the hands of God. Those who are in this valley have decided to follow the king of this world, and though their minds will be changed, Jesus will decide in judgment that they are guilty of their own sin.

Revelation 14:14-20 – And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

He will thrust in His sickle and judge the nations and find them lacking. He will throw them into the winepress of God, crushing them. The results of them being crushed are that blood fills the valley for 184 miles (1600 furlongs), and will be about 4 feet deep (the average height of a horse’s bridal).

The Battle of Jerusalem

Zechariah 14:1-3 – Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Zechariah 14 gives us a gruesome picture of what the Antichrist and his army will do to the Jews in Jerusalem on this day. What will happen is that one-half of the city will be destroyed and captured and the houses will be ransacked and the women of Israel raped. As terrible as this is, there is still hope because Jesus will come to avenge His people.

Zechariah 12:1-9 – The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

At this time, Jerusalem will be made a cup that sends the nations reeling and an immovable rock for those who would attack it. This is so much so that they who attack it will be cut in pieces by the sword from the mouth of the Lord. During this time, their horses will be confused and blinded (yes, I believe it is clear that Antichrist, in his arrogance, will send most of His armies to attack on horseback while still using today’s weaponry). The riders of these horses will also be struck dumb. Then, Jesus will come to defend Jerusalem and destroy all the nations.

The Lord Lands on the Earth

Zechariah 14:4-9 – 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. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 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. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

While defending Jerusalem, He will put His feet down on the Mount of Olives,
the very place from which He ascended (I believe it would be in the EXACT footprints from which He left). When He lands it will cause the mount to split from east to west. This will provide a safe place for the Jews until Christ finishes the battle. When He comes, some changes to the earth for the Kingdom will come immediately. These are: the sun, moon, and stars will not give light any longer, and it will always be daytime, because Jesus is the light of the world and will light the world with His glory.

What a day that will be! I hope you are ready! If not, e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com for more information!

Until next time…God Bless!!

 

Revelation 19:11-16 – The Glorious Appearing

The gloves are off, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and the Jews are safe in their place protected by God. Babylon has been destroyed, the Euphrates has dried up, and the armies of the world have gathered in the Valley of Megiddo. The time in which Jesus himself told us “and except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…” (Matt. 24:22a) has finally come. The moment that all of creation has waited for since Adam took that bite in the forbidden fruit has come: the bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is easily the most exciting event in the history of humanity. This event is so anticipated that Paul tells us in Romans that even the plants, animals, and the earth itself are even today groaning and travailing in anticipation of Christ’s Kingdom (Romans 8:19-23). In His first coming He came as Servant and Savior; in His return, He will come as King and Judge.

Both the Old and New Testament speak of a literal, physical, and visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth. This return was one of the first recorded prophecies given to man, Enoch the seventh from Adam (Jude 14&15), and it is the last message of the Bible (Revelation 22:20). The majority of prophecy (which is 20% of the Bible) is about this very event. There are actually many times more references to this event in the Old Testament than the first coming of Christ. The world has waited, the world is ready…how and when will it happen?

The Final Moments of Sinful Earth

Matthew 24:29-30 – 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: 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.

It will happen exactly 7 years from the unholy alliance between Antichrist and Israel, because He says “immediately after the Tribulation of those days”. Many believe it will happen 7 years after the Rapture, but again the Rapture does not begin the Tribulation, the treaty between Antichrist & Israel does (Daniel 9:27). At this time, the lights will go out on the earth, because the sun and moon will be darkened. Why this happens is likely so that no other light will take away the attention or glory from Jesus. The stars will fall from the sky. These stars could be the hail that we saw described in Revelation 16:21, but it likely just means that they also will no longer shine. Along with this, the largest earthquake the world has ever seen will occur (Revelation 16:18). As we saw, this will divide the ruins of Babylon into three parts, it will destroy all major cities, and all islands and mountains will disappear. The powers of the heavens shall be shaken is a reference to what will happen with the sun, moon, and stars and how they will be effected by the power of Jesus. When the sky is dark, the sign of Jesus will appear in the sky. No one knows what this sign is or what it will look like, but it’s obvious that it will be plainly seen. This will signal to all that the imminent return of Jesus is upon them. Those who are ready will rejoice, but those who are not will mourn. They are the tribes of the earth because they are worldly in their thoughts and process. We will see Jesus
come in the clouds with power and great glory.

Revelation 19:11 – And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

When He appears, He will be riding a white horse. This is in stark contrast to his triumphal entry into Jerusalem one week before his crucifixion (John 12:1-15). Then, He rode in on the lowliest of beasts, a donkey, and came as a knowing and willing sacrifice. He came as a servant to Jerusalem prepared to drink of the cup given to Him by God. This time He rides in as a king would, on a white horse, prepared to rule. This is different than the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6. That man came on a white horse also as a king, but his kingdom brought death, destruction, and persecution. Christ’s kingdom will bring life, peace, and perfection. He is called Faithful and True because He is the only thing totally faithful and true, always. This is opposite of what the world has faced for the last 7 years with the Antichrist, the master deceiver. Also, the prophecies of Jesus will fully be revealed as faithful and true. When He comes, He comes to judge in righteousness because He is the righteous warrior. The world has only known war in its existence, and most wars have been solely for selfish reasons. He comes to stop all this. His battle is fully righteous and will end all war.

Revelation 19:12 – His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

His eyes are flames of fire because he sees and judges all. He has many crowns on His head because He will rule all nations, and He will come with all authority. He has a name written on Him no man knows because He is God, and full of glory. Even in heaven, we cannot fathom Him completely.

Revelation 19:13 – And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

He wears a robe dipped in blood which represents the bloodshed that He brings to his enemies. His name is the Word of God. This, just as in John 1, is from the Greek “logos” literally meaning “the expression”. John is the only writer who uses this word to describe Jesus, therefore showing that this is Jesus. At this time, every eye shall see Him. (Revelation 1:7 – Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.) Everyone in heaven, hell, and on the earth will witness His return.

Matthew 24:31 – And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

He will gather all of His people. Some believe that this refers to a second rapture of either the Old Testament, or Tribulation Saints to meet in heaven, prepare for battle, and come back to earth with Christ. Without being dogmatic, I’ll give you my opinion. I believe, at this trumpet, all the believers around the world will be called together at Edom to join the Lord’s army. I believe it is a type of Rapture, but not one that takes people to Heaven.

Revelation 19:14 – And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

He is accompanied by a heavenly army who ride white horses also. They are coming to rule with him (Revelation 1:6a – And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father). They wear white linen which symbolizes righteousness. This army consists of angels, Old Testament saints, the church, and martyred Tribulation saints.

Revelation 19:15 – 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.

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword. His word is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), so the only weapon used to destroy the armies of the world is the Word of God. As He speaks, men will fall. He will rule this world with a rod of iron. He is coming to bring the earth back to an Edenic, perfect state. When it is accomplished, this will usher in His Kingdom. The winepress is referring to Revelation 14:17-20. We will review and explain this in the next post.

Revelation 19:16 – And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

He has another name written on His robe and his thigh, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. A warrior goes into battle with a weapon on his thigh, but instead of a weapon, His thigh will contain His name in which there is great power.

He will battle the armies of Antichrist at four locations. The details will be viewed next post.

1. Edom (Isaiah 63:1-6) – He will pick up and rescue the Jews from their refuge and bring them with Him.
2. The Valley of Megiddo (Revelation 16:12-16)
3. The Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:1-2, 9-17)
4. Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9)

Then, He will finally set foot on earth at the exact place from which he left; the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:3-5). When He does, the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west. It is interesting to note that many seismologists say that there is a natural fault already in the middle of the mount, which at the time of this writing couldn’t have been known.

The term Glorious Appearing is never used by John in Revelation. It is used though by Paul in Titus 2:13 when he says “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ“. To those on the earth who have not accepted Christ as their Savior, this will not be a Glorious Appearing, but it will be a wretched curse. They will have missed the greatest truth, made perfectly plain for the last 7 years, and they will face eternal damnation. The blessed hope Paul speaks of in this verse is the Rapture. We all have an opportunity to be spared these seven years today by accepting Jesus as our personal Savior. If you haven’t and don’t, the blessed hope of the church will lead to the worst seven years the world has ever, and will ever face. Will it take the Rapture and the Tribulation to get your attention, or has God already gotten your attention? If He is just now getting it, please, make the decision to be His child before it is too late. Please, e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com if you would like more information about this.

Until next time…God Bless!!