Part Seven: Eternal Kingdom

Transcription

1 Part Seven: Eternal Kingdom Chapter 26: The Rapture The word, rapture comes from the Latin word, rapturo, found in the translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Greek term, harpazo, means to seize or to snatch. The rapture of the church is the event at which Christ gathers His church, dead and living, to meet Him in the air to be with them always. A primary reference is found in 1 Thessalonians 4: (1Th 4:13 18 / ESV) 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1. The Thessalonian context: a. The Thessalonians were concerned over departed loved ones. b. The truth of the rapture was meant as an encouragement. 2. Three views concerning the time of the rapture. a. Pretribulational: The rapture occurs prior to the Tribulation. b. Midtribulational: The rapture occurs half way through the Tribulation. (See also Pre Wrath Position of Rosenthal) c. Posttribulational: The rapture occurs after the Tribulation. 3. One argument for a pretribulational rapture a. The Holy Spirit is the central to the existence of the church. b. If He is removed, the church must go too. c. He is removed prior to the Tribulation (2Thes 2:7). NB. Verse 8 ( And then the lawless one will be revealed... ) d. Therefore, the rapture is pretribulational. e. Within this section, (2 Thessalonians 2:1 17) Paul is addressing a particular concern of the troubled Thessalonian church, which has been Page 82

2 mistakenly told that the Day of the Lord had already come. To the contrary, Paul instructs them to continue to hold the teaching already given them for the Day of the Lord had not yet come. f. Note that the text original Greek text refers to the one who restrains both in the masculine and in the neuter. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit (τὸ κατέχον/ to katechon / neuter). He is the Person who restrains (ὁ κατέχων /ho katechōn / masculine). (2Th 2:1 8 / ESV) 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 4. In other words, the rapture is Pentecost in reverse. a. In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit s coming is central to the formation and identity of the church. Jesus had instructed His disciples to wait for this coming. Only subsequent to Pentecost does the church exist. b. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to baptize each believer and place him into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). (1Co 12:13 / ESV) ESV 1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit. c. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6 7, the removal of the Holy Spirit is the reverse process of Pentecost. With the departure of the Holy Spirit would come the departure of the church almost by definition because it is the Holy Spirit who baptizes and places believers into the church. d. As such the rapture occurs prior to the revelation of the man of lawlessness. The rapture would therefore be pretribulational. Page 83

3 Chapter 27: The Tribulation The Tribulation is a future seven year period, corresponding to Daniel s 70th week, in which God pours out His wrath on mankind. The confrontation between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan comes to a dramatic clash as the judgments of heaven are played out on earth. During this time Satan will be hurled to the earth, and mankind will experience his cruel rebellion and anger. There are a number of words used in both the Old and New Testaments to describe the seventieth week period, which, when considered together, give us the essential nature or character of this period: (1) wrath (Rev. 6:16 17; 11:18; 14:19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 1 Thess. 1:9 10; Zeph. 1:15, 18); (2) judgment (Rev. 14:7; 15:4; 16:5 7; 19:2); (3) indignation (Isa. 26:20 21; 34:1 3); (4) punishment (Isa. 24:20 21); (5) hour of trial (Rev. 3:10); (6) hour of trouble (Jer. 30:7); (7) destruction (Joel 1:15); (8) darkness (Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:14 18; Amos 5:18). It must be noted that these references describe the period in its entirety, not just a portion of it, so that the whole period bears this characterization. 1 The Bible gives two purposes for the Tribulation: the testing of those who live on earth, and the preparation of Israel for the coming of her King. Neither of these purposes has a direct relation to the church, which is an indication that the Tribulation pertains to Daniel s seventieth week and the fulfillment of prophecy to Israel, not the church. 2 The Day of the Lord The Day of the Lord begins with the great Tribulation and continues through the thousand year Millennial Kingdom. The Day of the Lord is reference both in the Old and New Testaments. (Isa. 13:6, 9; Isa. 58:13; Jer. 46:10 Ezek. 13:5; Ezek. 30:3; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 11, 31; Joel 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obad. 1:15; Zeph. 1:7, 14; Mal. 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Co. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10) (Isa 13:9 16 / ESV) 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. 11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. 1 J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come : A Study in Biblical Eschatology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Academie Books, 1964), Ibid., 198. Page 84

4 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. 15 Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. God s Wrath 1. Three sets of judgments on the earth a. Seven seals judgments (Rev. 6; 8:1) b. Seven trumpets judgments (Rev. 8:2 9:21; 11:15 19) c. Seven bowls judgments (Rev. 16) Seals Trumpets Bowls 2. Still mankind refuses to repent (Rev 9:20 21 / ESV) 20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Timing of the Tribulation Daniel s seventieth week (Daniel 9:24 27) The Tribulation begins with signing of covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. (Dan 9:27 / ESV) 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator." Page 85

5 3. The Tribulation can be divided in two halves (3.5 yrs). a. 3.5 years of relative peace b. 3.5 years of destruction Satan s False Kingdom False Kingdom Satan s counterfeit kingdom is headquartered in Babylon, as is revealed in Revelation as Babylon the Prostitute a political and religious harlot of the earth. The judgments on Babylon in Revelation stand in stark juxtaposition to the revealing of God s glorious kingdom, headquartered in the New Jerusalem, as revealed in Revelation False Trinity As the best lie is always a little shy of the truth, Satan s rebellion also includes a false trinity. 1. Satan = Dragon (Revelation 12) a. hurled to earth b. attacks Israel c. attacks saints 2. Antichrist (Rev 13:1 4 / ESV) ESV Revelation 13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" 3. False Prophet (Rev 13:11-15 / ESV) 11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. Page 86

6 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 4. Together, Satan + Antichrist + False Prophet counterfeit the Father + Son + Holy Spirit. Mark of the Beast [666] In order to engage in any buying or selling during the Tribulation, the antichrist forces all the earth to receive a mysterious mark: 666. (Rev 13:16-18 / ESV) 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Two Witnesses God sends two witnesses during this period who continually testify before the world. These witnesses are martyred in Jerusalem, but are miraculously raised from the dead three and a half days later. (Rev 11:3 12 / ESV) 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, Page 87

7 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. Chapter 28: Armageddon To review: Before the middle of the Tribulation, the Western ruler, Antichrist (the man of sin), keeping his treaty with Israel, will invade and conquer Egypt. At that point the Russian armies from the north will invade and overrun Palestine, and when all appears hopeless for both Antichrist and Israel, God will step in and supernaturally destroy Russia s northern armies. This will give the man of sin a free hand to break his covenant with Israel, set himself up to be worshiped, and try to conquer the world. As he proceeds with his program, however, the nations of the Orient will unite and attempt to stop him. To do this, they will march west into Palestine. The sixth bowl judgment will dry up the Euphrates River, speeding their entry into the Promised Land. In the meantime, Antichrist will have planted himself firmly in Palestine as a religious and political ruler. The battlefield in which the armies from East and West will meet will be the plain of Esdraelon, the area around the mountains of Megiddo In the midst of the battle, the Lord Jesus Christ will return, and the armies of heaven will conquer the armies of earth (Rev. 19:11 21). The carnage will be unbelievable (14:20; Zech. 14:2). 477.) (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1986), p. (Rev 16:12 16 / ESV) 12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Page 88

8 Explanation Armageddon is not a single battle (mach, but rather, a campaign (polemoj) of battles occurring throughout Tribulation or at least during the latter 3.5 years (or at last 3.5 years culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The area of Megiddo is located north of Jerusalem, but fifteen miles south of Bethlehem and Nazareth, in Galilee. The biblical history of Megiddo records Gideon s victory over Midian (Judges 7), as well as Saul s death at the hands of the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:8). A Kingdom Divided Armageddon is more than an earthly battle. The armies of the kingdom of Satan have amassed against each other, as well as against the Kingdom of God. Satan s kingdom is divided and on the verge of collapse. Jesus said that If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. (Mar 3:24 26 / ESV) 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 1. Kings of the South Egypt et al KINGS OF THE SOUTH Egypt & African Allies Reports from east Daniel alarm Antichrist 11:40 45 To review: Before the middle of the Tribulation, the Western ruler, Antichrist (the man of sin), keeping his treaty with Israel, will invade and conquer Egypt. (Dan 11:40 45 / ESV) 40 "At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. Page 89

9 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. 2. Kings of the North KINGS OF THE NORTH Russia et al (Ezekiel 38 39) Russia Gog of Magog Ezekiel 38:2 Iran Persia Ezekiel 38:5 Ethiopia? Cush Ezekiel 38:5 Libya Put Ezekiel 38:5 Germany Gomer Ezekiel 38:6 Turkey Beth Togarmah Ezekiel 38:6 The kings of the North will seek to invade Israel during the time of Tribulation. God Himself will defend Israel and will defeat the northern armies on the mountains of Israel. (Eze 38:10 12 / ESV) 10 "Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,' 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. (Eze 38:18 23 / ESV) 18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. Page 90

10 22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. 23 So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. 3. Kings of the East drying up of Euphrates KINGS OF THE EAST some sort of Oriental coalition probably includes China (200 million troops) The kings of the East will unite, and with an army over 200 million strong, will march west into Palestine against the Antichrist. The Euphrates River will dry up allowing entry into Israel. (Rev 16:12 / ESV) 12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. (Rev 9:16 / ESV) 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 4. Antichrist (Revived Roman Empire) Covenant of Peace with Israel (Dan 9:27) BEAST Roman Empire 10 nation confederacy of revived Roman Empire Antichrist moves into Jerusalem (Dan 11:45) The Antichrist, or Beast, will establish a covenant of peace with Israel and will move into Jerusalem in order to guarantee this peace. Three and a half years into the Tribulation, he will break this covenant and pursue Israel into the wilderness in order to destroy her. What is most important to note is that the kings of the North, South and East, as well as the Antichrist, stand in opposition to each other as well as to the armies of the Lord. Satan s kingdom is truly divided and is about to be overthrown. Page 91

11 Chapter 29: Second Coming The Event In His first coming, Jesus was found as a baby, inconspicuously born in a stable of Bethlehem. His glory was veiled, His features ordinary, and His presence unobtrusive. There was no army, no entourage, no courtiers and no royal robes. He came, lived among men, proclaimed the kingdom of God in complete obedience to the Father, performed the miraculous signs and wonders of the kingdom, offered forgiveness of sins but was ridiculed, rejected, beaten and ultimately crucified. In his second coming, Jesus will be revealed in all His divine glory as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be accompanied by the armies of the hosts of heaven and the returning saints. This time He will be globally visible in all the splendor of His majesty. (Mat 24:27 30 / ESV) 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 1. Comparing the Second Coming to the Rapture (Zec 14:4 / ESV) 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. RAPTURE SECOND COMING place air Mount of Olives time before Tribulation after Tribulation character twinkle war torn direction from earth to earth purpose take church bring the Kingdom Page 92

12 2. Comparing the First Coming to the Second Coming (Zec 9:9 / ESV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zec 14:3 / ESV) 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. FIRST COMING SECOND COMING visibility veiled revealed character Lamb Lion place Bethlehem Jerusalem purpose Offer Kingdom Present Kingdom result Rejection Worship King of Kings He is coming in judgment, and coming to rule the nations with a rod of iron. (Rev 19:11 16 / ESV) 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Mat 24:38 41 / ESV) Page 93

13 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Chapter 30: Millennial Kingdom Earthly Reign The Millennial Kingdom is a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth as promised in the covenants with Israel. During this period, he will rule the nations with a rod of iron, the devil will be bound, and though sin will not yet be totally eradicated, peace will prevail. (Rev 20:1 4 / ESV) down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Covenants Fulfilled To Israel Abrahamic Land Davidic King (Jesus) New Covenant People (Psa 2:8 9 / ESV) 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Isa 11:6 9 / ESV) leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. Page 94

14 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Subjects of the Kingdom Essentially, there are two distinct groups of people who enter the Millennial Kingdom: 1) those who are saved and return with Jesus; and 2) those who are saved who make it through the Tribulation. The first group includes those who have died in Christ, or had been raptured. These people have been glorified, and have received resurrection bodies. They do not marry, neither do they procreate. The second group is those who have come through the Tribulation, have received the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore have passed through the Sheep and Goat judgment, and enter the kingdom. They have yet to be glorified, have not died, and do not yet have resurrection bodies. They are able to marry and to procreate. It is from this second group that a third group of Millennial citizens comes: children are born during Millennial Kingdom. These children still possess a sin nature, and still need to receive the forgiveness of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Apparently, many of these people choose not to receive Christ because by the end of the thousand years, Satan is able to deceive many and convince them to rebel against the Lord. These unregenerate people comprise a fourth group that comes into being during the Millennial Kingdom: the unsaved. Group Status How They Enter The Kingdom 1. Saved before Tribulation 2. Saved during Tribulation 3. Saved during Millennium 4. Unsaved in Millennium Glorified not yet glorified not yet glorified in rebellion from Glory Sheep & Goat Judgment by birth by birth Final Rebellion The end of this thousand year reign will see the release of Satan from his prison in hell. He will go out, deceive the nations, and bring one final rebellion Page 95

15 against Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Jesus will put a swift end to this rebellion and the Millennial Kingdom comes to a close and eternity is about to be ushered in. (Rev 20:7 10 / ESV) will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Chapter 31: Judgments The Bible records three main judgments in the end times: 1) The Judgment Seat of Christ; 2) The Sheep and Goat Judgment; 3) The Great White Throne Judgment. Each of these judgments is distinct from the others in who is being judged, what is being judged, when and where the judgment takes place, and what the final result of judgment will be. Judgment Seat of Christ (2Co 5:10 / ESV) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (1Co 3:10 15 / ESV) 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Page 96

16 WHO WHEN WHERE WHAT RESULT Judgment Seat of Christ Christians during Tribulation Heaven of works done reward or loss Sheep and Goats (Mat 25:31 41 / ESV) 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. WHO WHEN WHERE WHAT RESULT Sheep & Goat Judgment Those who lived through Tribulation after Tribulation Valley of Jehoshaphat faith in action entrance into Kingdom Page 97

17 Great White Throne (Rev 20:11 15 / ESV) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. WHO WHEN WHERE WHAT RESULT Great White Throne Judgment Unbelievers after Millennium Heaven Unbelief in Christ Hell Chapter 32: Eternal Rest Going Down in Flames The Bible describes the end of the old order as destruction in flames encompassing the entire universe, for the entire universe groans as a result of the kingdom warfare. (Rom 8:22 / ESV) 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (2Pe 3:10 / ESV) 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. God will one day make an entirely new heavens and new earth in which we will dwell with resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15) with Jesus. What exactly this new heavens and new earth will be like, we are not told. We are only given the picture in Revelation Page 98

18 (1Co 2:9 / ESV) 9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" (Rev 21:1 4 / ESV) ESV Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Sabbath Rest: Eternity We will spend eternity with God, fellowshipping with Him in the most intimate of relationship. This eternal relationship was seen as a snapshot in the seventh day of creation and in the day of Sabbath rest under the Law. Its fulfillment is in the Eternal Rest. (Heb 4:3 / ESV) 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Heb 4:6 11 / ESV) 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Page 99

19 It Is Finished 1. All may come to Jesus and enter into His kingdom and His rest. (Rev 21:6 7 / ESV) 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 2. We must all count the cost. (Mat 16:24 26 / ESV) 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Luk 14:27 33 / ESV) 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God s people. Amen. Page 100