Your Kingdom Come FOR DISCUSSION. ENCOUNTER read God s word so that He can speak to you. The Word s Last Night and Other Essays, pp ).

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1 S ome day.. an absolute correct verdict if you like, a perfect critique will be passed on what each of us is. We have all encountered judgment or verdicts on ourselves in this life.... We always hope that those who so clearly think us cowards or bullies are ignorant and malicious; we always fear that those who trust us or admire us are misled by partiality. I suppose the experience of the final judgment (which may break in upon us at any moment) will be like these little experiences, but magnified to the Nth. Your Kingdom Come For it will be infallible judgment. If it is favorable we shall have no fear, if unfavorable, no hope that it is wrong. We shall not only believe, we shall know, beyond doubt in every fiber of our appalled or delighted being, that as the Judge has said, so we are: neither more nor less nor other. We shall perhaps even realize that in some dim fashion we could have known it all along. We shall know and all creation will know too: our ancestors, our parents, our wives or husbands, our children. The unanswerable and (by then) self-evident truth about each will be known to all. (C.S. Lewis, The Word s Last Night and Other Essays, pp ). FOR DISCUSSION Paul writes that They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too (Romans 1:32). Do you see that people really acknowledge a future judgment? Why or why not? And in what way do they or don t they? ENCOUNTER read God s word so that He can speak to you. Revelation 20: Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived

2 them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 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. EXAMINE what the passage says before you decide what it means. Circle first resurrection Draw a box around second death Underline every thousand years Put brackets [ ] around devil EXPLORE God s Word by asking questions of what you saw. The notes which follow may help you to think through these questions. 1) Do a little research and describe the difference between premillennialism, amillennialism and postmillennialism. 2) What happens to people at death? What happens when they are resurrected? 3) Even believers will face a judgment before God not for the punishment of sin, but to see what remains to use for Him for eternity (2 Cor 5:10). How often do you think about this? What difference should it (and does it) make to you?

3 4) What is the connection between choices made now, things done now, and eternity? 5) Does the end of all that we know here now with the coming of the Kingdom then a new heaven and earth, terrify you are thrill you? Do you long for it or somewhat avoid it? Why or why not? NOTES ON THE PASSAGE Revelation is a letter from Jesus Christ through the Apostle John to the churches. All unbelievers on the planet called earth-dwellers have been killed in one great battle that flashed so quickly with the return of Jesus Christ. The Beast (world ruler) and his assistant, the False Prophet (deceptive miracles) were thrown alive into the lake of fire for their eternal judgment. Now God turns His attention to the real power behind this unholy trinity Satan [vv. 1-3] Satan is on the earth, so God sends an angel down to bind him. This is the same bottomless pit that had been unlocked in Rev. 9:1, where demons had been locked up waiting to be released at the time of the fifth trumpet judgment, to cause 5-month pain. This is not the final place of judgment prepared for fallen angels (lake of fire, see Matt 25:41), but a temporary holding cell. And this pit not only has a secure lock on it, but the angel comes with a chain draped over his hand to bind Satan--chained, imprisoned, and sealed an absolute, forcible guarantee that Satan will not escape. The list of names for Satan almost sounds like a list of the charges against him the legal sentence of the condemned prisoner. There is nothing in the text (or even logically) that requires these 1000 years (mentioned 6 times in this chapter) to be understood symbolically rather than literally. The same thing is true of the repeated numbers of 1260 days, 42 months; 7 seals, trumpets, bowls; 12 tribes of Israel and 12 Apostles; 7 churches. Satan has never yet been restricted from the earth like this. All throughout time including the church age he blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor 4:4); he is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8); he is at work in those who are disobedient (Eph 2:2); he is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the prince of this world (John 12:31), and the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Eph 2:2). He is certainly not imprisoned now but he will be! That also shows that the 1000 years can t be representative of today, but speak of a future time. Deception has always been his main weapon to get people to believe lies, and to act on those lies. He doesn t use force to make people do what they don t want. He feeds us lies, so that we choose the poison for ourselves. The nations are those people from all the countries of the world who put their faith in Jesus the Lamb during the Tribulation, and have survived alive until His return. Jesus described the separation of sheep from goats at His return (Matt 25:32) these are the sheep, who join Him in the Kingdom as guests for this wedding feast. The goats are not allowed entrance into the kingdom. These believers (still in their mortal bodies, because they were not killed) rebuild cities, enjoy the goodness of the land, have children, in a return to the garden where everything is right (see Zechariah 1-2 as one of the many prophetic promises). Also Isaiah 65:20 - "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered

4 accursed. And see how powerless Satan is when it is time, when the last chapter is written. For all the terror and death he could boast about for thousands of years, it just takes one angel to grab him when God says it is time. Believers with resurrection bodies will reign with Christ for 1000 years. (4-6) God promised that every believer with his or her immortal resurrection body will rule with Christ in His earthly kingdom. Rev 3:21 - To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 1 Cor 6:2 Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? Matt 19:28 "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This is how that last chapter will play out 1. Those resurrected/raptured believers who return with Christ as His Bride the army clothed in white (see 19:8, 14) will join Him, ruling over the lands previously held by the Beast [v. 4a] the dead who do not come to life until after the 1000 years. John doesn t actually mention the first death or a second resurrection: instead he just focuses on what will be the last thing for two groups of people. Everyone (as a general rule) experiences a first death. But for the martyrs, the Bride and OT believers, the last thing they will have is a first resurrection a resurrection to life. [Note: Daniel 12:2 speaks about the resurrection which includes OT believers following the time of distress (Tribulation); like Daniel, to obtain their allotted portion at the end of the age (Dan 12:13)] For all unbelievers of all time, the last thing they will have is a second death they will be given immortal bodies for an eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. As Jesus said, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment (John 5:29). So it seems that first is not in the sense of timing, but of eternal destiny: all those of the first resurrection will never experience the second death they will never be separated from God and will not have that eternal judgment. Instead they will not only rule with Christ, they will enjoy a special privilege as priests (worship and serving). And in this 5 th blessing of Revelation, they are also called holy made complete and completely right. At the end of Christ s Kingdom, Satan will again deceive and then be judged. (7-10) 2. Then those who came to faith during the Tribulation and were martyred for their loyalty to Jesus the souls described asking, How long do we have to wait for Your justice? (6:9-11) they receive their resurrection bodies and join the Bride ruling with Christ [v. 4b] This is called the first resurrection [vv. 5-6]. This seems primarily to describe the resurrection of these martyrs; but this is not the first resurrection in time. The army/ bride of believers who came with Jesus had already been resurrected because they came from heaven with Him. And the resurrection of dead believers happens just before the rapture of living believers who all joined Christ in the air (1 Thess 4:16). Those of the first resurrection are contrasted with those who experience the second death; also called the rest of For 1000 years, the believers who entered the Kingdom as guests of the marriage supper in their mortal bodies have built, prospered, enjoyed, and had many generations of children they comprise the nations. Yet, then as now, just because children are born to believers doesn t make the children believers. How could they not come to faith in the Lamb? Especially with Him right there ruling from Jerusalem? In the same way Israel of the Exodus rebelled against the God who delivered them, led them with His glory, and gave them His covenant in great power at Sinai. The unchanged human heart is dead in sin. [vv. 7-9] Why imprison Satan for 1000 years only to release him when you know this is going to happen? Why not put him in the lake of fire right away? We are not told

5 God s purpose here; but one conclusion seems possible. From the first sin of our parents, the human desire has been to return to the garden; and there has remained a belief that if we can make that utopia, everything will be right. So God gives us a return to the garden in a world ruled by Christ and His perfect Kingdom for 1000 years. Allowing Satan to return giving people the opportunity to again act on the lie shows where the problem has been all along: not in our environment but in our souls. Look how incurably twisted Satan is even after 1000 years being confined, there is no remorse no attempt to change. He is just as poisoned, dark, and deceptive as before. And look at the nations all those people born during the 1000 years: they throw themselves after Satan the very first chance they get. Those joining Satan eager to be deceived and believe the lie are not just a few, but an innumerable host. Gog and Magog are found in Ezekiel 38-39, describing the enemy opposed to God and coming to destroy Jerusalem. But here it is not just a northern army, but worldwide. Satan s vast forces advance to the very heart of Messiah s Kingdom to Jerusalem. But these are not equal forces. It may seem Messiah is outnumbered; but they are unequal in another way. The battle is virtually a nonevent: fire immediately sweeps down from heaven and destroys every single opponent to Messiah. [v. 10] and Satan is given his final end. It was the place always prepared for him (Matt 25:41). This is not a fire that consumes in annihilation. Even after 1000 years, the Beast and False Prophet (Satanically empowered humans) are still alive there. The torment is eternal. Every unbeliever will be resurrected and judged for eternity. (11-15) [v. 11] This is the end of the last chapter for this creation. The next event takes place outside our history with a sudden and violent destruction of this entire creation by fire. (See 2 Pet 3:10) This is the judgment of the rest who come to life after the 1000 years unbelievers from all time, going back to the beginning [vv ]. It is called a Great throne because it is God s own immense throne the place of final judgment; and it is White because He is perfectly pure and anything impure must be destroyed. This is the resurrection of all unbelievers to judgment. They are given immortal bodies and they must stand before God, but they are dead men walking their judgment is already certain. This is proven by two facts: (a) their name is not in the Book of Life the Lamb s book; (b) confirmed by their deeds reveal the deadness of their spirit and soul the pride and selfishness. GOING FURTHER One thing we can do to train ourselves to remember, is to memorize a part of what our Father has said to us. The Holy Spirit can use this to change our thinking so that our heads are more like Jesus. This week, memorize Revelation 22:20