I have been studying the book of Revelation chapter by chapter and posting it here on my blog. If you need to go look at all of studies on Revelation click HERE. We left off with Revelation 19.
Revelation 20 begins with "Then". So to be sure Chapter 20 is in context, let me put the end of Revelation 19 here:
Revelation 19:11-21 (New International Version - NIV) 11 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,a and His name is The Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of all men slave and free, small and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. 20 But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
What battle is this?
Continuation of my study on the Battle of Gog and Magog
We studied about the Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 when studying in Revelation 19. During this battle, many nations of the world will invade the nation of Israel from the North. It actually probably was "Gog of the land Magog". Gog is a leader of a land called Magog. We studied about how some of history might have been a partial fulfillment of this prophecy but I believe there is an end-time fulfillment too. Why?
According to Ezekiel 38-39 (2,600 years ago), when the Jewish people are living peacefully in Israel, Gog and his allies will invade Israel and God will annihilate the invaders and shock the world. They will be destroyed and the Jews will spend months burying all the dead from the battle. For seven years Israel will utilize the weapons of the invaders for fuel. God declares, through the battle, “the nations shall know that I the Lord am holy in Israel.” God would fulfill His promise to regather the Jewish people “from all the countries” where they had been dispersed and bring them back to the land promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D and the Jewish people were scattered across the world. Israel became a nation once again on 5/14/1948, after nearly 1900 years.)
Whether Gog is the Antichrist or not depends, on the timing of the Gog-Magog Battle, which is an issue of dispute. See my study on Revelation 19 to see more information on this battle. We know it's ultimate fulfillment will be in the last days because Ezekiel 38:8 and Ezekiel 38:16 use "in the latter years" and "in the last days".
Ezekiel 38:8,16 “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from …and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”
Israel must be living peacefully and unsuspecting of an attack. Israel, today, lives in constant fear of attack and is always prepared for an invasion by the hostile Muslim nations surrounding them. So what happens to give them a sense of security?
Psalm 83 (NIV)
1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
I don't know what will occur to give Israel that sense of peace and security. It hasn't happened yet. If the Battle of Gog and Magog is just before the Great Tribulation, it might be the agreement with the AntiChrist and what precipitates the Tribulation period of the end times and the rise of the anti-Christ.
Never, in the history of the Middle East, have the nations, named in Ezekiel 38, united in an invasion of Israel from the North. Some have, but not all and not together. These nations are:
Magog = Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan (and possibly Afghanistan)
Rosh = Russia
Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-togarmah = Turkey (and possibly Azerbaijan, Armenia)
Persia = Iran
Ethiopia = Sudan
Put = Libya (and possibly Algeria, Tunisia)
The removal of the “Restrainer” (the Holy Spirit) in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 causes the Antichrist to emerge.
2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the…
If the Battle of Gog and Magog occurs before the Tribulation, with the Muslim world in ruins after their defeat in the battle, they will no longer be an impediment for the Jews to rebuild the Temple. The antiChrist will allow them to do this but the antiChrist will later desecrate it by placing the Abomination of Desolation in the new Temple and demanding to be worshiped there. This will cause the Jews to flee into the desert (Matthew 24:15-16). The Jews will no longer be burying the dead (for 7 months) or have access to the Gog-Magog invader’s weapons to burn (for 7 years). And so, the seven years of Tribulation can no longer match the seven years of burning the weapons.
So, for the Battle of Gog-Magog, we are looking for (from Ezekiel 38-39):
But when will it occur and is this the same battle as the Battle of Armageddon?
The best timing that seems to fulfill the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle of Gog and Magog might be the beginning of the Great Tribulation rather than the end. We know the Great Tribulation lasts for seven years. Halfway through the Great Tribulation (3 1/2 years) the anti-Christ will desecrate the newly built Temple in Jerusalem by placing the Abomination of Desolation there and demanding the world worship him.
If you believe the church is raptured BEFORE the Great Tribulation (and I do), then the Holy Spirit is removed with the church as I mentioned earlier in this post in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8. This unleashes the "lawless one", the AntiChrist.
The Gog-Magog Battle destroys the Russian and Muslim power. This opens the way for the AntiChrist to conquer what’s left of the Middle East and makes a peace covenant with Israel. There is seven years for them to bury the dead and use the weapons from the Battle of Gog and Magog for fuel. At the halfway point, the anti-Christ will renege on his peace agreement with Israel. They will flee to the desert finally realizing that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. Evidently, according to the seven years in Ezekiel, they will still have access to the weapons from the Gog and Magog Battle to use for fuel. At the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus returns with His Army of Heavenly Hosts. This is where we are at now. The Battle of Gog and Magog doesn't seem to be the battle in Revelation 19. To me, it better fits at the beginning of the Tribulation period. Then the AntiChrist takes leadership as a world dictator after the battle and makes a peace treaty with Israel. Some believe this Battle of Gog and Magog is the same as the Battle of Armageddon.
The clock towards Jesus' return will restart when the Antichrist makes his peace treaty with Israel. The countdown is seven years of Tribulation. The first 3 1/2 years are peaceful for Israel and they rebuild the Temple. The Antichrist breaks the treaty after 3 1/2 years and then all hell breaks loose. The Antichrist demands to be worshiped and places the Abomination of Desolation in the new Temple. He marks his followers with the number 666. John tells us that those who will worship the Antichrist and take the number will avoid economic sanctions but will be doomed to hell. Those who refuse to take the number and won't follow or worship the beast will be put to death as martyrs.
Let's look at a chart to refresh our memory on where we are.
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The Battles of Daniel 11
Daniel 11 describes a massive battle between the king of the North and the King of the South. The king of the North is obviously the Antichrist and the King of the South refers to an Arab-African Confederacy.
Daniel 11:2-45 (BSB) 2 Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.
5 The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.
6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7 But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing. 8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, 9 who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.
10 But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress. 11 In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be given over to the hand of his enemy.
12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. 13 For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.
14 In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.
15 Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege mound, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist. 16 The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.
18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.
20 In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.
21 In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.
23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. 24 In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish on his followers plunder, loot, and wealth, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.
25 And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.
27 And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.
29 At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first. 30 Ships of Kittime will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
32 With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.
34 Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. 35 Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
36 Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.
38 And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. 39 He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing land for a price. 40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.
42 He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.
44 But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.
Let's read it one more time in the Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Daniel 11:2-45 (CEV) 2 What I am going to tell you is certain to happen. Four kings will rule Persia, one after the other, but the fourth one will become much richer than the others. In fact, his wealth will make him so powerful that he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will come to power and will be able to do whatever he pleases. 4 But suddenly his kingdom will be crushed and scattered to the four corners of the earth, where four more kingdoms will rise. But these won't be ruled by his descendants or be as powerful as his kingdom.
5 The king of the south will grow powerful. Then one of his generals will rebel and will rule an even larger kingdom. 6 Years later the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom will make a treaty, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north. But she will lose her power. Then she, her husband, their child, and the servants who came with her will all be killed.
After this, 7 one of her relatives will become the ruler of the southern kingdom. He will attack the army of the northern kingdom and capture its fortresses. 8 Then he will carry their idols to Egypt, together with their precious treasures of silver and gold, but it will be a long time before he attacks the northern kingdom again. Some years later 9 the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom, but he will be forced back to his own country.
10 The sons of the king of the north will gather a huge army that will sweep down like a roaring flood, reaching all the way to the fortress of the southern kingdom. 11 But this will make the king of the south angry, and he will defeat this large army from the north. 12 The king of the south will feel proud because of the many thousands he has killed. But his victories won't last long, 13 because the king of the north will gather a larger and more powerful army than ever before. Then in a few years, he will start invading other countries.
14 At this time many of your own people will try to make this vision come true by rebelling against the king of the south, but their rebellion will fail. 15 Then the army from the north will surround and capture a fortress in the south, and not even the most experienced troops of the southern kingdom will be able to make them retreat. 16 The king who invaded from the north will do as he pleases, and he will even capture and destroy the holy land. 17 In fact, he will decide to invade the south with his entire army. Then he will attempt to make peace by giving the king of the south a bride from the northern kingdom, but this won't be successful.
18 Afterwards, this proud king of the north will invade and conquer many of the nations along the coast, but a military leader will defeat him and make him lose his pride. 19 He will retreat to his fortresses in his own country, but on the way he will be defeated and never again be seen.
20 The next king of the north will try to collect taxes for the glory of his kingdom. However, he will come to a sudden end in some mysterious way, instead of in battle or because of someone's anger. Part Two: The Evil King from the North
21 The successor of this king of the north will be a worthless nobody, who doesn't even come from a royal family. He will suddenly appear and gain control of the kingdom by treachery. 22 Then he will destroy armies and remove God's chosen high priest. 23 He will make a treaty, but he will be deceitful and break it, even though he has only a few followers. 24 Without warning, he will successfully invade a wealthy province, which is something his ancestors never did. Then he will divide among his followers all of its treasures and property. But none of this will last very long.
25 He will gather a large and powerful army, and with great courage he will attack the king of the south. The king of the south will meet him with a much stronger army, but he will lose the battle, because he will be betrayed 26 by members of the royal court. He will be ruined, and most of his army will be slaughtered.
27 The two kings will meet around a table and tell evil lies to each other. But their plans will fail, because God has already decided what will happen. 28 Then the king of the north will return to his country with great treasures. But on the way, he will attack the religion of God's people and do whatever else he pleases.
29 At the time God has decided, the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom again, but this time, things will be different. 30 Ships from the west will come to attack him, and he will be discouraged. Then he will start back to his own country and take out his anger on the religion of God's faithful people, while showing kindness to those who are unfaithful. 31 He will send troops to pollute the temple and the fortress, and he will stop the daily sacrifices. Then he will set up that “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction. 32 The king will use deceit to win followers from those who are unfaithful to God, but those who remain faithful will do everything possible to oppose him.
33 Wise leaders will instruct many of the people. But for a while, some of these leaders will either be killed with swords or burned alive, or else robbed of their possessions and thrown into prison. 34 They will receive only a little help in their time of trouble, and many of their followers will be treacherous. 35 Some of those who are wise will suffer, so that God will make them pure and acceptable until the end, which will still come at the time he has decided.
36 This king will do as he pleases. He will proudly claim to be greater than any god and will insult the only true God. Indeed, he will be successful until God is no longer angry with his people. 37 This king will reject the gods his ancestors worshiped and the god preferred by women. In fact, he will put himself above all gods 38 and worship only the so-called god of fortresses, who was unknown to his ancestors. And he will honor it with gold, silver, precious stones, and other costly gifts. 39 With the help of this foreign god, he will capture the strongest fortresses. Everyone who worships this god will be put in a position of power and rewarded with wealth and land.
Part Three: The Time of the End
40 At the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the kingdom of the north. But its king will rush out like a storm with war chariots, cavalry, and many ships. Indeed, his forces will flood one country after another, 41 and when they reach the holy land, tens of thousands will be killed. But the countries of Edom and Moab and the ruler of Ammon will escape.
42 The king of the north will invade many countries, including Egypt, 43 and he will take its rich treasures of gold and silver. He will also conquer Libya and Ethiopia. 44 But he will be alarmed by news from the east and the north, and he will become furious and cause great destruction. 45 After this, he will set up camp between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion. Then he will be destroyed, and no one will be able to save him.
Some see the Daniel 11 battles as historically fulfilled with the Babylonian history which we studied earlier in Revelation. For Daniel, they were future events, but we've seen the fulfillment since Daniel.
Cyrus was king of Persia (539 BC)
1. Cambyrses II (530-523 BC)
2. Bardiya (523-522 BC)
3. Darius the Mede (522-486 BC)
4. Xerxes I (486-465 BC) ruled during the peak of the Persian Empire and sacked Athens.
Alexander the Great (332-323 BC) arose from Greece and conquered the entire Persian Empire in about 4 years.
Daniel 11 begins with the prophecy that “three more kings will arise in Persia” followed by a fourth who would “stir up all against the realm of Greece” (verse 2). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, states, “The Persian king who invaded Greece was, of course, Xerxes, who reigned 485-464 B.C.” Expositor’s explains, “Verse 3 introduces us to the next phase in world empires: the rise of Alexander the Great. Verse 4 foretells the division of Alexander’s domains among four smaller and weaker empires.” Following Alexander’s death, his empire was divided among four of his generals. These four kingdoms were Macedonia-Greece under Antipater and his son, Thrace–Asia Minor under Lysimachus, the rest of Asia except lower Syria and Palestine under Seleucus Nicator, and Egypt and Palestine under Ptolemy. Daniel 11:5-39 then documents the actions of the last two of these kingdoms—Egypt to the south of Jerusalem (the location of Daniel’s people, the Jews, Daniel 10:14) and Syria to the north of Jerusalem. The Roman Empire defeated Seleucid Syria in 65 B.C. and it defeated Egypt in 30 B.C.
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Thus the first king of the North and king of the South came to an end. Antiochus Epiphanes (verses 21-35) desecrated the Temple and set up there an statue of Zeus. The Jewish sacrificial system was disrupted. Gentiles controlled the Temple. In a series of military victories against Antiochus between 166 and 164 BC, the Maccabee Revolution won independence for a portion of Judea. They rededicated the temple on 12/14/164 BC, an event celebrated by Jews to this day in Hanukkah (1 Maccabees 4:52). The king of verses 36-39 is Antiochus IV who serves as a type of the “Antichrist”. But God did not resurrect the saints immediately after Antiochus IV. They believe verses 40-45 are the Christian persecutions during Roman times. Daniel 11:40-45 may be a summary of the major points regarding the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes. In support of this, there is no seeming transition between Daniel 11:1-39 and Daniel 11:40-45 and Daniel 12. God's deliverance of the Jews from near annihilation, in these historical contexts, preserved the nation through which the Jesus was brought into the world. Jesus was a Jew, who lived, ministered, died and rose again in the environs of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside.
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Some believe the Battles of Daniel 11 is Armageddon (which is not a single battle but a war campaign).
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There are other theories on the Battles of Daniel 11. I believe in dual fulfillment. I see where, at least verses 1-39, were fulfilled in history (as mentioned above). They may be fulfilled again in the end times. But it seems that verses 40-45 (and Daniel 12) are definitely end times.
"Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson's Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary, interprets Daniel 11 as a description of the reign of Antiochus as far as verse 36, where it switches to prophecy of the far future (far from Daniel's 6th century BCE perspective, but near for modern millennialists). The "King of the North" from this verse onwards refers not to the 2nd century Syrian king but to the Antichrist..." - Wikipedia
And some say all of Daniel 11 is future during the end times. In verses 40-45 a king of the North and a king of South appear “at the time of the end” (verse 40). Daniel 10 is an introduction to Daniel 11 and Daniel 12. Daniel in 10:14: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for the vision is yet for many days”. The establishment of the modern nation of Israel in 1948 means Israel exists again (the first time since 70 A.D.) and will be a nation on the world stage at the end times.
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What we can take from Daniel 10-12 is that God is in control and reigns in the affairs of men. No kingdom rises or falls without which God is involved and working. It was so, is so and will be so.
The Battle of Armageddon
The Battle of Armageddon is the final showdown between good and evil on earth, another World War.
Armageddon is a Hebrew word but used only in the New Testament. "Har" in Hebrew means mountain and "Mageddon" is the place-name of Megiddo. Megiddo was a place well known in the Old Testament but it is a hill on the edge of a plains area, not a mountain. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army there (Judges 4-5), Gideon drove off the Midianites and Amalekites (Judges 6), Saul and the army of Israel were defeated because of their failure to trust in God (1 Samuel 31), and the Egyptian army under Pharaoh Neco killed Josiah, king of Judah (2 Kings 23:29).
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Pay attention to where Jerusalem and Megiddo are in reference to one another.
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Here is a map showing the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Megiddo is in the northern kingdom of Israel. Samaria was it's capitol city. Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom of Judah and was it's capitol city.
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Here is a topographical map of the area. You can see the mountains behind Megiddo. Megiddo, the town, was actually on a hill called a "tell" that over looked the plains of Jezreel in the Valley of Jezreel.
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Here is the tell of the ancient Megiddo that overlooks the plains of Jezreel.
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The hill is not exactly a mountain and is small but the surrounding plains would be a pretty good battlefield and there are mountains around the Valley of Jezreel.
On the other hand, some say that Armageddon is really three Hebrew words: Arema-gai-dun. Arema-gai-dun, as a meaningful phrase, would be "A heap of sheaves in a valley for judgment". This would make it more symbolic, a place where the final judgment begins.
But...
Joel 3:12,14 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. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
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The Valley of Jehosaphat is the place where, in the presence of Jehosaphat/Jehoshaphat/Josaphat, King of Judah, God annihilated the Gentile coalition of Moab, Ammon and Edom (2 Chronicles 20). It is the upper end of the Kidron Valley of today. The Hebrew word for Jehoshaphat means "Yahweh Judges". It may be a place symbolically called the Valley of Jehosaphat. The original Hebrew word for "decision" is charuts. It occurs only 12 times, and only twice here in Joel is it translated decision. On the 10 other occasions it carries meanings typical of sharp edged instruments used for threshing! When the time is right and the harvest is ready, God will bring his judgements in the open space of His threshing floor.
2 Chronicles 20:1-6a;21-24 1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. 5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. 6 He prayed,...21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!”
22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. 24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.
And...
Zechariah 14:3-4 3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south
Acts 1:11–12 "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.
This map shows the ancient topography around, what would later become Jerusalem.
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This shows Jerusalem in King David's time. Note where the Mt of Olives is located.
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Finally a modern Jerusalem map.
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The Mount of Olives lies northeast of Jerusalem. Its location and historical significance have led to skirmishes between Israelis and Palestinians over the years. The site was controlled by Arab–ruled Jordan for nineteen years prior to the Six–Day War. In 1967, the Mount of Olives returned to Israeli control.
Maybe the Battle of Armageddon occurs at Megiddo and the plains of Jezreel and Christ returns at the Mount of Olives so both are true.
What is threshing and a threshing floor? Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (kernels) from the husks and straw to which it is attached. Once wheat is ripe, it is ready for harvest and is cut and bundled. Hand cutting wheat back then would have been backbreaking work. You either use a hand tool and squat to cut handfuls of wheat. Or you used scythe that you swing back and forth. It cuts a lot more at one time and you got into a rhythm, it went much quicker. But someone had to come behind you and gather into sheaves. Then the sheaves are removed to a threshing area sometimes called a threshing floor. There were different ways to thresh wheat and other grains.
Threshing with horses, donkeys or oxen.
Threshing with a sledge.
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Threshing by beating sheaves against something.
Threshing by beating it with a tool.
Once you've separated the head and kernels from the stalks, you have the kernels in their husks or casings. You now need to separate the kernels from the husks which is called winnowing. In its simplest form it involves throwing the mixture into the air so that the wind blows away the lighter chaff and the heavy kernels fall.
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A threshing floor is a specially flattened outdoor surface, usually circular and paved with a smooth floor of earth, stone or wood where a farmer would thresh the grain harvest and then winnow it. Winnowing forks, sovels, baskets or scoops were used to throw the mixture into the air so the wind could blow away the chaff/husks/tares/straw, leaving only the good grain on the floor. It was important where the threshing floor would be. It would need to be convenient, give a flat place to work the grain and catch the wind for winnowing. The last requirement would have meant it was often in a large open field, on a hilltop, or mountaintop, in order to catch the wind and breeze. If there was not a level rock, they would need to make a level, hard, clean floor. Sometimes they laid pavement. Sometimes the soil was beaten hard, clay laid over it and rolled; this soon dries in the heat of the sun, and makes a firm clean floor. Because of the necessity of grain in order to live, the threshing floor was a very valuable community gathering place and was valuable real estate. They were often subject to attack by enemies who wanted anything of value a community might have. The familiar word "tribulation," is taken from the Latin word tribulum, a heavy threshing-roller. Comparing threshing and winnowing of grain to the judgment of mankind is fitting. There is a lot of waste in wheat. The only part you want for food are the wheat kernels, the rest is waste. It takes a lot of work to plant, harvest and process wheat until you get what you need from it. And then it takes a brutal process to beat the good out. And then the waste products must be flung away. Our bodies are mere husks. God will one day resurrect our immortal bodies, but it's not our bodies that He most values. It is our spirit, our born-again spirit. The end product, that is so valuable to Him, is the kernel... it is Sharon, cleansed by Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It is you, cleansed by Jesus Christ and sanctified by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is what God will be looking for on Judgment Day. In a sense our lives are like threshing floors. Afflictions and problems bruise, beat and cut us, but are we destroyed and made waste? Or, are we processed until we are a good kernel, the waste removed? That depends on the work of Jesus and whether or not we accept Him as our Savior. If we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, no matter what life throws at us, there will be that good kernel of a born-again spirit, cleansed and sanctified. God will do anything to rescue that kernel. If you reject Jesus, you are but waste and will be thrown into the Lake of Fire in the Day of Judgment. But the threshing floor is not only a place of separating and judgment, but a place of blessing. It was where all the hard work is rewarded! God (the Three In One) has invested in us, He has worked hard and now is harvesting the souls which are His! It is a time of blessing, increase, and satisfaction, fulfillment. He is seeing the results of His hard work and rejoicing that the time has come to gather in His people and take them to their reward! God is not the only one blessed. We, His people, His children, are blessed to have passed through the threshing and winnowing and are now equally joyful and satisfied to be in the arms of Father God. We also will be rejoicing that it's over and we are saved, eternally secure, living in Heaven with our God! Praise the Lord!!!!
But let's continue with the end times threshing. Where will it be?
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Genesis 22:1-2;9-14 (NLT) 1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.
“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” ... 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Isaac of the Old Testament lived from 1896 B.C. to 1716 B.C., based on what we know from Bible chronology.
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1 Chronicles 21:18-28 (NLT) 18 Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him through Gad. 20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. 21 When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague.”
23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”
24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor.
26 David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. 27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.
28 When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor.
2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
We don't know exactly when King David was born to Jesse of the Tribe of Judah in Bethlehem. It was probably around 970 B.C. He conquered the ancient Jebusite city (later Jerusalem) around 1000 B.C. and ruled for 40 years. He planned on building a permanent Temple for God on Mount Moriah but God told him to let his son, King Solomon, build it after David's death. David instructed his son, Solomon and collected materials for the building of the Holy Temple. If Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 B.C., then the Temple may have been built around 966 B.C.. It was built some time in the 10th century B.C.. Solomon's Temple sustained several attacks by foreign powers before finally, in 586 B.C., being totally destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, some 400 odd years after it was built. From Abraham's offer to sacrifice Isaac to the approximate date of building the permanent Holy Temple is around 910 years, give or take. (We don't know exactly how old Isaac was and we don't know exactly when the Temple was built.) From the approximate date of Abraham offering Isaac on the top of Mount Moriah until today (2019), we are looking at approximately 2,984 years! It is amazing to me how God keeps things so consistent over hundreds and thousands of years!
It is significant that Mount Moriah was the place of Abraham offering to sacrifice his son, Isaac, in obedience to God's command. When God saw that Abraham was willing and trusting, He stopped Abraham and then provided a lamb for sacrifice. Later, King David was commanded to offer a sacrifice to the Lord at the same spot, by then it was called the threshing floor of Araunah. Today's Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, on Mount Moriah, is this threshing floor location and has been the most disputed threshing floor in the world for thousands of years. Where was it located?
The first map shows a view of the ancient Jerusalem from farther out.
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Here we are closer in, looking a topographical rendering of the ancient Jerusalem. You see the threshing floor of Ahrunah/Araunah/Ornan is the mountain top fo Mt. Moriah. The Bible identified Araunah as a Jebusite but some biblical scholars believe that he may have simply been the Jebusite king of Jerusalem at the time. The word araunah is not a personal name but a title meaning the lord in Hurrian and other near eastern languages. The ancient city of Zion was a Jebusite city that King David conquered. That small area highlighted in pink became the City of David and is the oldest part of Jerusalem. Ophel is the hillside going down from Mt. Moriah to the City of David. King David's palace was built in the City of David.
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Here we see a more modern map showing how the Temple Mount was on top of Mount Moriah where the old threshing floor was. This was where King Solomon built the first permanent Temple and it was called King Solomon's Temple. Later Herod refurbished the old King Solomon Temple and was called Herod's Temple. The Roman's destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. and it was later replaced by the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim mosque.
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Notice that Mount Moriah is just across the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives. The upper part of the Kidron Valley is the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
In the Bible, Christians are the grain, the kernel, that has value. The husk and straw are the unrepentant sinners, the wicked. God will separate the chaff from the grain on the Day of Judgment. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the one who would separate the good grain from the chaff with a winnowing fork, gathering the grain into his barn and burning the chaff with "unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). The difference between the grain and the chaff, between good and evil people, is not their good or evil works. It is the righteousness of Jesus and we must accept it by faith. The place of judgment, is undoubtedly in Israel and most likely at Jerusalem specifically around Mt. Moriah and the Mt. of Olives separated by the Kidron Valley at the place of the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Bethany is on the other side of the Mt. of Olives and is two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus spent time there just before His ascension. The Bible says, when he touches the Mount of Olives, it will split in two which may be east and west, Jerusalem and Bethany.
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Acts 1:1b-11 I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach, 2 until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. 3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Luke 24:50-53 50 When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 praising God continually in the temple.
The Battle of Armageddon may be in this area or north at Megiddo and the Plains of Jezreel. It may rage throughout Palestine for that matter! The War of Armageddon involves the whole world in escalating waves of battles. But Jesus Christ will judge between the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the saved and the unsaved in Jerusalem. It's just too specific and, with so much history there, it would be consistent.
We do not know when the Battle of Armageddon occurs because it's not just a battle but the return of Jesus Christ who settles things once and for all. We know Jesus Christ came as a babe born in Bethlehem and died on Calvary and was resurrected and ascended into Heaven. This was His first visit to earth.
He comes again, but it's to collect His people in the rapture. At this return, His feet don't touch the ground. We will rise to meet Him in the air. I'm not sure this event will be seen by the unsaved. Although the Bible says the Lord will come with a "commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God", it may be that only the saved will hear the shout, voice and trumpet. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, it says a "commanding" shout and a "trumpet call". This seems to indicate to me that Jesus comes to call us with a word of command and a rally trumpet. Once we disappear, the world won't know what happened. If they actually saw Jesus and the rapture at this time, wouldn't they realize Jesus is real after all? But if only Christians hear the call, and we disappear, it's going to be unexplainable to the unsaved. They will probably say it was some type of mass alien abduction! I mean, we seem to be willing to believe in aliens these days, and alien abductions, with all the TV shows and movies priming us for it day and night. People are ready to believe in anything as long as it's not Jesus Christ! Ghosts, fairies, Native American spirits, skinwalkers, aliens, super heroes, etc. All those left behind will be searching for some explanation. Some will realize it was the rapture and will be saved during the Tribulation. But most won't. So maybe the time Jesus comes in the air to gather us, will be a silent return to the earth and only the saved will hear the command and trumpet.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
But Jesus Christ comes a third time. This time He does touch the ground and He brings with Him the heavenly hosts (which may, or may not, include us, although it does include us whether it is side-by-side with Him or as a cheering audience).
Matthew 24:15-16;29-31 (NLT) 15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills... 29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Zechariah 14:2-5 2 For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5 You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.
On the day that Jesus returns, He stands on the Mount of Olives and the mountain will be split in two. The fault under the mountain will collide causing a massive earthquake. The lost try to flee from Him in terror!
Notice the people who "mourn", will see the Son of Man coming! That means the unsaved who rejected Jesus Christ, who now see Him as He is and He is coming. They will realize they were wrong all along and they are doomed! I don't even want to imagine the horror of what the unsaved must feel when they come face to face with the Jesus they rejected, mocked, hated, reviled, ridiculed. Knowing how wrong they were all along and knowing they missed their chance of salvation. They will bend their knee and acknowledge that He is Lord, Son of God, and King of Kings. But, unfortunately, it won't be as one of His Own! They will be forced to acknowledge Him, as one conquered, and now judged, and thrown into the wind to be waste, fodder for the Lake of Fire. It does not have to be! Accept Him now and save yourself!
Also, note He gathers His "chosen ones" from the four corners of the earth. These are those who have become Christians during the Tribulation. Those who were Christians before the Tribulation were raptured. But there are those who are saved during the Tribulation who have survived until this time. This will include the Jews who now believe. There will not be one single wheat kernel lost! Every single person, who accepts Jesus as Lord, by faith, will be rescued!
Who fights in the Battle of Armageddon? All the nations of the world will be represented at this battle. Whoever is left after all the devastations, wars and battles, are gathered against Israel.
Joel 2:3b The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.
Soldiers who are led by demon possessed leaders and who have nothing left to lose. Behind them is total devastation. We studied all the ways that destruction can occur during these terrible end years. The earth has quite literally been scorched, ruined, destroyed, upturned, burnt. With natural disasters on a mega-scale and human destruction by bombs (probably nuclear) and biological warfare, the world is no longer as we know it.
When Jesus returns the last of the enemies of God are defeated. The Bible says the blood of the slain will be as high as a horse's bridle! Can you imagine a river of blood like that?!? I'm glad I'm on the winning side!
Revelation 14:17-20 17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
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Jesus was crushed for our iniquities.
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Isaiah 53:5,10a, 11-12 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed...
10a Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer,
and when His soul is made a guilt offering,...
11 After the anguish of His soul,
He will see the light of life and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many,
and He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great,
and He will divide the spoils with the strong,
because He has poured out His life unto death,
and He was numbered with the transgressors.
Yet He bore the sin of many
and made intercession for the transgressors.
But if we refuse His sacrifice and reject His work of salvation, then we will be crushed in God's winepress of judgment on that last day!
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One final note: Some believe the actual "Battle of Armageddon" will not be at the end of the Great Tribulation but the battle at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign on earth, the 1,000 years. We will discuss the Millennium soon. It ends with satan being released from the pit and drawing men into a final last stand battle against Jesus. After which, satan, demons and the unsaved are thrown into the Lake of Fire. No matter what you call the battles and the last battle at the end of the Tribulation, the motivations, the movements, the places, the strategies, the nations involved, the leaders... are the same as the Bible describes.
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Revelation 20:1-3 (New International Version - NIV) 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
In Revelation 9:1, a "fallen star" was given they key to the abyss which he used to open it. This "fallen star" is satan, the fallen angel. In Luke 10:18 Jesus said that He had seen Satan fall from heaven. But here in Revelation 20, the angel is a holy angel, a messenger from God, who is given the key to the abyss in order to throw satan and his demons into the pit and lock them up.
"Keys" represent ownership, authority and the power to open and shut. Satan was thrown from heaven when he rebelled. He took 1/3 of the angels with him in his rebellion against God. He was given the key to the abyss, the place of the dead. He was given power to deception and death.
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Hebrews 2:14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
But Jesus conquered death! Now He has the key! He has the power over life and truth!
Matthew 28:18 Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth".
Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV, Jesus speaking) 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades."
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Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Abyss = ἀβύσσου (abyssou) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 12: The abyss, unfathomable depth, an especially Jewish conception, the home of the dead and of evil spirits. Depthless, i.e. 'abyss'. Other lexicons have it as boundless, bottomless.
He seized = ἐκράτησεν (ekratēsen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2902: From kratos; to use strength, i.e. Seize or retain.
dragon = δράκοντα (drakonta) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 1404: A dragon or huge serpent; met: Satan. Probably from an alternate form of derkomai; a fabulous kind of serpent.
ancient = ἀρχαῖος (archaios) = Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 744: Original, primitive, ancient. From arche; original or primeval.
serpent = ὄφις (ophis) = Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3789: Probably from optanomai; a snake, figuratively, an artful malicious person, especially Satan.
[the] devil = Διάβολος (Diabolos) = Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 1228: From diaballo; a traducer (Vocabulary.com says a traducer is one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel); specially, Satan.
Satan = Σατανᾶς (Satanas) = Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 4567: An adversary, Satan. Of Chaldee origin corresponding to ma'bad; the accuser, i.e. The devil.
bound = ἔδησεν (edēsen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 1210: To bind, tie, fasten; I impel, compel; I declare to be prohibited and unlawful. A primary verb; to bind.
he threw = ἔβαλεν (ebalen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.
Abyss = ἄβυσσον (abysson) = Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 12: The abyss, unfathomable depth, an especially Jewish conception, the home of the dead and of evil spirits. Depthless, i.e. 'abyss'.
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shut [it] = ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2808: To shut, shut up. A primary verb; to close.
sealed [it] = ἐσφράγισεν (esphragisen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4972: To seal, set a seal upon. From sphragis; to stamp for security or preservation; by implication, to keep secret, to attest.
he could not deceive = πλανήσῃ (planēsē) = Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4105: To lead astray, deceive, cause to wander. From plane; to roam.
were complete = τελεσθῇ (telesthē) = Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 5055: (a) I end, finish, (b) I fulfill, accomplish, (c) I pay. From telos; to end, i.e. Complete, execute, conclude, discharge.
After that = μετὰ (meta) = Preposition
Strong's Greek 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.
must = δεῖ (dei) = Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.
be released = λυθῆναι (lythēnai) = Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's Greek 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'.
for a brief = μικρὸν (mikron) = Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3398: Little, small. Including the comparative mikroteros apparently a primary word; small (figuratively) dignity).
period of time = χρόνον (chronon) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 5550: A space of time or interval; by extension, an individual opportunity; by implication, delay.
Let's read it again in a couple of translations:
Revelation 20:1-3 (New Living Translation - NLT) 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pita and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.
Revelation 20:1-3 (Contemporary English Version - CEV) 1 I saw an angel come down from heaven, carrying the key to the deep pit and a big chain. 2 He chained the dragon for 1,000 years. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. 3 Then the angel threw the dragon into the pit. He locked and sealed it, so 1,000 years would go by before the dragon could fool the nations again. But after that, it would have to be set free for a little while.
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In the Old Testament the Hebrew tehom means deep, sea, subterranean, a surging deep, unfathomable depth, abyss. Usually translated as "the deep" or "abyss". There are 36 times tehom is used. Only in Psalm 71:20 does it indicate the place of the dead.
Genesis 1:2
Genesis 7:11
Genesis 8:2
Genesis 49:25
Exodus 15:5
Exodus 15:8
Deuteronomy 8:7
Deuteronomy 33:13
Job 28:14
Job 38:16
Job 38:30
Job 41:32
Psalm 33:7
Psalm 36:6
Psalm 42:6-7
Psalm 71:20 19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
Psalm 77:16
Psalm 78:15
Psalm 104:6
Psalm 106:9
Psalm 107:26
Psalm 135:6
Psalm 148:7
Proverbs 3:20
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The word abyss is used several times in the New Testament of the Bible. It does indicate the place of the dead. The Apostle Paul compared "ascent into heaven" with "descent into the abyss".
Let's look at these scriptures.
Luke 8:26-39 (BSB) 26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.
28 When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked.
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32 There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.
33 Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside. 35 So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, those who had seen it reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.
38 The man whom the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.
Romans 10:6-9 (NLT) 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
2 Peter 2 (NLT) 1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.
These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.
12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.
17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
Revelation 9:1-3 (NIV) 1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
Revelation 11:7 (NIV) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
Revelation 17:8 (NIV) The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.
There are some terms we might need to define.
In some places, the word "abyss" is used to describe the abode of the dead – the Hebrew, Sheol or the Greek, Hades. In other places, particularly in Revelation, it is used to depict a place where demons and Satan are confined.
"Luke (Luke 8:31) and John (Revelation 9:1-2;11:7;17:8; Revelation 20:1 Revelation 20:3) describe the abyss specifically as the dwelling place of demons and the beast and as a place of confinement unto judgment that is under God's control." - Walter A. Elwell, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
"The abyss, or pit, is a place that is located in the heart of the earth. It is connected to the earth's surface by a shaft. It is used symbolically for the place of the dead as well as the abode of demons. The Abyss is also the place where the beast, or antichrist, arises. It is where Satan will be bound for a thousand years after Christ returns. Eventually he will be released from the Abyss and sent to the lake of fire." - Don Stewart, BlueletterBible.org
Hades (Greek is Hades, Hebrew is Sheol) is the place of the dead. We are told by the scriptures that there are two sections of Hades: the place of Torment and the place with Christ, Paradise. There is a chasm separating the two sections. Those who died without Jesus go to Torment and believers in Jesus Christ go to Paradise. When we die, our body goes to the grave. But our souls go to Hades.
No, we don't wander this earth as ghosts! Ghosts are demons who deceive and masquerade in order to confuse and lead astray. What people see, hear, feel may be true but it's not the spirits of the departed but demons. Remember, satan is the father of lies and he loves nothing more than to confuse people, scare people, deceive people, lead them astray. And it's amazing to me how people are more willing to believe in ghosts and spirits of the departed but refuse to believe in Jesus Christ!?! Torment is reserved for the unsaved, a place to hold their souls until the Day of Judgment. Paradise is reserved for the saved, a place to hold their souls until the Day of Judgment.
Luke 16:19-31 19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. 20 And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side (Abraham's bosom in the KJV). And the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
25 But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are left to suffer. 26 And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
27 ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
If you notice, in verse 24, the rich man begs Lazarus to "dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue". There is evidently water somewhere on the Paradise side of Hades. The place of Torment is agonizing and is why it's called a place of torment. It's a place of fire.
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At the end, all the physical bodies of the dead are resurrected to join their souls from Hades. Then Jesus separates the saved from the unsaved, the sheep from the goats. There are judgments and we will study them a little later.
Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His 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 something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 5:22-30 22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
25 Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
30 I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
As Christians, true believers in Jesus Christ, our bodies are resurrected as the perfect, immortal bodies God created them to be and we will spend our eternity in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NLT) 42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV) 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Unbelievers, their immortal bodies will rejoin their souls to suffer eternity in the Lake of Fire, Hell, Gehenna, Tartarus.
Gehenna is the Valley of Hinnom, a literal valley on the south side of ancient Jerusalem, outside the city. Children were sacrificed to the false god Molech in this valley.
2 Chronicles 28:3 And he made offerings in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and made his sons pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.
Jeremiah 7:30-32 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
It was deemed to be cursed because of this. King Josiah defiled this place so no more child sacrifices would be made there.
2 Kings 23:10 And he (Josiah) defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.
The valley of Gehenna became Jerusalem's dump for sewage and trash. Worms and maggots lived in the refuse. Flies, smoke, and odours would have been horrendous. Fires burned continually to destroy the garbage and the smoke rose constantly. Gehenna came to be used as a symbol of punishment.
Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the ones who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
Isaiah 30:33 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.
Jesus used the symbolism of Gehenna to refer to the Lake of Fire, Hell, the place of everlasting, eternal punishment.
Mark 9:43 (Jesus speaking) "It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to Gehenna into the fire that shall never be quenched."
Gehenna is the permanent punishment, for both body and soul are reunited to spend eternity apart from God in flames. It is outside the new Jerusalem just as the Valley of Hinnom, Gehenna, was outside the earthly Jerusalem. Forever separated from God, unbelievers will suffer the torments of the damned for eternity! The smoke from the Lake of Fire will rise forever to remind everyone of God's judgment against satan, sin, death, deception and unbelievers. Christians will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven, the New Jerusalem, where believers will be with the Lord in bliss for eternity. But for the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, I was destined for the place of Torment and the final Lake of Fire! But because of His mercy and grace, my future is secure in Heaven with my Savior, Jesus Christ!
The Abyss in Revelation 20 is not Hades/Sheol. It is not Heaven or the Lake of Fire. It is a separate place where satan and his demons are temporarily held, locked and sealed for the 1,000 year Reign of Christ (Millennial Reign). It is satan's abode but not his eternal punishment. Revelation 20:2 is very specific - this dragon is satan, the ancient serpent, satan, the devil. And he will be bound in chains and locked in the Abyss for one thousand years.
What is this 1,000 year Reign of Christ?
As usual, there are different views on this.
Premillennial view says the one thousand years is an actual time designation. When Christ returns He will reign over an earthly kingdom for a literal one thousand years, after which the new heavens and earth will arrive.
Amillennial interpretation has a figurative view of the millennium that encompasses the entire period between the ascension of Christ, after His crucifixion and resurrection, and the return of Christ is the millennium. This view makes it longer than the actual one thousand years. I.e. Christ is ruling now over a spiritual kingdom that will be immediately consummated at His return, and the new heavens and earth will then be in place.
Postmillennial position sees the millennium taking place before the return of Jesus. They believe there will be a time of widespread peace and prosperity before Christ’s return resulting from the preaching of the gospel. Great numbers of people will be converted and society will be transformed. Then Jesus will return. This might account for Israel's sense of peace and security before the Battle of Gog and Magog that introduces the Great Tribulation period.
This is one of those issues that is not important as far as my salvation. No matter when the Millennial Reign of Jesus begins and ends, I'm saved and safe! I'm with Jesus and satan, and his demons, are bound and sealed in the Abyss for the duration. But it is an issue, with proponents and support for each viewpoint.
The words “one thousand years” are mentioned six times in the Book of Revelation chapter 20 verses 1-7. Mille means one thousand (1,000). Annum means years. Combined they mean one thousand years. The word reign means the time during which a sovereign reigns.
Zechariah 9:9-17 (NIV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem,
and the bow of war will be broken.
Then He will proclaim peace to the nations;
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you,
because of the blood of My covenant,
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold,
O prisoners of hope;
even today I declare
that I will restore to you double.
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow
and fit it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against the sons of Greece.
I will make you like the sword
of a mighty man.
14 Then the LORD will appear over them,
and His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord GOD will sound the trumpet
and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 The LORD of Hosts will shield them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and roar as with wine.
And they will be filled like sacrificial basins,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the LORD their God will save them
as the flock of His people;
for like jewels in a crown
they will sparkle over His land.
17 How lovely they will be,
and how beautiful!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.
The first part of this prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 21.
Matthew 21:6-11 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Zechariah 9:10-11 (NLT) 10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. 11 Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon.
All human beings, after the Fall and sin entered to taint the human line, were destined for the place of Torment and then Hell, the Lake of Fire. But, Jesus Christ, came to rescue us. All who accept Him as their Lord and Savior are set free from this death and eternal damnation! Thanks be to Him who sits on the throne!!! Jews and Gentiles can be saved through Jesus Christ, Messiah!
Zechariah 14 (Berean Study Bible - BSB) 1 Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5 You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.
6 On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light.
8 And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in summer and winter alike. 9 On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
10 All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. 11 People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.
12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. 14 Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. 15 And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16 Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, the rain will not fall on them. 18 And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the LORD inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling basins before the altar. 21 Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.
We will return to the Millennium a little later. Let's look at that last sentence above in Zechariah 14:21b.
In Zechariah 14:28, "And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts." What is meant by "a Canaanite"? We studied about how and why Noah cursed his son, Ham's youngest son, Canaan, in our study of Revelation 19 (Genesis 9:25). Please go back to my study in Revelation 19 to see why Noah cursed Canaan. We know that the descendants of Canaan were Canaanites who lived in the land of Canaan, an area which according to ancient texts may have included parts of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. They were called the Phoenicians by the Greeks. The term "Canaanite" was sometimes used to cover all the inhabitants of Palestine at the time Israel came back to their land. They may, or may not, have been united under a single government. In some passages, Canaanites specifically refers to the people of the lowlands and plains of Canaan (Joshua 11:3); in other passages, Canaanites is used more broadly to refer to all the inhabitants of the land, including the Hivites, Girgashites, Jebusites, Amorites, Hittites, and Perizzites (Judges 1:9–10).
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Exodus 3:7 "I have heard them [the Israelites] crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites."
When the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, they had to fight the inhabitants for the land. It had originally been given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they had to go to Egypt during the famine for food (see the story of Joseph). While in Egypt, they became such a large people group that the Egyptians began to be afraid of them and enslaved them. They were in Egypt some 400 years before Moses led them out and back to the Promised Land. Moses died and Joshua led the people into the Promised Land. But they had to fight to take it. They fought the groups that descended from Canaan. Canaanite became an overarching name for the various groups of descendents of Canaan. They were later called the Phoenicians by the Greeks.
Leviticus 18:25-29 25 Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. 26 But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations— neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. 27 For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled. 28 So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you. 29 Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations must be cut off from among his people.
Joshua 3:9-10 9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
Exodus 23:23-24 23 For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. 24 You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Exodus 34:11-17 11 "But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.
15 “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. 16 Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. 17 You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.
Deuteronomy 20:15-17 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. 16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you.
They didn't obey the Lord. Let's look at that.
Even though the Canaanites were “greater and mightier” than the Israelites (Deuteronomy 7:1), and although they possessed “iron chariots” (Joshua 17:18)...
Joshua 10:40 Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
But we see later, these verses...
Joshua 16:10 They didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.
Joshua 17:12 Yet the children of Manasseh couldn't drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
Joshua 17:13 It happened, when the children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn't utterly drive them out.
In Judges, over and over again, it says that the Tribes of Israel "didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived among them".
But I have quoted Joshua above saying they, "they didn't utterly drive them out". They didn't obey the Lord.
Did they, or did they not, obey the Lord and destroy every Canaanite? When Joshua and the Israelites entered a certain area, sometimes they did obey God and kill everyone. Then they moved on to another area and they either obeyed God fully or partially. Obeying partially is really disobedience but what I mean is they killed most but not all of the population in that area. So the verses are contextual. In a certain area, the Israelites fully obeyed the Lord, and in another area, they disobeyed the Lord by not killing everyone. It took about 10 years for Israel to conquer the land. Battles were waging back and forth. At one particular time, in the area they just won, they put to death everyone as God commanded. But, in time, more showed up and were not dealt with as God commanded. It could also be exaggeration, hyperbole, when Joshua said he left none remaining. It was not meant to be taken literally. Sort of like we would say, "Everyone died laughing!" We don't mean everyone died; everyone laughed; everyone was rolling on the floor in laughter. We mean, almost everyone found it very funny and laughed a lot. We are exaggerating to make a point. Now, I'm very conservative on this point because I do believe every word in the Bible is true. So I tend to think it was more contextual or time/place related than hyperbole. The main point is that not all the Canaanites were put to death because Joshua says, multiple times, they were not utterly driven out and they had problems with them in Judges. We also know, through DNA analysis, that there are Canaanite descendants in the Lebanese. There is also the story of Rahab, which will see in a moment.
Why were the Canaanites so bad that God told Israel to kill every man, woman and child? How could a God of love command the Israelites to murder every living person in the land?
The supreme deity of the Canaanite gods (pantheon of gods) was El, together with his consort, Asherah. As with the Greek tradition, these early gods were later supplanted by younger, more immediate presences, especially the rain/thunder god Ba'al and his consorts, such as the warrior goddess Anat and the love/fertility goddess Astarte. Religious rites included human sacrifice (especially child sacrifice) in the understanding that the gods gave only the best to the people and so they should reciprocate by offering their best to the gods. Women could and did serve as Priestesses, could own land, enter into contracts and initiate divorce, all of which mirrored the cultural values of Mesopotamia. Fertility cults were numerous. Canaanite deities such as Baal were represented by figures which were placed in shrines, along with altars, often on hilltops, or 'high places' surrounded by groves of trees. "Asherim," a term referring to poles, standing stones, and even trees devoted, to a goddess and accompanying altars to Baal. Priests or priestesses clothed and sometimes "fed" the deity through various rituals and offerings. The earliest deity recognized by the peoples of the ancient Near East was the creator god El. His mistress, the fertility goddess Asherah, gave birth to many gods, including a powerful god named Baal ("Lord"). Baal won his dominance by defeating the other deities, including the god of the sea, the god of storms (also of rain, thunder, and lightning), and the god of death. Baal's victory over death was thought to be repeated each year when he returned from the land of death (underworld), bringing rain to renew the earth's fertility. Baal is portrayed as a man with the head and horns of a bull, an image similar to that in biblical accounts. His right hand (sometimes both hands) is raised, and he holds a lightning bolt, signifying both destruction and fertility. Baal has also been portrayed seated on a throne, possibly as the king or lord of the gods. Asherah was honored as the fertility goddess in various forms and with varying names (Judg. 3:7). The Bible does not actually describe the goddess, but archaeologists have discovered figurines believed to be representations of her. She is portrayed as a nude female. Baal's followers sacrificed their children, apparently the firstborn of the community, to gain personal prosperity. The Bible called this practice "detestable" (Deut. 12:31, 18:9-10). Asherah was worshiped in various ways, including through ritual sex. Although she was believed to be Baal's mother, she was also his mistress. Pagans practiced "sympathetic magic", that is, they believed they could influence the gods' actions by performing the behavior they wished the gods to demonstrate. Believing the sexual union of Baal and Asherah produced fertility, their worshipers engaged in immoral sex to cause the gods to join together, ensuring good harvests. This practice became the basis for religious prostitution (1 Kings 14:23-24).
When people start to burn their children in honor of their gods and for their own prosperity (Leviticus 18:21), practice sodomy, bestiality, and obscene practises (Leviticus 18:23-24, Leviticus 20:3), the land itself begins to "vomit" them out as the body heaves and vomits when sickened. Either the people descended to the low morals of their gods or their gods reflected the low morals of the society. They were a depraved people. God gave them every chance, as He does all human beings. He was patient but there comes a time when God's patience and forbearance ends. He was justly outraged by the Canaanites.
God gives a way for any repentant human being to be saved. He doesn't lose a single one. We must remember how He saved the harlot Rahab in Jericho. She sheltered the Israelite spies, one who became her husband, Salmon. She believed in their God despite being a Canaanite! She became the mother of Boaz who married Ruth and who are in the genealogy of King David and Jesus Christ! Certainly, God, with His omniscience, knows which person will, and will not, accept Him. If He knows that 50 people in the entire land of Canaan would accept Him as their God, He would rescue those 50 people some way or make sure they spend eternity in Heaven (as we all must die at some time). But He also knows there were 500,000 who would never accept Him as God and never would have a heart for God so He brings His judgment against them whenever He wants to. He gives them a chance, but if they refuse the chances He provides, why shouldn't He judge them?
This is something people of every nation should know. God will give you every chance to turn to Him and to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He does not overlook one single human being who is His child! But if your nation is doing the same evil that the tribes and nations of Canaan did, there will be judgment against the ungodly.
God wanted to use the Israelites as an instrument to bring judgment against the wicked and decadent Canaanites. In destroying the Canaanites, it was better to destroy than to be destroyed, better to get rid of them than to be contaminated with their sins and being lost in sin like the Canaanites had been. The fact that they didn't obey God and didn't completely wipe out the Canaanites was their greatest mistake and led to many problems ever since. There was to be no compromise, but compromise was what happened and it caused much heartache, misery and violence. The Israelites didn't obey the Lord.
"The earliest undisputed mention of the Canaanites comes from fragments of a letter found at the site of Mari, a city located in modern-day Syria. Dating back about 3,800 years the letter is addressed to 'Yasmah-Adad,' a king of Mari, and says that 'thieves and Canaanites' are in a town called 'Rahisum.' The surviving portion of the letter alludes to a conflict or disorder that is taking place in the town." - LiveScience.com
Even then, the Canaanites were listed alongside thieves. They evidently had a bad reputation 3,800 years ago at the earliest mention of them.
Present-day Lebanese derive most of their ancestry from a Canaanite-related population. Lebanon is just north of Israel. There have been problems with the Lebanese and Jews of Israel, for a VERY long time. (Again, a Lebanese, even as a descendant of Canaan, can be saved through Jesus Christ. God knows who are, or will, be saved, and He knows those who will never accept His Son as their Savior.)
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Revelation 20:4 Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their 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 hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Now, let's go back to the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 65:8-9 (BSB) This is what the Lord says:
"As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes,
and men say, 'Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing',
so I will act on behalf of My servants:
I will not destroy them all.
And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and heirs to My mountains out of Judah;
My elect will possess it,
and My servants will dwell there.
Premillennialism is when the 1,000 year reign begins when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation. No unsaved will enter the Millennial Reign of Christ. They will go to Hades in the section called Torment. The 1,000 years will end with another rebellion and then the final and eternal judgment. It is a theocracy. Those Christians who survived the Tribulation will populate the earth during this millenium. Those who died and were raptured before the Tribulation rule with Christ during this millenium.
Postmillennialism is the belief that the 1,000 year Reign of Christ is in this age but just before the Tribulation. It's the Reign of Christ through the church on earth. At the end of this unprecedented time of Christ's reign in this world through the church, many are saved in preparation before the Tribulation. A Golden Age where Christ and the Gospel dominate in society and culture.
Amillennialism sees the 1,000 year reign of Christ as symbolic of the Church Age before the Tribulation. Not a literal 1,000 years but just representing an indeterminate number of years in this present age. Christ rules in His church.
A time when Old Testament prophecies about Israel, and the Jews, are fulfilled by God. Jesus will be King reigning from Jerusalem, the throne of David. Believers will co-reign with Christ during this Millennial Reign. There will be believing Jews and believing Gentiles who survive the Tribulation and judgment. Those of us who were raptured and given our glorified bodies will rule with Christ during this time. Those with glorified bodies will not produce children during this reign. But those believers who do not have glorified bodies, Jew and Gentile, will produce children in re-populating the world. Children born during this time will have to make the same personal choice about whether or not to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior. Not all will come to accept Jesus and those are the ones who will be led astray by satan when he is released from the abyss, the pit, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ in the final rebellion.
Isaiah 2:2-4 (BSB) In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth from Zion,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer take up a sword against nation,
nor train anymore for war.
Micah 4:1-3 In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it.
And many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways,
so that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation,
nor will they train anymore for war.
And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,
with no one to frighten him.
For the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god,
yet we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
"On that day", declares the Lord,
"I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the outcast,
even those whom I have afflicted.
And I will make the lame into a remnant,
and the outcast into a strong nation.
Then the Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.
And you, O watchtower of the flock,
O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion-
the former dominion will be restored to you;
sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."
Zechariah 14:8- And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the Lord will become King over all the earth-the Lord alone, and His name alone. All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine presses. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.
During the Reign of Christ, mortal men and women will live longer but they are still susceptible to death.
Isaiah 65:20 No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days,
or an old man not live out his days.
For the youth will die at a hundred years,
and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
If a person died at 100 years old, he would be considered still a child because people live so long. But if someone does die young, it was because they were accursed.
The people who survive the Tribulation will enter the kingdom of Jesus as natural human beings. They may live longer, but they are still in their un-glorified bodies. They are not immortal. They are still subject to the temptations of sin. They must accept or reject Jesus Christ. They can die. They can re-produce. In fact, because of the peaceful Reign of Christ (no wars), the renewed earth, and their longevity, they will re-produce so quickly that by the end of the 1,000 years, they will be as many as the sands of the seashore. Because they can still sin, Christ will need to "rule with an iron scepter" (Psalm 2:5). The laws will be enforced so that all may live in safety and security. It's dismaying to consider that, despite living in a kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ, people would still follow their sinful nature and turn against Him. How can you live in a perfect environment, peace and security on all sides, provision and fair, equitable treatment, but still find something to rebel against? But it shows how deeply sin digs in a person's soul. Adam and Eve were immortal and perfect, living in a perfect environment, peace, provision and blessing ever freely given and a relationship with God. But they still sinned in rebellion and pride. So did satan. So, no matter how good things are around us and for us, our sin natures make us deeply dissatisfied and looking for rebellion in pride. When seen like this, sin is very scary! We are not sinful due to how we were raised, what conditions or people we were raised in and with. Our sin is not environmental. It's deep within us no matter where and how we were raised. It doesn't matter if we were born with a silver spoon or a plastic spork, the sin nature we are born with will come out. Our raising may help or hurt us as we grow up. It may lead us to week the Savior or to more sin. But we are born with sin and it will raise it's ugly head no matter where, or how, or from whom we are born. Our family and environment may be good and direct is in the right way and imprint Jesus and the gospel in our minds. But we still are responsible for our sin nature and must choose Christ, or rebellion by rejecting Christ, for ourselves. Our family and environment may have been terrible and nothing but sin, evil and wickedness were imprinted in our minds. But we are still responsible for our sin nature and must choose Christ, or rebellion, for ourselves. We see some people overcome terrible families and environments to become Christians and productive members of society. Praise God! We see some people with wonderful families and good environment but who slip down a slope into terrible sins, bondage and misery. They seemed to have every advantage but they become just as much a child of satan as you would expect of one raised in a pigsty. It's because we all start on the same level playing field, born with a sinful nature. We are all sinners. From there, we must make our own choices and the basic one is whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We can choose to resist the devil or we can choose to follow him. We resist satan when we choose Jesus and His ways. We follow satan when we choose sin and selfishness, the way of rebellion and bondage to sin. Some people want to be better people. Some people don't.
Let's look at an example of this. Let's say a homeless person is given a new home. Free of charge, built by people who want to provide a safe, clean home filled with new furniture and the latest technology and gadgets such as a TV, appliances, computer, etc. Over and over again, we've seen governments, ministries, and private donations try to do this. Sometimes it works out well because these people are grateful and want to be better people. They try to keep their homes clean and maintained. But because it is something of value, someone along the way will take it from them. They will bully them right out of it. It might be bank who wants to foreclose on a valuable piece of property so they loan to people who can't afford even a small mortgage. They hope to make money off the people and then boot them out when they can't pay and foreclose and get the property back. It may be bullies in the neighborhood who harass and threaten and scare the people out. Then there are those who ruin any good that comes their way. People will punch holes in the walls of the new house, not maintain it or even clean the house regularly. They conduct their sinful ways right in the new house by bringing in drugs, pimping from the home, selling drugs, having wild parties, etc. Before long the new furniture is trashed from all the sinful people using the home as a party place. The commodes are stopped up and people begin using the bathtubs or smash a hole in the floor to use. (I have literally seen this happen.) Bugs come in, attracted by the garbage and filth, and no one pays for pest control and no one keeps the home clean. When the roof gets old or a screen is punched out, no one fixes it. No one wants to work hard enough to paint the house or even sweep the porch. Because they've brought all their evil with them, the neighborhood begins to go downhill with drug dealers, prostitutes, riff raff congregate there. I.e. if you have something of value, someone wants to take it away from you. Or, if you don't work at it, you will soil your own environment with your own filth and immorality. So it doesn't matter what the taxpayers, the government, ministries or nice people do for the outcast, homeless, downtrodden... we cannot save them. The good ones will still be left with nothing because the strongest will strongarm them out of anything of value. The bad ones just destroy any good thing that comes their way. You see, we are NOT Jesus Christ! We are not the Savior of anyone else. No government, no person, no program, no welfare checks will lift someone out of sin. Only Jesus Christ can make any lasting changes in someone's heart and in their circumstances. That's just how bad sin and evil are and they are deep down in us. Only Jesus can reach that far and cleanse and make new. Only He can save us. But, alas, many are too stubborn and love their sin too much.
This is the way of mankind, and will be until after the 1,000 year reign of Jesus. Then, once and for all, satan and sin are defeated by being thrown into the Lake of Fire. There will be no more sin, no more sinners. Everyone who chose Jesus Christ and believed in Him by faith, will be glorified and immortal. We will live in the New Heaven and New Earth with God. No more rebellions, no more pride, no more selfishness, no more tears, no more pain, no more disease or death!
Revelation 20:4 Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not received its mark on their foreheads of hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Those who were saved and martyred during the Tribulation are resurrected and now sit on seats of authority. They reign with Christ.
Revelation 7:9- After this looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!"
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me: "These in white robes," he asked, "who are they, and where have they come from?"
"Sir," I answered, "you know."
So he replied, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. For this reason, 'They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 14:12-13 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, "Blessed are the dead-those who die in the Lord from this moment on.""Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them."
In studying the chapters of Revelation we learned about how persecution and martyrdom for Jesus Christ has been a continuing problem since Jesus was crucified. Even today, thousands suffer persecution and martyrdom for their faith and belief in Jesus. It's hard for us to believe in this modern day, but it's still happening. We also learned that during the Tribulation it will become worse than ever. The antiChrist will give the order to have everyone who refuses to bow to him and refuses to swear allegiance to him by taking the mark of the beast on his forehead or hand, will be executed. Evidently there will be executions on a mass scale like Hitler killed the Jews and Stalin killed Russians. But worse. There is not one of God's children who will be forgotten by Him. They may be executed and martyred, but their reward is great. Our life on this earth is temporary, but a breath of wind. What happens here is so small when compared to eternity. God has His reasons and purposes but it is NOT to annihilate us. He doesn't allow anything to touch us that He has not provided for. If I am His child, then nothing can touch me except it come through His hand. And if it comes through His hands, there is a reason and purpose that will be for our ultimate good. The reward in the end will make everything worth it. We will say, "You were right! Father, it was worth it!" An example of this is if you have a cancerous tumor. It must be removed. Having surgery is not pleasant but it's necessary. After all the pain and the healing, you are glad it's over with and you consider it worth the trouble to have gotten in out of you. Because it could have spread and ended up way worse. I also believe that what God brings us to, He brings us through. If I am called to be persecuted and martyred, God will supernaturally sustain me and enable me to overcome. I know, in my weak, silly self, that I wouldn't hold up to torture. With just the threat of torture I would probably spill all the beans, blab, tell them anything they wanted to know. In my own self, I'm weak and cowardly. But I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and I am a child of God. So either God won't put me in that situation or He will supernaturally strengthen me and enable me to get through it victoriously. Not because I'm so strong but because when I am weak, He is strong! It will be His work in me, not my own strength. I don't need to worry about persecution, torture, imprisonment, martyrdom. I am His and He is mine and He will take care of whatever He allows in my life. No one knows me like He does. He knows my weaknesses, my fears and insecurities. He knows my personality and all the experiences I have had in my life. He knows my every thought and every hair on my head. Yes, God knows me and loves me with an everlasting love. He will know what is best and will see me through to the end.
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Revelation 20:5-6 (BSB) 5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
In context:
Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV) 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They a 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 a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Who were raised from the dead and when? Who are "the rest of the dead"? There are different views on this.
Some say it is the resurrection of those who died before Christ. We can by saved through faith in Jesus Christ. But what about those who lived before Jesus Christ lived, died and was resurrected? God knew each heart of every single human being before His Son, Jesus Christ, walked the earth. God knew which heart and person had a heart for Him and who would have rejected Him. For instance, Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Abraham, King David... all lived before Jesus Christ. But they had a heart for God, the one true God, and they worshiped Jehovah God, Yahweh. They leaned towards God and listened to God and tried to obey God and walk according to God's ways. Were they sinless? Absolutely not. No human being is born sinless except Jesus Christ. But their hearts were turned to God and soft towards God. They wanted, desired, to know the one true God. God says that this faith, love, repentance, and obedience were precious to Him. So God would provide a way for those who lived before Jesus Christ, to be saved. There are different views as to when and how this provision occurred, but occur it did, or will happen. God will not lose any person who has a heart for Him. It would be the same for those who may have (or do) live in a remote area of the world where the gospel of Jesus Christ never reaches them by human means. But if a heart desires the true God, God will make sure they know of Him by one way or another. God has spoken to people in the Bible through dreams, visions, circumstances, miracles, sending angels, etc. He commands Christians to go into the world and testify and tell of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But God is not limited to our efforts. He can reach anyone with the truth if they have a heart to hear it and a desire to respond. Thank you God, that not one of us will be lost from Your Hand!!!! Back to this verse...
"'the rest of the dead lived not until', etc. The best explanation of these words seems to be that the 'rest of the dead' refers to those Old Testament saints and others (such as godly heathens) who were in the world before Christ's act of atonement - 'the thousand years' (see on ver. 2, above) - had been accomplished. They could not be said to have lived, in the high sense in which St. John uses the word, not having known Christ; for 'in him was life' (John 1:4; John 5:40, etc.). But by Christ's redeeming work, these were placed on a level with Christians (cf. Luke 7:28, 'John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he;' also Hebrews 11:39-40, 'And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect')." - Pulpit Commentary
"After the Millennium, God will raise up to physical life all those who have never had an opportunity for salvation. Christ will judge all those who lived throughout human history yet have not been called. Ezekiel 37:1-14 prophesies of God resurrecting all Israel. At the same time (see Matthew 12:41-42), He will raise all the Gentiles and extend to them the same offer He does to Israel (Romans 2:7-11; I Timothy 2:4). If they satisfy God's judgment, He will at some point grant them eternal life and give them spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:44-49).
"After all have had their opportunity, God will perform still a third resurrection. Those who will not repent of their rebellion against the Almighty will be raised to physical life and cast into the Lake of Fire, which provides a merciful, permanent death (see Matthew 25:41)." - Forerunner Commentary, Martin G. Collins, Holy Days: Last Great Day
Premillennialists say it's the resurrection of the unsaved for their judgment. The saved have been resurrected and are “blessed and holy,” and “the second death has no power” over them. The martyred Christians during the Tribulation are resurrected in honor and reign during the 1,000 years. The words “first” and “second” denote two types of resurrections, not two singular events. The first type of resurrection is the resurrection of the righteous, and the second type is the resurrection of the unrighteous.
1) the righteous ("those who have done what is good will rise to live") which includes those who were raptured before the Tribulation and those who were martyred during the Tribulation and were resurrected after the Tribulation and just as the 1,00 year reign begins.
2) the unrighteous ("have done what is evil will rise to be condemned")
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John 5:28-29 (Jesus speaking, NIV) 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."
Jesus was the first resurrected. Believers in Jesus Christ are resurrected and glorified at the rapture and we will reign with Jesus for a 1,000 years. Those martyred during the Tribulation are resurrected at the end of the Tribulation and before the 1,000 year reign and with special honor. After 1,000 years the lost are resurrected and condemned to die and spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The second resurrection and their second and final death.
1 Corinthians 15:23-26 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. 24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
"The resurrection of the saints and martyrs, as specified in Revelation 20:4. It is called the “first” resurrection in contradistinction from the second and last - the general resurrection - when all the dead will be 'literally' raised up from their graves and assembled for the judgment, Revelation 20:12." - Albert Barnes Commentary of the Bible
There are those who believe Christians will go through the Tribulation if they are alive at the time it begins. They don't believe the rapture occurs before the Tribulation begins. If they are correct, then they see the first resurrection at the end of the Tribulation for all righteous (through Jesus Christ), whether they lived in 1959 or during the Tribulation period or during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. And the second resurrection at the end of the Tribulation period is for all unrighteous (those who rejected Jesus Christ).
Amillennialists insist that the first resurrection is a spiritual resurrection that is taking place during the present age. (A) when a person becomes born-again, our spirits are born but our bodies have yet to be glorified, or, (B) the entrance of believers into into Paradise when we die. At the end of the age, all spirits are brought forth and their bodies are raised incorruptible to join their spirits.
I'm sure there are more views. I'm inclined to the premillennialist view. But I cannot stress enough that no matter what view we have, the basic fundamental point is Christians are God's children and we do NOT have to worry. Our eternity is secure. There is no argument that Christians are taken care of and, in the end, our spirits are rejoined with our glorified bodies and we live forever in Heaven with our God!
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Revelation 20:7-10 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This is satan's last stand. He is released from the abyss and leads those who have again rejected Jesus Christ despite his peaceful reign of a thousand years. Jesus will be ruling on the throne of David in a benevolent theocracy. At the beginning of the Millennium, only believers will be alive (Revelation 19:17-21). Those who are born during this Millennial Age to natural believers re-populate the earth and they have to make a choice just like we do during this Church Age. Do we believe in Jesus Christ and submit to Him as Lord and Savior, King of Kings, Son of God? Today, we make our choice in faith. We have not physically seen Jesus Christ, touched Him or lived under His earthly reign (we live under His spiritual reign and acknowledge Him as our King). We make our choice based on faith. This is recognized.
John 20:29 Jesus said to (Thomas), “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
These natural people born during the millenium are living under the perfect government of Jesus Christ. He will rule fairly, honestly, lovingly but they will reject him.
Isaiah 2:4a He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
Isaiah 11:3-4 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what His eyes see,
and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
but with righteousness He will judge the poor,
and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth
and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.
Revelation 2:26-28 26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.
28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
Jesus, and those who co-reign with Him, will be leaders and judges in the Millennial Reign. Jesus makes sure His laws are obeyed and will deal strongly with those who rebel and disobey His laws. He has to rule with an iron scepter in order to assure the peace, longevity and safety of the believers. These natural people have a sin nature like we do. The only difference is that they live under the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.
Think about Adam and Eve. They had perfect, immortal bodies and a deep abiding relationship with their Creator and God. They were placed in a world specially created just for them so they had everything they needed. They were provided for and protected in a paradise on earth. God came daily and spoke with them. They had no reason to look elsewhere. But they did. How could they? How scary is it to think of having everything and being in a perfect environment and yet a human being would look away from God and sin?
In the Church Age (from the time of Jesus death and resurrection until He returns and raptures His people and the Tribulation begins), we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to do two jobs: to prepare hearts and work to open the eyes of the unsaved; and, to enter the hearts of those who are saved and dwell in us to teach, train, strengthen and empower us. This is such a glorious blessing. Think about those who lived before Jesus who did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! We also have the benefit of the Word of God. We have the eyewitness testimonies of those who lived and spoke with Him passed down through the centuries. We have Christian workers such as missionaries, pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, authors... all who are anointed by the Holy Spirit to teach us more about God. Much of this is more than people had before Jesus! What blessings we have! Yet, how many people ignore all of this, reject all of this, openly rebel and even HATE all of this!?! Our sin nature is deeply ingrained.
Now, think of the Millennial Reign when these people have Jesus front and center, ruling and reigning in peace and prosperity. They have all the advantages that even we in the Church Age don't have! But they still rebel. They still sin. They have a sin nature and the desire of the sin nature overrides everything. The influence of Jesus over civilization and the removal of Satan are not enough to encourage people to follow God. This is frankly very frightening to me. How very bad are we as creatures? Evidently very bad. Some people plumb the depths of evil that is unimaginable. Some dabble in evil. But we all have the propensity, the desire, the want-to. We are desperately sick without Jesus Christ. We don't realize it. We think we are just fine without Him. But sin is deep-seated in us.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Revelation 3:17-18 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Why the 1,000 year reign? Why is there one more period of time in which humans can accept or reject Jesus Christ? Why let satan out to deceive and lead these unbelievers in a final battle against Jesus Christ?
Maybe it's as a testimony of God's nature. We don't deserve God's mercy and grace. God extends it to us. He doesn't force us. But He is also a God of justice and despite giving humanity chance after chance, it will be dealt with once and for all. He will reveal satan for who he really is. He will not be able to hide behind his masks like he does today. We will be truly horrified by the truth and thankful for what Jesus Christ saved us from!
It also fulfills all the covenants and promises God made to the Jews, Gentiles, the Church and Creation. God chose to make covenants, voluntarily, and knowing full well we could not fulfill any requirements. He made these promises solely on his own, one sided, unilateral. He initiated the covenants, He made the promises and He fulfills them. We are recipients of the merciful and grace-filled covenants for no other reason than He is good, He is love, He is mercy, He is grace. There is nothing good in us and no reason for God to do anything. But, because we are made in the image of God, created by Him and we have the choice to voluntarily give our hearts to Him, He reached out to us while we were yet sinners.
During the Millennial Age, people have the chance to see Jesus Christ in action. With this in-your-face knowledge, they have a choice to choose Jesus or reject Him. These people are not deceived about Jesus Christ. They are deceived in believing their rebellion can be successful. They have no excuse. They make the wrong choice despite having all the information and knowledge. Knowing what they are doing, they choose to reject Jesus Christ.
Adam and Eve were perfect and immortal with a daily, walking-talking relationship with their Father God in a world that was created specifically for them to provide for their needs and protect them. Yet they listened to satan. They disobeyed God. Why? They had it all! Why? I believe it was because they couldn't conceive what evil was. They'd never seen or experienced evil, sin, death. What were they tempted to do? Eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan told them they would be like God if they ate from this tree. Once they disobeyed, sin entered the world and now they knew what they'd been missing... evil and death. From Adam and Eve to every last man/woman born (except for Jesus) we've known sin, evil and death. And in the midst of our sins, we give all kinds of excuses, justifications, reasons why we reject God and follow after our sins.
"God is too scary. We can't get close to Him. How are we suppose to know for ourselves when we can't get close to Him?" So God sent Moses.
"How do we know His prophets, priests, and teachers are giving us the truth?"
"We didn't know. No one has ever come back from the dead to tell us about death and hell." So God sent Jesus.
Yet man has found even the Son of God coming back from the dead, the work of the Holy Spirit and the very Word of God and it's warnings, do not convince him.
During the Millennium, they will see Jesus at work and live under His peaceful, prosperous, benevolent government. But many will choose to reject Him. This proves that there are no real excuses for men. The sin stain is too deep. They make their choice from a position of knowing good and evil. In the Millennium, they know Jesus is the Son of God and is good. But they follow satan knowing what evil is. They've made the wrong choice. They are not deceived, they know full well. The only deception is that they think they have a chance to win over Jesus Christ.
There is no saving them. Sin is rooted deeply in us and we need to be changed. Human programs don't change us. Even if we are given the perfect environment and everything we think we want or need, the problem is within us. We aren't reformed by programs, a reformed society, more money, etc. Proof will be right there in the Millennium. There is no denying that sin is in humanity. They won't be able to blame anything else for their wrong choice.
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Not all men will reject Christ during the Millennial Reign. But those who do, will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
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Revelation 20: 11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
You can review a bit looking at this chart before we continue. We are at the Great White Throne Judgment in this chart.
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Judgments
This is the point where I want to talk about the different Judgments.
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There are different judgments:
The Judgment of Satan and Fallen Angels
Satan was once an anointed cherub, one of the highest of angels. He wanted to be God and in his pride thought he could be God. He managed to convince a third of the angels to rebel against God.
Isaiah 14:12-14 12 Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations! 13 You said to yourself, “I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 14 I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”
Satan and his fallen angels were cast from heaven to earth for a time.
Ezekiel 28:15-18 15 You were blameless in your behavior from the day you were created, until sin was discovered in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I defiled you and banished you from the mountain of God – the guardian cherub expelled you from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. I threw you down to the ground; I placed you before kings, that they might see you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade, you desecrated your sanctuaries. So I drew fire out from within you; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth before the eyes of all who saw you.
After Satan’s fall, God sentenced Satan and his angels condemning them to the Lake of Fire (Matt. 24:41). Though it is anticipated and viewed as accomplished, this sentence against Satan and his fallen angels will not be carried out until after the Millennial Reign of Christ.
The Judgment of Believers’ Sins
Isaiah 53:3-8 3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
Like one from whom men hide their faces,
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He took on our infirmities
and carried our sorrows;
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
struck down and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed.
6 We all like sheep have gone astray,
each one has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet He did not open His mouth.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away,
and who can recount His descendants?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
He was stricken for the transgression of My people.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Romans 8:1-4 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
We are all sinners and judgment would see us all face eternity in the Lake of Fire. We deserve it. We were born with sin and we act on our sin throughout our life. But the GOOD NEWS is that Jesus took care of the penalty of our sin. He took it upon Himself and then received the punishment upon Himself so that we wouldn't have to! The word "gospel" means good news! The gospel of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ, is that we don't have to suffer the penalty of our sins! We can be set free! We can be forgiven! We can be clothed in His righteousness! Our punishment fell on Him. To redeem means to "buy back". He paid the penalty, the awful price, in order to rescue us. He redeemed us! Praise and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer of my soul!!!!! He took care of sin on the cross and He took our punishment when He died. But He didn't stay dead! He rose again after 3 days. After showing Himself to His disciples and some 500 of his followers, for 30 days, He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. In Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit down on the Day of Pentecost to help us. As believers, the Holy Spirit resides in us to teach, train, empower us to learn about God, to live a Christ-like life, to grow spiritually so that we may live more and more by the spirit.
This judgment was made at the cross. Jesus took on our sins and took on our punishment. He accepted the judgment on our behalf.
The Judgment Seat of Christ (aka the Bema Seat Judgment)
2 Corinthian 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
This is not a judgment to decide whether we can enter heaven. We will be in Heaven already and our eternity is secure with Jesus. This is a judgment for rewards. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul drew courage and motivation by the fact of rewards at the return of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Salvation is a free gift from Jesus Christ. Anyone can accept His offer of forgiveness and salvation. You must accept Him in order to be saved. But from the day of our salvation, we are accountable to Him for every motivation, word and action. We will be evaluated for what we have done with the gifts He has given us: abilities, talents, skills, health, energy, relationships, vocations, and finances.
"Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit has convicted us when we have sinned, enabled us to obey, equipped us to serve, and shown us areas that need correction, all the while reminding us that we will one day give an account of our lives to Christ." - Charles F. Stanley, 8/27/2018
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
1 Corinthians 3: 12-14 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
We will face Jesus, the Judge, and we will see our life and our life's works through His eyes. What did we do for God? What were our motivations? Did we use our gifts wisely for eternal purposes? Did we squander our gifts? God invested in us, how did we repay Him? (The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30) Did we put God first in our lives? Or did we put other things first, idols? Did we do good things but with bad motives? Or was our heart really in the good we did? Did we have a love relationship with the Father or did we just put on a show?
There will be no fig leaves to cover our life's history. When Jesus shines His light on our life, it will be stripped down and no amount of finessing will save shoddy work. And no bad paint job will hide quality, sterling work. It will be as it is. And then it will go through the fire of judgment and whatever is good will remain and whatever was bad will be burned up and turned to ash. Our rewards will be based on what remains.
Let's look at an example:
Let's say you walk by a homeless person. They are dirty, destitute, poor, needy, raving in mental illness, no telling if they have a physical illness, and all they own they can carry in a sack. What do you do?
I also cannot judge or account for the homeless person I'm confronted with. I don't know what his/her life has been like. I don't know if he's a con man or a real needy person. I don't know if he likes to sleep in a tent or not. I don't know if he has a car in the parking lot and goes to a decent home at night and begging is his job. I have no idea if he's mentally ill or play acting. I have no idea if he's a veteran down on his luck or is just using that as an excuse. I don't know what he will do with whatever I give him. It is not my business. God can deal with those who are playing on people. All I can account for is myself and my thoughts and deeds! If God prompts me and makes me aware of a need, I should respond as best as I am able and with as pure a motive as I can muster. That's all I'm accountable for.
If I do something for someone and they repay me with evil? That is between them and God. I must forgive and move on. I don't have to take abuse. I don't have to endanger myself or others. I don't have to be stupid. But I do have to obey God and I do have to forgive and I do have to keep my motives as pure as I know how to. The Holy Spirit will help me as long as I'm willing to do His will and be Christlike with the motive of loving and trusting the Father.
Matthew 10:14-15 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
But let's looks at some scripture.
Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His 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 something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
These verses will be used in another Judgement. But they also show us Jesus taught us to reach out to others as though we were reaching out to Him. We are given salvation as a free gift, but our rewards are based on how we use our life to glorify Him, to minister to Him, to love Him. Everything we do for a fellow human being, should be done as though we were doing it for Him and should be done in His Name and to His glory (not ours).
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
Did you notice the motivation in Matthew 10:42. It begins with "because". Re-read that and put emphasis on each word. "he is My disciple" (Who is Jesus' disciple? Me!) "he is My disciple" (Once I have accepted Jesus Christ, I am His disciple! Me! Little ole me!) "he is My disciple" (Whose disciple am I? Jesus! I am am a disciple of Jesus Christ!) "he is My disciple" (I am a what? A disciple of Jesus Christ! Why? Because He loved me into His kingdom! He saved me! I love Him because He first loved me!) A disciple is a follower, a believer, one who studies his Teacher, one who emulates his Teacher.
James 1:19-27 (CEV) 19 My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20 If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. 21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you.
22 Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. (But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. - KJV) 23 If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.
26 If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is useless. 27 Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.
James 2 (CEV) My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4 This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11 The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.
12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!
14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
18 Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” 19 You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.
20 Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22 Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God accepted him.” That's how Abraham became God's friend.
24 You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe. 25 For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way.
26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!
Matthew 5:38-44 38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...
Acts 20:33-35 (BSB, Paul speaking to a church) 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. 35 In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
The fire of God's holiness will reveal our works for what they were. Our motives play a big part in determining if our works are gold, silver and precious stones or wood, hay and stubble.
We do not serve the Lord for the rewards but because of our love for Him. This is the ultimate motivation. Deeds done with pure motives will receive the Lord's reward. When your love is pure, your motives are pure. Jesus didn't do the things He did in order to get fame, glory, money, advantages, promotion, popularity, to make a name for Himself, or for any other motive than His love for His Father and His love for us. It's called humility and He had the servant's heart of humility. He exampled it to us so that we would follow in the same way. And He wasn't two faced like us. He didn't do one thing but think something else in His heart. He didn't talk out of both sides of His mouth like we do. What He said came from His heart in all honesty and transparency.
How do we keep our motives pure? Can we? I don't know, but to the best of our ability we should try daily. Remember, God has given the Holy Spirit within us to empower us to do anything He asks us to do and that includes keeping the right motives. He has also given us His Word which is living and able to guide and change us. He has given us a relationship with the Father and reconciled us with the Father. So there is nothing between us and the Father's love. The more we love Him and spend time with Him in prayer, the more we read and study His Word, the more we rely on the Holy Spirit within us... the more we change and become what He calls us to be, holy. There is no holiness found in our natural man. But through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the relationship with Father God and His Word, we are, and can be, holy! We ARE holy because Jesus has forgiven us, cleansed us and clothed us with His righteousness (that was done at the cross and we accepted it by faith). We are being made holy through the sanctification of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We live holy when we commune with the Father and study and learn about Him. This kind of love relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with us, is what can change us. It's not how hard we work or what we do that makes us holy. I can't grit my teeth and force out holiness. I can't follow a checklist and make myself holy. I can't follow all the rules and be holy. It comes as a natural fruit of my relationship with God. The more time I spend loving Him and learning from Him, the more I am naturally going to be Christ-like! He loved me and my natural response (as a believer and His child) is to love Him. How do I love Him? By spending time with Him and learning all I can about Him, focusing on Him, letting praise and gratitude flow out of my heart. Then, and only then, will we be more apt to do good deeds with pure motives. James said, "faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead". Fruit comes naturally from a faith relationship with our God! Good fruit comes naturally from this love relationship. If you aren't exhibiting good fruit, it may mean you need to get back into the relationship. You have distanced yourself. God never moved. And don't think you can throw a little money at a charity and be back in good standing with God, re-establishing a relationship. That's impure motive. You go to God and from there good deeds, with good motives, will follow. You don't throw an apple at an apple tree and say its "fruit". Apples grow naturally from an apple tree. How does it grow them? With the combination of good soil, sunlight, rain, watering, pruning, fertilizing. It takes the work of developing a relationship and then the fruit will appear naturally. Plant yourself in God, look to Him for light, living water and the sustenance of living bread. Let Him prune you and accept His pruning as what it's meant to be, cutting off the dead so that His life can flow more freely through you. He's not hurting you to hurt you, but to better you and make you eventually stronger! Seek all from the Father and love Him and all the rest will come naturally.
Mark 10:21-22 21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
What are these rewards? What is the "treasure in heaven"? As if being in Heaven for eternity with my God isn't enough reward!
Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Just being with God is to enter into the joy of my master. But God tells us there are rewards in Heaven.
Matthew 5:11-12 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Five key passages reference believers receiving a “crown” as a reward.
Crown Incorruptible
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT) 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Let's look at verse 25 in different translations:
1 Corinthians 9:25 (KJV) And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (Amplified) Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
a crown = στέφανον (stephanon) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 4735: A crown, garland, honor, glory. From an apparently primary stepho; a chaplet, literally or figuratively.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon for this verse says it was the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
imperishable = ἄφθαρτον (aphtharton) = Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 862: Indestructible, imperishable, incorruptible; hence: immortal. Undecaying.
This wreath, or crown, is a prize for those who finish the race in good standing. But this is not just a footrace at the Olympics! This is our life race and the implication is that we will receive a reward, prize, treasure, crown that has everlasting and eternal significance!
Crown of Rejoicing
1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 (NLT) 17 Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18 We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. 19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20 Yes, you are our pride and joy.
Let's look at this one in different translations:
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (KJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (CEV) After all, when the Lord Jesus appears, who else but you will give us hope and joy and be like a glorious crown for us? You alone are our glory and joy!
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (Amplified) For who is [the object of] our hope or joy or our victor’s wreath of triumphant celebration [when we stand] in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are [indeed] our glory and our joy!
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the same as the previous "crown". Thayer's Greek Lexicon, for this verse, says it is metaphorically that which is an ornament and honor to one: so of persons.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of boasting = καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2746: The act of boasting, glorying, exultation. From kauchaomai; boasting, in a good or a bad sense.
The "crown of rejoicing" (in the King James Version) is a crown of which we can boast about. It is translated as something to be proud of, something we can celebrate as a victory, an ornament of pride. Not evil pride, but the idea of feeling good about something accomplished and well done.
Crown of Righteousness
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Here it is in different translations:
2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8 (CEV) So a crown will be given to me for pleasing the Lord. He judges fairly, and on the day of judgment he will give a crown to me and to everyone else who wants him to appear with power.
2 Timothy 4:8 (Amplified) In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.
Same in Strong's as the previous 2 verses. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, for this verse, says metaphorically, the crown (wreath) which is the reward of righteousness.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of righteousness = δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosynēs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.
Thayer's Lexicon says, the condition acceptable to God. Bleek at the passage b. "integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting".
We will receive righteousness. We will have a purity of life that we've never experienced on this earth.
Crown of Life
James 1:12 (BSB) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
The word for crown, in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the same as the previous verses but it is the crown "of life".
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of life = ζωῆς (zōēs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon on the words "of life" says it's life real and genuine, vita quae sola vita nominanda (Cicero, de sen. 21, 77), "a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever" (the writers of the O. T. have anticipated the conception, in their way, by employing חַיִּים to denote a happy life and every kind of blessing): in this case, life breaking forth from the abode of the dead.
Crown of Glory
1 Peter 5:1-4 (KJV) 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Let's re-read this in different translations:
1 Peter 5:4 (NLT) And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.
1 Peter 5:4 (GNT) And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.
1 Peter 5:4 (HCSB) And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
1 Peter 5:4 (Amplified) And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.
The word for "crown" in Strong's is the same as above. This is a "crown of glory". According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, the word translated as "glory" is doxa. In this verse it means opinion, estimate, whether good or bad, concerning some one; but in secular writings generally, in the sacred writings always, good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor, glory.
Some have seen these five "crowns" as the rewards God promises in this judgement. After studying them it seems to me to describe the universal rewards that all Christians are given. We are accepted into Paradise with Jesus. We are going to meet Him face to face. When Jesus returns and collects us, our bodies will be raised incorruptible and immortal to join our spirits. We are given His righteousness and blessed with eternity in Heaven with our God. We will rejoice in all He has done and all that He did through us during our lifetime on earth. Our joy will be incomparable and unending! But, as we studied, there is a time of judgment of each Christian and our life will go through the fire of judgment and what is burnt up is ash and what remains is pure. We will receive some type of reward, treasure, prize based on that. Degrees of reward. Will it be crowns? Or will it be something else?
Some think it will be in assigning rulership. The Bible says that we will co-reign with Jesus. In some way we will be given assignments, jobs, administrative roles. Might some be given bigger roles in administration or lesser roles.
Luke 16:10-12 10 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 If, then, you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
When I even thought about a "job" in Heaven, I flinched. Here, on earth, jobs are hard. Learning good work ethics is not easy and being responsible and dependable on a job is difficult. Some people never learn good work ethics or how to be responsible, honest and dependable on a job. If they don't feel like getting up at 7:30am, they sleep in and to heck with their job. If they party the night before and have a hangover, they lay out. If they see something they want on the jobsite, they have no qualms about taking it home (stealing) or taking every advantage of an employer by stealing time. Taking too many smoke breaks, long lunches, gossip breaks around the water cooler happens all too often. Slacking on work and doing shoddy work seems acceptable today. We make jokes about waiters/waitresses or cooks doing despicable things to someone's food if they don't like the customer, as though it were OK to do it because the customer deserves it!?! We are unfortunately used to people lying, stealing, clawing their way to the top of the ladder on everyone else's back. Office politics can be cruel and brutal. Greed is looked on as a virtue.
I am a highly self-motivated person. I subconsciously resist someone telling me what to do and I'm very sensitive to criticism. If left alone, I do a good job and do it with integrity and am dependable. I'm honest and easy to work with. Punching a time clock was very hard for me. Sometimes I could be up and running very early in the morning and sometimes I was running late. But I always made up the minutes and was honest is my timekeeping. I thrived in organizing and maintaining records, some creativity and am good at training. I think I was an excellent employee for certain jobs but not for others. If I had to be somewhere right on the minute, it was hard for me. It was like subconsciously I couldn't do it consistently. Time constraints hampered me. If I was given autonomy that seemed to release me from constraints and I felt free to do my best (and I was honest in my timekeeping so that I wasn't paid for time I wasn't working and I gave the hours I was required to work). I just worked and functioned better with some trust and autonomy. But not all jobs can be flexible and I certainly understood that. And, as an introvert, I worked better alone and unbothered. I could concentrate and keep my work flowing if I didn't have to socialize within a team. I'm a nice person and get along with others. I'm not pushy, demanding, sabotaging, grandstanding or slacking which makes for a good team member. But I'd just as soon be by myself. Put me in a comfortable office and leave me alone and you will get as good a work as anyone can give. Again, I understood that not all jobs fit my type of personality. Lastly, navigating the social environment and office politics was what I couldn't stand. I don't care if it was working as a donut-serving waitress at my Granddaddy's Krispy Kreme or in a classroom teaching and training as a consultant, I was not good at office politics. I tend to take everyone at face value, I was honest and transparent and thought everyone else was too. I was shocked too many times at how people will lie, manipulate and deceive over anything. Twisting things into pretzels to make themselves look good at my expense or to relieve themselves of responsibility at my expense. Blame, lies, justification, prevaricating, twisting... it's always a part of the workplace. At one time, I even kept a notebook on my desk and wrote everything I did down so that I couldn't be blamed again for something. Took a lot of work time to keep that notebook but saved my bacon more than once. My Mother trained me and we trained my younger sister. One is still in the workforce and she has to do the same thing, keeping a notebook log to protect herself. My Mother's famous saying was, "Document, document, document".
Maybe you have your own needs and preferences in a job. Maybe you prefer a lot of structure, like working in a team, enjoy challenges, prefer or can't stand repetitive jobs, like to work outside or hate to work outside, etc. What makes a good working environment and job for you is different from everyone else. What makes for a miserable working environment and job for you might be someone else's perfect job.
I've gone into a long spiel but to get back to my point, working a job in Heaven didn't seem very heavenly to me. But, the more I thought about it and studied it, the more I realized something. God-ordained work was given to Adam and Eve BEFORE sin and the fall! Let's look at it.
Genesis 1:26-31(BSB) 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
27 So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
God created Adam and Eve and they were perfect and immortal. They were placed in a perfect environment with every need fulfilled and a daily, close relationship with God. And God gave them a a job. What was the job description?
The second job was to "subdue the earth".
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
and subdue it = וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ (wə·ḵiḇ·šu·hā) = Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3533: To subdue, bring into bondage
According to Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, in this verse it means to subdue, dominate, the earth.
God created the earth as a perfect environment for Adam and Eve and their descendants (this was before they sinned). It would have provided for their needs in every way - food, shelter, creativity, challenge, perpetual health. Genesis says God created every plant needed for food for both mankind and animal (no animal was killed for eating, either by man or by another animal). Food had to be gathered and processed. Whether it was gathered from things that grew wild and naturally (like picking berries) or cultivated and harvested (as in agriculture), it was a job. But that isn't the only way to "subdue the earth". Exploration with the intent of discovering and mapping God's creation was another way. God commissioned them to "utilize for his necessities the vast resources of the earth, by agricultural and mining operations, by geographical research, scientific discovery, and mechanical invention." (Pulpit Commentary).
God has sovereign power over His creation and has delegated the authority to mankind to have dominion over the creatures. We were to rule, or have dominion over all of God's creatures on earth. We were intended to act as God's representatives on earth and to do so in a way that reflected His character. Adam and Eve were responsible for ruling the earth and it's creatures well, in accordance with God's character and to His glory. They were to be caretakers and manage the resources God provided in a way that would please God. Mankind were to be good stewards on God's behalf.
So there were jobs to be done in order to be good stewards and to rule the earth wisely. Do you think God would have given Adam and Eve a job they couldn't do? Of course not! He would have made sure they had the intelligence, the strength, the learning ability to be able to do it. And God would have trained them in anyway they might have needed training.
Can you imagine being made for a job and a job being made for you!?! A perfect match!?! That's what it was for Adam and Eve before they sinned. They lived in a perfect environment in strong and immortal bodies with minds that were intelligent and capable of learning. God would not have created all this and then given dominion over to dummies! He knew they could handle it because He created them to handle it. It's almost more than I can imagine... a perfect job. No office politics, no backstabbing, no backbreaking work, no unfair policies, no wage and benefit problems, no bad managers or poor workers, no failures or workplace accidents, no lack of creativity, etc. You were made for your particular job and you can't wait to wake up in the morning to get back at it! We've never seen it here on earth so we can't imagine it.
Because Adam and Eve chose to sin, it all came crashing down. Suddenly the world that cooperated with them, was hostile to them. The humans who were suppose to be good stewards of the earth became abusers of the earth. Let's see what happened after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Genesis 3:14-19 (NLT) 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, you are cursed
more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 Then he said to the woman
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”
Before, they could grow things without weeds. Before, they could work with gladness and joy but now they work "by the sweat of your brow".
Romans 8:20-23 (NLT) 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
So maybe our rewards will be the level of responsibility we will have in our heavenly jobs. His reward will be responsibilities maximizing our talents in such a way as to produce great joy.
Jonathan Edwards - “Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happiness is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others; and there shall be no such thing as envy in heaven, but perfect love shall reign throughout the whole society.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV) As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
Proverbs 24:12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?
When do we face the Judgment Seat of Christ? At the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the Tribulation period, Jesus returns to gather His saints. The spirits of the dead are already in the section of Hades called Paradise, but our physical bodies remained on earth. He will resurrect our physical bodies as glorified, immortal bodies and they will rejoin our spirits. Those who are alive in Christ will then be raised, body and spirit, to join Him. Some think the Judgment will happen just after the Rapture. Others think it goes on for the seven years of the Tribulation. Still others believe it will occur at the end of the Tribulation. It doesn't matter to me when it occurs. It will occur and that's that.
While the Church is being judged at the judgment Seat of Christ in the air, the Jews will be judged under the anti-Christ on the earth.
As a nation, who had been singled out by God and considered as His People, they rejected God, the Father.
1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
They rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Son of God.
Matthew 27:22-25 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
They rejected God the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:51-54 51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.
During the Tribulation, the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land. They will have a peace agreement with the anti-Christ. They will be allowed to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and they will believe this anti-Christ is their Messiah until, halfway through the Tribulation, the anti-Christ turns on them. The deception will fall away and they will see what the anti-Christ truly is and realize Jesus was the Messiah after all. They will pass through a time called Jacob's Trouble in Jeremiah 30 during the latter part of the Tribulation. But they will not be utterly destroyed. The Lord restores them during the Millenium.
Jeremiah 30 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
every face turned deathly pale?
7 How awful that day will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8 “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 “ ‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
11 I am with you and will save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
12 “This is what the Lord says:
“'Your wound is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.
13 There is no one to plead your cause,
no remedy for your sore,
no healing for you.
14 All your allies have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy would
and punished you as would the cruel,
because your guilt is so great
and your sins so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.
16 “ ‘But all who devour you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,
Zion for whom no one cares.’
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established before me;
I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me—
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,
and I will be your God.’”
23 See, the storm of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand this.
The Judgment of The Nations
Matthew 25:31-33 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his 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...40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels....46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 10:1-5,11,14-16 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice... 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep... 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
Isaiah 3:11 “Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”
Judgment is inevitable for sin.
The "brethren" in Matthew 25 are the Jewish remnant that will receive and preach the gospel during the tribulation. Anti-Semitism will run rampant during the Tribulation. Those who become true believers during the Tribulation will prove it by helping the Jews. Believers will become the first people to populate the earthly Kingdom. They will consist of righteous Gentiles living with righteous Israel in its restored Kingdom.
Before the Millennial Kingdom can begin, who can live in the kingdom must be determined. So all the living people are gathered together and the Lord separates them. The sheep are are believers and the goats are unbelievers while the brethren are the believing Jews. In death, those have already been separated into those who go to Paradise and those who go to Torment. The ones separated here are those who have survived thus far. He will eliminate the unsaved from entering the millennium.
Salvation by works is an impossibility because there is no cure for depravity other than the grace of God. We cannot be saved based on our works. So we must see this NOT as salvation based on works but as works being the evidence of salvation. If we are truly saved, good works follow naturally as fruit.
The Judgment of Angels
There are warrior angels:
1 Chronicles 21:16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32:21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria.
Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.
There are angels who comfort, protect, guard and strengthen:
Psalm 34:8 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
Psalm 91:11-12 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:10-11 10 “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Exodus 23:20 Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
There are messenger angels:
Genesis 16: 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
Zechariah 2:3-4 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came out to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run and tell that young man:...
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:..."
Acts 8:26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza."
Luke 1:11-14 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
Luke 1:26-28 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
Angels are eyewitnesses of God's work with human beings. They have seen and watched from Adam and Eve until we enter into forever!
1 Corinthians 4:9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.
1 Corinthians 11:10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
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But there also fallen and deceiving angels. These demonic angels can look like an angel of light but it's a facade to deceive people.
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2 Corinthians 11:14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
They can look good or appeal to something you like. They may present themselves in a mystical, spiritual way. Many humans get carried away with "ghosts" (demons tricking people into believing there is an afterlife apart from God). Or they take up with "spirit guides" and believe these "guides" are guiding them into some truth or wisdom or fortune telling that is not of God. I'm not saying that people are imagining ghosts or spirits. I'm saying that these are not of God, no matter how good they look. If they don't point to Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation through Him alone, they are not of God. If they try to deceive you into thinking that you are god. Man wants to be his own god so this message falls on receptive ears, eager to be deceived! Man wants spirituality without God and these "spirit guides" are all too happy to accommodate men and women with flattery and deceptions that tickle the ear until they have you hooked and walking around in confusion and foggy mysticisms.
A true angel sent by God is one who will always point to God as the source of information, comfort, strengthening or victory. There will be no confusion as to who sent him. And the message will never deviate from the truth of salvation only through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
A true angel is a serving messenger. They serve the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with no thought of glory for themselves. They are not God.
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Fallen angels are angels, like satan was, who were originally created perfect and had their assignments around God's throne. But the Bible teaches that satan decided he wanted to be god and he rebelled and managed to talk 1/3 of the angels into rebelling with him. Pride and disobedience were literally their downfall.
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Some of these fallen angels, demons, attempted to pollute the line of mankind. Another attempt by satan to destroy human beings.
Genesis 6:1-2 1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.
Genesis 6:4-5 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.
Genesis 6:8-11 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
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Demons began to marry human women and have children that were half demon and half human. These halflings were called Nephilim or Nephilites. They were so big, strong and evil that they were known as famous warriors. In fact, some mythology may have originated on stories about these half human/half demon people. God's plan was for His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a human woman and through Jesus' death and resurrection, to save mankind from sin. But if things continued as they were, would there have been any humans to save? Would they have all had demonic blood in them? Noah was "perfect in his generations". No demon blood in him and his sons. God had to act to kill off the evil halflings before human beings were totally lost. So God sent the Flood as judgment against these fallen angels, halflings and evil mankind. But Noah and his family were saved in the Ark. Later, we learn there were still some Nephilim. Goliath was one of them. How? Remember, Noah's sons were married and one of their wives may have carried that demonic blood.?? But God made sure all the Nephilim were eventually killed. Meanwhile, those fallen angels were chained in hell.
2 Peter 2:4-13a (BSB) 4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight; 6 if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; 7 and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, these men are unafraid to slander angelic majesties. 11 Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.
12 These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed. 13 The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness.
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The fallen angels that are not chained in hell, still try to destroy human beings and lead them away from God. Their end is also judgment and God will see them into the Lake of Fire too.
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Humans are created in God's image and we are redeemed by the Son of God. Angels are not created in God’s image and are not redeemed by Christ (Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 2:16). Therefore, human beings who have accept Jesus Christ, are the flower of God's creation. I find this so hard to understand. Angels serve us. But it is good to remember what Jesus said:
Luke 22:25–26 “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”
In Hebrews 1, we are told Jesus was superior to the angels because He was the Son of God.
Hebrews 1:3-4 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
The Bible tells us that angels are sent to serve believers. True angels serve Jesus Christ and point us to the Savior. We are to worship God, not angels and true angels know that and remind us of that.
But the last verse says, (Hebrews 1:14) "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
Hebrews 2:14-17 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
On the other hand, the Bible says,
Psalm 8:3-6 3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
Hebrews 2:6b-9 “What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little a lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
8 and put everything under their feet.”
In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
God judges satan and the angels that rebelled with satan, fallen angels, demons. He will be the one that deals with them and their end is the Lake of Fire.
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2 Peter 2:1-4,9-11 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment... 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.
So, do we judge angels? In some way, we must, as I believe every word of the Bible. I was created in the image of God and have God's life breath in me. It's what quickened me to life as I formed in my Mother's womb. As a fallen human being who has accepted Jesus Christ by faith, I am born again as a child of God. My eternity is secure in Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross. The Holy Spirit lives within me. I have lived on this sinful earth, tempted and afflicted by sin and evil. My body will die but will be resurrected. My spirit will immediately be released. Angels have not had this experience as far as we know. The human experience is unique as far as we are taught in God's Word. I guess God could have gone through this experience with other beings in other times, but we aren't told that in the Word, so, from our point of view (limited as it is), we are unique. We are called children of God!
So do we judge angels? The Greek word translated as "judge" in 1 Corinthians 6:13 is krinoumen (G2919).
HELPS Word-studies
2919 krínō – properly, to separate (distinguish), i.e. judge; come to a choice (decision, judgment) by making a judgment – either positive (a verdict in favor of) or negative (which rejects or condemns).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
decree, determine, judge
Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish -- avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
to judge; to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong; in 1 Corinthians 6:3 used of Christians as hereafter to sit with Christ at the judgment
It seems believers in heaven will take part somehow in the judgment of the fallen angels and exercise some authority over the holy angels. I do not presume to think I fully understand this, but in looking at this verse through the lens of different Bible verses, we seem to come to the conclusion that we will be involved in the judgment of fallen angels and having some authority over holy angels. Right now, I'm just thankful God has His angels looking out for me and helping me. How we are involved is up to God and I look forward to the day when it all becomes clear as day and we understand just what our role is! Whatever it is, it is perfect because God is perfect!
The Great White Throne Judgment or Final Judgement (which is our current scripture)
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Revelation 20:11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
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The last and final judgment of history. At the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ. God has removed Satan and his demons, the False Prophet and the Beast, to the Lake of Fire and is about to judge the rest of the unbelieving dead. Their bodies are resurrected just as ours were. Their bodies are immortal and join their doomed spirits from the section of Hades called Torment. Heaven and Earth, as we know it, have been the arena of Satan’s activity and man’s sin and rebellion. Everyone will see the Heaven and Earth flee from Him who sits on the throne. They disappear. Those who believed that an earthly system could save them are faced with the truth. Those who believed some energy from earth could save them will see the truth. The earth has passed away. It will be no help. Those who thought stars and astrology could save them will see them dissolve. All unbelievers, from the beginning of the world to the end, are gathered to see it. They stand now before the Great White Throne of God.
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Mark 9:43 (Jesus speaking) "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire."
When a person dies, they go to Hades, the Place of the Dead, which is divided into two sections. Paradise and Torment are divided by an uncrossable chasm. Those who are saved through Jesus Christ, their spirit goes to Paradise to await the resurrection of their immortal bodies and to live eternally with their Savior. The unsaved who die go to Torment. They await the Great White Throne Judgement where their bodies will be resurrected, they will then be judged and sent to the Lake of Fire for the second death.
We studied earlier about Gehenna. Gehenna is a small valley outside Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter, it was deemed to be cursed (Jeremiah 7:31,19:2–6). The valley became the dumping ground for the sewage and garbage of Jerusalem. Here, we call the local dump Mt. Trashmore as it continues to grow and it's getting to be a noticeable mountain in the landscape. At least they keep it covered and punctured so the buried trash can decay without it being such a sight and being so unhealthy. Back in the ancient times, there would have been worms, maggots, flies, rats, etc. By defiling this place with garbage, King Josiah was able to stop child sacrifices. Fires burned constantly to destroy garbage and smoke and bad odors continually rose from it. It would have been terribly unhealthy and sickening. The name Gehenna came to be used as a symbol of punishment.
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The lake of fire “means the second death.” (Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8) The first death mentioned resulted from Adam’s sin. This death was reversed by Jesus' death and resurrection and will eventually be eliminated by God. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22,26). The second death, there can be no resurrection from. Jesus was given the "keys of hell and of death". He has the authority to release people from the death that Adam's sin brought on the world. If we accept Him as our Savior, we are bought back from the first death and we can be resurrected into eternal life. But the second death is eternally permanent. This is the ultimate consequence of sin, which is to be totally cut off from God. The lake of fire will also be the fate of the beast and false prophet from the end times (Revelation 19:20), as well as Satan himself (Revelation 20:10). The Bible indicates that both death and Hades—the temporary destination of the unsaved dead—will also be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). The wicked are permanently separated from God's love, and thus the "second death" (Revelation 20:14;21:8).
The reuniting of body and soul for believers is also true of unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgement.
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life; but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt
Unbelievers will stand, body and soul, before King Jesus for judgement. They will be without defense. Their thoughts, words, actions will be laid out and there will be no defense. With all the evidence on display, there will be no defense. They will have to bow the knee before King Jesus and admit they were wrong. But it's too late.
Matthew 25:41 (Jesus speaking) "Depart from Me, you accursed one, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels."
There will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Their eternal bodies are tormented for eternity. They will have their senses and will be able to hear the wailing and weeping of the damned. They will see unimaginable horror. They will use their mouths to beg for mercy or blaspheme and curse. Nothing touches them but fire. The smells of sulphur, burning flesh, and death will fill the air. There is no hope and no mercy and they will know they brought it on themselves.
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Revelation 20:11-15 11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
God records the names of every person who is destined for Heaven in the Book of Life. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, and have not been blotted out by the Lamb, are saved at the Last Judgment. Also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8;21:27). Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, our names are permanently in the Lamb's Book of Life. We cannot be erased or blotted out.
Luke 10:18-20 18 “Yes,” (Jesus) told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
But what about Exodus 32:33 31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book."
It would seem that all humans are listed in the Book of Life. But if they refuse Jesus Christ as their Savior and accept His payment for their sins, their names are erased or blotted out of the Book of Life. Only those who accept Jesus will have their names left in the Book of Life.
Others see it differently.
"Names are inscribed in the book of life before the foundation of the world. This is by God’s sovereign and altogether gracious choice. You don’t believe in Jesus in order that your name will be written in the book. You believe in Jesus because your name has already been written down in the book. To those who do not presently believe in Jesus, we say: 'Repent and believe!' If they do, it is because their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world." - Crosswalk.com article by Sam Storms
Some believe that there are two different books called the Book of the Living and the Book of Life and God and Moses, in Exodus 32, are referring to the Book of the Living rather than the Book of Life. We know there are other books that record our life as in thoughts, motivations, deeds, words. These are used in the Bema Judgement. So maybe there are two books, Book of Life versus Book of the Living?
But however it comes about, the only way to have your name recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Revelation 20 begins with "Then". So to be sure Chapter 20 is in context, let me put the end of Revelation 19 here:
Revelation 19:11-21 (New International Version - NIV) 11 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,a and His name is The Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of all men slave and free, small and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. 20 But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
What battle is this?
Continuation of my study on the Battle of Gog and Magog
We studied about the Battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 when studying in Revelation 19. During this battle, many nations of the world will invade the nation of Israel from the North. It actually probably was "Gog of the land Magog". Gog is a leader of a land called Magog. We studied about how some of history might have been a partial fulfillment of this prophecy but I believe there is an end-time fulfillment too. Why?
According to Ezekiel 38-39 (2,600 years ago), when the Jewish people are living peacefully in Israel, Gog and his allies will invade Israel and God will annihilate the invaders and shock the world. They will be destroyed and the Jews will spend months burying all the dead from the battle. For seven years Israel will utilize the weapons of the invaders for fuel. God declares, through the battle, “the nations shall know that I the Lord am holy in Israel.” God would fulfill His promise to regather the Jewish people “from all the countries” where they had been dispersed and bring them back to the land promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D and the Jewish people were scattered across the world. Israel became a nation once again on 5/14/1948, after nearly 1900 years.)
Whether Gog is the Antichrist or not depends, on the timing of the Gog-Magog Battle, which is an issue of dispute. See my study on Revelation 19 to see more information on this battle. We know it's ultimate fulfillment will be in the last days because Ezekiel 38:8 and Ezekiel 38:16 use "in the latter years" and "in the last days".
Ezekiel 38:8,16 “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from …and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”
Israel must be living peacefully and unsuspecting of an attack. Israel, today, lives in constant fear of attack and is always prepared for an invasion by the hostile Muslim nations surrounding them. So what happens to give them a sense of security?
Psalm 83 (NIV)
1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
I don't know what will occur to give Israel that sense of peace and security. It hasn't happened yet. If the Battle of Gog and Magog is just before the Great Tribulation, it might be the agreement with the AntiChrist and what precipitates the Tribulation period of the end times and the rise of the anti-Christ.
Never, in the history of the Middle East, have the nations, named in Ezekiel 38, united in an invasion of Israel from the North. Some have, but not all and not together. These nations are:
Magog = Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan (and possibly Afghanistan)
Rosh = Russia
Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-togarmah = Turkey (and possibly Azerbaijan, Armenia)
Persia = Iran
Ethiopia = Sudan
Put = Libya (and possibly Algeria, Tunisia)
The removal of the “Restrainer” (the Holy Spirit) in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 causes the Antichrist to emerge.
2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the…
If the Battle of Gog and Magog occurs before the Tribulation, with the Muslim world in ruins after their defeat in the battle, they will no longer be an impediment for the Jews to rebuild the Temple. The antiChrist will allow them to do this but the antiChrist will later desecrate it by placing the Abomination of Desolation in the new Temple and demanding to be worshiped there. This will cause the Jews to flee into the desert (Matthew 24:15-16). The Jews will no longer be burying the dead (for 7 months) or have access to the Gog-Magog invader’s weapons to burn (for 7 years). And so, the seven years of Tribulation can no longer match the seven years of burning the weapons.
So, for the Battle of Gog-Magog, we are looking for (from Ezekiel 38-39):
- It must be in the "last days", "latter years", or end times.
- Jews will be gathered back to Israel from all over the world.
- Israel living in peace and unsuspecting of an invasion. "In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety..."
- The coalition of nations described in Ezekiel 38.
- The reason the coalition of nations have for invading Israel is "in order to seize the spoil and carry off the plunder" of the Jews "who have acquired livestock and possessions"; "to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder".
- The invaders coming from the North. "You will come from your place in the far north"
- God supernaturally defeating these nations as a testimony to His power and His care for the nation of Israel. "And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord."
- There will be a great earthquake. This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel." And, "The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground."
- They will turn on each other. "Every man’s sword will be against his brother."
- It takes seven months for the Israelites to bury the dead from the Battle of Gog and Magog. "For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land."
- "I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him."
- For seven years they use the weapons from the Battle as fuel. "Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up."
- There will be a vast cemetery of the buried dead in a town called Hamonah "So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog;" "As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, near a town called Hamonah. And so they will cleanse the land."
- Finally, "I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name."
But when will it occur and is this the same battle as the Battle of Armageddon?
The best timing that seems to fulfill the Ezekiel 38-39 Battle of Gog and Magog might be the beginning of the Great Tribulation rather than the end. We know the Great Tribulation lasts for seven years. Halfway through the Great Tribulation (3 1/2 years) the anti-Christ will desecrate the newly built Temple in Jerusalem by placing the Abomination of Desolation there and demanding the world worship him.
If you believe the church is raptured BEFORE the Great Tribulation (and I do), then the Holy Spirit is removed with the church as I mentioned earlier in this post in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8. This unleashes the "lawless one", the AntiChrist.
The Gog-Magog Battle destroys the Russian and Muslim power. This opens the way for the AntiChrist to conquer what’s left of the Middle East and makes a peace covenant with Israel. There is seven years for them to bury the dead and use the weapons from the Battle of Gog and Magog for fuel. At the halfway point, the anti-Christ will renege on his peace agreement with Israel. They will flee to the desert finally realizing that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. Evidently, according to the seven years in Ezekiel, they will still have access to the weapons from the Gog and Magog Battle to use for fuel. At the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus returns with His Army of Heavenly Hosts. This is where we are at now. The Battle of Gog and Magog doesn't seem to be the battle in Revelation 19. To me, it better fits at the beginning of the Tribulation period. Then the AntiChrist takes leadership as a world dictator after the battle and makes a peace treaty with Israel. Some believe this Battle of Gog and Magog is the same as the Battle of Armageddon.
The clock towards Jesus' return will restart when the Antichrist makes his peace treaty with Israel. The countdown is seven years of Tribulation. The first 3 1/2 years are peaceful for Israel and they rebuild the Temple. The Antichrist breaks the treaty after 3 1/2 years and then all hell breaks loose. The Antichrist demands to be worshiped and places the Abomination of Desolation in the new Temple. He marks his followers with the number 666. John tells us that those who will worship the Antichrist and take the number will avoid economic sanctions but will be doomed to hell. Those who refuse to take the number and won't follow or worship the beast will be put to death as martyrs.
Let's look at a chart to refresh our memory on where we are.
The Battles of Daniel 11
Daniel 11 describes a massive battle between the king of the North and the King of the South. The king of the North is obviously the Antichrist and the King of the South refers to an Arab-African Confederacy.
Daniel 11:2-45 (BSB) 2 Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.
5 The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.
6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7 But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing. 8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, 9 who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.
10 But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress. 11 In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be given over to the hand of his enemy.
12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. 13 For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.
14 In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.
15 Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege mound, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist. 16 The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.
18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him. 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.
20 In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.
21 In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.
23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. 24 In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish on his followers plunder, loot, and wealth, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.
25 And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.
27 And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.
29 At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first. 30 Ships of Kittime will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
32 With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.
34 Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. 35 Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
36 Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.
38 And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. 39 He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing land for a price. 40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.
42 He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.
44 But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.
Let's read it one more time in the Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Daniel 11:2-45 (CEV) 2 What I am going to tell you is certain to happen. Four kings will rule Persia, one after the other, but the fourth one will become much richer than the others. In fact, his wealth will make him so powerful that he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will come to power and will be able to do whatever he pleases. 4 But suddenly his kingdom will be crushed and scattered to the four corners of the earth, where four more kingdoms will rise. But these won't be ruled by his descendants or be as powerful as his kingdom.
5 The king of the south will grow powerful. Then one of his generals will rebel and will rule an even larger kingdom. 6 Years later the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom will make a treaty, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north. But she will lose her power. Then she, her husband, their child, and the servants who came with her will all be killed.
After this, 7 one of her relatives will become the ruler of the southern kingdom. He will attack the army of the northern kingdom and capture its fortresses. 8 Then he will carry their idols to Egypt, together with their precious treasures of silver and gold, but it will be a long time before he attacks the northern kingdom again. Some years later 9 the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom, but he will be forced back to his own country.
10 The sons of the king of the north will gather a huge army that will sweep down like a roaring flood, reaching all the way to the fortress of the southern kingdom. 11 But this will make the king of the south angry, and he will defeat this large army from the north. 12 The king of the south will feel proud because of the many thousands he has killed. But his victories won't last long, 13 because the king of the north will gather a larger and more powerful army than ever before. Then in a few years, he will start invading other countries.
14 At this time many of your own people will try to make this vision come true by rebelling against the king of the south, but their rebellion will fail. 15 Then the army from the north will surround and capture a fortress in the south, and not even the most experienced troops of the southern kingdom will be able to make them retreat. 16 The king who invaded from the north will do as he pleases, and he will even capture and destroy the holy land. 17 In fact, he will decide to invade the south with his entire army. Then he will attempt to make peace by giving the king of the south a bride from the northern kingdom, but this won't be successful.
18 Afterwards, this proud king of the north will invade and conquer many of the nations along the coast, but a military leader will defeat him and make him lose his pride. 19 He will retreat to his fortresses in his own country, but on the way he will be defeated and never again be seen.
20 The next king of the north will try to collect taxes for the glory of his kingdom. However, he will come to a sudden end in some mysterious way, instead of in battle or because of someone's anger. Part Two: The Evil King from the North
21 The successor of this king of the north will be a worthless nobody, who doesn't even come from a royal family. He will suddenly appear and gain control of the kingdom by treachery. 22 Then he will destroy armies and remove God's chosen high priest. 23 He will make a treaty, but he will be deceitful and break it, even though he has only a few followers. 24 Without warning, he will successfully invade a wealthy province, which is something his ancestors never did. Then he will divide among his followers all of its treasures and property. But none of this will last very long.
25 He will gather a large and powerful army, and with great courage he will attack the king of the south. The king of the south will meet him with a much stronger army, but he will lose the battle, because he will be betrayed 26 by members of the royal court. He will be ruined, and most of his army will be slaughtered.
27 The two kings will meet around a table and tell evil lies to each other. But their plans will fail, because God has already decided what will happen. 28 Then the king of the north will return to his country with great treasures. But on the way, he will attack the religion of God's people and do whatever else he pleases.
29 At the time God has decided, the king of the north will invade the southern kingdom again, but this time, things will be different. 30 Ships from the west will come to attack him, and he will be discouraged. Then he will start back to his own country and take out his anger on the religion of God's faithful people, while showing kindness to those who are unfaithful. 31 He will send troops to pollute the temple and the fortress, and he will stop the daily sacrifices. Then he will set up that “Horrible Thing” that causes destruction. 32 The king will use deceit to win followers from those who are unfaithful to God, but those who remain faithful will do everything possible to oppose him.
33 Wise leaders will instruct many of the people. But for a while, some of these leaders will either be killed with swords or burned alive, or else robbed of their possessions and thrown into prison. 34 They will receive only a little help in their time of trouble, and many of their followers will be treacherous. 35 Some of those who are wise will suffer, so that God will make them pure and acceptable until the end, which will still come at the time he has decided.
36 This king will do as he pleases. He will proudly claim to be greater than any god and will insult the only true God. Indeed, he will be successful until God is no longer angry with his people. 37 This king will reject the gods his ancestors worshiped and the god preferred by women. In fact, he will put himself above all gods 38 and worship only the so-called god of fortresses, who was unknown to his ancestors. And he will honor it with gold, silver, precious stones, and other costly gifts. 39 With the help of this foreign god, he will capture the strongest fortresses. Everyone who worships this god will be put in a position of power and rewarded with wealth and land.
Part Three: The Time of the End
40 At the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the kingdom of the north. But its king will rush out like a storm with war chariots, cavalry, and many ships. Indeed, his forces will flood one country after another, 41 and when they reach the holy land, tens of thousands will be killed. But the countries of Edom and Moab and the ruler of Ammon will escape.
42 The king of the north will invade many countries, including Egypt, 43 and he will take its rich treasures of gold and silver. He will also conquer Libya and Ethiopia. 44 But he will be alarmed by news from the east and the north, and he will become furious and cause great destruction. 45 After this, he will set up camp between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion. Then he will be destroyed, and no one will be able to save him.
Some see the Daniel 11 battles as historically fulfilled with the Babylonian history which we studied earlier in Revelation. For Daniel, they were future events, but we've seen the fulfillment since Daniel.
Cyrus was king of Persia (539 BC)
1. Cambyrses II (530-523 BC)
2. Bardiya (523-522 BC)
3. Darius the Mede (522-486 BC)
4. Xerxes I (486-465 BC) ruled during the peak of the Persian Empire and sacked Athens.
Alexander the Great (332-323 BC) arose from Greece and conquered the entire Persian Empire in about 4 years.
Daniel 11 begins with the prophecy that “three more kings will arise in Persia” followed by a fourth who would “stir up all against the realm of Greece” (verse 2). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, states, “The Persian king who invaded Greece was, of course, Xerxes, who reigned 485-464 B.C.” Expositor’s explains, “Verse 3 introduces us to the next phase in world empires: the rise of Alexander the Great. Verse 4 foretells the division of Alexander’s domains among four smaller and weaker empires.” Following Alexander’s death, his empire was divided among four of his generals. These four kingdoms were Macedonia-Greece under Antipater and his son, Thrace–Asia Minor under Lysimachus, the rest of Asia except lower Syria and Palestine under Seleucus Nicator, and Egypt and Palestine under Ptolemy. Daniel 11:5-39 then documents the actions of the last two of these kingdoms—Egypt to the south of Jerusalem (the location of Daniel’s people, the Jews, Daniel 10:14) and Syria to the north of Jerusalem. The Roman Empire defeated Seleucid Syria in 65 B.C. and it defeated Egypt in 30 B.C.
Thus the first king of the North and king of the South came to an end. Antiochus Epiphanes (verses 21-35) desecrated the Temple and set up there an statue of Zeus. The Jewish sacrificial system was disrupted. Gentiles controlled the Temple. In a series of military victories against Antiochus between 166 and 164 BC, the Maccabee Revolution won independence for a portion of Judea. They rededicated the temple on 12/14/164 BC, an event celebrated by Jews to this day in Hanukkah (1 Maccabees 4:52). The king of verses 36-39 is Antiochus IV who serves as a type of the “Antichrist”. But God did not resurrect the saints immediately after Antiochus IV. They believe verses 40-45 are the Christian persecutions during Roman times. Daniel 11:40-45 may be a summary of the major points regarding the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes. In support of this, there is no seeming transition between Daniel 11:1-39 and Daniel 11:40-45 and Daniel 12. God's deliverance of the Jews from near annihilation, in these historical contexts, preserved the nation through which the Jesus was brought into the world. Jesus was a Jew, who lived, ministered, died and rose again in the environs of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside.
Some believe the Battles of Daniel 11 is Armageddon (which is not a single battle but a war campaign).
There are other theories on the Battles of Daniel 11. I believe in dual fulfillment. I see where, at least verses 1-39, were fulfilled in history (as mentioned above). They may be fulfilled again in the end times. But it seems that verses 40-45 (and Daniel 12) are definitely end times.
"Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson's Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary, interprets Daniel 11 as a description of the reign of Antiochus as far as verse 36, where it switches to prophecy of the far future (far from Daniel's 6th century BCE perspective, but near for modern millennialists). The "King of the North" from this verse onwards refers not to the 2nd century Syrian king but to the Antichrist..." - Wikipedia
And some say all of Daniel 11 is future during the end times. In verses 40-45 a king of the North and a king of South appear “at the time of the end” (verse 40). Daniel 10 is an introduction to Daniel 11 and Daniel 12. Daniel in 10:14: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for the vision is yet for many days”. The establishment of the modern nation of Israel in 1948 means Israel exists again (the first time since 70 A.D.) and will be a nation on the world stage at the end times.
What we can take from Daniel 10-12 is that God is in control and reigns in the affairs of men. No kingdom rises or falls without which God is involved and working. It was so, is so and will be so.
The Battle of Armageddon
The Battle of Armageddon is the final showdown between good and evil on earth, another World War.
Armageddon is a Hebrew word but used only in the New Testament. "Har" in Hebrew means mountain and "Mageddon" is the place-name of Megiddo. Megiddo was a place well known in the Old Testament but it is a hill on the edge of a plains area, not a mountain. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army there (Judges 4-5), Gideon drove off the Midianites and Amalekites (Judges 6), Saul and the army of Israel were defeated because of their failure to trust in God (1 Samuel 31), and the Egyptian army under Pharaoh Neco killed Josiah, king of Judah (2 Kings 23:29).
Here is a map showing the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Megiddo is in the northern kingdom of Israel. Samaria was it's capitol city. Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom of Judah and was it's capitol city.
Here is a topographical map of the area. You can see the mountains behind Megiddo. Megiddo, the town, was actually on a hill called a "tell" that over looked the plains of Jezreel in the Valley of Jezreel.
Here is the tell of the ancient Megiddo that overlooks the plains of Jezreel.
On the other hand, some say that Armageddon is really three Hebrew words: Arema-gai-dun. Arema-gai-dun, as a meaningful phrase, would be "A heap of sheaves in a valley for judgment". This would make it more symbolic, a place where the final judgment begins.
But...
Joel 3:12,14 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. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The Valley of Jehosaphat is the place where, in the presence of Jehosaphat/Jehoshaphat/Josaphat, King of Judah, God annihilated the Gentile coalition of Moab, Ammon and Edom (2 Chronicles 20). It is the upper end of the Kidron Valley of today. The Hebrew word for Jehoshaphat means "Yahweh Judges". It may be a place symbolically called the Valley of Jehosaphat. The original Hebrew word for "decision" is charuts. It occurs only 12 times, and only twice here in Joel is it translated decision. On the 10 other occasions it carries meanings typical of sharp edged instruments used for threshing! When the time is right and the harvest is ready, God will bring his judgements in the open space of His threshing floor.
2 Chronicles 20:1-6a;21-24 1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. 5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. 6 He prayed,...21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!”
22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. 24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.
And...
Zechariah 14:3-4 3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south
Acts 1:11–12 "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.
This map shows the ancient topography around, what would later become Jerusalem.
This shows Jerusalem in King David's time. Note where the Mt of Olives is located.
This is Jerusalem during Jesus' time.
Finally a modern Jerusalem map.
The Mount of Olives lies northeast of Jerusalem. Its location and historical significance have led to skirmishes between Israelis and Palestinians over the years. The site was controlled by Arab–ruled Jordan for nineteen years prior to the Six–Day War. In 1967, the Mount of Olives returned to Israeli control.
Maybe the Battle of Armageddon occurs at Megiddo and the plains of Jezreel and Christ returns at the Mount of Olives so both are true.
What is threshing and a threshing floor? Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (kernels) from the husks and straw to which it is attached. Once wheat is ripe, it is ready for harvest and is cut and bundled. Hand cutting wheat back then would have been backbreaking work. You either use a hand tool and squat to cut handfuls of wheat. Or you used scythe that you swing back and forth. It cuts a lot more at one time and you got into a rhythm, it went much quicker. But someone had to come behind you and gather into sheaves. Then the sheaves are removed to a threshing area sometimes called a threshing floor. There were different ways to thresh wheat and other grains.
Threshing with horses, donkeys or oxen.
Threshing with a sledge.
Threshing by beating sheaves against something.
Threshing by beating it with a tool.
Once you've separated the head and kernels from the stalks, you have the kernels in their husks or casings. You now need to separate the kernels from the husks which is called winnowing. In its simplest form it involves throwing the mixture into the air so that the wind blows away the lighter chaff and the heavy kernels fall.
But let's continue with the end times threshing. Where will it be?
“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” ... 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Isaac of the Old Testament lived from 1896 B.C. to 1716 B.C., based on what we know from Bible chronology.
22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague.”
23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”
24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor.
26 David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. 27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.
28 When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor.
2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
We don't know exactly when King David was born to Jesse of the Tribe of Judah in Bethlehem. It was probably around 970 B.C. He conquered the ancient Jebusite city (later Jerusalem) around 1000 B.C. and ruled for 40 years. He planned on building a permanent Temple for God on Mount Moriah but God told him to let his son, King Solomon, build it after David's death. David instructed his son, Solomon and collected materials for the building of the Holy Temple. If Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 B.C., then the Temple may have been built around 966 B.C.. It was built some time in the 10th century B.C.. Solomon's Temple sustained several attacks by foreign powers before finally, in 586 B.C., being totally destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, some 400 odd years after it was built. From Abraham's offer to sacrifice Isaac to the approximate date of building the permanent Holy Temple is around 910 years, give or take. (We don't know exactly how old Isaac was and we don't know exactly when the Temple was built.) From the approximate date of Abraham offering Isaac on the top of Mount Moriah until today (2019), we are looking at approximately 2,984 years! It is amazing to me how God keeps things so consistent over hundreds and thousands of years!
It is significant that Mount Moriah was the place of Abraham offering to sacrifice his son, Isaac, in obedience to God's command. When God saw that Abraham was willing and trusting, He stopped Abraham and then provided a lamb for sacrifice. Later, King David was commanded to offer a sacrifice to the Lord at the same spot, by then it was called the threshing floor of Araunah. Today's Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, on Mount Moriah, is this threshing floor location and has been the most disputed threshing floor in the world for thousands of years. Where was it located?
The first map shows a view of the ancient Jerusalem from farther out.
Here we are closer in, looking a topographical rendering of the ancient Jerusalem. You see the threshing floor of Ahrunah/Araunah/Ornan is the mountain top fo Mt. Moriah. The Bible identified Araunah as a Jebusite but some biblical scholars believe that he may have simply been the Jebusite king of Jerusalem at the time. The word araunah is not a personal name but a title meaning the lord in Hurrian and other near eastern languages. The ancient city of Zion was a Jebusite city that King David conquered. That small area highlighted in pink became the City of David and is the oldest part of Jerusalem. Ophel is the hillside going down from Mt. Moriah to the City of David. King David's palace was built in the City of David.
Here we see a more modern map showing how the Temple Mount was on top of Mount Moriah where the old threshing floor was. This was where King Solomon built the first permanent Temple and it was called King Solomon's Temple. Later Herod refurbished the old King Solomon Temple and was called Herod's Temple. The Roman's destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. and it was later replaced by the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim mosque.
In the Bible, Christians are the grain, the kernel, that has value. The husk and straw are the unrepentant sinners, the wicked. God will separate the chaff from the grain on the Day of Judgment. John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the one who would separate the good grain from the chaff with a winnowing fork, gathering the grain into his barn and burning the chaff with "unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12). The difference between the grain and the chaff, between good and evil people, is not their good or evil works. It is the righteousness of Jesus and we must accept it by faith. The place of judgment, is undoubtedly in Israel and most likely at Jerusalem specifically around Mt. Moriah and the Mt. of Olives separated by the Kidron Valley at the place of the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Bethany is on the other side of the Mt. of Olives and is two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus spent time there just before His ascension. The Bible says, when he touches the Mount of Olives, it will split in two which may be east and west, Jerusalem and Bethany.
4 And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Luke 24:50-53 50 When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 praising God continually in the temple.
The Battle of Armageddon may be in this area or north at Megiddo and the Plains of Jezreel. It may rage throughout Palestine for that matter! The War of Armageddon involves the whole world in escalating waves of battles. But Jesus Christ will judge between the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the saved and the unsaved in Jerusalem. It's just too specific and, with so much history there, it would be consistent.
We do not know when the Battle of Armageddon occurs because it's not just a battle but the return of Jesus Christ who settles things once and for all. We know Jesus Christ came as a babe born in Bethlehem and died on Calvary and was resurrected and ascended into Heaven. This was His first visit to earth.
He comes again, but it's to collect His people in the rapture. At this return, His feet don't touch the ground. We will rise to meet Him in the air. I'm not sure this event will be seen by the unsaved. Although the Bible says the Lord will come with a "commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God", it may be that only the saved will hear the shout, voice and trumpet. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, it says a "commanding" shout and a "trumpet call". This seems to indicate to me that Jesus comes to call us with a word of command and a rally trumpet. Once we disappear, the world won't know what happened. If they actually saw Jesus and the rapture at this time, wouldn't they realize Jesus is real after all? But if only Christians hear the call, and we disappear, it's going to be unexplainable to the unsaved. They will probably say it was some type of mass alien abduction! I mean, we seem to be willing to believe in aliens these days, and alien abductions, with all the TV shows and movies priming us for it day and night. People are ready to believe in anything as long as it's not Jesus Christ! Ghosts, fairies, Native American spirits, skinwalkers, aliens, super heroes, etc. All those left behind will be searching for some explanation. Some will realize it was the rapture and will be saved during the Tribulation. But most won't. So maybe the time Jesus comes in the air to gather us, will be a silent return to the earth and only the saved will hear the command and trumpet.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
But Jesus Christ comes a third time. This time He does touch the ground and He brings with Him the heavenly hosts (which may, or may not, include us, although it does include us whether it is side-by-side with Him or as a cheering audience).
Matthew 24:15-16;29-31 (NLT) 15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills... 29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Zechariah 14:2-5 2 For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5 You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.
On the day that Jesus returns, He stands on the Mount of Olives and the mountain will be split in two. The fault under the mountain will collide causing a massive earthquake. The lost try to flee from Him in terror!
Notice the people who "mourn", will see the Son of Man coming! That means the unsaved who rejected Jesus Christ, who now see Him as He is and He is coming. They will realize they were wrong all along and they are doomed! I don't even want to imagine the horror of what the unsaved must feel when they come face to face with the Jesus they rejected, mocked, hated, reviled, ridiculed. Knowing how wrong they were all along and knowing they missed their chance of salvation. They will bend their knee and acknowledge that He is Lord, Son of God, and King of Kings. But, unfortunately, it won't be as one of His Own! They will be forced to acknowledge Him, as one conquered, and now judged, and thrown into the wind to be waste, fodder for the Lake of Fire. It does not have to be! Accept Him now and save yourself!
Also, note He gathers His "chosen ones" from the four corners of the earth. These are those who have become Christians during the Tribulation. Those who were Christians before the Tribulation were raptured. But there are those who are saved during the Tribulation who have survived until this time. This will include the Jews who now believe. There will not be one single wheat kernel lost! Every single person, who accepts Jesus as Lord, by faith, will be rescued!
Who fights in the Battle of Armageddon? All the nations of the world will be represented at this battle. Whoever is left after all the devastations, wars and battles, are gathered against Israel.
Joel 2:3b The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.
Soldiers who are led by demon possessed leaders and who have nothing left to lose. Behind them is total devastation. We studied all the ways that destruction can occur during these terrible end years. The earth has quite literally been scorched, ruined, destroyed, upturned, burnt. With natural disasters on a mega-scale and human destruction by bombs (probably nuclear) and biological warfare, the world is no longer as we know it.
When Jesus returns the last of the enemies of God are defeated. The Bible says the blood of the slain will be as high as a horse's bridle! Can you imagine a river of blood like that?!? I'm glad I'm on the winning side!
Revelation 14:17-20 17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Jesus was crushed for our iniquities.
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed...
10a Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer,
and when His soul is made a guilt offering,...
11 After the anguish of His soul,
He will see the light of life and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many,
and He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great,
and He will divide the spoils with the strong,
because He has poured out His life unto death,
and He was numbered with the transgressors.
Yet He bore the sin of many
and made intercession for the transgressors.
But if we refuse His sacrifice and reject His work of salvation, then we will be crushed in God's winepress of judgment on that last day!
One final note: Some believe the actual "Battle of Armageddon" will not be at the end of the Great Tribulation but the battle at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign on earth, the 1,000 years. We will discuss the Millennium soon. It ends with satan being released from the pit and drawing men into a final last stand battle against Jesus. After which, satan, demons and the unsaved are thrown into the Lake of Fire. No matter what you call the battles and the last battle at the end of the Tribulation, the motivations, the movements, the places, the strategies, the nations involved, the leaders... are the same as the Bible describes.
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Revelation 20:1-3 (New International Version - NIV) 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
In Revelation 9:1, a "fallen star" was given they key to the abyss which he used to open it. This "fallen star" is satan, the fallen angel. In Luke 10:18 Jesus said that He had seen Satan fall from heaven. But here in Revelation 20, the angel is a holy angel, a messenger from God, who is given the key to the abyss in order to throw satan and his demons into the pit and lock them up.
"Keys" represent ownership, authority and the power to open and shut. Satan was thrown from heaven when he rebelled. He took 1/3 of the angels with him in his rebellion against God. He was given the key to the abyss, the place of the dead. He was given power to deception and death.
Hebrews 2:14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
But Jesus conquered death! Now He has the key! He has the power over life and truth!
Matthew 28:18 Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth".
Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV, Jesus speaking) 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades."
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Abyss = ἀβύσσου (abyssou) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 12: The abyss, unfathomable depth, an especially Jewish conception, the home of the dead and of evil spirits. Depthless, i.e. 'abyss'. Other lexicons have it as boundless, bottomless.
He seized = ἐκράτησεν (ekratēsen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2902: From kratos; to use strength, i.e. Seize or retain.
dragon = δράκοντα (drakonta) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 1404: A dragon or huge serpent; met: Satan. Probably from an alternate form of derkomai; a fabulous kind of serpent.
ancient = ἀρχαῖος (archaios) = Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 744: Original, primitive, ancient. From arche; original or primeval.
serpent = ὄφις (ophis) = Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3789: Probably from optanomai; a snake, figuratively, an artful malicious person, especially Satan.
[the] devil = Διάβολος (Diabolos) = Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 1228: From diaballo; a traducer (Vocabulary.com says a traducer is one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel); specially, Satan.
Satan = Σατανᾶς (Satanas) = Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 4567: An adversary, Satan. Of Chaldee origin corresponding to ma'bad; the accuser, i.e. The devil.
bound = ἔδησεν (edēsen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 1210: To bind, tie, fasten; I impel, compel; I declare to be prohibited and unlawful. A primary verb; to bind.
he threw = ἔβαλεν (ebalen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.
Abyss = ἄβυσσον (abysson) = Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 12: The abyss, unfathomable depth, an especially Jewish conception, the home of the dead and of evil spirits. Depthless, i.e. 'abyss'.
shut [it] = ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2808: To shut, shut up. A primary verb; to close.
sealed [it] = ἐσφράγισεν (esphragisen) = Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4972: To seal, set a seal upon. From sphragis; to stamp for security or preservation; by implication, to keep secret, to attest.
he could not deceive = πλανήσῃ (planēsē) = Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4105: To lead astray, deceive, cause to wander. From plane; to roam.
were complete = τελεσθῇ (telesthē) = Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 5055: (a) I end, finish, (b) I fulfill, accomplish, (c) I pay. From telos; to end, i.e. Complete, execute, conclude, discharge.
After that = μετὰ (meta) = Preposition
Strong's Greek 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.
must = δεῖ (dei) = Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.
be released = λυθῆναι (lythēnai) = Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's Greek 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'.
for a brief = μικρὸν (mikron) = Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3398: Little, small. Including the comparative mikroteros apparently a primary word; small (figuratively) dignity).
period of time = χρόνον (chronon) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 5550: A space of time or interval; by extension, an individual opportunity; by implication, delay.
Let's read it again in a couple of translations:
Revelation 20:1-3 (New Living Translation - NLT) 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pita and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.
Revelation 20:1-3 (Contemporary English Version - CEV) 1 I saw an angel come down from heaven, carrying the key to the deep pit and a big chain. 2 He chained the dragon for 1,000 years. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. 3 Then the angel threw the dragon into the pit. He locked and sealed it, so 1,000 years would go by before the dragon could fool the nations again. But after that, it would have to be set free for a little while.
In the Old Testament the Hebrew tehom means deep, sea, subterranean, a surging deep, unfathomable depth, abyss. Usually translated as "the deep" or "abyss". There are 36 times tehom is used. Only in Psalm 71:20 does it indicate the place of the dead.
Genesis 1:2
Genesis 7:11
Genesis 8:2
Genesis 49:25
Exodus 15:5
Exodus 15:8
Deuteronomy 8:7
Deuteronomy 33:13
Job 28:14
Job 38:16
Job 38:30
Job 41:32
Psalm 33:7
Psalm 36:6
Psalm 42:6-7
Psalm 71:20 19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
Psalm 77:16
Psalm 78:15
Psalm 104:6
Psalm 106:9
Psalm 107:26
Psalm 135:6
Psalm 148:7
Proverbs 3:20
The word abyss is used several times in the New Testament of the Bible. It does indicate the place of the dead. The Apostle Paul compared "ascent into heaven" with "descent into the abyss".
Let's look at these scriptures.
Luke 8:26-39 (BSB) 26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.
28 When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked.
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32 There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.
33 Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside. 35 So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, those who had seen it reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.
38 The man whom the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.
Romans 10:6-9 (NLT) 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
2 Peter 2 (NLT) 1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8 Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.
These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.
12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.
17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
Revelation 9:1-3 (NIV) 1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
Revelation 11:7 (NIV) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
Revelation 17:8 (NIV) The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.
There are some terms we might need to define.
In some places, the word "abyss" is used to describe the abode of the dead – the Hebrew, Sheol or the Greek, Hades. In other places, particularly in Revelation, it is used to depict a place where demons and Satan are confined.
"Luke (Luke 8:31) and John (Revelation 9:1-2;11:7;17:8; Revelation 20:1 Revelation 20:3) describe the abyss specifically as the dwelling place of demons and the beast and as a place of confinement unto judgment that is under God's control." - Walter A. Elwell, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
"The abyss, or pit, is a place that is located in the heart of the earth. It is connected to the earth's surface by a shaft. It is used symbolically for the place of the dead as well as the abode of demons. The Abyss is also the place where the beast, or antichrist, arises. It is where Satan will be bound for a thousand years after Christ returns. Eventually he will be released from the Abyss and sent to the lake of fire." - Don Stewart, BlueletterBible.org
Hades (Greek is Hades, Hebrew is Sheol) is the place of the dead. We are told by the scriptures that there are two sections of Hades: the place of Torment and the place with Christ, Paradise. There is a chasm separating the two sections. Those who died without Jesus go to Torment and believers in Jesus Christ go to Paradise. When we die, our body goes to the grave. But our souls go to Hades.
No, we don't wander this earth as ghosts! Ghosts are demons who deceive and masquerade in order to confuse and lead astray. What people see, hear, feel may be true but it's not the spirits of the departed but demons. Remember, satan is the father of lies and he loves nothing more than to confuse people, scare people, deceive people, lead them astray. And it's amazing to me how people are more willing to believe in ghosts and spirits of the departed but refuse to believe in Jesus Christ!?! Torment is reserved for the unsaved, a place to hold their souls until the Day of Judgment. Paradise is reserved for the saved, a place to hold their souls until the Day of Judgment.
Luke 16:19-31 19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. 20 And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side (Abraham's bosom in the KJV). And the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
25 But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are left to suffer. 26 And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
27 ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
If you notice, in verse 24, the rich man begs Lazarus to "dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue". There is evidently water somewhere on the Paradise side of Hades. The place of Torment is agonizing and is why it's called a place of torment. It's a place of fire.
At the end, all the physical bodies of the dead are resurrected to join their souls from Hades. Then Jesus separates the saved from the unsaved, the sheep from the goats. There are judgments and we will study them a little later.
Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His 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 something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 5:22-30 22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
25 Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
30 I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
As Christians, true believers in Jesus Christ, our bodies are resurrected as the perfect, immortal bodies God created them to be and we will spend our eternity in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NLT) 42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV) 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Unbelievers, their immortal bodies will rejoin their souls to suffer eternity in the Lake of Fire, Hell, Gehenna, Tartarus.
Gehenna is the Valley of Hinnom, a literal valley on the south side of ancient Jerusalem, outside the city. Children were sacrificed to the false god Molech in this valley.
2 Chronicles 28:3 And he made offerings in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and made his sons pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.
Jeremiah 7:30-32 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
It was deemed to be cursed because of this. King Josiah defiled this place so no more child sacrifices would be made there.
2 Kings 23:10 And he (Josiah) defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.
The valley of Gehenna became Jerusalem's dump for sewage and trash. Worms and maggots lived in the refuse. Flies, smoke, and odours would have been horrendous. Fires burned continually to destroy the garbage and the smoke rose constantly. Gehenna came to be used as a symbol of punishment.
Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the ones who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
Isaiah 30:33 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.
Jesus used the symbolism of Gehenna to refer to the Lake of Fire, Hell, the place of everlasting, eternal punishment.
Mark 9:43 (Jesus speaking) "It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to Gehenna into the fire that shall never be quenched."
Gehenna is the permanent punishment, for both body and soul are reunited to spend eternity apart from God in flames. It is outside the new Jerusalem just as the Valley of Hinnom, Gehenna, was outside the earthly Jerusalem. Forever separated from God, unbelievers will suffer the torments of the damned for eternity! The smoke from the Lake of Fire will rise forever to remind everyone of God's judgment against satan, sin, death, deception and unbelievers. Christians will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven, the New Jerusalem, where believers will be with the Lord in bliss for eternity. But for the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, I was destined for the place of Torment and the final Lake of Fire! But because of His mercy and grace, my future is secure in Heaven with my Savior, Jesus Christ!
The Abyss in Revelation 20 is not Hades/Sheol. It is not Heaven or the Lake of Fire. It is a separate place where satan and his demons are temporarily held, locked and sealed for the 1,000 year Reign of Christ (Millennial Reign). It is satan's abode but not his eternal punishment. Revelation 20:2 is very specific - this dragon is satan, the ancient serpent, satan, the devil. And he will be bound in chains and locked in the Abyss for one thousand years.
What is this 1,000 year Reign of Christ?
As usual, there are different views on this.
Premillennial view says the one thousand years is an actual time designation. When Christ returns He will reign over an earthly kingdom for a literal one thousand years, after which the new heavens and earth will arrive.
Amillennial interpretation has a figurative view of the millennium that encompasses the entire period between the ascension of Christ, after His crucifixion and resurrection, and the return of Christ is the millennium. This view makes it longer than the actual one thousand years. I.e. Christ is ruling now over a spiritual kingdom that will be immediately consummated at His return, and the new heavens and earth will then be in place.
Postmillennial position sees the millennium taking place before the return of Jesus. They believe there will be a time of widespread peace and prosperity before Christ’s return resulting from the preaching of the gospel. Great numbers of people will be converted and society will be transformed. Then Jesus will return. This might account for Israel's sense of peace and security before the Battle of Gog and Magog that introduces the Great Tribulation period.
This is one of those issues that is not important as far as my salvation. No matter when the Millennial Reign of Jesus begins and ends, I'm saved and safe! I'm with Jesus and satan, and his demons, are bound and sealed in the Abyss for the duration. But it is an issue, with proponents and support for each viewpoint.
The words “one thousand years” are mentioned six times in the Book of Revelation chapter 20 verses 1-7. Mille means one thousand (1,000). Annum means years. Combined they mean one thousand years. The word reign means the time during which a sovereign reigns.
Zechariah 9:9-17 (NIV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem,
and the bow of war will be broken.
Then He will proclaim peace to the nations;
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you,
because of the blood of My covenant,
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold,
O prisoners of hope;
even today I declare
that I will restore to you double.
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow
and fit it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against the sons of Greece.
I will make you like the sword
of a mighty man.
14 Then the LORD will appear over them,
and His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord GOD will sound the trumpet
and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 The LORD of Hosts will shield them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and roar as with wine.
And they will be filled like sacrificial basins,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the LORD their God will save them
as the flock of His people;
for like jewels in a crown
they will sparkle over His land.
17 How lovely they will be,
and how beautiful!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.
The first part of this prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 21.
Matthew 21:6-11 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Zechariah 9:10-11 (NLT) 10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. 11 Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon.
All human beings, after the Fall and sin entered to taint the human line, were destined for the place of Torment and then Hell, the Lake of Fire. But, Jesus Christ, came to rescue us. All who accept Him as their Lord and Savior are set free from this death and eternal damnation! Thanks be to Him who sits on the throne!!! Jews and Gentiles can be saved through Jesus Christ, Messiah!
Zechariah 14 (Berean Study Bible - BSB) 1 Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2 For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5 You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.
6 On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light.
8 And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in summer and winter alike. 9 On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
10 All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. 11 People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.
12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. 14 Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. 15 And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16 Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, the rain will not fall on them. 18 And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the LORD inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling basins before the altar. 21 Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.
We will return to the Millennium a little later. Let's look at that last sentence above in Zechariah 14:21b.
In Zechariah 14:28, "And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts." What is meant by "a Canaanite"? We studied about how and why Noah cursed his son, Ham's youngest son, Canaan, in our study of Revelation 19 (Genesis 9:25). Please go back to my study in Revelation 19 to see why Noah cursed Canaan. We know that the descendants of Canaan were Canaanites who lived in the land of Canaan, an area which according to ancient texts may have included parts of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. They were called the Phoenicians by the Greeks. The term "Canaanite" was sometimes used to cover all the inhabitants of Palestine at the time Israel came back to their land. They may, or may not, have been united under a single government. In some passages, Canaanites specifically refers to the people of the lowlands and plains of Canaan (Joshua 11:3); in other passages, Canaanites is used more broadly to refer to all the inhabitants of the land, including the Hivites, Girgashites, Jebusites, Amorites, Hittites, and Perizzites (Judges 1:9–10).
Exodus 3:7 "I have heard them [the Israelites] crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites."
When the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, they had to fight the inhabitants for the land. It had originally been given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they had to go to Egypt during the famine for food (see the story of Joseph). While in Egypt, they became such a large people group that the Egyptians began to be afraid of them and enslaved them. They were in Egypt some 400 years before Moses led them out and back to the Promised Land. Moses died and Joshua led the people into the Promised Land. But they had to fight to take it. They fought the groups that descended from Canaan. Canaanite became an overarching name for the various groups of descendents of Canaan. They were later called the Phoenicians by the Greeks.
Leviticus 18:25-29 25 Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. 26 But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations— neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. 27 For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled. 28 So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you. 29 Therefore anyone who commits any of these abominations must be cut off from among his people.
Joshua 3:9-10 9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
Exodus 23:23-24 23 For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. 24 You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Exodus 34:11-17 11 "But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.
15 “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. 16 Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. 17 You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.
Deuteronomy 20:15-17 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. 16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you.
They didn't obey the Lord. Let's look at that.
Even though the Canaanites were “greater and mightier” than the Israelites (Deuteronomy 7:1), and although they possessed “iron chariots” (Joshua 17:18)...
Joshua 10:40 Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
But we see later, these verses...
Joshua 16:10 They didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.
Joshua 17:12 Yet the children of Manasseh couldn't drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
Joshua 17:13 It happened, when the children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn't utterly drive them out.
In Judges, over and over again, it says that the Tribes of Israel "didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived among them".
But I have quoted Joshua above saying they, "they didn't utterly drive them out". They didn't obey the Lord.
Did they, or did they not, obey the Lord and destroy every Canaanite? When Joshua and the Israelites entered a certain area, sometimes they did obey God and kill everyone. Then they moved on to another area and they either obeyed God fully or partially. Obeying partially is really disobedience but what I mean is they killed most but not all of the population in that area. So the verses are contextual. In a certain area, the Israelites fully obeyed the Lord, and in another area, they disobeyed the Lord by not killing everyone. It took about 10 years for Israel to conquer the land. Battles were waging back and forth. At one particular time, in the area they just won, they put to death everyone as God commanded. But, in time, more showed up and were not dealt with as God commanded. It could also be exaggeration, hyperbole, when Joshua said he left none remaining. It was not meant to be taken literally. Sort of like we would say, "Everyone died laughing!" We don't mean everyone died; everyone laughed; everyone was rolling on the floor in laughter. We mean, almost everyone found it very funny and laughed a lot. We are exaggerating to make a point. Now, I'm very conservative on this point because I do believe every word in the Bible is true. So I tend to think it was more contextual or time/place related than hyperbole. The main point is that not all the Canaanites were put to death because Joshua says, multiple times, they were not utterly driven out and they had problems with them in Judges. We also know, through DNA analysis, that there are Canaanite descendants in the Lebanese. There is also the story of Rahab, which will see in a moment.
Why were the Canaanites so bad that God told Israel to kill every man, woman and child? How could a God of love command the Israelites to murder every living person in the land?
The supreme deity of the Canaanite gods (pantheon of gods) was El, together with his consort, Asherah. As with the Greek tradition, these early gods were later supplanted by younger, more immediate presences, especially the rain/thunder god Ba'al and his consorts, such as the warrior goddess Anat and the love/fertility goddess Astarte. Religious rites included human sacrifice (especially child sacrifice) in the understanding that the gods gave only the best to the people and so they should reciprocate by offering their best to the gods. Women could and did serve as Priestesses, could own land, enter into contracts and initiate divorce, all of which mirrored the cultural values of Mesopotamia. Fertility cults were numerous. Canaanite deities such as Baal were represented by figures which were placed in shrines, along with altars, often on hilltops, or 'high places' surrounded by groves of trees. "Asherim," a term referring to poles, standing stones, and even trees devoted, to a goddess and accompanying altars to Baal. Priests or priestesses clothed and sometimes "fed" the deity through various rituals and offerings. The earliest deity recognized by the peoples of the ancient Near East was the creator god El. His mistress, the fertility goddess Asherah, gave birth to many gods, including a powerful god named Baal ("Lord"). Baal won his dominance by defeating the other deities, including the god of the sea, the god of storms (also of rain, thunder, and lightning), and the god of death. Baal's victory over death was thought to be repeated each year when he returned from the land of death (underworld), bringing rain to renew the earth's fertility. Baal is portrayed as a man with the head and horns of a bull, an image similar to that in biblical accounts. His right hand (sometimes both hands) is raised, and he holds a lightning bolt, signifying both destruction and fertility. Baal has also been portrayed seated on a throne, possibly as the king or lord of the gods. Asherah was honored as the fertility goddess in various forms and with varying names (Judg. 3:7). The Bible does not actually describe the goddess, but archaeologists have discovered figurines believed to be representations of her. She is portrayed as a nude female. Baal's followers sacrificed their children, apparently the firstborn of the community, to gain personal prosperity. The Bible called this practice "detestable" (Deut. 12:31, 18:9-10). Asherah was worshiped in various ways, including through ritual sex. Although she was believed to be Baal's mother, she was also his mistress. Pagans practiced "sympathetic magic", that is, they believed they could influence the gods' actions by performing the behavior they wished the gods to demonstrate. Believing the sexual union of Baal and Asherah produced fertility, their worshipers engaged in immoral sex to cause the gods to join together, ensuring good harvests. This practice became the basis for religious prostitution (1 Kings 14:23-24).
When people start to burn their children in honor of their gods and for their own prosperity (Leviticus 18:21), practice sodomy, bestiality, and obscene practises (Leviticus 18:23-24, Leviticus 20:3), the land itself begins to "vomit" them out as the body heaves and vomits when sickened. Either the people descended to the low morals of their gods or their gods reflected the low morals of the society. They were a depraved people. God gave them every chance, as He does all human beings. He was patient but there comes a time when God's patience and forbearance ends. He was justly outraged by the Canaanites.
God gives a way for any repentant human being to be saved. He doesn't lose a single one. We must remember how He saved the harlot Rahab in Jericho. She sheltered the Israelite spies, one who became her husband, Salmon. She believed in their God despite being a Canaanite! She became the mother of Boaz who married Ruth and who are in the genealogy of King David and Jesus Christ! Certainly, God, with His omniscience, knows which person will, and will not, accept Him. If He knows that 50 people in the entire land of Canaan would accept Him as their God, He would rescue those 50 people some way or make sure they spend eternity in Heaven (as we all must die at some time). But He also knows there were 500,000 who would never accept Him as God and never would have a heart for God so He brings His judgment against them whenever He wants to. He gives them a chance, but if they refuse the chances He provides, why shouldn't He judge them?
This is something people of every nation should know. God will give you every chance to turn to Him and to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He does not overlook one single human being who is His child! But if your nation is doing the same evil that the tribes and nations of Canaan did, there will be judgment against the ungodly.
- Is not abortion the same thing as sacrificing your children to the god of Self for your own convenience and prosperity?
- Do we make murder legal in our government by passing laws to allow women to murder their unborn children?
- Do we not worship idols and gods such as Money, Power, Fame, Job, Career, House, Car, Football Team, Sport, Hobby, etc, etc? We are willing to do anything for _________!
- Do we accept perversion and sexual immorality as normal? Homosexuality, pedophilia, sado-masochism, bestiality, pornography, prostitution? Do we just call it a lifestyle choice and encourage people to practise perversion?
- Do we celebrate sin in our country? Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Spring Break in Daytona, Biker Week in Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas trips ("What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas"), Burning Man in Nevada, Woodstock in White Lake, NY? Drugs, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, lewdness and vulgarity are expected, encouraged, tolerated by law enforcement, celebrated! People spend a lot of money in anticipation of partying all week. They plan ahead, make reservations, prepare for a drunken spree of sin! Their time, energy, money, and focus are all on the sins of that week. And that's the legal side of these events! Think about all the illegal crap that happens during these times where women are raped, kidnappings, murders, drug deals, fighting. And there is the aftermath of these sprees such as pregnancies, abortions, drug rehab, alcohol detoxing, hospital bills, financial losses (from gambling, stealing, and alcohol or drug related spending sprees on prostitutes, drugs, etc.).
God wanted to use the Israelites as an instrument to bring judgment against the wicked and decadent Canaanites. In destroying the Canaanites, it was better to destroy than to be destroyed, better to get rid of them than to be contaminated with their sins and being lost in sin like the Canaanites had been. The fact that they didn't obey God and didn't completely wipe out the Canaanites was their greatest mistake and led to many problems ever since. There was to be no compromise, but compromise was what happened and it caused much heartache, misery and violence. The Israelites didn't obey the Lord.
"The earliest undisputed mention of the Canaanites comes from fragments of a letter found at the site of Mari, a city located in modern-day Syria. Dating back about 3,800 years the letter is addressed to 'Yasmah-Adad,' a king of Mari, and says that 'thieves and Canaanites' are in a town called 'Rahisum.' The surviving portion of the letter alludes to a conflict or disorder that is taking place in the town." - LiveScience.com
Even then, the Canaanites were listed alongside thieves. They evidently had a bad reputation 3,800 years ago at the earliest mention of them.
Present-day Lebanese derive most of their ancestry from a Canaanite-related population. Lebanon is just north of Israel. There have been problems with the Lebanese and Jews of Israel, for a VERY long time. (Again, a Lebanese, even as a descendant of Canaan, can be saved through Jesus Christ. God knows who are, or will, be saved, and He knows those who will never accept His Son as their Savior.)
Lebanon was a part of northern Canaan, and consequently became the homeland of Canaanite descendants – the Phoenicians, a seafaring people who spread across the Mediterranean in the first millennium B.C. The most prominent Phoenician cities were Byblos, Sidon and Tyre. It's present state was established in 1920. Its rugged, mountainous terrain has served throughout history as an asylum for diverse religious and ethnic groups and for political dissidents. It has meagre natural resources. Due to complex issues and rivalries a Civil War broke out in 1975 lasting until 1990. Muslims are the most numerous group overall. Among the three Muslim denominations, the Shīʿites and the Sunnis are the largest, and the Druze constitute a small percentage. Among Lebanon’s Christian population, the Maronites, which form the largest of the Catholic groups, are the largest Christian community overall. The Greek Orthodox community, the largest of the Orthodox groups, is the second largest Christian group overall. There is also a very small Jewish minority. Beirut is the capitol of Lebanon.
The Israeli–Lebanese conflict, widely referred as the South Lebanon conflict, was a series of military clashes involving Israel, Lebanon and Syria, the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as various non-state militias acting from within Lebanon. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recruited militants in Lebanon from among the families of Palestinian refugees who had been expelled or fled due to the creation of Israel in 1948. Terrorist activities from groups in Lebanon against Israel led to war between Israel and Lebanon. On 3/11/1978, eleven PLO militants made a beach landing south of Haifa, Israel, where they seized a bus full of people. They killed those on board in what is known as the Coastal Road massacre. By the end of the incident, nine hijackers and 38 Israeli civilians (including 13 children) were dead. In response, on 14 March 1978, Israel launched Operation Litani occupying southern Lebanon, except for the city of Tyre, with 25,000 troops. The objective was to push the PLO away from the border. When Israel forces withdrew later in 1978, they turned over its positions in Lebanon to the South Lebanon Army which would continue fighting as a proxy for Israel against the PLO until Israel drove the PLO out of Lebanon in 1982. he Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invaded southern Lebanon, after repeated attacks and counter-attacks between the PLO operating in southern Lebanon. The military operation was launched after gunmen from Abu Nidal's organization attempted to assassinate Shlomo Argov, Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom. The Israeli army laid siege to Beirut. America brokered cease fires and peace treaties. As the Israelis withdrew, Lebanese factions clashed over control of the freed territory. In February, 1984, the Lebanese Army collapsed. Israel withdrew to the Litani River and established the Israeli Security Zone. On 2/16/1985, Shia Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin declared a manifesto in Lebanon, announcing a resistance movement called Hezbollah, whose goals included combating the Israeli occupation. During the 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict the Hezbollah militia waged a guerrilla campaign against Israeli forces occupying Southern Lebanon. On 25 July 1993 Israel launched Operation Accountability, known in Lebanon as the Seven-Day War. The given reason was to retaliate for the death of IDF soldiers in the "security zone". A truce agreement brokered by the US secured an Israeli undertaking to stop attacks north of its security zone in Lebanon, and a Hezbollah agreement to desist from firing rockets into Israel. On 4/11/1996 Israel initiated Operation Grapes of Wrath triggered by Hezbollah Katyusha. Israel conducted massive air raids and extensive shelling in southern Lebanon. It ended 4/26/1996. From 1985 through 2000, Israel continued to fund the South Lebanon Army. In January 2000, Hezbollah assassinated the man responsible for day to day SLA operations, Colonel Akel Hashem. The Israeli Air Force, in apparent response, on 7 February struck Lebanon's civilian infrastructure. There is still a long history of border clashes, assassinations and terrorist activity between Hezbollah, out of Lebanon, and Israel to this day.
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Revelation 20:4 Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their 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 hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Now, let's go back to the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 65:8-9 (BSB) This is what the Lord says:
"As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes,
and men say, 'Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing',
so I will act on behalf of My servants:
I will not destroy them all.
And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and heirs to My mountains out of Judah;
My elect will possess it,
and My servants will dwell there.
Premillennialism is when the 1,000 year reign begins when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation. No unsaved will enter the Millennial Reign of Christ. They will go to Hades in the section called Torment. The 1,000 years will end with another rebellion and then the final and eternal judgment. It is a theocracy. Those Christians who survived the Tribulation will populate the earth during this millenium. Those who died and were raptured before the Tribulation rule with Christ during this millenium.
Postmillennialism is the belief that the 1,000 year Reign of Christ is in this age but just before the Tribulation. It's the Reign of Christ through the church on earth. At the end of this unprecedented time of Christ's reign in this world through the church, many are saved in preparation before the Tribulation. A Golden Age where Christ and the Gospel dominate in society and culture.
Amillennialism sees the 1,000 year reign of Christ as symbolic of the Church Age before the Tribulation. Not a literal 1,000 years but just representing an indeterminate number of years in this present age. Christ rules in His church.
A time when Old Testament prophecies about Israel, and the Jews, are fulfilled by God. Jesus will be King reigning from Jerusalem, the throne of David. Believers will co-reign with Christ during this Millennial Reign. There will be believing Jews and believing Gentiles who survive the Tribulation and judgment. Those of us who were raptured and given our glorified bodies will rule with Christ during this time. Those with glorified bodies will not produce children during this reign. But those believers who do not have glorified bodies, Jew and Gentile, will produce children in re-populating the world. Children born during this time will have to make the same personal choice about whether or not to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior. Not all will come to accept Jesus and those are the ones who will be led astray by satan when he is released from the abyss, the pit, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ in the final rebellion.
Isaiah 2:2-4 (BSB) In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth from Zion,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer take up a sword against nation,
nor train anymore for war.
Micah 4:1-3 In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and the peoples will stream to it.
And many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways,
so that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation,
nor will they train anymore for war.
And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,
with no one to frighten him.
For the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god,
yet we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
"On that day", declares the Lord,
"I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the outcast,
even those whom I have afflicted.
And I will make the lame into a remnant,
and the outcast into a strong nation.
Then the Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.
And you, O watchtower of the flock,
O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion-
the former dominion will be restored to you;
sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."
Zechariah 14:8- And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the Lord will become King over all the earth-the Lord alone, and His name alone. All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine presses. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.
During the Reign of Christ, mortal men and women will live longer but they are still susceptible to death.
Isaiah 65:20 No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days,
or an old man not live out his days.
For the youth will die at a hundred years,
and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
If a person died at 100 years old, he would be considered still a child because people live so long. But if someone does die young, it was because they were accursed.
The people who survive the Tribulation will enter the kingdom of Jesus as natural human beings. They may live longer, but they are still in their un-glorified bodies. They are not immortal. They are still subject to the temptations of sin. They must accept or reject Jesus Christ. They can die. They can re-produce. In fact, because of the peaceful Reign of Christ (no wars), the renewed earth, and their longevity, they will re-produce so quickly that by the end of the 1,000 years, they will be as many as the sands of the seashore. Because they can still sin, Christ will need to "rule with an iron scepter" (Psalm 2:5). The laws will be enforced so that all may live in safety and security. It's dismaying to consider that, despite living in a kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ, people would still follow their sinful nature and turn against Him. How can you live in a perfect environment, peace and security on all sides, provision and fair, equitable treatment, but still find something to rebel against? But it shows how deeply sin digs in a person's soul. Adam and Eve were immortal and perfect, living in a perfect environment, peace, provision and blessing ever freely given and a relationship with God. But they still sinned in rebellion and pride. So did satan. So, no matter how good things are around us and for us, our sin natures make us deeply dissatisfied and looking for rebellion in pride. When seen like this, sin is very scary! We are not sinful due to how we were raised, what conditions or people we were raised in and with. Our sin is not environmental. It's deep within us no matter where and how we were raised. It doesn't matter if we were born with a silver spoon or a plastic spork, the sin nature we are born with will come out. Our raising may help or hurt us as we grow up. It may lead us to week the Savior or to more sin. But we are born with sin and it will raise it's ugly head no matter where, or how, or from whom we are born. Our family and environment may be good and direct is in the right way and imprint Jesus and the gospel in our minds. But we still are responsible for our sin nature and must choose Christ, or rebellion by rejecting Christ, for ourselves. Our family and environment may have been terrible and nothing but sin, evil and wickedness were imprinted in our minds. But we are still responsible for our sin nature and must choose Christ, or rebellion, for ourselves. We see some people overcome terrible families and environments to become Christians and productive members of society. Praise God! We see some people with wonderful families and good environment but who slip down a slope into terrible sins, bondage and misery. They seemed to have every advantage but they become just as much a child of satan as you would expect of one raised in a pigsty. It's because we all start on the same level playing field, born with a sinful nature. We are all sinners. From there, we must make our own choices and the basic one is whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We can choose to resist the devil or we can choose to follow him. We resist satan when we choose Jesus and His ways. We follow satan when we choose sin and selfishness, the way of rebellion and bondage to sin. Some people want to be better people. Some people don't.
Let's look at an example of this. Let's say a homeless person is given a new home. Free of charge, built by people who want to provide a safe, clean home filled with new furniture and the latest technology and gadgets such as a TV, appliances, computer, etc. Over and over again, we've seen governments, ministries, and private donations try to do this. Sometimes it works out well because these people are grateful and want to be better people. They try to keep their homes clean and maintained. But because it is something of value, someone along the way will take it from them. They will bully them right out of it. It might be bank who wants to foreclose on a valuable piece of property so they loan to people who can't afford even a small mortgage. They hope to make money off the people and then boot them out when they can't pay and foreclose and get the property back. It may be bullies in the neighborhood who harass and threaten and scare the people out. Then there are those who ruin any good that comes their way. People will punch holes in the walls of the new house, not maintain it or even clean the house regularly. They conduct their sinful ways right in the new house by bringing in drugs, pimping from the home, selling drugs, having wild parties, etc. Before long the new furniture is trashed from all the sinful people using the home as a party place. The commodes are stopped up and people begin using the bathtubs or smash a hole in the floor to use. (I have literally seen this happen.) Bugs come in, attracted by the garbage and filth, and no one pays for pest control and no one keeps the home clean. When the roof gets old or a screen is punched out, no one fixes it. No one wants to work hard enough to paint the house or even sweep the porch. Because they've brought all their evil with them, the neighborhood begins to go downhill with drug dealers, prostitutes, riff raff congregate there. I.e. if you have something of value, someone wants to take it away from you. Or, if you don't work at it, you will soil your own environment with your own filth and immorality. So it doesn't matter what the taxpayers, the government, ministries or nice people do for the outcast, homeless, downtrodden... we cannot save them. The good ones will still be left with nothing because the strongest will strongarm them out of anything of value. The bad ones just destroy any good thing that comes their way. You see, we are NOT Jesus Christ! We are not the Savior of anyone else. No government, no person, no program, no welfare checks will lift someone out of sin. Only Jesus Christ can make any lasting changes in someone's heart and in their circumstances. That's just how bad sin and evil are and they are deep down in us. Only Jesus can reach that far and cleanse and make new. Only He can save us. But, alas, many are too stubborn and love their sin too much.
This is the way of mankind, and will be until after the 1,000 year reign of Jesus. Then, once and for all, satan and sin are defeated by being thrown into the Lake of Fire. There will be no more sin, no more sinners. Everyone who chose Jesus Christ and believed in Him by faith, will be glorified and immortal. We will live in the New Heaven and New Earth with God. No more rebellions, no more pride, no more selfishness, no more tears, no more pain, no more disease or death!
Revelation 20:4 Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not received its mark on their foreheads of hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Those who were saved and martyred during the Tribulation are resurrected and now sit on seats of authority. They reign with Christ.
Revelation 7:9- After this looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!"
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me: "These in white robes," he asked, "who are they, and where have they come from?"
"Sir," I answered, "you know."
So he replied, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. For this reason, 'They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 14:12-13 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, "Blessed are the dead-those who die in the Lord from this moment on.""Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them."
In studying the chapters of Revelation we learned about how persecution and martyrdom for Jesus Christ has been a continuing problem since Jesus was crucified. Even today, thousands suffer persecution and martyrdom for their faith and belief in Jesus. It's hard for us to believe in this modern day, but it's still happening. We also learned that during the Tribulation it will become worse than ever. The antiChrist will give the order to have everyone who refuses to bow to him and refuses to swear allegiance to him by taking the mark of the beast on his forehead or hand, will be executed. Evidently there will be executions on a mass scale like Hitler killed the Jews and Stalin killed Russians. But worse. There is not one of God's children who will be forgotten by Him. They may be executed and martyred, but their reward is great. Our life on this earth is temporary, but a breath of wind. What happens here is so small when compared to eternity. God has His reasons and purposes but it is NOT to annihilate us. He doesn't allow anything to touch us that He has not provided for. If I am His child, then nothing can touch me except it come through His hand. And if it comes through His hands, there is a reason and purpose that will be for our ultimate good. The reward in the end will make everything worth it. We will say, "You were right! Father, it was worth it!" An example of this is if you have a cancerous tumor. It must be removed. Having surgery is not pleasant but it's necessary. After all the pain and the healing, you are glad it's over with and you consider it worth the trouble to have gotten in out of you. Because it could have spread and ended up way worse. I also believe that what God brings us to, He brings us through. If I am called to be persecuted and martyred, God will supernaturally sustain me and enable me to overcome. I know, in my weak, silly self, that I wouldn't hold up to torture. With just the threat of torture I would probably spill all the beans, blab, tell them anything they wanted to know. In my own self, I'm weak and cowardly. But I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and I am a child of God. So either God won't put me in that situation or He will supernaturally strengthen me and enable me to get through it victoriously. Not because I'm so strong but because when I am weak, He is strong! It will be His work in me, not my own strength. I don't need to worry about persecution, torture, imprisonment, martyrdom. I am His and He is mine and He will take care of whatever He allows in my life. No one knows me like He does. He knows my weaknesses, my fears and insecurities. He knows my personality and all the experiences I have had in my life. He knows my every thought and every hair on my head. Yes, God knows me and loves me with an everlasting love. He will know what is best and will see me through to the end.
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Revelation 20:5-6 (BSB) 5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
In context:
Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV) 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They a 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 a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Who were raised from the dead and when? Who are "the rest of the dead"? There are different views on this.
Some say it is the resurrection of those who died before Christ. We can by saved through faith in Jesus Christ. But what about those who lived before Jesus Christ lived, died and was resurrected? God knew each heart of every single human being before His Son, Jesus Christ, walked the earth. God knew which heart and person had a heart for Him and who would have rejected Him. For instance, Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Abraham, King David... all lived before Jesus Christ. But they had a heart for God, the one true God, and they worshiped Jehovah God, Yahweh. They leaned towards God and listened to God and tried to obey God and walk according to God's ways. Were they sinless? Absolutely not. No human being is born sinless except Jesus Christ. But their hearts were turned to God and soft towards God. They wanted, desired, to know the one true God. God says that this faith, love, repentance, and obedience were precious to Him. So God would provide a way for those who lived before Jesus Christ, to be saved. There are different views as to when and how this provision occurred, but occur it did, or will happen. God will not lose any person who has a heart for Him. It would be the same for those who may have (or do) live in a remote area of the world where the gospel of Jesus Christ never reaches them by human means. But if a heart desires the true God, God will make sure they know of Him by one way or another. God has spoken to people in the Bible through dreams, visions, circumstances, miracles, sending angels, etc. He commands Christians to go into the world and testify and tell of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But God is not limited to our efforts. He can reach anyone with the truth if they have a heart to hear it and a desire to respond. Thank you God, that not one of us will be lost from Your Hand!!!! Back to this verse...
"'the rest of the dead lived not until', etc. The best explanation of these words seems to be that the 'rest of the dead' refers to those Old Testament saints and others (such as godly heathens) who were in the world before Christ's act of atonement - 'the thousand years' (see on ver. 2, above) - had been accomplished. They could not be said to have lived, in the high sense in which St. John uses the word, not having known Christ; for 'in him was life' (John 1:4; John 5:40, etc.). But by Christ's redeeming work, these were placed on a level with Christians (cf. Luke 7:28, 'John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he;' also Hebrews 11:39-40, 'And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect')." - Pulpit Commentary
"After the Millennium, God will raise up to physical life all those who have never had an opportunity for salvation. Christ will judge all those who lived throughout human history yet have not been called. Ezekiel 37:1-14 prophesies of God resurrecting all Israel. At the same time (see Matthew 12:41-42), He will raise all the Gentiles and extend to them the same offer He does to Israel (Romans 2:7-11; I Timothy 2:4). If they satisfy God's judgment, He will at some point grant them eternal life and give them spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:44-49).
"After all have had their opportunity, God will perform still a third resurrection. Those who will not repent of their rebellion against the Almighty will be raised to physical life and cast into the Lake of Fire, which provides a merciful, permanent death (see Matthew 25:41)." - Forerunner Commentary, Martin G. Collins, Holy Days: Last Great Day
Premillennialists say it's the resurrection of the unsaved for their judgment. The saved have been resurrected and are “blessed and holy,” and “the second death has no power” over them. The martyred Christians during the Tribulation are resurrected in honor and reign during the 1,000 years. The words “first” and “second” denote two types of resurrections, not two singular events. The first type of resurrection is the resurrection of the righteous, and the second type is the resurrection of the unrighteous.
1) the righteous ("those who have done what is good will rise to live") which includes those who were raptured before the Tribulation and those who were martyred during the Tribulation and were resurrected after the Tribulation and just as the 1,00 year reign begins.
2) the unrighteous ("have done what is evil will rise to be condemned")
John 5:28-29 (Jesus speaking, NIV) 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."
1 Corinthians 15:23-26 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. 24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
"The resurrection of the saints and martyrs, as specified in Revelation 20:4. It is called the “first” resurrection in contradistinction from the second and last - the general resurrection - when all the dead will be 'literally' raised up from their graves and assembled for the judgment, Revelation 20:12." - Albert Barnes Commentary of the Bible
There are those who believe Christians will go through the Tribulation if they are alive at the time it begins. They don't believe the rapture occurs before the Tribulation begins. If they are correct, then they see the first resurrection at the end of the Tribulation for all righteous (through Jesus Christ), whether they lived in 1959 or during the Tribulation period or during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. And the second resurrection at the end of the Tribulation period is for all unrighteous (those who rejected Jesus Christ).
Amillennialists insist that the first resurrection is a spiritual resurrection that is taking place during the present age. (A) when a person becomes born-again, our spirits are born but our bodies have yet to be glorified, or, (B) the entrance of believers into into Paradise when we die. At the end of the age, all spirits are brought forth and their bodies are raised incorruptible to join their spirits.
I'm sure there are more views. I'm inclined to the premillennialist view. But I cannot stress enough that no matter what view we have, the basic fundamental point is Christians are God's children and we do NOT have to worry. Our eternity is secure. There is no argument that Christians are taken care of and, in the end, our spirits are rejoined with our glorified bodies and we live forever in Heaven with our God!
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Revelation 20:7-10 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This is satan's last stand. He is released from the abyss and leads those who have again rejected Jesus Christ despite his peaceful reign of a thousand years. Jesus will be ruling on the throne of David in a benevolent theocracy. At the beginning of the Millennium, only believers will be alive (Revelation 19:17-21). Those who are born during this Millennial Age to natural believers re-populate the earth and they have to make a choice just like we do during this Church Age. Do we believe in Jesus Christ and submit to Him as Lord and Savior, King of Kings, Son of God? Today, we make our choice in faith. We have not physically seen Jesus Christ, touched Him or lived under His earthly reign (we live under His spiritual reign and acknowledge Him as our King). We make our choice based on faith. This is recognized.
John 20:29 Jesus said to (Thomas), “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
These natural people born during the millenium are living under the perfect government of Jesus Christ. He will rule fairly, honestly, lovingly but they will reject him.
Isaiah 2:4a He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
Isaiah 11:3-4 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what His eyes see,
and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
but with righteousness He will judge the poor,
and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth
and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.
Revelation 2:26-28 26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.
28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
Jesus, and those who co-reign with Him, will be leaders and judges in the Millennial Reign. Jesus makes sure His laws are obeyed and will deal strongly with those who rebel and disobey His laws. He has to rule with an iron scepter in order to assure the peace, longevity and safety of the believers. These natural people have a sin nature like we do. The only difference is that they live under the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.
Think about Adam and Eve. They had perfect, immortal bodies and a deep abiding relationship with their Creator and God. They were placed in a world specially created just for them so they had everything they needed. They were provided for and protected in a paradise on earth. God came daily and spoke with them. They had no reason to look elsewhere. But they did. How could they? How scary is it to think of having everything and being in a perfect environment and yet a human being would look away from God and sin?
In the Church Age (from the time of Jesus death and resurrection until He returns and raptures His people and the Tribulation begins), we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to do two jobs: to prepare hearts and work to open the eyes of the unsaved; and, to enter the hearts of those who are saved and dwell in us to teach, train, strengthen and empower us. This is such a glorious blessing. Think about those who lived before Jesus who did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! We also have the benefit of the Word of God. We have the eyewitness testimonies of those who lived and spoke with Him passed down through the centuries. We have Christian workers such as missionaries, pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, authors... all who are anointed by the Holy Spirit to teach us more about God. Much of this is more than people had before Jesus! What blessings we have! Yet, how many people ignore all of this, reject all of this, openly rebel and even HATE all of this!?! Our sin nature is deeply ingrained.
Now, think of the Millennial Reign when these people have Jesus front and center, ruling and reigning in peace and prosperity. They have all the advantages that even we in the Church Age don't have! But they still rebel. They still sin. They have a sin nature and the desire of the sin nature overrides everything. The influence of Jesus over civilization and the removal of Satan are not enough to encourage people to follow God. This is frankly very frightening to me. How very bad are we as creatures? Evidently very bad. Some people plumb the depths of evil that is unimaginable. Some dabble in evil. But we all have the propensity, the desire, the want-to. We are desperately sick without Jesus Christ. We don't realize it. We think we are just fine without Him. But sin is deep-seated in us.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Revelation 3:17-18 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Why the 1,000 year reign? Why is there one more period of time in which humans can accept or reject Jesus Christ? Why let satan out to deceive and lead these unbelievers in a final battle against Jesus Christ?
Maybe it's as a testimony of God's nature. We don't deserve God's mercy and grace. God extends it to us. He doesn't force us. But He is also a God of justice and despite giving humanity chance after chance, it will be dealt with once and for all. He will reveal satan for who he really is. He will not be able to hide behind his masks like he does today. We will be truly horrified by the truth and thankful for what Jesus Christ saved us from!
It also fulfills all the covenants and promises God made to the Jews, Gentiles, the Church and Creation. God chose to make covenants, voluntarily, and knowing full well we could not fulfill any requirements. He made these promises solely on his own, one sided, unilateral. He initiated the covenants, He made the promises and He fulfills them. We are recipients of the merciful and grace-filled covenants for no other reason than He is good, He is love, He is mercy, He is grace. There is nothing good in us and no reason for God to do anything. But, because we are made in the image of God, created by Him and we have the choice to voluntarily give our hearts to Him, He reached out to us while we were yet sinners.
During the Millennial Age, people have the chance to see Jesus Christ in action. With this in-your-face knowledge, they have a choice to choose Jesus or reject Him. These people are not deceived about Jesus Christ. They are deceived in believing their rebellion can be successful. They have no excuse. They make the wrong choice despite having all the information and knowledge. Knowing what they are doing, they choose to reject Jesus Christ.
Adam and Eve were perfect and immortal with a daily, walking-talking relationship with their Father God in a world that was created specifically for them to provide for their needs and protect them. Yet they listened to satan. They disobeyed God. Why? They had it all! Why? I believe it was because they couldn't conceive what evil was. They'd never seen or experienced evil, sin, death. What were they tempted to do? Eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan told them they would be like God if they ate from this tree. Once they disobeyed, sin entered the world and now they knew what they'd been missing... evil and death. From Adam and Eve to every last man/woman born (except for Jesus) we've known sin, evil and death. And in the midst of our sins, we give all kinds of excuses, justifications, reasons why we reject God and follow after our sins.
"God is too scary. We can't get close to Him. How are we suppose to know for ourselves when we can't get close to Him?" So God sent Moses.
"How do we know His prophets, priests, and teachers are giving us the truth?"
"We didn't know. No one has ever come back from the dead to tell us about death and hell." So God sent Jesus.
Yet man has found even the Son of God coming back from the dead, the work of the Holy Spirit and the very Word of God and it's warnings, do not convince him.
During the Millennium, they will see Jesus at work and live under His peaceful, prosperous, benevolent government. But many will choose to reject Him. This proves that there are no real excuses for men. The sin stain is too deep. They make their choice from a position of knowing good and evil. In the Millennium, they know Jesus is the Son of God and is good. But they follow satan knowing what evil is. They've made the wrong choice. They are not deceived, they know full well. The only deception is that they think they have a chance to win over Jesus Christ.
There is no saving them. Sin is rooted deeply in us and we need to be changed. Human programs don't change us. Even if we are given the perfect environment and everything we think we want or need, the problem is within us. We aren't reformed by programs, a reformed society, more money, etc. Proof will be right there in the Millennium. There is no denying that sin is in humanity. They won't be able to blame anything else for their wrong choice.
Not all men will reject Christ during the Millennial Reign. But those who do, will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
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Revelation 20: 11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
You can review a bit looking at this chart before we continue. We are at the Great White Throne Judgment in this chart.
Judgments
This is the point where I want to talk about the different Judgments.
There are different judgments:
The Judgment of Satan and Fallen Angels
Satan was once an anointed cherub, one of the highest of angels. He wanted to be God and in his pride thought he could be God. He managed to convince a third of the angels to rebel against God.
Isaiah 14:12-14 12 Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations! 13 You said to yourself, “I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 14 I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”
Satan and his fallen angels were cast from heaven to earth for a time.
Ezekiel 28:15-18 15 You were blameless in your behavior from the day you were created, until sin was discovered in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I defiled you and banished you from the mountain of God – the guardian cherub expelled you from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. I threw you down to the ground; I placed you before kings, that they might see you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade, you desecrated your sanctuaries. So I drew fire out from within you; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth before the eyes of all who saw you.
After Satan’s fall, God sentenced Satan and his angels condemning them to the Lake of Fire (Matt. 24:41). Though it is anticipated and viewed as accomplished, this sentence against Satan and his fallen angels will not be carried out until after the Millennial Reign of Christ.
The Judgment of Believers’ Sins
Isaiah 53:3-8 3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
Like one from whom men hide their faces,
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He took on our infirmities
and carried our sorrows;
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
struck down and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed.
6 We all like sheep have gone astray,
each one has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet He did not open His mouth.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away,
and who can recount His descendants?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
He was stricken for the transgression of My people.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Romans 8:1-4 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
We are all sinners and judgment would see us all face eternity in the Lake of Fire. We deserve it. We were born with sin and we act on our sin throughout our life. But the GOOD NEWS is that Jesus took care of the penalty of our sin. He took it upon Himself and then received the punishment upon Himself so that we wouldn't have to! The word "gospel" means good news! The gospel of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ, is that we don't have to suffer the penalty of our sins! We can be set free! We can be forgiven! We can be clothed in His righteousness! Our punishment fell on Him. To redeem means to "buy back". He paid the penalty, the awful price, in order to rescue us. He redeemed us! Praise and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer of my soul!!!!! He took care of sin on the cross and He took our punishment when He died. But He didn't stay dead! He rose again after 3 days. After showing Himself to His disciples and some 500 of his followers, for 30 days, He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. In Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit down on the Day of Pentecost to help us. As believers, the Holy Spirit resides in us to teach, train, empower us to learn about God, to live a Christ-like life, to grow spiritually so that we may live more and more by the spirit.
This judgment was made at the cross. Jesus took on our sins and took on our punishment. He accepted the judgment on our behalf.
The Judgment Seat of Christ (aka the Bema Seat Judgment)
2 Corinthian 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
This is not a judgment to decide whether we can enter heaven. We will be in Heaven already and our eternity is secure with Jesus. This is a judgment for rewards. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul drew courage and motivation by the fact of rewards at the return of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Salvation is a free gift from Jesus Christ. Anyone can accept His offer of forgiveness and salvation. You must accept Him in order to be saved. But from the day of our salvation, we are accountable to Him for every motivation, word and action. We will be evaluated for what we have done with the gifts He has given us: abilities, talents, skills, health, energy, relationships, vocations, and finances.
"Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit has convicted us when we have sinned, enabled us to obey, equipped us to serve, and shown us areas that need correction, all the while reminding us that we will one day give an account of our lives to Christ." - Charles F. Stanley, 8/27/2018
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
1 Corinthians 3: 12-14 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
We will face Jesus, the Judge, and we will see our life and our life's works through His eyes. What did we do for God? What were our motivations? Did we use our gifts wisely for eternal purposes? Did we squander our gifts? God invested in us, how did we repay Him? (The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30) Did we put God first in our lives? Or did we put other things first, idols? Did we do good things but with bad motives? Or was our heart really in the good we did? Did we have a love relationship with the Father or did we just put on a show?
There will be no fig leaves to cover our life's history. When Jesus shines His light on our life, it will be stripped down and no amount of finessing will save shoddy work. And no bad paint job will hide quality, sterling work. It will be as it is. And then it will go through the fire of judgment and whatever is good will remain and whatever was bad will be burned up and turned to ash. Our rewards will be based on what remains.
Let's look at an example:
Let's say you walk by a homeless person. They are dirty, destitute, poor, needy, raving in mental illness, no telling if they have a physical illness, and all they own they can carry in a sack. What do you do?
- Are you even prompted to do anything? Is your heart so hardened that you can easily look away?
- Are you too afraid to do anything? Where is your trust in the Lord? Can He not protect you if you go about His business?
- In self righteous indignation, do you think, "If he would straighten himself out and get a job, he wouldn't be in this situation. I'll be doggone if I help a worthless sinner like that. Why waste my money when he will just use it for alcohol or drugs. He better not even think I owe him anything. He's the one with the problem, not me. What can I do? Anything I give him will be used to supply his habit and he'll just keep on doing what he's doing. Why not? It works for him. Why should he have to work when suckers will just give him money?..." So you walk on?
- Are you feeling smug, self righteous, superior? Do you give him money or a gift (such as a McDonald's bag of food or a bag of canned food with some hygiene stuff that you keep in your car for the homeless)? But then you think, "There was a homeless person. I did a good thing by giving him some help. I hope he realizes what a good thing I did. He said thank you but I can see in his eyes he wanted more. No telling what he's thinking about me right now. Well, hopefully others saw what I did and think better of me. I did the right thing even if it was for a worthless person. Here I work for a living and pay my bills and live right and raise my family. Why should I give my hard earned money away to some no good bum? I'll give enough to make myself feel good, but not a penny more."
- Or, do you do the right thing with the right motive? "There's a homeless person. Wow, he really looks bad and he's scary. I know Jesus says we should reach out to the needy and here is one right in front of me. What do I have that can help him? I have a few dollars. That won't go far but might at least buy him a meal. I do have a bottle of water that I just stuck in my purse. Maybe that would help him. I'm in my car, maybe I should offer to take him to the homeless shelter. While I'm there I could make a donation too. I could write a check to make sure at least his expenses are covered for the day. It wouldn't hurt if I did that more often. Or maybe he needs to go to the hospital. I can always clean my car later. What if it's dangerous to have him in my car? I guess I could go pick up a friend or relative to help me. Or call the police and wait with the homeless man until they come and then follow them to the homeless shelter/hospital. I know I can't take care of all the homeless or make a dent in the homeless community. But I can help this one with what I have. OK, God help me to do the right thing and take care of this man. I'll tell him that You love him."
I also cannot judge or account for the homeless person I'm confronted with. I don't know what his/her life has been like. I don't know if he's a con man or a real needy person. I don't know if he likes to sleep in a tent or not. I don't know if he has a car in the parking lot and goes to a decent home at night and begging is his job. I have no idea if he's mentally ill or play acting. I have no idea if he's a veteran down on his luck or is just using that as an excuse. I don't know what he will do with whatever I give him. It is not my business. God can deal with those who are playing on people. All I can account for is myself and my thoughts and deeds! If God prompts me and makes me aware of a need, I should respond as best as I am able and with as pure a motive as I can muster. That's all I'm accountable for.
If I do something for someone and they repay me with evil? That is between them and God. I must forgive and move on. I don't have to take abuse. I don't have to endanger myself or others. I don't have to be stupid. But I do have to obey God and I do have to forgive and I do have to keep my motives as pure as I know how to. The Holy Spirit will help me as long as I'm willing to do His will and be Christlike with the motive of loving and trusting the Father.
Matthew 10:14-15 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
But let's looks at some scripture.
Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His 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 something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
These verses will be used in another Judgement. But they also show us Jesus taught us to reach out to others as though we were reaching out to Him. We are given salvation as a free gift, but our rewards are based on how we use our life to glorify Him, to minister to Him, to love Him. Everything we do for a fellow human being, should be done as though we were doing it for Him and should be done in His Name and to His glory (not ours).
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
Did you notice the motivation in Matthew 10:42. It begins with "because". Re-read that and put emphasis on each word. "he is My disciple" (Who is Jesus' disciple? Me!) "he is My disciple" (Once I have accepted Jesus Christ, I am His disciple! Me! Little ole me!) "he is My disciple" (Whose disciple am I? Jesus! I am am a disciple of Jesus Christ!) "he is My disciple" (I am a what? A disciple of Jesus Christ! Why? Because He loved me into His kingdom! He saved me! I love Him because He first loved me!) A disciple is a follower, a believer, one who studies his Teacher, one who emulates his Teacher.
James 1:19-27 (CEV) 19 My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20 If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. 21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you.
22 Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. (But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. - KJV) 23 If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.
26 If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is useless. 27 Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.
James 2 (CEV) My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4 This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11 The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.
12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!
14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
18 Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” 19 You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.
20 Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22 Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God accepted him.” That's how Abraham became God's friend.
24 You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe. 25 For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way.
26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!
Matthew 5:38-44 38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...
Acts 20:33-35 (BSB, Paul speaking to a church) 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. 35 In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
The fire of God's holiness will reveal our works for what they were. Our motives play a big part in determining if our works are gold, silver and precious stones or wood, hay and stubble.
We do not serve the Lord for the rewards but because of our love for Him. This is the ultimate motivation. Deeds done with pure motives will receive the Lord's reward. When your love is pure, your motives are pure. Jesus didn't do the things He did in order to get fame, glory, money, advantages, promotion, popularity, to make a name for Himself, or for any other motive than His love for His Father and His love for us. It's called humility and He had the servant's heart of humility. He exampled it to us so that we would follow in the same way. And He wasn't two faced like us. He didn't do one thing but think something else in His heart. He didn't talk out of both sides of His mouth like we do. What He said came from His heart in all honesty and transparency.
How do we keep our motives pure? Can we? I don't know, but to the best of our ability we should try daily. Remember, God has given the Holy Spirit within us to empower us to do anything He asks us to do and that includes keeping the right motives. He has also given us His Word which is living and able to guide and change us. He has given us a relationship with the Father and reconciled us with the Father. So there is nothing between us and the Father's love. The more we love Him and spend time with Him in prayer, the more we read and study His Word, the more we rely on the Holy Spirit within us... the more we change and become what He calls us to be, holy. There is no holiness found in our natural man. But through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the relationship with Father God and His Word, we are, and can be, holy! We ARE holy because Jesus has forgiven us, cleansed us and clothed us with His righteousness (that was done at the cross and we accepted it by faith). We are being made holy through the sanctification of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We live holy when we commune with the Father and study and learn about Him. This kind of love relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with us, is what can change us. It's not how hard we work or what we do that makes us holy. I can't grit my teeth and force out holiness. I can't follow a checklist and make myself holy. I can't follow all the rules and be holy. It comes as a natural fruit of my relationship with God. The more time I spend loving Him and learning from Him, the more I am naturally going to be Christ-like! He loved me and my natural response (as a believer and His child) is to love Him. How do I love Him? By spending time with Him and learning all I can about Him, focusing on Him, letting praise and gratitude flow out of my heart. Then, and only then, will we be more apt to do good deeds with pure motives. James said, "faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead". Fruit comes naturally from a faith relationship with our God! Good fruit comes naturally from this love relationship. If you aren't exhibiting good fruit, it may mean you need to get back into the relationship. You have distanced yourself. God never moved. And don't think you can throw a little money at a charity and be back in good standing with God, re-establishing a relationship. That's impure motive. You go to God and from there good deeds, with good motives, will follow. You don't throw an apple at an apple tree and say its "fruit". Apples grow naturally from an apple tree. How does it grow them? With the combination of good soil, sunlight, rain, watering, pruning, fertilizing. It takes the work of developing a relationship and then the fruit will appear naturally. Plant yourself in God, look to Him for light, living water and the sustenance of living bread. Let Him prune you and accept His pruning as what it's meant to be, cutting off the dead so that His life can flow more freely through you. He's not hurting you to hurt you, but to better you and make you eventually stronger! Seek all from the Father and love Him and all the rest will come naturally.
Mark 10:21-22 21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
What are these rewards? What is the "treasure in heaven"? As if being in Heaven for eternity with my God isn't enough reward!
Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Just being with God is to enter into the joy of my master. But God tells us there are rewards in Heaven.
Matthew 5:11-12 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Five key passages reference believers receiving a “crown” as a reward.
Crown Incorruptible
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT) 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Let's look at verse 25 in different translations:
1 Corinthians 9:25 (KJV) And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (Amplified) Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
a crown = στέφανον (stephanon) = Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 4735: A crown, garland, honor, glory. From an apparently primary stepho; a chaplet, literally or figuratively.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon for this verse says it was the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
imperishable = ἄφθαρτον (aphtharton) = Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 862: Indestructible, imperishable, incorruptible; hence: immortal. Undecaying.
This wreath, or crown, is a prize for those who finish the race in good standing. But this is not just a footrace at the Olympics! This is our life race and the implication is that we will receive a reward, prize, treasure, crown that has everlasting and eternal significance!
Crown of Rejoicing
1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 (NLT) 17 Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18 We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. 19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20 Yes, you are our pride and joy.
Let's look at this one in different translations:
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (KJV) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (CEV) After all, when the Lord Jesus appears, who else but you will give us hope and joy and be like a glorious crown for us? You alone are our glory and joy!
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (Amplified) For who is [the object of] our hope or joy or our victor’s wreath of triumphant celebration [when we stand] in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are [indeed] our glory and our joy!
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the same as the previous "crown". Thayer's Greek Lexicon, for this verse, says it is metaphorically that which is an ornament and honor to one: so of persons.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of boasting = καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2746: The act of boasting, glorying, exultation. From kauchaomai; boasting, in a good or a bad sense.
The "crown of rejoicing" (in the King James Version) is a crown of which we can boast about. It is translated as something to be proud of, something we can celebrate as a victory, an ornament of pride. Not evil pride, but the idea of feeling good about something accomplished and well done.
Crown of Righteousness
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Here it is in different translations:
2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8 (CEV) So a crown will be given to me for pleasing the Lord. He judges fairly, and on the day of judgment he will give a crown to me and to everyone else who wants him to appear with power.
2 Timothy 4:8 (Amplified) In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.
Same in Strong's as the previous 2 verses. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, for this verse, says metaphorically, the crown (wreath) which is the reward of righteousness.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of righteousness = δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosynēs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.
Thayer's Lexicon says, the condition acceptable to God. Bleek at the passage b. "integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting".
We will receive righteousness. We will have a purity of life that we've never experienced on this earth.
Crown of Life
James 1:12 (BSB) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
The word for crown, in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is the same as the previous verses but it is the crown "of life".
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
of life = ζωῆς (zōēs) = Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon on the words "of life" says it's life real and genuine, vita quae sola vita nominanda (Cicero, de sen. 21, 77), "a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever" (the writers of the O. T. have anticipated the conception, in their way, by employing חַיִּים to denote a happy life and every kind of blessing): in this case, life breaking forth from the abode of the dead.
Crown of Glory
1 Peter 5:1-4 (KJV) 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Let's re-read this in different translations:
1 Peter 5:4 (NLT) And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.
1 Peter 5:4 (GNT) And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.
1 Peter 5:4 (HCSB) And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
1 Peter 5:4 (Amplified) And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.
The word for "crown" in Strong's is the same as above. This is a "crown of glory". According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, the word translated as "glory" is doxa. In this verse it means opinion, estimate, whether good or bad, concerning some one; but in secular writings generally, in the sacred writings always, good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor, glory.
Some have seen these five "crowns" as the rewards God promises in this judgement. After studying them it seems to me to describe the universal rewards that all Christians are given. We are accepted into Paradise with Jesus. We are going to meet Him face to face. When Jesus returns and collects us, our bodies will be raised incorruptible and immortal to join our spirits. We are given His righteousness and blessed with eternity in Heaven with our God. We will rejoice in all He has done and all that He did through us during our lifetime on earth. Our joy will be incomparable and unending! But, as we studied, there is a time of judgment of each Christian and our life will go through the fire of judgment and what is burnt up is ash and what remains is pure. We will receive some type of reward, treasure, prize based on that. Degrees of reward. Will it be crowns? Or will it be something else?
Some think it will be in assigning rulership. The Bible says that we will co-reign with Jesus. In some way we will be given assignments, jobs, administrative roles. Might some be given bigger roles in administration or lesser roles.
Luke 16:10-12 10 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 If, then, you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
When I even thought about a "job" in Heaven, I flinched. Here, on earth, jobs are hard. Learning good work ethics is not easy and being responsible and dependable on a job is difficult. Some people never learn good work ethics or how to be responsible, honest and dependable on a job. If they don't feel like getting up at 7:30am, they sleep in and to heck with their job. If they party the night before and have a hangover, they lay out. If they see something they want on the jobsite, they have no qualms about taking it home (stealing) or taking every advantage of an employer by stealing time. Taking too many smoke breaks, long lunches, gossip breaks around the water cooler happens all too often. Slacking on work and doing shoddy work seems acceptable today. We make jokes about waiters/waitresses or cooks doing despicable things to someone's food if they don't like the customer, as though it were OK to do it because the customer deserves it!?! We are unfortunately used to people lying, stealing, clawing their way to the top of the ladder on everyone else's back. Office politics can be cruel and brutal. Greed is looked on as a virtue.
I am a highly self-motivated person. I subconsciously resist someone telling me what to do and I'm very sensitive to criticism. If left alone, I do a good job and do it with integrity and am dependable. I'm honest and easy to work with. Punching a time clock was very hard for me. Sometimes I could be up and running very early in the morning and sometimes I was running late. But I always made up the minutes and was honest is my timekeeping. I thrived in organizing and maintaining records, some creativity and am good at training. I think I was an excellent employee for certain jobs but not for others. If I had to be somewhere right on the minute, it was hard for me. It was like subconsciously I couldn't do it consistently. Time constraints hampered me. If I was given autonomy that seemed to release me from constraints and I felt free to do my best (and I was honest in my timekeeping so that I wasn't paid for time I wasn't working and I gave the hours I was required to work). I just worked and functioned better with some trust and autonomy. But not all jobs can be flexible and I certainly understood that. And, as an introvert, I worked better alone and unbothered. I could concentrate and keep my work flowing if I didn't have to socialize within a team. I'm a nice person and get along with others. I'm not pushy, demanding, sabotaging, grandstanding or slacking which makes for a good team member. But I'd just as soon be by myself. Put me in a comfortable office and leave me alone and you will get as good a work as anyone can give. Again, I understood that not all jobs fit my type of personality. Lastly, navigating the social environment and office politics was what I couldn't stand. I don't care if it was working as a donut-serving waitress at my Granddaddy's Krispy Kreme or in a classroom teaching and training as a consultant, I was not good at office politics. I tend to take everyone at face value, I was honest and transparent and thought everyone else was too. I was shocked too many times at how people will lie, manipulate and deceive over anything. Twisting things into pretzels to make themselves look good at my expense or to relieve themselves of responsibility at my expense. Blame, lies, justification, prevaricating, twisting... it's always a part of the workplace. At one time, I even kept a notebook on my desk and wrote everything I did down so that I couldn't be blamed again for something. Took a lot of work time to keep that notebook but saved my bacon more than once. My Mother trained me and we trained my younger sister. One is still in the workforce and she has to do the same thing, keeping a notebook log to protect herself. My Mother's famous saying was, "Document, document, document".
Maybe you have your own needs and preferences in a job. Maybe you prefer a lot of structure, like working in a team, enjoy challenges, prefer or can't stand repetitive jobs, like to work outside or hate to work outside, etc. What makes a good working environment and job for you is different from everyone else. What makes for a miserable working environment and job for you might be someone else's perfect job.
I've gone into a long spiel but to get back to my point, working a job in Heaven didn't seem very heavenly to me. But, the more I thought about it and studied it, the more I realized something. God-ordained work was given to Adam and Eve BEFORE sin and the fall! Let's look at it.
Genesis 1:26-31(BSB) 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
27 So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
God created Adam and Eve and they were perfect and immortal. They were placed in a perfect environment with every need fulfilled and a daily, close relationship with God. And God gave them a a job. What was the job description?
- Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth (pro-create).
- Subdue the earth.
- Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth
- Cultivate and keep the earth
The second job was to "subdue the earth".
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
and subdue it = וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ (wə·ḵiḇ·šu·hā) = Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3533: To subdue, bring into bondage
According to Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, in this verse it means to subdue, dominate, the earth.
God created the earth as a perfect environment for Adam and Eve and their descendants (this was before they sinned). It would have provided for their needs in every way - food, shelter, creativity, challenge, perpetual health. Genesis says God created every plant needed for food for both mankind and animal (no animal was killed for eating, either by man or by another animal). Food had to be gathered and processed. Whether it was gathered from things that grew wild and naturally (like picking berries) or cultivated and harvested (as in agriculture), it was a job. But that isn't the only way to "subdue the earth". Exploration with the intent of discovering and mapping God's creation was another way. God commissioned them to "utilize for his necessities the vast resources of the earth, by agricultural and mining operations, by geographical research, scientific discovery, and mechanical invention." (Pulpit Commentary).
God has sovereign power over His creation and has delegated the authority to mankind to have dominion over the creatures. We were to rule, or have dominion over all of God's creatures on earth. We were intended to act as God's representatives on earth and to do so in a way that reflected His character. Adam and Eve were responsible for ruling the earth and it's creatures well, in accordance with God's character and to His glory. They were to be caretakers and manage the resources God provided in a way that would please God. Mankind were to be good stewards on God's behalf.
So there were jobs to be done in order to be good stewards and to rule the earth wisely. Do you think God would have given Adam and Eve a job they couldn't do? Of course not! He would have made sure they had the intelligence, the strength, the learning ability to be able to do it. And God would have trained them in anyway they might have needed training.
Can you imagine being made for a job and a job being made for you!?! A perfect match!?! That's what it was for Adam and Eve before they sinned. They lived in a perfect environment in strong and immortal bodies with minds that were intelligent and capable of learning. God would not have created all this and then given dominion over to dummies! He knew they could handle it because He created them to handle it. It's almost more than I can imagine... a perfect job. No office politics, no backstabbing, no backbreaking work, no unfair policies, no wage and benefit problems, no bad managers or poor workers, no failures or workplace accidents, no lack of creativity, etc. You were made for your particular job and you can't wait to wake up in the morning to get back at it! We've never seen it here on earth so we can't imagine it.
Because Adam and Eve chose to sin, it all came crashing down. Suddenly the world that cooperated with them, was hostile to them. The humans who were suppose to be good stewards of the earth became abusers of the earth. Let's see what happened after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Genesis 3:14-19 (NLT) 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, you are cursed
more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 Then he said to the woman
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”
Before, they could grow things without weeds. Before, they could work with gladness and joy but now they work "by the sweat of your brow".
Romans 8:20-23 (NLT) 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
So maybe our rewards will be the level of responsibility we will have in our heavenly jobs. His reward will be responsibilities maximizing our talents in such a way as to produce great joy.
Jonathan Edwards - “Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happiness is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others; and there shall be no such thing as envy in heaven, but perfect love shall reign throughout the whole society.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV) As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
Proverbs 24:12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?
When do we face the Judgment Seat of Christ? At the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the Tribulation period, Jesus returns to gather His saints. The spirits of the dead are already in the section of Hades called Paradise, but our physical bodies remained on earth. He will resurrect our physical bodies as glorified, immortal bodies and they will rejoin our spirits. Those who are alive in Christ will then be raised, body and spirit, to join Him. Some think the Judgment will happen just after the Rapture. Others think it goes on for the seven years of the Tribulation. Still others believe it will occur at the end of the Tribulation. It doesn't matter to me when it occurs. It will occur and that's that.
While the Church is being judged at the judgment Seat of Christ in the air, the Jews will be judged under the anti-Christ on the earth.
As a nation, who had been singled out by God and considered as His People, they rejected God, the Father.
1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
They rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Son of God.
Matthew 27:22-25 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
They rejected God the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:51-54 51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.
During the Tribulation, the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land. They will have a peace agreement with the anti-Christ. They will be allowed to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and they will believe this anti-Christ is their Messiah until, halfway through the Tribulation, the anti-Christ turns on them. The deception will fall away and they will see what the anti-Christ truly is and realize Jesus was the Messiah after all. They will pass through a time called Jacob's Trouble in Jeremiah 30 during the latter part of the Tribulation. But they will not be utterly destroyed. The Lord restores them during the Millenium.
Jeremiah 30 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. 3 The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: 5 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
every face turned deathly pale?
7 How awful that day will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8 “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.
9 Instead, they will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10 “ ‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
11 I am with you and will save you,’
declares the Lord.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
12 “This is what the Lord says:
“'Your wound is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.
13 There is no one to plead your cause,
no remedy for your sore,
no healing for you.
14 All your allies have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy would
and punished you as would the cruel,
because your guilt is so great
and your sins so many.
15 Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.
16 “ ‘But all who devour you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,
Zion for whom no one cares.’
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established before me;
I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me—
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?’
declares the Lord.
22 “‘So you will be my people,
and I will be your God.’”
23 See, the storm of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand this.
The Judgment of The Nations
Matthew 25:31-33 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his 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...40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels....46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 10:1-5,11,14-16 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice... 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep... 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
Isaiah 3:11 “Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”
Judgment is inevitable for sin.
The "brethren" in Matthew 25 are the Jewish remnant that will receive and preach the gospel during the tribulation. Anti-Semitism will run rampant during the Tribulation. Those who become true believers during the Tribulation will prove it by helping the Jews. Believers will become the first people to populate the earthly Kingdom. They will consist of righteous Gentiles living with righteous Israel in its restored Kingdom.
Before the Millennial Kingdom can begin, who can live in the kingdom must be determined. So all the living people are gathered together and the Lord separates them. The sheep are are believers and the goats are unbelievers while the brethren are the believing Jews. In death, those have already been separated into those who go to Paradise and those who go to Torment. The ones separated here are those who have survived thus far. He will eliminate the unsaved from entering the millennium.
Salvation by works is an impossibility because there is no cure for depravity other than the grace of God. We cannot be saved based on our works. So we must see this NOT as salvation based on works but as works being the evidence of salvation. If we are truly saved, good works follow naturally as fruit.
The Kingdom of Christ will begin with the entire population being those who have put their trust in Christ. It will be a new beginning like that of Noah and his family after the flood. This population in the new Kingdom will be living human beings who have chosen Jesus Christ as their Savior. They are still in their natural bodies although they will live longer. They will pro-create and have families.
The Judgment of Angels
There are warrior angels:
1 Chronicles 21:16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32:21 And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria.
Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.
There are angels who comfort, protect, guard and strengthen:
Psalm 34:8 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
Psalm 91:11-12 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:10-11 10 “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Exodus 23:20 Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
There are messenger angels:
Genesis 16: 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
Zechariah 2:3-4 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came out to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run and tell that young man:...
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:..."
Acts 8:26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza."
Luke 1:11-14 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
Luke 1:26-28 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
Angels are eyewitnesses of God's work with human beings. They have seen and watched from Adam and Eve until we enter into forever!
1 Corinthians 4:9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.
1 Corinthians 11:10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
But there also fallen and deceiving angels. These demonic angels can look like an angel of light but it's a facade to deceive people.
2 Corinthians 11:14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
They can look good or appeal to something you like. They may present themselves in a mystical, spiritual way. Many humans get carried away with "ghosts" (demons tricking people into believing there is an afterlife apart from God). Or they take up with "spirit guides" and believe these "guides" are guiding them into some truth or wisdom or fortune telling that is not of God. I'm not saying that people are imagining ghosts or spirits. I'm saying that these are not of God, no matter how good they look. If they don't point to Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation through Him alone, they are not of God. If they try to deceive you into thinking that you are god. Man wants to be his own god so this message falls on receptive ears, eager to be deceived! Man wants spirituality without God and these "spirit guides" are all too happy to accommodate men and women with flattery and deceptions that tickle the ear until they have you hooked and walking around in confusion and foggy mysticisms.
A true angel sent by God is one who will always point to God as the source of information, comfort, strengthening or victory. There will be no confusion as to who sent him. And the message will never deviate from the truth of salvation only through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
A true angel is a serving messenger. They serve the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with no thought of glory for themselves. They are not God.
Fallen angels are angels, like satan was, who were originally created perfect and had their assignments around God's throne. But the Bible teaches that satan decided he wanted to be god and he rebelled and managed to talk 1/3 of the angels into rebelling with him. Pride and disobedience were literally their downfall.
Some of these fallen angels, demons, attempted to pollute the line of mankind. Another attempt by satan to destroy human beings.
Genesis 6:1-2 1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.
Genesis 6:4-5 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.
Genesis 6:8-11 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
Demons began to marry human women and have children that were half demon and half human. These halflings were called Nephilim or Nephilites. They were so big, strong and evil that they were known as famous warriors. In fact, some mythology may have originated on stories about these half human/half demon people. God's plan was for His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a human woman and through Jesus' death and resurrection, to save mankind from sin. But if things continued as they were, would there have been any humans to save? Would they have all had demonic blood in them? Noah was "perfect in his generations". No demon blood in him and his sons. God had to act to kill off the evil halflings before human beings were totally lost. So God sent the Flood as judgment against these fallen angels, halflings and evil mankind. But Noah and his family were saved in the Ark. Later, we learn there were still some Nephilim. Goliath was one of them. How? Remember, Noah's sons were married and one of their wives may have carried that demonic blood.?? But God made sure all the Nephilim were eventually killed. Meanwhile, those fallen angels were chained in hell.
10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, these men are unafraid to slander angelic majesties. 11 Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.
12 These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed. 13 The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness.
The fallen angels that are not chained in hell, still try to destroy human beings and lead them away from God. Their end is also judgment and God will see them into the Lake of Fire too.
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Humans are created in God's image and we are redeemed by the Son of God. Angels are not created in God’s image and are not redeemed by Christ (Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 2:16). Therefore, human beings who have accept Jesus Christ, are the flower of God's creation. I find this so hard to understand. Angels serve us. But it is good to remember what Jesus said:
Luke 22:25–26 “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”
In Hebrews 1, we are told Jesus was superior to the angels because He was the Son of God.
Hebrews 1:3-4 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
The Bible tells us that angels are sent to serve believers. True angels serve Jesus Christ and point us to the Savior. We are to worship God, not angels and true angels know that and remind us of that.
But the last verse says, (Hebrews 1:14) "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
Hebrews 2:14-17 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
On the other hand, the Bible says,
Psalm 8:3-6 3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
Hebrews 2:6b-9 “What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little a lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
8 and put everything under their feet.”
In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
God judges satan and the angels that rebelled with satan, fallen angels, demons. He will be the one that deals with them and their end is the Lake of Fire.
2 Peter 2:1-4,9-11 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment... 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.
So, do we judge angels? In some way, we must, as I believe every word of the Bible. I was created in the image of God and have God's life breath in me. It's what quickened me to life as I formed in my Mother's womb. As a fallen human being who has accepted Jesus Christ by faith, I am born again as a child of God. My eternity is secure in Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross. The Holy Spirit lives within me. I have lived on this sinful earth, tempted and afflicted by sin and evil. My body will die but will be resurrected. My spirit will immediately be released. Angels have not had this experience as far as we know. The human experience is unique as far as we are taught in God's Word. I guess God could have gone through this experience with other beings in other times, but we aren't told that in the Word, so, from our point of view (limited as it is), we are unique. We are called children of God!
So do we judge angels? The Greek word translated as "judge" in 1 Corinthians 6:13 is krinoumen (G2919).
HELPS Word-studies
2919 krínō – properly, to separate (distinguish), i.e. judge; come to a choice (decision, judgment) by making a judgment – either positive (a verdict in favor of) or negative (which rejects or condemns).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
decree, determine, judge
Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish -- avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
to judge; to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong; in 1 Corinthians 6:3 used of Christians as hereafter to sit with Christ at the judgment
It seems believers in heaven will take part somehow in the judgment of the fallen angels and exercise some authority over the holy angels. I do not presume to think I fully understand this, but in looking at this verse through the lens of different Bible verses, we seem to come to the conclusion that we will be involved in the judgment of fallen angels and having some authority over holy angels. Right now, I'm just thankful God has His angels looking out for me and helping me. How we are involved is up to God and I look forward to the day when it all becomes clear as day and we understand just what our role is! Whatever it is, it is perfect because God is perfect!
The Great White Throne Judgment or Final Judgement (which is our current scripture)
Revelation 20:11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The last and final judgment of history. At the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ. God has removed Satan and his demons, the False Prophet and the Beast, to the Lake of Fire and is about to judge the rest of the unbelieving dead. Their bodies are resurrected just as ours were. Their bodies are immortal and join their doomed spirits from the section of Hades called Torment. Heaven and Earth, as we know it, have been the arena of Satan’s activity and man’s sin and rebellion. Everyone will see the Heaven and Earth flee from Him who sits on the throne. They disappear. Those who believed that an earthly system could save them are faced with the truth. Those who believed some energy from earth could save them will see the truth. The earth has passed away. It will be no help. Those who thought stars and astrology could save them will see them dissolve. All unbelievers, from the beginning of the world to the end, are gathered to see it. They stand now before the Great White Throne of God.
Mark 9:43 (Jesus speaking) "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire."
When a person dies, they go to Hades, the Place of the Dead, which is divided into two sections. Paradise and Torment are divided by an uncrossable chasm. Those who are saved through Jesus Christ, their spirit goes to Paradise to await the resurrection of their immortal bodies and to live eternally with their Savior. The unsaved who die go to Torment. They await the Great White Throne Judgement where their bodies will be resurrected, they will then be judged and sent to the Lake of Fire for the second death.
We studied earlier about Gehenna. Gehenna is a small valley outside Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter, it was deemed to be cursed (Jeremiah 7:31,19:2–6). The valley became the dumping ground for the sewage and garbage of Jerusalem. Here, we call the local dump Mt. Trashmore as it continues to grow and it's getting to be a noticeable mountain in the landscape. At least they keep it covered and punctured so the buried trash can decay without it being such a sight and being so unhealthy. Back in the ancient times, there would have been worms, maggots, flies, rats, etc. By defiling this place with garbage, King Josiah was able to stop child sacrifices. Fires burned constantly to destroy garbage and smoke and bad odors continually rose from it. It would have been terribly unhealthy and sickening. The name Gehenna came to be used as a symbol of punishment.
The reuniting of body and soul for believers is also true of unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgement.
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life; but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt
Unbelievers will stand, body and soul, before King Jesus for judgement. They will be without defense. Their thoughts, words, actions will be laid out and there will be no defense. With all the evidence on display, there will be no defense. They will have to bow the knee before King Jesus and admit they were wrong. But it's too late.
Matthew 25:41 (Jesus speaking) "Depart from Me, you accursed one, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels."
There will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Their eternal bodies are tormented for eternity. They will have their senses and will be able to hear the wailing and weeping of the damned. They will see unimaginable horror. They will use their mouths to beg for mercy or blaspheme and curse. Nothing touches them but fire. The smells of sulphur, burning flesh, and death will fill the air. There is no hope and no mercy and they will know they brought it on themselves.
Revelation 20:11-15 11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Luke 10:18-20 18 “Yes,” (Jesus) told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
But what about Exodus 32:33 31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book."
It would seem that all humans are listed in the Book of Life. But if they refuse Jesus Christ as their Savior and accept His payment for their sins, their names are erased or blotted out of the Book of Life. Only those who accept Jesus will have their names left in the Book of Life.
Others see it differently.
"Names are inscribed in the book of life before the foundation of the world. This is by God’s sovereign and altogether gracious choice. You don’t believe in Jesus in order that your name will be written in the book. You believe in Jesus because your name has already been written down in the book. To those who do not presently believe in Jesus, we say: 'Repent and believe!' If they do, it is because their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world." - Crosswalk.com article by Sam Storms
Some believe that there are two different books called the Book of the Living and the Book of Life and God and Moses, in Exodus 32, are referring to the Book of the Living rather than the Book of Life. We know there are other books that record our life as in thoughts, motivations, deeds, words. These are used in the Bema Judgement. So maybe there are two books, Book of Life versus Book of the Living?
But however it comes about, the only way to have your name recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.