Steps to Life

Prophecy Seminar

Session 15: The One-Thousand-Year Prophecy

Revelation 20:1 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Here we see people who had been beheaded for the gospel and those who had not received the mark of the Beast live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. This one-thousand-year period is often called the "millennium" by theologians, which is simply the Latin word for one thousand years. Few prophecies of the Bible have caused more speculation and differences of opinions than this one.

Augustine, or Saint Augustine as he is sometimes called, was the bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa from A.D. 396 to A.D. 430. He is considered to be the greatest of the Latin church fathers. He was the first person of prominence to establish a new and different interpretation of the millennium from what is taught in the Bible. He believed that the millennium started with Christ, and that the Christian church composed the saints who were to reign for a thousand years. Thus the Catholic Church had its scriptural basis for becoming a world power. Augustine taught that the Church was to replace pagan Rome, and thus the pope to replace the Caesar upon his throne. This was the predominant belief for the first thousand years after Christ. It was believed that Satan was bound and the saints were reigning. In the year 999, a great panic spread through much of Europe. They reasoned that if there was so much trouble and persecution when Satan was bound, what in the world would life be like once Satan was released on January 1, 1000? Many people could not endure to find out and committed suicide before the new year began.

Although Augustine was wrong in his interpretation of the one-thousand-year prophecy, ever since his exposition it has been assumed that the one-thousand-year period would be a time when the saints would reign on earth, although that is not what the prophecy says. Let us look at this prophecy of Revelation 20 and see exactly what it says. Within this prophecy we will have several key questions answered. For example, where will hell be located? Is it going to be on some planet? Is it in the center of the earth? Is it going to be in outer space? We will also find out what Jesus meant when he said that "the meek. . . shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Many people have wondered about that, for the Bible talks about the saints going to heaven, and then it talks about inheriting the earth. So where are we going to be, in heaven or on earth, after Jesus comes?

Let us first begin by finding the answer to a crucial question: "When does the one-thousand-year period begin?" What is the starting point for the one thousand years?

Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

This is the resurrection of the righteous. The Bible says, "blessed and holy is he who has part in" this resurrection. As we will notice a little later, there is another resurrection of the wicked that will not constitute a blessing. When does the resurrection of the righteous take place?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Thus, according to the Bible, the resurrection takes place at Jesus’ second coming, which marks the beginning of the one-thousand-year reign of the saints with Christ. And really, how could it start before then? Jesus said to the disciples that He would receive us unto Himself WHEN He comes again (John 14:1–3).

The Context

It might be well for us to get the context of Revelation 20. In chapter 18 we have the final judgment of spiritual Babylon. Here God gives the final warning to His people who are still in the many churches who are refusing to follow God by obeying His commandments.

Revelation 18:1 "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ 4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’ "

God then describes the plagues that are going to fall on these apostate churches and those within them who have refused to heed God’s warnings. Next is described the second coming of Jesus Christ. He does not come now, as He did the first time, as a helpless Babe in a manger. This time He comes in His glory, at the head of the armies of heaven.

Revelation 19:11 "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Al- mighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Isaiah 66:15 "For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many."

Revelation 6:14 "Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’ "

There is coming a time when Jesus is going to come in His glory. Today God has given us a short period of time in which to prepare for that day, so that we might be among that remnant of people who will be ready to go home with Him and to reign with Him. When Jesus left the first time, after His earthly ministry, He went to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father’s throne. There, the Bible says, He is preparing places for us also.

John 14:2 "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

He is going to take us to heaven to reign with Him, as He was taken to heaven to reign with His Father.

Revelation 3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

Jesus said that He would take us to where He went, which was to heaven. We are going to be given thrones with Him, for through His grace we have been conquerors over the Beast and his image. Jesus is not coming the second time to reign on earth, but to take us up to heaven to reign with Him. That is why 1 Thessalonians 4 says we "shall be caught up together. . . to meet the Lord in the air." He is going to come down, as the lightning out of the east, with the armies of heaven, and with a loud shout He is going to raise the dead, and they are going to be caught up to meet Him in the air.

When Jesus comes, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and the righteous will be changed in a moment also, and will receive immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

Jesus’ coming is so glorious that the very brightness of it destroys the wicked. The righteous have been changed so that they can endure the glory of Christ. Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were able to withstand the fire that destroyed those who threw them into the burning fiery furnace of Daniel 3, so those who have chosen Christ will be able to stand the brightness of Jesus’ glorious coming, while the wicked will be consumed by its brightness.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 "Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed."

The Beast and all his followers will be destroyed by the brightness of Jesus’ coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming."

The brightness of the second coming of Jesus is like the brightness of the sun. It will burn up much of the planet and will kill all the wicked. It is not the final destruction of earth as we will soon see, but at least much of the earth will be burned up. As we will see in a few moments, all the earth will eventually be burned, but not at this time. Many of the great cities will undoubtedly become as a lake of fire.

Revelation 19:17 "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’ 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh."

You will notice that this is the event that immediately precedes the one-thousand-year prophecy of chapter 20. What is the next word of the Bible, which begins the one-thousand-year prophecy? "Then." The word "then" means "next" or "at that time." Jesus’ second coming, at which time the righteous dead are resurrected and, with the righteous living, are caught up together to be with the Lord and taken to heaven to reign with Jesus, and at which time much of the earth is burned up and the wicked are destroyed, begins the one-thousand-year period.

Now, if the righteous are taken to heaven at Jesus’ second coming, and all the wicked are destroyed, who will be left to bury them? Some, of course, will be burned up. Revelation 19 indicates that others are left as though prey for vultures. Their carcasses will be scattered upon the face of the earth.

Jeremiah 25:30 "Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: ‘The Lord will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth for the Lord has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the Lord. 32 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, disaster shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the earth. 33 And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.’ "

Why won’t they be lamented, or buried, but will be left like refuse on the ground? Because the wicked are all dead, and the righteous are taken to heaven. There is no one left on planet earth. What a desolate place the earth will be after Jesus’ second coming! There has been a great fire, and Revelation says that the fire will be accompanied by a world-wide earthquake. All human life will have ceased. Look with me at how the Bible describes the condition of the earth during this period of time.

Jeremiah 4:23 "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. 25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His fierce anger."

Can you imagine a more desolate place? The Bible says that during this time no human life will exist on this planet. Even the sun quits burning. For six thousand years the sun has given this earth light, but a great plague of darkness will cover the earth for a full thousand years.

Jeremiah 4:28 "For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, nor will I turn back from it."

Can you imagine how cold the earth will be after about the first two weeks? It will be dark, cold and lifeless. Will God make an utter end of the earth, or does He plan to visit it again?

Jeremiah 4:27 "For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full end.’ "

God does not make an utter end, but it is a one-thousand-year period of terrible darkness. Satan has spread spiritual darkness upon this planet for six thousand years, and now God allows him to dwell in literal darkness for a thousand years with no one to tempt.

Revelation 20:1 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."

The word for "bottomless pit" here is from the Greek word "abussos." Abussos is how the Greeks translated the Hebrew word "tehom," which is the word God used to describe this earth in the beginning before there was any light or symmetry here.

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep (tehom). And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

What was the earth like in the beginning before God fashioned it for mankind? It was void, without form, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The word "deep" is the same word that is translated as bottomless pit in Revelation 20:1. The earth will be as it was in the beginning, as a bottomless pit. Indeed, it will seem like a bottomless pit with no sun shining, with the contour broken, and all life gone. As we just read, this is the description Jeremiah gives of the earth during the one thousand years.

Jeremiah 4:23 "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light."

There is no human life on Planet Earth, but Satan is isolated upon this cold, dark planet for one thousand years. How miserable he must be with only his thoughts and the other evil angels to contend with! During this time, the righteous will reign with Christ in heaven and judgment will be given into their hands. What or who is it that they will judge? They will then have opportunity to judge the wicked, not to see if they should be saved or not, for God has already made that decision, but to see why they are not saved and possibly even to measure out their punishment.

1 Corinthians 6:2 "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels?"

During this period of time the books will be opened to the inspection of the saints. We will be able to study the whole history of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Imagine that we will be able to view it in living color, as the prophets did in vision, for God’s technology is far beyond ours. God has nothing to hide, and He wants us to be fully satisfied with His justice. If one of our loved ones is not there, we may wonder if God really did the right thing, or if He made a mistake. Therefore God is going to open up the books. We will learn more about this tomorrow night when we study what the Bible says about the judgment.

Let us review what we have learned thus far. Someday Jesus is coming in glory. When He comes in His glory He will resurrect the righteous dead and will take them, along with the righteous who are still living, to heaven. His appearance is so bright that it destroys all the wicked upon the earth. When all the people are either dead or taken to heaven, God puts out the sun, leaving Satan in total darkness here upon the earth for one thousand years. The Bible says that God will not make an utter end of the earth. He is coming back again, a third time. This time He will come with the righteous who have been reigning with Him in heaven. What else does God bring back with Him when He comes the third time?

Revelation 21:2 "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. . . . 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."

And then what will happen at this point to the wicked who are still dead?

Revelation 20:5 "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This (referring to verse 4) is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

Notice that the Bible talks about two resurrections, the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked. They do not come at the same time, but rather they are one thousand years apart. Did Jesus recognize two resurrections?

John 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

Satan has been bound to this dark and sunless planet for a thousand years with no one to tempt, for the righteous have gone to heaven and the wicked have been destroyed. What will happen to Satan at the end of the thousand years?

Revelation 20:7 "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea."

As soon as the wicked are raised, Satan goes out to tempt them again. He now tries to unite them into one last rebellion against God, and stirs them up to try a takeover attack on the Holy City—he certainly has far more people than God does from this planet. Notice where Satan leads them.

Revelation 20:9 "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city."

As they come against the city, what happens?

Revelation 20:11 "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works."

God does not just destroy the wicked, but He takes time to explain to them why they are lost. All the intricacies of how God does this, we can’t imagine. Maybe each person sees his or her life record pass before him, and sees the times he had turned from God when He had shown him truth. They are all left without excuse. Jesus died that they might be saved, all they had to do was to accept Jesus into their life and to obey Him through the power that God supplies. God gave them each a probationary time in order to make a decision for or against Him. There will be many disappointed people there. I pray that I will not be one of them.

I would like you to think with me about what the future holds. The Bible says that when we die we do not know anything (Ecclesiates 9:5). We are sleeping. So when a person dies, the next instant of recollection is that of being raised, either at the beginning of the millennium or at the end—to them it seems instantaneous. Some will rise to everlasting life at Jesus’ second coming at the beginning of the one thousand years, and some will rise to everlasting destruction at Jesus’ third coming at the conclusion of the one thousand years.

Daniel 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."

I have closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it must be like to have accepted Jesus, and suffered persecution as Jesus said would always be associated with following Him. Maybe my parents didn’t approve or my spouse opposed or I lost my job for following the Lord.

Matthew 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ 36 And ‘a man’s foes will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Paul says that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). There are great advantages in following Jesus. I wouldn’t trade Jesus for anything. But there is also a cross. Sometimes a person receives family opposition. Sometimes friends turn against him and other problems come; sometimes an employer threatens a person with their job if they keep the Sabbath and all the law of God; sometimes a person has to find different employment to follow the Lord; sometimes, rarely, but I have known of cases where a person’s spouse abandoned him or her for obeying Jesus.

Sometimes a person is making their living in the entertainment world by breaking one or more of God’s commandments and they have to leave their employment and learn new job skills to follow Jesus. But whatever trials the Lord allows to come to us in this life, He has promised that He is faithful and we will not be tempted more than we are able, but He will make with the temptation a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13) He who remains faithful to Jesus—obeying His commandments—will receive a crown of righteousness and the gift of everlasting life.

And so I have imagined myself having followed Jesus, and then one afternoon as I am driving to the store to purchase a needed item, suddenly a drunk driver pulls out in front of me. There is no time to stop and we collide. I am instantly terrified, realizing in that split second of thinking time that I am going to die. But just as instantly, I’m O.K. I still have that frightened feeling, gripping the steering wheel, but the steering wheel is not in my hands anymore. Where am I? Then I look and see Jesus coming. I must have died in that accident I immediately conclude! I’m here, ready to go to heaven! The trials of earth are suddenly over. Where are my loved ones? I hope they are here also. Suddenly, as I begin to ascend toward that cloud that the Bible pictures, I realize that it was all very worth while. Whatever persecutions or hardships I may have suffered, they seem so trivial now. Eternity has begun, and I decide that whatever the cost of being a full-fledged Christian, it was well worth it.

On the other hand, I have closed my eyes and pictured another scene. Again I have been convicted to follow Jesus all the way, but there are so many hardships and problems with following Jesus—there is my job, my spouse, my old church friends whom I believe to be such good Christians. So I begin to find excuses for not keeping the Sabbath and following Jesus all the way—the whole world can’t be wrong. God can’t be that particular, etc., etc., etc. I do such a good job of deceiving myself that I really believe I am saved. I want to be in heaven, and I am planning to be there. I believe I really love the Lord, not enough to obey Him, but I have such a good feeling about Him. I love to hear gospel songs and to hear good sermons. I give time and money to the church. Yes, I believe I am really saved.

But again, I am driving to town some afternoon and suddenly a car swerves in front of me. There is not time to avoid the impact. I panic, I realize I am being killed. But lo, just as I thought it was over, I am O.K. Where am I? I guess I died, and have been raised. Did Jesus come? There is a great white city off in the distance. Who are all these people around me? They aren’t Christians! There are thieves and murderers and prostitutes. There are the Neros and Hitlers and slave traders. I slowly begin to realize that I have awakened a thousand years too late! What has happened? Life on earth has suddenly come to a close, but I wasn’t ready for it to come to a close. I was sure I would be in heaven I was active in my church. I was a good person. I began to find some other "good" Christians like myself. We can’t believe it. Then I look toward the city. I see those inside that I once scoffed at for being fanatical and for keeping the commandments, but they aren’t smiling. They are crying for me. Then I look at Jesus there on the throne. Jesus! I begin to make my way toward Him. Surely He has made a mistake. As I approach Him, He looks down at me and I cry out, "Lord! Remember me? You must have made a mistake! I am saved!"

Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ "

Dear friend, there are going to be many people with a lot of good excuses there. A lot of good excuses. But you know what, I don’t want to be lost with a good excuse. Dear friend, my presentation of Bible truths is so feeble. I am but a humble instrument of the Lord. But the truths that we are learning from the Bible are critical. These truths are the keys to eternal life.

What will happen to those who find themselves outside the city after God shows them why they are not within?

Revelation 20:9 "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. . . . 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Then it is that the evil things of this earth will be completely burned up. Sin and sinners will be no more, and this earth will be recreated into the eternal home of the saved.

Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ "

It is then that God wipes away all tears from our eyes. If I am in the city, and one of my loved ones is outside, I am going to have some tears. But when it is all over, and all pain has ceased, God will wipe away all tears from our eyes.

Psalm 37:9 "For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look diligently for his place, but it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

The earth will be made over again, even more glorious than God originally made it for Adam and Eve. The Bible says the mind can’t imagine how glorious it will be. May the Lord grant that you will not only dream about being there and desire to be there, but that you will make the decision to follow Jesus all the way so that you actually can be there.

Tomorrow night we will be studying what Bible prophecy says about the judgment. One of the central themes of Bible prophecy is about the judgment of God. How can you know for sure that you will pass the judgment and be saved? What is the criteria for salvation in the judgment? We will look at it all tomorrow night.

Jesus Comes Again With Saints

Beginning Events: Righteous Dead Resurrected—Wicked Destroyed—Righteous Taken to Heaven—Satan and Fallen Angels Confined to Earth

Events During: The Redeemed Review Records and Confirm God’s Justice as They Judge Satan, Fallen Angels, and the Wicked (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 20:4; 1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)—The Earth is Dark, Cold, Lifeless, and is Described as a "Bottomless Pit"

Closing Events: The New Jerusalem Comes to Earth—Wicked Resurrected—Satan is Loosed to Deceive the Wicked—Satan and Wicked Judged and Die the Second Death in Hell—Earth is Recreated

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Last Updated: 06/18/03