Revelation 20 - Part 2

After the millennium, Satan is released from prison. In his last ditch effort he gathers all the armies of the earth to attack Jerusalem (the holy city). The Bible says fire comes down from heaven and destroys Satan's army. The devil is cast alive into the lake of fire. His global reign of terror on earth is over, forever (Revelation 20:7-10). He is where the Beast and false prophet are.

After this comes the Great White Throne Judgement. All people from the beginning of time up til that time will be resurrected to face Jesus Christ to be judged for everything they have ever done or thought. The writer believes this judgment is reserved for the unbeliever only. Why do I believe this? Because according to 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 believers will face a judgment called the Bema seat. A Bema is a raised platform like you see in today's Olympic games which was invented by the Greeks when athletes receive rewards. The Bema may occur after the rapture of the Church - when the saints of God are caught away to heaven. We are judged based on our faithfulness to the Lord and rewarded accordingly. Where we have not been faithful, we suffer loss, not of salvation, but of reward. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Wqc4vGgrOCg

So the Great White Throne Judgment is reserved for the wicked. They will understand why they are heaeded to the lake of fire where the devil, his angels, the beast and the false prophet are.

Jesus will say to those who died in their sins, "Depart from Me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). In Matthew 7:22 Jesus declares to those who believe they have done His will but were imposters, "I NEVER knew you! Depart from Me you who practice lawnesses!" Revelation 20:15 tells us whoever name is not written in the Lamb's book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Bible describes the casting into the lake of fire as the second death (Revelation 20:6, 14).

The reality of the second death

Anyone that rejects Jesus Christ in their lifetime and dies in their sins is guaranteed this tragic second death. Several of you may have never heard the phrase before. I will explain what it is and how to avoid it.

In this life we have three scenarios that will occur to all humanity.

1. Some people die once
2. Some people die twice
3. Some people will never die

Realities two and three are not common knowledge so I will need to explain them detail.

Those that die once are saved. They will only die physically but not spiritually. In other words, they are in Christ so when they die, the spirit immediately goes to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Those that die twice are those who rejected Jesus' offer of salvation and the forgiveness of sins through repentance when hearing the gospel preached to them. They love their sin too much to recoginize their need for a Savior. These are the type of people that want heaven, but do not want to give their lives over to Jesus to get it. Without Jesus the Bible says that person does not have life (John 3:36), but the wrath of God abides on them. So, instead of God's mercy and grace at the cross, they will receive the Lord's justice. No Jesus, no heaven.

Those that never die are those who will be caught up in the rapture according 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Bible says they will be changed instantly, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. What is this change? They will be translated from mortal to immortality - meaing God will make them immortal, no longer subject to death. They will be able speak to death and say, "I defeated you death! My Lord has taken away your sting!"

If you want Biblical accounts of people that never died, read Genesis 5:24 where God takes Enoch to heaven after living 365 years. The other account is with the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11. God takes him alive into heaven by a chariot and horses of fire. Elisha, Elijah's successor was an eyewitness to this rapture.

  

Summing things up

This future seems unreal but it is not. All of us admittedly wonder what the future holds. The Bible gives us all the answers. Knowing what God has declared before it happens shows His love for mankind. He is warning us all to obey His commands and follow Jesus Christ so that we can return with Him in glory to the earth when He comes, defeats His enemies and takes His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revealation 19:11-21).       

Please feel free to comment and ask questions.               

Will everyone that has ever lived be Resurrected?

In Daniel 12:1-2 we read this, “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

So, what does all of this mean? Daniel receives visions and records what is going to happen to his people in the future, the nation Israel. Michael is the archangel who watches over the nation. In the latter days, Israel will experience the worst time in its history. As a matter of fact, it will be the worst time in human history because the Lord will unleash His wrath upon mankind for their rebellion. Sin has a payday - death (Romans 6:23).  In verse two Daniel says that many of those who are in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Jesus mentions this same reality in John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth - those that do good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

What Jesus and Daniel have declared is that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust; a raising of the righteous and the wicked. What are they being raised for? For reward and judgment respectively.

During the end times, when the seven year tribulation period has ended, there will be two resurrections; one at the Millennium, and one after the Millennium. The Millennium occurs after the second coming of Christ (Revelation 19:11-21).  Revelation chapter 20 talks about a thousand years of global peace where the devil will be chained and thrown into the abyss or bottomless pit (Revelation 20:3).  Also in the same chapter, it talks about those who remained faithful to death in that they did not accept the mark of the beast and were beheaded.  These were resurrected and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (vs 4b). 

Let’s review: During the end times, there is great tribulation on the earth. As I mentioned earlier it will be the worst time the world will ever know. The devil, the antichrist (also known as the Beast, the man of sin and the lawless one) and lastly the false prophet will form an alliance, an unholy trinity. The world will worship them. The beast will have a mark that he will force all those on the earth to receive either on the right hand or on their foreheads. Those who do not will be put to death by beheading. These are the faithful that we call tribulation saints. Many Christians believe the church has been raptured to heaven during this time (pre-tribulationists). 

What I wrote in the last paragraph can be found in Revelation 13.

Now after the thousand years are completed, the devil is released from his imprisonment. In one last-ditch effort, he deceives and gathers all the enemies of God (called Gog and Magog) to converge and destroy Israel. Scripture says fire will come down from heaven and destroy them. The devil will be cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are. This act will end the reign of global terror by the devil forever (Revelation 20: 7-10).

The Great White Throne Judgment

All those who were not resurrected during the Millennium will be raised during this time. All the wicked dead from all time will be raised from the dead to face judgment for everything they have ever done while they were on the earth. This group includes all the OT enemies of God like Pharoah of Egypt during the time of Moses, and Adolph Hitler of Nazi Germany and even those who live and die during the Tribulation and Millennium period. The Bible tells us the books will be opened. These books are records of the deeds of those who have rebelled against the Lord their whole life long. In other words, they will be facing Jesus Christ as their judge, not their Savior for their wretched life. They will know why they are guilty. Understand, prior to these countless lives facing eternal judgment, they were in hell when they died physically. Their ultimate destination is the lake of fire that death and hell will be thrown into (Revelation 20:14).  Just as the redeemed will live eternally with the Lord, the holy angels, and all the saints, the unredeemed will live eternally without the Lord, with the devil, his angels, the beast and the false prophet. The saints are given new resurrection immortal bodies fit for heaven and eternity whereas non-believers are given bodies fit for eternal hell. No one ever goes out of existence. Believers receive everlasting rest. Non-believers receive everlasting torment because their names are not found in the book of life (Revelation 20:11-15).

The Bible refers to this as the second death. You can also call it eternal death.

So, all who die will be resurrected; either to be rewarded or be punished. Keep in mind that many will never die but will be changed and given immortal bodies when Christ comes for His church but that is for perhaps another article (1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:51-58).