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The great white throne                                    Revelation 20v11-15.

5.   The power of the throne.

".......from whose face the heaven and the earth fled away, and there was found no place for them."     Scripture makes it clear that the active agent in creation was Jesus Christ.   This fact is clearly stated in John 1v3, Colossians 1v15, and Hebrews 1v2.     In Colossians, where Paul describes the pre-eminence of Christ, he calls him  "the first born of all creation."   This is a term referring to rank rather than to time; in the realm of creation Christ is first in rank.   Paul goes on to elaborate on this and says that He is the architect of creation, He is the builder of creation, He is the sustainer of creation and He is the inheritor of creation.   Everything in existence is His design, His manufacture, His maintenance and His possession.     These facts are evident in Colossians 1v15-17.     He did all this by simply speaking a word.   Nine times over in Genesis chapter 1, the chapter describing the creation of the universe, it says,  "and God said." (verse 3, verse 6, verse 9, verse 11, verse 14, verse 20, verse 24, verse 26, verse 29).    Psalm 33 articulates this in verse 6-9  "by the word of the Lord were the heavens laid......He spake and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast."   Hebrews 11v3 records   "by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." 

What is recorded in this verse is quite staggering, because if creation exists merely by His word, creation will end merely by a look from His face.   Yes, the same face from which shone  "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God."  2nd Corinthians 4v6;  the same face which was  "so marred more than any man."  Isaiah 52v14;  that same face with one look will dispel the universe, which He created, the power of Jesus Christ is awesome.   This fact of the ending of the created order of things is indicated in scripture.   Hebrews 1v10-12, which is a quotation from Psalm 102v25-27 says the following , concerning Jesus Christ.   "And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up."     The apostle Peter expands on this in 2nd Peter 3v10-12   "but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.   Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"   There is no thought here of a renewal or a refurbishment of the old earth.    This is total destruction.

What is happening here?   Everything that people lived for, apart from God, is gone; every prop, every pursuit on which man built his life is gone.   No place was found for them, only empty space.   No legends, no statues, no legacies that concern people today.   Everything burned up, the universe which was tarnished with sin will finally disintegrate from the face of Him who sits upon the throne.

Amazon bookshelf  George Neilly

END OF TIME PROPHECIES 234

The great white throne                                     Revelation 20v11-15.


4.       The person sitting on the throne

As in human legislation, so in the courts of heaven, the status of the judge gives weight to the proceedings.  On earth there are magistrates, circuit judges, high court judges, and the highest of all supreme court judges.   The spirit of God draws our attention to the One who is sitting upon the throne.   On a number of occasions throughout the book of Revelation, he has done the same in connection with the throne of the eternal Father, now he points to the Christ on His throne, the judge of all the earth.   We must at this point assert the teaching of John 5v22  "For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.    In Acts 17v31, Paul makes it clear that there is a judgment day appointed and a man ordained to judge, and that man is the One who was raised from the dead, Jesus Christ.  In Revelation chapter 5 the call goes out to the universe, as to who is worthy to judge the world.   The answer is loud and clear only Jesus Christ the Lamb of Calvary is morally fit to judge the world and He will do it in righteousness from this throne.

So who is He? who is the One who sits upon the throne?   Now of course the answer to this is so vast that it will take eternity to unravel the greatness of this Person.   He is the subject matter of the sixty six books of the bible and even that is only a fraction of what could be written.   We will confine our comments to what is said about Him in the book of Revelation, specifically in chapter 1.

• Chapter 1v5     -     He is a member of the eternal Godhead, being mentioned in the same breath as Jehovah, and the Spirit of God.    
• Chapter 1v5     -     He is the faithful witness, the only One who can truly declare God to us and that He did.  
• Chapter 1v5     -     He is the first begotten from the dead.   This assumes His incarnation, His death and His resurrection.
• Chapter 1v5     -     He is the Prince of the kings of the earth, of all who have been princes and kings he is above them all.
• Chapter 1v13    -     He is invested with judicial power "clothed with a garment down to the foot."   Only priests and judges wore such distinctive clothing.   In the epistle to the Hebrews we see Him as a priest, in the book of Revelation however He is the judge.  This proclaims His superiority in the judiciary of the universe and in chapter 20 He takes His place on the throne.    
• Chapter 1v13    -     He has a golden girdle around His breast.   If the full length garment spoke of His supremacy, the golden girdle speaks of His loyalty to God.   The girdle speaks of control and His emotions are controlled by the standard of Divine righteousness.   
• Chapter 1v14    -     "His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow." This proclaims His purity and the link is Isaiah 1v18.
• Chapter 1v14     -     "His eyes were as a flame of fire."    This proclaims His sagacity; there is nothing hid from these piercing eyes.
• Chapter 1v15     -     "His feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace."   This suggests His potency, His ability to carry through whatever sentence He pronounces and upon whom He pronounces it.
• Chapter 1v15     -     "His voice as the sound of many waters."   This speaks of His majesty; when he speaks all listen, all take notice.  
• Chapter 1v16     -     "He had in His right hand seven stars."   This declares His sovereignty. Stars are interpreted as angels in the book, so He can command throughout the whole of the universal realm.
• Chapter 1v16     -     "Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword."   This tells us of His authority.   His word is decisive and final.   there will be no back chat before this throne.  
• Chapter 1v16     -     "His countenance was as the sun shining in his strength."   this declares His glory and before this One every mouth will be stopped.

There is little wonder that in chapter 1v17 the apostle john reported   "when I saw Him I fell at His feet as dead."      The same Person whom he had accompanied for three and a half years in the guise of a servant, now stands before him in all the glory of His being and John has his breath taken away. So will it be with all who stand before this throne.    

Amazon bookshelf  George Neilly

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 233

The great white throne                                        Revelation 20v11-15.

3.  The purity of the throne.

The throne is said to be white in colour.   White in scripture always speaks of purity.   This is in contrast to previous visions of the throne.   in Ezekiel 1v26-28 the appearance of the throne was sapphire blue, amber, and the colours of the rainbow.   In Revelation chapter 4 the appearance of the throne was of jasper ( crystal clear) sardius (flame red), and emerald green.   The appearance of this throne is pure white.  What is seen in the previous visions speaks of beauty.   The emphasis on the great white throne is of purity.   The colour white appears throughout the book of Revelation from chapter 3v4 to chapter 20v11 no less than fifteen times.    It is used to describe the apparel of Christ, of angels and of the saints.  

We get some idea of this appearance in the records of the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain while He was here.  In Matthew 17v2 it says  "He was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."   Again in Mark 9v3 it is written  "And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."   In Luke 9v29 it says  "the fashion of His countenance was altered and His raiment was white and glistening." There is little doubt that the sheer brilliance of the white raiment was symbolic of a deeper purity, that of inward perfection in the sinless Christ.   This, when placed before a massive company of people whose hearts were black as coal morally would reveal the great chasm between the holiness of God and the simpleness of mankind.   In John 3v19-21 Jesus characterised the evil deeds of men as darkness opposed to the light of the truth of God.   the gathered congregation will finally have their inward darkness exposed against the brilliant white.   In Acts chapters 9, 22 & 26 the religious hypocrisy of Paul was exposed when the light of Christ shone into his soul.   So will it be at the judgment of the great white throne.   We human beings can barely understand the searing white purity of sinless  perfection.   The prophet Isaiah describes it when he records in chapter 33v14  "Who among us shall dwell with a devouring fire?   Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"   There is not one of us who can rise to this standard which is why we required divine intervention.   In this future day men and women when confronted with the holiness of divine beings will suddenly realise the sinfulness of their hearts, and their inability to reach the divine standard.   Paul captures the thought in 1st Corinthians 4v5  "until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts."

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 232

The great white throne                                               Revelation 20v11-15.

2.   The pageantry of the throne.

Every throne has an entourage and this one is no different.   The presence of dignitaries around the throne will add to the spectacle which can only be described as awesome.   It is called "the great white throne" the word "great" is used more than sixty times in the book of the Revelation to describe many things; e.g.  "the great day of His wrath"," "Babylon the great," "the great tribulation," etc.etc.  This is because the book of Revelation is the climax of the ages.   Whatever has been developed in the course of time finds its culmination here.   For good or bad everything is great because nothing like it has been seen before.   We consider now the greatness of the spectacle.

• It is great because of the greatness of the One who sits on the throne.   We will develop this later, but there is none to compare with Him.   Of all who are lords in this world, He is the Lord of Lords.   Of all who have been and are kings on the earth, He is the King of Kings.    His greatness is extolled all the way through; His role here is as the Judge of all humanity, and there is none higher.   Of all the courts that have ever been, His is the supreme court of the universe.   There is none above Him, there is no appeal because there is none higher; His judgments are final and just. This book has already penned His worth as billions of angels together with redeemed humanity have all declared His supremacy.   Matthew records this supremacy in the realm of the priesthood, (Matthew 12v6) and of the prophets (Matthew 12v41) and of the kings (Matthew 12v42). .   He is greater than the temple, He is greater than Jonah and He is greater than Solomon.   In the realm of prophet, priest and king, Jesus Christ is supreme.  
• The throne is great because of the splendour of His entourage.     He is accompanied by myriads of beings both angelic and human whenever He sits in judgment.   Scripture gives us some insight into this.   Daniel 7v9-10  -  "I beheld till the thrones were set (RV)  and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame and His wheels as burning fire.   A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set and the books were opened."  Again in 1st Kings 22v19  "I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left."   A clear picture of this entourage is given in Hebrews 12v22-23 which speaks of myriads of angels, the church of the firstborn and the spirits of just men made perfect.   All this in the context of  "God the Judge of all." in Mount Zion the city of the living God.  There is further insight in Luke 11v31-32 where it clearly says that both the queen of the south and the men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment and condemn this generation.   The queen of Sheba and the city of Nineveh represent people who had scant information of divine things, yet responded quickly when they realised the truth.   Thus we understand that they saints of all ages will be present on this awesome occasion, and may well be involved in the proceedings.
• The throne is great because of the magnitude of the issues involved.     It is the final assize.   It is the last great judgment.   There has been the judgment on Babylon; there has been the judgment of the living nations; there has been the judgment of the beast and the false prophet; there has been the judgment of the rebels of the millennium; there has been the judgment of Satan; and now we have the last great judgment of the dead of all ages.   The occasion is breathtaking, and we continue to ponder it because of its importance to every believer in their work for the Lord, and even more important to those who are presently out of Christ.
  

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 231

The great white throne.                                          Revelation 20v11-15

1.   The principle of the throne.

The principle of any throne is that of overall control within a given realm.   The throne of God is no different and symbolises His universal control as Creator of all things whether cosmological or terrestrial or material or spiritual.   This fact is stated in Isaiah 66v1  "This saith the Lord, the heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool."   There is no part of the universe where God is not Sovereign.   There are three Psalms, 93, 97 & 99 which begin with the statement  "the Lord reigneth." It is not our purpose here to investigate the massive subject of the sovereignty of God, but we think the statement by Paul in Ephesians 1v11 gives us the picture that is required here  "....Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."    He is not everything, as in pantheism, but He is involved in everything; He restrains and constrains at will.

The bible gives us a few snapshots of the throne of God and each one has a particular emphasis.

• 2nd Chronicles 18v18.     The words of the prophet Micaiah    "hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne and all the hosts of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left."      This was the vision of the heavenly council in connection with the death of the wicked king Ahab, and exactly how and when it would happen.   The overriding factor here is the throne of judgment in connection with the kingdoms of men.    
• Isaiah 6v1-7.     Verse 1 says  "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple."   On the death of Uzzaih, one of Israel's greatest and longest serving kings, this vision of the throne of God is given to Isaiah. The main thrust here is the holiness of God, before which the prophet felt his own unworthiness.   Before that throne the same prophet who in chapter 5 had declared six times over  "woes" to the nation, was forced to say  "woe is me for I am undone."
• Ezekiel 1v26-28.     This was the vision given to the prophet Ezekiel assuring him of divine control in a situation when his nation was in captivity, in exile.   The main lesson here is the glory of God.  
• Revelation chapters 4&5.     The apostle John is given a vision of the throne and the significance of this is divine power because the vision is placed immediately prior to the calamities which were about to come upon the earth.   Seventeen times over in these chapters is the mention of the throne and the message is clear; God is on His throne and is in control even amidst the awful catastrophies that are about to fall on the earth.   So comprehensive is this vision that we read of phrases like  "on the throne" :"round about the throne": "out from the throne" : "before the throne" and "in the midst of the throne."   The message is that God is in control come what may.  

In Revelation 3v21 the glorified Christ makes it clear that he has a throne and His Father has a throne. All the way through right up to Revelation chapter 19, it is all about the throne of the eternal Father; but now the great white throne is the throne of Christ Himself. To it He will bring before Him all the wicked dead.   This throne has already been established on Mount Zion for one thousand years.   During the millennium period, Christ is in total control of all affairs on the earth.

Amazon bookshelf   George Neilly

END OF TIME PROPHECIES 230

The great white throne                                         Revelation 20v11-15.

"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.   And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.   And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.   And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.   This is th4e second death.   And whosoever was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

It was commented that verse 10 was one of the saddest verses in the bible; for sure the verses printed above are without doubt the most solemn ever written, because what we have here is the banishment of all sinners (fellow human beings), eternally from the presence of God.   No expositor should treat this portion flippantly; no preacher should declare these verses without compassion; however all of us should proclaim their truth.   A consideration of these words should cause us all to tremble, because the whole thing is outside of our hands and is at the decree of the living God.   God said through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 66v2  "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word."   If ever there was a passage designed to make us fear the Lord it is this one.  

The judgment of God upon all living creatures is without question.   King Solomon closes the book of Ecclesiastes with these words  "Let us here the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.   For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."   We are all accountable to God.   On investigation, it seems to me there are four stages of judgment.

• The judgment seat of Christ.   Romans 14v10;  2nd Corinthians 5v10.   This is not a penal judgment, more an assessment of work done with a view to rewards and will take place sometime in heaven between the rapture of the church and the return of Christ to the earth and involves believers both living and dead from the church period.
• The judgment of the living nations.     Matthew 25v31-46.     Concerning those who are on the left hand of the king, described as goats, this will be a penal judgment and will consign many to everlasting punishment.   The imagery of the goats is of those who stubbornly refused the way of Christ and will receive their just reward.  The others on the right hand who are called sheep as those who humbly submitted to Christ in life will go forward into the glorious kingdom.   This will take place shortly after the second advent of Christ and involves all those alive when Christ returns to earth.  
• The judgment of the saved dead.  Daniel 12v1-3, Revelation 14v1-13, Matthew 6v1-21, Hebrews 11v6, Hebrews 11v13-16.     This judgment will be for rewards and will take place shortly after the setting up of the millennial kingdom, and involves those resurrected of old testament saints and tribulation saints.  
• The judgment of the wicked dead.     Revelation 20v11-15, Daniel 12v2, John5v22.      This will be a penal judgment only and will determine the destiny of all those outside of Christ.   This judgment will take place at the conclusion of  the millennium and will involve all who died without faith of all ages.  

An in depth study of this portion is necessary for all believers and we will hang our thoughts on a number of pegs which will summarise the masses of thought which are here.  

1. The principle of the throne.       The meaning of the throne in scripture.
2. The pageantry of the throne.      Although not mentioned here other scriptures reveal the whole picture of the splendour of this throne.
3. The purity of the throne.            The colour is white as the intensity of the holiness of God confronts the wickedness of man.
4. The power of the throne.           The ability of this throne to act in an awesome way.
5. The people before the throne.    All the dead of all ages.
6. The purpose of the throne.         Accountability to God.
7. The proofs of the throne.           The books were opened.
8. The pathos of the throne.           The mention of the book of life......what could have been.
9. The punishment of the throne    The second death.

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 229

The doom of Satan                                            Revelation 20v10.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."

This must be one of the saddest verses in the bible.   We look at it from a number of points of view.

• Selfishness.     "The devil that deceived them."     The deception of the human race is the greatest act of selfishness ever perpetrated.    Knowing his doom from the very beginning he set about bringing down with him as many human beings as possible.    Using his God given powers he blinded and deceived vulnerable people into eternal loss.  We can almost hear the hollow laughter of the devil as he descends into his eternal prison knowing that many will follow him there.  He carried his act of deception to the very end.
• Uselessness.   "Cast into the lake of fire and brimstone."   The word means thrown or hurled by force; much like we would cast a piece of trash into a bin.   Indeed this is the force behind the word, because Jesus used the word "Gehenna" which was a word used to describe the valley of the son of Hinnom; this was a rubbish dump on a downward slope outside the city of Jerusalem where all the trash was thrown and burned.   Gehenna is a graphic picture of what will happen to everyone whether demon or human who are in rebellion against God.   This one who was the highest order of God's creation, given greater powers and privileges than any other creature and created to orchestrate the glory of God universally, is now cast out as a piece of useless trash!   This may not be pleasant language, but it is the language of the bible.   In the same picture is contained the idea of the fire and brimstone; the fire never stopped burning.   Brimstone(burning sulphur)  is only ever spoken of in the bible in connection with the terminal judgment of God and appears in Genesis 19v24, Deuteronomy 29v23, Job 18v15, Psalm 11v6, Luke 17v29, Revelation 9v17-18, Revelation 14v10, Revelation 19v20.
• Hopelessness.     "Where the beast and the false prophet are......"     This is a solemn statement because these people have been in this place now for one thousand years by the time that Satan reaches there.   They will be there for the unending ages of eternity.  There will be no reprieve, no parole, no reversal of the judgment and therefore in that awful place no hope for the future of any kind.   It will be a place of absolute despair and eternal regret.   Another picture is given us in Jude 1v7  and speaks of Sodom & Gomorrah  "set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."   When Jude wrote these words the people of Sodom & Gomorrah have been in hell for approximately 4,000 years and they are still there, and will be there forever.   The word "suffering" is "undergoing" and the present tense is used to described the permanence of their experience.  
• Restlessness.     "........and shall be tormented day and night....."     The idea being conveyed here is that of no respite from their torment in this awful place.   Day and night it will go on without a break for all eternity.   It is hard for us human beings to conceive of such a thing, but the bible language is plain and is warning us to drop everything we are doing to get this matter settled once and for all.   We shall see later that the torment of Satan and all his demons will also be the torment of his human followers.
• Endlessness.     ".....forever and ever."     The phrase  "forever and ever" is used a number of times in the bible.   It refers to a dimension outside of time altogether, where time is nothing and describes a state which will never be changed.   Scriptures like Nehemiah 9v5, Matthew 18v8, Mark 3v29, 2nd Thessalonians 1v9, and Matthew 25v41&46, and many, many more, bring before us the timelessness and endlessness of eternity.   God is eternal, therefore any sin against Him is an eternal sin deserving an eternal punishment.   The New testament is full of the eternal blessing of the believer in Christ.   It is equally clear on the fact that those who are banished will be so forever and ever. This is Satan's final home and there will be no reprieve.

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 228

The revolt of the Millennium rebels                         Revelation 20v8-9.

".... and shall go out and deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from heaven and devoured them."

We have already stated that the purpose of allowing Satan to be loosed was to reveal the incurable wickedness of the heart of man.   It also reveals the incredible wickedness of Satan, who, having been bound helpless for one thousand years persists in his evil ways that he has done from the beginning of time.   This period of time of one thousand years is for a very definite purpose because verse 7 commences with the phrase  "when the thousand years are expired (finished).   The purpose could be said to show a number of things; the hardness of the human heart, the extreme wickedness of fallen angels, the wonderful lavish grace of God to all, and finally the power of God to bring all His purposes to a conclusion.  

• Consider first the ability of Satan to deceive the minds of men.   "He shall go out and deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth."   From the very beginning he has been the arch deceiver.   He deceived the first woman Eve in Eden (Genesis 3v2-6).   The New testament confirms this deception in 2nd Corinthians 11v3 and 1st Timothy 2v14.   In Luke 22v3 it is recorded that  "Satan entered into Judas surnamed Iscariot being of the number of the twelve."   This man has just spent three and a half years in public service with the Son of God and with the other eleven apostles.   The devastating truth is that Satan was able to take over his heart after all this.   In 2nd Corinthians 4v3-4 it is recorded that he is active today in blinding the minds of them that believe not.   In 2nd Corinthians 11v14 he is said to be  "transformed into and angel of light."   He can enter the hearts of people at will and blind their minds who are not subject to the Lord Jesus Christ.   His powers of deception are incredible and have lasted as long as time itself, and now, even after imprisonment for one thousand years, he is able to go forth into the world and deceive the nations from all parts of the earth.

• Gog & Magog.    This is the name given to the people in the millennium who will be deceived by Satan to rebel against God and  think to overcome the Lord Jesus Christ and so gain the earth for themselves.   The term  "Gog & Magog" are undefined in the chapter, but it appears before in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39.   What is described there is different to Revelation chapter 20 for there will be other rebellions previous to this final one in the millennium.   It appears that Gog is the name of the ruler and Magog describes his followers.   The footnote in the Amplified Bible in Ezekiel chapter 38 is helpful, "Gog is a symbolic name, standing for the leader of the world powers antagonistic to God."   Such is the antagonism of this rebellious group, and, such is their number, that they gather together to take on the armies of the living Christ.   Their number is as the sand of the sea.   They went up on the "breadth of the earth" and they were allowed to encompass the camp of the saints.   The expression "the camp of the saints" is a military term and suggests that the forces of Christ were arrayed against them outside Jerusalem. The place where they will gather is described as "the beloved city" which can only be Jerusalem.   God allowed them to surround the gathered saints and the eternal city.   And then it was all over, fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, and so the final revolt was over. There was no battle, God finished them like He finished Sodom and Gomorrah. The message is loud and clear to anyone who will listen; do not oppose the living God!   

Countless millions of people who experienced and enjoyed millennial bliss, perished in a moment. They were blessed beyond measure by the beneficence of God, and they chose to follow Satan to his doom, which will be our next consideration. In a short blog such as this it is impossible to convey the astonishing scenes described here; I pray the readers will ponder long these epoch-ending events of world history. 

Amazon bookshelf   George Neilly

END OF TIME PROPHECIES 227

The release of Satan.

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison......"                                                                                                 Revelation 20v7

Revelation 20v3 says that after the fulfillment of the one thousand years, Satan  "must be loosed a little season."   The bible never uses the word "must" trivially, and this is all part of the divine plan which must take place.   Why must Satan be released for a little while?   In order to answer that we do well to consider exactly what this period of one thousand years on this earth will be like.

• For the duration of the period many, many children will be born naturally.   World population will reach phenomenal proportions.
• According to Isaiah 65v20, death will be a rarity, and what is made clear in that verse is that there will be no premature infant deaths; there will be no elderly person who does not reach full life maturity; and spasmodic death may occur as a result of divine discipline.   We bear in mind in the early period of this world people lived almost one thousand years, and the language of the bible leads us to understand, that these early conditions will prevail during the millennium.
• All children who will be born, will be born in sin as part of Adam's progeny, and therefore subject to death and who will all require a Saviour to reconcile them to God just as we do today.  
• The Saviour of the world will be present upon earth all through these years.   Just as today his salvation will be freely available to all.  
• The millennial children will be no different to modern children, and will have the trait of rebellion against God within them.   This trait is clearly indicated in Zechariah 14v17-19.   All nations will be invited, once every year, to visit Jerusalem to pay homage to the Lord Jesus Christ.   Those who refuse to attend this mandatory gathering will suffer as a result.   At the end of the period there will be many who will revolt against God. Renewed  conditions on earth will not renew hearts.
• Despite all this there will be near perfect conditions on earth, in a material sense, yet there will be imperfection in a spiritual sense, and some problems will arise.
• Some of the conditions on earth will be as follows; peace on earth, the absence of war of any kind, the changing of the instruments of war to the tools of production; there will be full employment; bodily healing when required will be made available  "the leaves of the trees shall be for the healing of the nations."  Revelation 22v2   We have already said death will be rare; there will be perfect justice on the earth; there will be perfect climactic conditions; wild animals will be tamed; deserts will flourish with flowers and fruit.   There will be endless streams of pollution free water; there will be everything that man could ever desire.   In Micah 4v4 we are told  "they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it."     Reading this with other scriptures, there will be no high rise flats but each individual family on their own plot of land with enough food to sustain them. There will be absolute security as indicated by the "unwalled villages".  
• Even under such conditions, as the world has never really seen, men and women will still rebel.  Wise men and so called experts are telling us today that by the eradication of poverty they will create "utopia."  The Millennium proves otherwise; thus we begin to understand why God must release Satan; this is because he must expose the true rebellious nature of the heart of man who after one thousand years of the most blessed conditions on earth they will still rebel against the God of grace. God said through the prophet Jeremiah (17v9) "The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?". We will all know it after the Millennium.

Amazon bookshelf  George Neilly

END OF TIME PROPHECIES 226

The first resurrection                                             Revelation 20v5-6. 

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years are finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and reign with Him a thousand years".

"The rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished."   This is another evidence that the thousand years are literal. Many are raised from the dead and join with the living with the purpose of living through the millennium and reigning with Christ. How else do we explain the gap between the two resurrections if the years are not literal?   The remainder of the dead remain in the disembodied state.   So there is a one thousand year gap between.   Special mention is made of the resurrection of the martyrs.   All who have remained faithful to God will be rewarded but God has a special place for those who surrender their lives for the faith.   Jesus predicted there would be many martyred for His name (Matthew 23v24), (Matthew 23v27), (John 16v2), (Matthew 24v9-13) and (Revelation 6v9: 7v13-15: 12v11: 12v17: 13v15).   The wicked dead shall remain so till the time of the great judgment.

The bible speaks of two resurrections.   Daniel 12v2 "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  In John 5v28-29 Jesus proclaimed these two resurrections ".......for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.   There are a number of things we must observe in these verses:

• Firstly we learn that all human beings will be resurrected, and given bodies which will fit them for their eternal destination.
• The voice of Christ will summon all living and dead to the last day resurrections.
• Human beings will be resurrected to one of two eternal life styles, either the resurrection to life or the resurrection to damnation.
• Those who take part in the first resurrection are called blessed.   This first resurrection to life takes place in different stages according to 1st Corinthians 15v22-23  "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.   But every man in his own order; Christ the firstfruits afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.   Christ was raised, the church will be raised,  the Old Testament saints will be raised, and the martyred saints of the tribulation will all be raised thus completing the first resurrection.  
• Those raised are not only blessed as to their experience but they are holy in their character.
• "On such the second death hath no power."   This second death which is permanent separation from God will be the portion of the wicked dead but not for these.   Jesus said in John 10 "I give unto My sheep eternal life and they shall never perish..........the word never is so strong that it could be rendered  "never, not to all the ages of eternity."   The guarantee of this eternal security comes from both the father and the Son.
• They shall be priests of God and of Christ; they will be occupied in the service of God for all eternity.
• They will reign with Christ for the duration of the millennium.   The significant thing about this is that in Old Testament times the offices of priest and king could never be found in the same person.   Only Christ could fulfil this role, and now to those who are His servants in glory. 

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END OF TIME PROPHECIES 225

The reign of Christ

"They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years...."  

The thousand years are literal; if they were to mean an indeterminate period of time, ten thousand years would have been used which is the highest number in ancient Hebrew literature; again there is no qualification to the years, or variation, so they are to be understood as literal years.   We must take in this glorious statement that Christ will live and reign on this earth for one thousand years and the many groups of His faithful followers will reign with Him!   We ask ourselves what will it be like?   The word "reign" suggests there will be the need for government and order and structure as in all societies.   So today we are asking what will be the nature of the reign of Christ, and what will be the nature of the life style during that period of time?  

The reign of Christ on earth.  

• His reign will be universal.     Psalm 2v8     "And I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."   Psalm 22v27; also Psalm 72v8     -     "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth."    
• His reign will be eternal.      Daniel 2v44     "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed........it shall stand forever."   Isaiah 9v7   "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and his kingdom."     Although the millennium is a limited period of time the same order of things will continue into the eternal state.
• His reign will be in righteousness.     Isaiah 32v1    -     Isaiah 2v2-3     -     Isaiah 41v10-11  - the principle being that in this time every wrong will be made right, and earthly order will be replaced by heavenly order.
• During His reign He will be worshipped by all.     Psalm 72v10-19     Psalm 115v10-13     The rejected Christ will be universally applauded.
• His reign will be with a rod of iron.     Isaiah 40v10     Psalm 2v8     Psalm 110v2-3     Revelation 2v7.   There will be an immediate suppression of all sin when the Christ shall rule in inflexible righteousness.

The millennial lifestyle.    

• Peace all over the earth    Isaiah 2v4  -  Isaiah 9v6   -  Psalm 72v3&7.
• The eradication of all poverty.   Psalm 72   -   Psalm 102v16-17.
• Plentiful supply for all.     Psalm 22v26  -    Psalm 22v29  -  Psalm 102v16  -  Psalm 30v23-24.
• The wild animals tamed.    Isaiah 11v6 - 9   -   Isaiah 65v25.
• The deserts shall flourish.    Isaiah 35v1-6   -   Isaiah 41v15-20.
• All bodily ailments healed.     Isaiah 35   -   The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the lame will leap like the hart.
• There will be universal prosperity    -    Amos 9v14-15   -   Isaiah 55v11-12   -   Hosea 2v22   -   Hosea 14v5-7   -   Malachi 4v2-3.
• There will be great world unity   -   Hosea 1v11   -   Ephesians 1v10.

In general there will be a removal of the curse of sin upon the earth (Romans 8v19-21: Revelation 22v3).   This will be a time of perfect conditions for human habitation and will continue for one thousand years. Is this what men call "utopia"?; yes, it will come, but only through Christ.      

Amazon bookshelf   George Neilly