davidbowerkingwood

For a period of at least 7 years after the battle of Gog and Magog, Israel will enjoy a degree of peace and stability. Although Israel has been back in the land since 1948, the final 7 prophetic years God had promised to Israel will not actually start until the signing of the covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist.

Once the agreement is signed, the seven year Tribulation will start with the first half being a time during which the Antichrist seeks to establish himself as the world’s savior and politically position himself as world leader; during the second half, the Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan, and declare himself to be God.

The Book of Revelation and the other prophetic passages from both the Old and New Testaments describe a coming time of terrible judgment on the earth which we call the Tribulation. Although the first 3 1/2 years are bad the second 3 1/2 years are even worse. We are told in Matthew 24:22 “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

The Battle of Armageddon

At the close of the Tribulation a great battle will be in progress called Armageddon; during this battle, the Lord Jesus Christ shall return and bring the battle to a close by His mighty power; then there will finally be peace in Jerusalem.

The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

At the Second Advent the Lord will separate the believers from the unbelievers with all unbelievers being cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the False Prophet. Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit.

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit 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

Only mortal believers and resurrected saints will populate the earth at the beginning of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:31-46

Believing mankind will finally enjoy the earth the way God had intended from the beginning; this period will last 1,000 years with the Lord as supreme ruler.

Although the Millennium will start with only believers, the children born to the mortal believers will include both those who accept the Lord and those who do not. Over time the unbelieving population will grow in spite of the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Final Conflict

At the end of the Millennium, Satan, who had been bound, will be released out of his prison and will draw a huge number of unbelievers to him “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 God out of heaven, and devoured them” Revelation 20:9. This is referred to as the second battle of Gog and Magog although it will be more of an annihilation than a battle.

Satan is then “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.” Revelation 20:10

It is at this point I believe the old heaven and earth will be melted by fire as described in II Peter 3:10.

^“10 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.”

I have come to think in terms of a refining process which can be associated with the refining of gold or silver; intense heat is used to purify, not destroy. The impurities left by thousands of years of Satanic domination will be destroyed by this process of purification!

My thinking is influenced by the verses in Romans 8:19-22 where it is written:

“¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

The Great White Throne Judgment

This is followed by the great white throne judgment where unbelievers are judged according to their works.

Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire as will every individual whose name “was not found written in the book of life.” “This is the second death.”

This scene, which is given such a terse description in the Bible, is undoubtedly one of the most terrible scenes imaginable. All mankind who has rejected the offer of the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ must stand before the great white throne. There is no hope whatsoever and the punishment that awaits them is eternal pain and suffering in the lake of fire.

The heavens and earth that they have known have fled and the only reality to them is the great white throne and the absolute crushing certainty of judgment and condemnation with eternal torment and suffering in the lake of fire.

Another Chance to Escape Judgment

We live in a remarkable age of grace; abundant opportunity is being given to turn to the Lord for salvation and be delivered from the judgment to come. The Lord’s patience with the sinner in no way means that God is indifferent to sin; the fact that sin does not result in immediate retribution from God does not mean that no retribution is planned.

Deliverance from God’s judgment is now a simple matter of accepting, by grace through faith, the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This simple act of faith is the only way anyone can be delivered from the certainty of the coming judgment; a judgment which is eternal and unyielding in its severity.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be Saved!