WEBVTT 00:00:07.860 --> 00:00:12.220 We continue this evening our study regarding 00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:15.699 the coming kingdom of our Savior, the Lord Jesus 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:19.760 Christ. Last week we began a study of what the 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.820 kingdom will be like, what the conditions will 00:00:23.820 --> 00:00:27.719 be upon the earth in those days that are surely 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:31.399 coming. I'd like for you to turn first this evening 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:36.039 in your Bible to the prophet Micah. Would you 00:00:36.039 --> 00:00:41.219 do that please? Micah in the Old Testament and 00:00:41.219 --> 00:00:45.100 turn in his prophecy to the fourth chapter, the 00:00:45.100 --> 00:00:52.640 first verse. If you see Jonah, you know you're 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:59.509 getting close. And it will come about in the 00:00:59.509 --> 00:01:04.269 last days that the mountain of the house of the 00:01:04.269 --> 00:01:07.469 Lord will be established as the chief of the 00:01:07.469 --> 00:01:11.549 mountains. We have said before that the mountain, 00:01:12.609 --> 00:01:16.109 prophetically speaking, anticipates a government, 00:01:17.469 --> 00:01:23.129 a rule, an authority. And what it says here is, 00:01:23.469 --> 00:01:27.109 that the mountain or the government or the kingdom 00:01:27.109 --> 00:01:31.409 of the last days will be the Lord's and it will 00:01:31.409 --> 00:01:35.409 be established as the chief of the authorities, 00:01:35.670 --> 00:01:39.090 the governments upon the earth. It says it will 00:01:39.090 --> 00:01:42.689 be raised above the hills and the peoples will 00:01:42.689 --> 00:01:47.010 stream to it and many nations will come and say 00:01:47.010 --> 00:01:50.209 come and let us go up to the mountain of the 00:01:50.209 --> 00:01:53.879 Lord. and to the house of the God of Jacob, that 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:57.319 he may teach us about his ways, and that we may 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:02.159 walk in his paths. For from Zion will go forth 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:05.739 the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:11.520 And he, that is the King, that is Messiah, he 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:15.240 will judge between many peoples and render decisions 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:20.780 for mighty distant nations. Then, They will hammer 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:24.300 their swords into plowshares, and their spears 00:02:24.300 --> 00:02:27.860 into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:31.860 against nation, and never again will they train 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:37.379 for war." We have studied previously that the 00:02:37.379 --> 00:02:41.199 earth in the time of the kingdom will be blessed. 00:02:41.539 --> 00:02:43.960 And the reason for that is that Satan is bound 00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:47.379 for that thousand year period of time. He is 00:02:47.379 --> 00:02:50.699 incarcerated in the bottomless pit. is guarded 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:53.099 there and kept there until the thousand -year 00:02:53.099 --> 00:02:56.219 reign of Christ should be completed. Furthermore, 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.039 the curse that has been placed upon the earth 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:03.580 will be lifted in that day, resulting in great 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:09.680 prosperity in agriculture, in at least the diminishing, 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:13.439 if not the removal of disease and deformities. 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:16.759 Population on the earth will soar during that 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:20.250 thousand -year reign of Christ. This will be 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:24.169 accompanied by universal peace. Now is a time 00:03:24.169 --> 00:03:27.289 of wars and rumors of wars, but not so then. 00:03:27.650 --> 00:03:30.870 Even as we read here, instruments of war will 00:03:30.870 --> 00:03:36.509 be turned into instruments for agriculture. Now 00:03:36.509 --> 00:03:40.030 what is suggested to us here in these verses 00:03:40.030 --> 00:03:43.330 and in some others we're going to look at is 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:45.469 accompanying these other characteristics that 00:03:45.469 --> 00:03:48.469 we've studied and I'm speaking of world prosperity. 00:03:49.389 --> 00:03:52.389 One reason that we touched on last week is that 00:03:52.389 --> 00:03:56.030 the vast sums of money that now must be placed 00:03:56.030 --> 00:04:03.009 into defense and armaments, even that alone will 00:04:03.009 --> 00:04:06.270 allow tremendous prosperity in the world because 00:04:06.270 --> 00:04:09.090 it will no longer be needed for those purposes 00:04:09.090 --> 00:04:13.310 and can be channeled into good and beneficial 00:04:13.310 --> 00:04:17.689 purposes for humanity. Turn back please to the 00:04:17.689 --> 00:04:20.649 book of Isaiah. as we look at a couple of other 00:04:20.649 --> 00:04:24.470 passages dealing with these last days when the 00:04:24.470 --> 00:04:27.829 Lord will reign on the earth. I'm speaking first 00:04:27.829 --> 00:04:38.769 of Isaiah chapter 14. And we'll begin reading 00:04:38.769 --> 00:04:45.040 in verse 3. Now remember this is addressed to 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.980 Babylon. That is, historic Babylon, but Babylon 00:04:47.980 --> 00:04:51.139 also has a future fulfillment, a prophetic Babylon. 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:58.019 Babylon is not only a king, but it is a system 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:02.139 of government. In the last days, in the tribulation 00:05:02.139 --> 00:05:07.079 period, there will be a world control at the 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.779 hands of Antichrist that is addressed as Babylon, 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.519 Babylon the Great. It will be a world political, 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:16.519 economic, religious system all wrapped into one. 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.180 Now here, historic Babylon is being addressed 00:05:20.180 --> 00:05:23.079 by Isaiah, but there are words that speak to 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:26.240 the future Babylon and to those days beyond that 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.420 Babylon after it is destroyed when Jesus will 00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:32.060 reign. Now it says in verse 3, it will be in 00:05:32.060 --> 00:05:35.399 the day when the Lord gives you rest from your 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:37.939 pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:40.790 have been enslaved. that you will take up this 00:05:40.790 --> 00:05:45.050 taunt against the King of Babylon and say, How 00:05:45.050 --> 00:05:49.689 the oppressor has ceased, and how fury has ceased. 00:05:50.189 --> 00:05:52.949 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, 00:05:53.050 --> 00:05:56.089 the scepter of rulers, which used to strike the 00:05:56.089 --> 00:05:59.910 peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, which 00:05:59.910 --> 00:06:03.050 subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained 00:06:03.050 --> 00:06:08.189 persecution. The whole earth is at rest and quiet. 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:12.839 They break forth into shouts of joy. Even the 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:15.600 cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.720 of Lebanon sing, Since you were laid low, no 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.879 tree -cutter comes up against us. Sheol from 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.540 beneath is excited over you to meet you when 00:06:24.540 --> 00:06:28.060 you come. It arouses for you the spirits of the 00:06:28.060 --> 00:06:31.000 dead, all the leaders of the earth. It raises 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.379 all the kings of the nations from their thrones. 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:37.910 Isaiah is prophetically looking forward to that 00:06:37.910 --> 00:06:42.949 period of time when Babylon, as it will be reconstituted, 00:06:43.089 --> 00:06:46.370 and its king, its leader, will be destroyed and 00:06:46.370 --> 00:06:49.250 there will be, as it says here, peace upon the 00:06:49.250 --> 00:06:52.889 earth. Fury will have ceased. There will be rest 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:56.970 and quiet and shouts of joy at the defeat of 00:06:56.970 --> 00:07:00.529 the enemies of God and the establishment of Christ's 00:07:00.529 --> 00:07:03.569 kingdom. This is speaking about world prosperity. 00:07:03.670 --> 00:07:10.370 Turn back a couple of pages to Isaiah 11. And 00:07:10.370 --> 00:07:15.709 look at verse 3. And he will delight in the fear 00:07:15.709 --> 00:07:19.850 of the Lord. He is the king, this one who is 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:22.990 the chute that will spring from the stem of Jesse, 00:07:23.410 --> 00:07:26.829 upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests, Christ. 00:07:27.350 --> 00:07:30.689 He will delight in the fear of the Lord. And 00:07:30.689 --> 00:07:34.970 he will not judge by what his eyes see, nor make 00:07:34.970 --> 00:07:39.170 a decision by what his ears hear. Now, of course, 00:07:39.389 --> 00:07:44.490 anyone who judges is left only to that. He must 00:07:44.490 --> 00:07:47.529 judge upon what he hears with his ears and sees 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:50.930 with his eyes. There is no other basis for judgment. 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:55.370 But in the coming kingdom, our Lord as He reigns 00:07:55.370 --> 00:07:58.610 will not judge merely on the basis of what he 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:01.730 hears and what he sees. Because all of us know 00:08:01.730 --> 00:08:04.970 that that can be deceiving. It says in verse 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:09.930 4, but with righteousness he will judge the poor 00:08:09.930 --> 00:08:14.569 and decide with fairness for the afflicted of 00:08:14.569 --> 00:08:17.569 the earth. And he will strike the earth with 00:08:17.569 --> 00:08:20.889 the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his 00:08:20.889 --> 00:08:23.649 lips he will slay the wicked. And righteousness, 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:27.740 also righteousness, will be the belt about his 00:08:27.740 --> 00:08:31.480 loins and faithfulness, the belt about his waist. 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:34.399 And so we see that there is one who will judge 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:38.679 the earth in that day, who will judge in accordance 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:42.899 with what he perfectly knows to be the truth. 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:47.299 There will be no deception, no pulling the wool 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:52.230 over the eyes of this judge. This King will judge 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.570 perfectly and decide with equity and with fairness. 00:08:56.370 --> 00:08:59.110 And righteousness and faithfulness will fully 00:08:59.110 --> 00:09:02.970 characterize Him as He reigns for a thousand 00:09:02.970 --> 00:09:08.169 years over the earth. World prosperity because 00:09:08.169 --> 00:09:11.110 of the reign of Jesus Christ will characterize 00:09:11.110 --> 00:09:14.129 the Millennium. And then in addition to that, 00:09:14.649 --> 00:09:18.169 spiritual blessings will characterize the Millennium. 00:09:18.990 --> 00:09:22.690 Here in Isaiah 11 and verse 9 it says they will 00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:27.269 not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain For 00:09:27.269 --> 00:09:30.789 the earth will be full of the knowledge of the 00:09:30.789 --> 00:09:35.070 Lord as the waters cover the sea There will be 00:09:35.070 --> 00:09:39.289 a universal knowledge of the Lord in the millennial 00:09:39.289 --> 00:09:42.950 reign Habakkuk joins with this in chapter 2 and 00:09:42.950 --> 00:09:45.970 verse 14 with almost identical words He says 00:09:45.970 --> 00:09:48.929 for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge 00:09:48.929 --> 00:09:53.110 of of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover 00:09:53.110 --> 00:09:56.909 the sea. There will be in the millennial reign 00:09:56.909 --> 00:10:02.230 of Jesus Christ unparalleled spiritual blessings 00:10:02.230 --> 00:10:07.090 on the earth. There will be nearly a universal 00:10:07.090 --> 00:10:10.909 worship of Christ. Now I say nearly universal 00:10:10.909 --> 00:10:14.330 because there will be those who will not worship 00:10:14.330 --> 00:10:18.289 him in their hearts. Outwardly, certain things 00:10:18.289 --> 00:10:22.149 will be required. But there will be some who 00:10:22.149 --> 00:10:25.190 will not worship the Lord in their hearts. Now 00:10:25.190 --> 00:10:29.649 who are they? Who are these that will feign worship 00:10:29.649 --> 00:10:34.370 of Him? Well, it is those who will be born in 00:10:34.370 --> 00:10:39.830 the millennial reign. Keep in mind that at the 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:43.960 initiation of the reign of Jesus Christ, There 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:47.720 will be a population of people who will yet be 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:53.840 in their natural bodies. We will not be. Nor 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:56.120 will those who have been resurrected from the 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.419 Old Testament period or from the tribulation 00:10:58.419 --> 00:11:02.179 period be in natural bodies. We will be in resurrection 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:05.179 bodies. There will not be marrying and propagation 00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:09.840 in that time by us. But there will be people 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:13.399 saved in the tribulation period who will live 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:17.360 through that terrible time of suffering and persecution 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.919 for the Lord's people. And they in their natural 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:23.559 bodies and their physical bodies will enter into 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.720 the kingdom. And they will begin to reproduce. 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:31.360 And among their offspring there will be some 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:36.519 who will not inwardly yield with the heart to 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:40.259 Jesus Christ. They may outwardly go through the 00:11:40.259 --> 00:11:43.340 motions that will be required of people in that 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:46.600 time, but in their hearts they will not receive 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:49.440 Him, and we will see in a moment what happens 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:52.840 to them. But there will be, at least outwardly, 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:55.500 nearly a universal worship of the Lord Jesus 00:11:55.500 --> 00:12:00.019 Christ. Spiritual blessings will be like the 00:12:00.019 --> 00:12:03.519 waters in the ocean in that day, universal across 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:06.909 the earth. The earth will know fullness of joy, 00:12:07.269 --> 00:12:12.649 holiness, glory, comfort, justice, and spiritual 00:12:12.649 --> 00:12:17.629 instruction. And then another characteristic 00:12:17.629 --> 00:12:20.990 of the Kingdom time will be political unity. 00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:26.250 There is of course quite some disunity in the 00:12:26.250 --> 00:12:31.190 world today. There is not a political oneness. 00:12:32.179 --> 00:12:36.100 Each nation has its own thing, its own concerns. 00:12:37.220 --> 00:12:40.600 But in that day, it says in Revelation 11 .15, 00:12:40.779 --> 00:12:44.460 the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom 00:12:44.460 --> 00:12:50.179 of our Lord and of His Christ. Zechariah echoes 00:12:50.179 --> 00:12:53.480 with that in chapter 14 and verse 9. And the 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:59.299 Lord shall be king over all the earth. So there 00:12:59.299 --> 00:13:02.899 will not be many. political entities in that 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:05.500 day. There will be one kingdom. Now it will be 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:09.799 subdivided. There will be nations in that day 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:13.639 and other mountains as Isaiah said in our passage 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.720 we read earlier. But the mountain of the Lord 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.059 will be the chief mountain. All of the other 00:13:20.059 --> 00:13:24.759 governments will be subservient to his overarching 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:29.419 government as he reigns upon the earth. who are 00:13:29.419 --> 00:13:33.419 believers in the promises of God will reign with 00:13:33.419 --> 00:13:38.100 Him. Those from the Old Testament who were righteous, 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:41.440 who believed the promises of God will be resurrected 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:45.679 to share in this reign of Christ. Abraham longed 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:49.940 for this day. David looked forward to this day. 00:13:50.299 --> 00:13:52.320 And they, along with the other righteous from 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:54.620 the Old Testament, will be resurrected at the 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.889 beginning of it. In the first resurrection. to 00:13:57.889 --> 00:14:00.429 participate in the kingdom. They will reign with 00:14:00.429 --> 00:14:04.950 Christ, as will the church, and as will those 00:14:04.950 --> 00:14:07.990 who have died and been martyred in the tribulation 00:14:07.990 --> 00:14:10.929 period. It says in Revelation chapter 20 that 00:14:10.929 --> 00:14:14.269 they will be raised to reign with the Lord Jesus 00:14:14.269 --> 00:14:17.889 Christ. We will be a part of that kingdom. Exactly 00:14:17.889 --> 00:14:22.230 what part, just how we will fit into that, the 00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:25.879 Word of God is not entirely clear. But the fact 00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:30.120 is that if we endure, we will reign with Him, 00:14:30.820 --> 00:14:35.419 writes Paul to Timothy. Now it is important for 00:14:35.419 --> 00:14:39.580 us as we think about the kingdom to consider 00:14:39.580 --> 00:14:42.220 how it will end because remember that the millennium 00:14:42.220 --> 00:14:46.500 is a thousand years. The kingdom of our Savior 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:50.059 is an eternal kingdom in the sense that He will 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:53.710 always reign, but that eternal kingdom will be 00:14:53.710 --> 00:14:57.070 initiated by this one thousand year period of 00:14:57.070 --> 00:15:00.970 time and at some point that thousand years will 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:07.230 be over. The question is what happens next? When 00:15:07.230 --> 00:15:11.529 this time of prosperity and peace and blessing 00:15:11.529 --> 00:15:20.759 and unity is over, what happens then? God gives 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:24.519 us something of an answer to that in the 20th 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:26.779 chapter of the book of the revelation And I invite 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:36.559 you to turn there with me We've already referred 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:39.200 to the first three verses of this chapter where 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:44.610 Satan is incarcerated We have talked about the 00:15:44.610 --> 00:15:46.450 resurrection of the righteous at the beginning 00:15:46.450 --> 00:15:48.669 of the millennial reign of Christ. That's verses 00:15:48.669 --> 00:15:53.029 four, five, and six. And now we come to verse 00:15:53.029 --> 00:15:58.990 seven. It says, and when the thousand years are 00:15:58.990 --> 00:16:04.190 completed, Satan will be released from his prison 00:16:04.190 --> 00:16:09.289 and will come out to deceive the nations which 00:16:09.289 --> 00:16:12.470 are in the four corners of the earth. Gog and 00:16:12.470 --> 00:16:18.009 Magog, together them together for the war. And 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:21.210 the number of them, that is the people who follow 00:16:21.210 --> 00:16:26.629 him, is like the sand of the seashore. And they 00:16:26.629 --> 00:16:29.950 came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded 00:16:29.950 --> 00:16:32.909 the camp of the saints and the beloved city, 00:16:33.590 --> 00:16:37.049 and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:41.539 Someone has referred to this as the second coming 00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:46.120 of Satan. Because after having been in prison 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:50.279 for the thousand years, he comes again to the 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:54.519 earth and begins, it would seem, to influence 00:16:54.519 --> 00:17:00.820 the nations with deceit, with deceit. And it 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:03.720 says that he will gather out from the nations 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:08.039 A multitude like the sand of the seashore, who 00:17:08.039 --> 00:17:13.980 are these people? These are they who over that 00:17:13.980 --> 00:17:19.079 1 ,000 year reign of Christ were born and who 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:21.799 outwardly went through the motions of worshipping 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:25.200 Christ, but who did not give their hearts to 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:31.970 Him. Had they disobeyed, had they overtly rebelled 00:17:31.970 --> 00:17:35.150 and sinned in that thousand -year reign of Christ, 00:17:36.029 --> 00:17:37.869 the Word of God suggests that they would have 00:17:37.869 --> 00:17:41.650 been dealt with at that point. But these people 00:17:41.650 --> 00:17:47.190 outwardly went along with everything. And now 00:17:47.190 --> 00:17:52.569 Satan is released that those who were not genuinely 00:17:52.569 --> 00:17:55.789 following Jesus Christ might be ferreted out. 00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:00.259 that they might be separated out from those who 00:18:00.259 --> 00:18:05.619 truly do follow Jesus Christ the King. Now what 00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:07.980 will be the deceit that Satan will cast upon 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:12.519 these people? The same sort of lie that he has 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:16.279 used from the beginning? That somehow they will 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:23.319 be able to overthrow the reign of God? Why are 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:26.680 they gathered as they seem to be? on the plain 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:30.039 of the earth near the camp of the saints and 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.259 the beloved city. What is that? That must surely 00:18:33.259 --> 00:18:35.960 be identified with Jerusalem. Well, what is Jerusalem? 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:39.900 It is the place where our Lord will visibly rule. 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:44.200 And so you see here we have an army that is gathered 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:50.740 by Satan to march against the capital city of 00:18:50.740 --> 00:18:54.240 the world at the end of the thousand year reign 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:59.369 of Christ. And there is the thought in their 00:18:59.369 --> 00:19:03.529 minds that somehow they are going to overthrow 00:19:03.529 --> 00:19:08.130 Jesus Christ. How ridiculous! Yes! You see, so 00:19:08.130 --> 00:19:10.430 complete is the deceit of Satan that he thinks 00:19:10.430 --> 00:19:13.529 he will do that in the end. And he will convince 00:19:13.529 --> 00:19:18.009 those unbelievers in the Millennium that they 00:19:18.009 --> 00:19:22.789 will also be able to overthrow Jesus Christ. 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:25.859 Now, there are those who would say, well, this 00:19:25.859 --> 00:19:29.119 is actually but a restatement of the battle of 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:33.420 Armageddon. Well, if language means anything, 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:37.140 it seems to me that it cannot be Armageddon. 00:19:38.539 --> 00:19:41.059 Because Armageddon is in the previous chapter, 00:19:41.420 --> 00:19:45.180 before the thousand years. This is clearly after 00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:49.980 the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:53.519 in the battle of Armageddon, the armies are destroyed 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:57.599 through the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.500 on His white horse with His armies following 00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:04.900 Him. Here they are destroyed by fire that comes 00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:09.680 down from heaven and devours them. The battle 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:12.140 of Armageddon is followed by the birds of the 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:15.680 air coming to eat the flesh of those who are 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.019 killed in that battle. And then judgment comes 00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:22.920 and the reign of Christ. But here, and then Satan 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:26.059 is incarcerated, but here we see that the devil 00:20:26.059 --> 00:20:29.019 is finally, ultimately dealt with. So this is 00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:32.380 not the battle of Armageddon. This is yet the 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:38.160 final war. This is that final expression of rebellion 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:42.259 on the part of Satan and mankind, sinful mankind. 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:48.390 And it will be dealt with by God. Following that, 00:20:48.630 --> 00:20:53.250 the devil who deceived them was thrown into the 00:20:53.250 --> 00:20:57.109 lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and 00:20:57.109 --> 00:21:00.809 the false prophet are also. Notice the present 00:21:00.809 --> 00:21:03.450 tense. That's where they are. That's where they 00:21:03.450 --> 00:21:07.210 have been for a thousand years. For the beast, 00:21:07.450 --> 00:21:10.990 Antichrist, and the false prophet, his chief 00:21:10.990 --> 00:21:14.509 religious leader, are the first two inhabitants 00:21:14.509 --> 00:21:17.519 of the eternal lake of fire. The lake of fire 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:22.220 is not hell. They are not identical. Gehenna 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:25.400 hell, as we refer to it, is that place where 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:28.559 people go now. But the lake of fire is that eternal, 00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:32.039 permanent place of punishment that God has prepared 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:34.980 for the devil and his angels and all of those 00:21:34.980 --> 00:21:40.980 who reject God. The beast and the false prophet 00:21:40.980 --> 00:21:43.400 are there for a thousand years and the number 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:47.460 three inhabitant of the lake of fire is the devil 00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:52.079 himself who will be cast into that lake and it 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:56.119 says they will be tormented day and night forever 00:21:56.119 --> 00:22:03.880 and ever. These words are horrible beyond imagination. 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:10.440 It goes on to say, and I saw a great white throne 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:15.940 and him who sat upon it from whose Presence earth 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:20.839 and heaven fled away. Can you imagine the visage 00:22:20.839 --> 00:22:26.160 of a person? the presence of an individual that 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:31.619 would cause the very Physical universe to quake 00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:40.319 and to shake and to flee Such is the personage 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:44.000 of the one who sits on this throne the great 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:50.279 white throne, it is called. No place was found 00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:52.619 for heaven and earth, and he says, I saw the 00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:56.400 dead, the great and the small, standing before 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:59.579 the throne. And books were opened, and another 00:22:59.579 --> 00:23:03.099 book was opened, which is the book of life. And 00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:05.880 the dead were judged from the things which were 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:07.980 written in the books according to their deeds. 00:23:08.059 --> 00:23:14.279 Keep in mind that these are unbelievers. No believer, 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:17.380 no saint of God will stand in this judgment. 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:22.400 These are all of those who are lost and who have 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:26.019 lived from the beginning up until that time and 00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:31.640 who have rejected God. He says the sea gave up 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:35.200 the dead which were in it and death and Hades 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:39.220 gave up the dead which were in them. And they 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:41.819 were judged, every one of them, according to 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:45.299 their deeds. You see, there is a final measurement 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:50.160 of the wickedness of the life of every person. 00:23:51.619 --> 00:23:55.819 All of the fallout of each wicked life is fully 00:23:55.819 --> 00:24:00.200 known by this time. Time has ceased. The clocks 00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:05.119 have finished. And so now there is a final accounting 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:09.960 for every unbeliever. before the presence of 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:16.720 God Himself. And it says, Death and Hades were 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:20.460 thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second 00:24:20.460 --> 00:24:24.720 death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:28.819 was not found written in the book of life, he 00:24:28.819 --> 00:24:35.079 was thrown into the lake of fire. There is not 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:38.339 one of us that can read these words. with any 00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:44.319 delight. There is no joy here. There surely is 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:46.819 vindication of the holiness and the righteousness 00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:51.099 of God. But I can guarantee you there is no delight 00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:54.500 in the heart of God in the death of the wicked. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:25:00.480 But all of those who go into eternity without 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:05.519 a personal relationship to Jesus Christ will 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:10.519 stand in this judgment and there be fully accounted 00:25:10.519 --> 00:25:16.799 for. His whole life will be brought before Him. 00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:20.839 All of those deeds that were thought gone, that 00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:23.960 were thought hidden, that perhaps were unknown 00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:27.900 by others, everything is brought into the light. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:35.299 And the degree of punishment is determined by 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:40.180 God. Yes, there will be degrees of punishment 00:25:40.180 --> 00:25:47.559 in the lake of fire. And then it seems almost 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:51.500 as if to make a last check, the book of life 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:55.839 is there. And a search is made of the book of 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:58.440 life to see if any of these names might perchance 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:03.960 be there. But none can find their name in the 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.930 book of life. And it says that they are cast. 00:26:09.589 --> 00:26:12.890 Now remember, they have been resurrected into 00:26:12.890 --> 00:26:16.670 bodies. They are no longer spirits. They have 00:26:16.670 --> 00:26:19.809 been resurrected into bodies that are capable 00:26:19.809 --> 00:26:25.410 of experiencing the lake of fire. And it says 00:26:25.410 --> 00:26:35.160 that they are cast into the lake of fire. That 00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:41.279 is the final judgment. Every one of us will stand 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:46.539 at some judgment before God. And actually no 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:52.980 thought of judgment is pleasant. And yet to have 00:26:52.980 --> 00:26:58.819 to fear standing at this judgment, to have to 00:26:58.819 --> 00:27:02.079 ponder oneself being there before this great 00:27:02.079 --> 00:27:07.900 white throne and experiencing that Awful second 00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:16.420 death is almost an unbearable thought. My friend, 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:21.019 there is one eternity, but there are two destinies. 00:27:23.619 --> 00:27:28.819 Every one of us will spend that eternity forever 00:27:28.819 --> 00:27:34.819 and forever in blessing or in banishment. In 00:27:34.819 --> 00:27:42.299 heaven or in hell or the lake of fire? What is 00:27:42.299 --> 00:27:47.539 your eternal destiny? Are you sure? Are you beyond 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:51.799 the shadow of a doubt certain tonight that your 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:57.220 name is written in the Lamb's book of life? If 00:27:57.220 --> 00:28:00.599 you are not sure of that, will you tonight trust 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:05.490 Jesus Christ as your Savior? Will you bow the 00:28:05.490 --> 00:28:10.849 knee and receive Him into your life so that your 00:28:10.849 --> 00:28:15.470 name can be inscribed by an angel indelibly in 00:28:15.470 --> 00:28:20.809 the book of life? Following that final judgment, 00:28:22.109 --> 00:28:26.670 there will be a turning over of the kingdom to 00:28:26.670 --> 00:28:29.390 God the Father. We don't have time to look at 00:28:29.390 --> 00:28:34.250 that in detail. In fact, the details are broad 00:28:34.250 --> 00:28:38.049 strokes, not easily understood in 1 Corinthians 00:28:38.049 --> 00:28:42.430 chapter 15. Once the kingdom has been delivered 00:28:42.430 --> 00:28:47.109 over to the Father, then there is going to be 00:28:47.109 --> 00:28:50.349 a fiery renovation of the heavens and the earth 00:28:50.349 --> 00:28:52.589 which have fled away from the presence of Him 00:28:52.589 --> 00:28:55.710 who sat on the throne. Peter describes it in 00:28:55.710 --> 00:28:58.650 the third chapter of his second epistle with 00:28:58.650 --> 00:29:03.670 a loud hissing sound. The entire universe will 00:29:03.670 --> 00:29:08.049 return to its basic elements and then God is 00:29:08.049 --> 00:29:10.670 going to start over again and as it says here 00:29:10.670 --> 00:29:14.190 in Revelation 21, there will be a new heaven 00:29:14.190 --> 00:29:18.609 and a new earth for the first heaven and first 00:29:18.609 --> 00:29:21.430 earth were passed away and there is no longer 00:29:21.430 --> 00:29:25.230 any sea and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem. 00:29:26.049 --> 00:29:29.829 And now we enter into what is beyond all of those 00:29:29.829 --> 00:29:34.019 things associated with time. We come into that 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:40.640 future state that we call eternity future. It 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:44.740 is a timeless state. When we will forever be 00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:47.900 with the Lord. And notice in closing the final 00:29:47.900 --> 00:29:51.799 words here of this description. In Revelation 00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:55.339 21 he says, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:59.079 coming down from God out of heaven, made ready 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:02.640 as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:06.119 a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, 00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:09.980 the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will 00:30:09.980 --> 00:30:12.180 dwell among them, and they will be his people, 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:16.660 and God himself shall be among them." You see, 00:30:16.819 --> 00:30:20.079 ever since the Garden of Eden, there's had to 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:23.279 be a separation from mankind and God. But in 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:27.339 that new Garden of Eden, as it were, in that 00:30:27.339 --> 00:30:32.519 new creation, God will dwell among men. His tabernacle 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:37.380 will be with us. He will wipe away every tear 00:30:37.380 --> 00:30:42.440 from their eyes. And there shall no longer be 00:30:42.440 --> 00:30:47.099 any death. There shall no longer be any mourning 00:30:47.099 --> 00:30:50.180 or crying or pain. The first things have passed 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:54.619 away. And he who sits on the throne said, Behold, 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:59.380 I am making all things new. In verse 6 it says, 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:01.680 He said to me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, 00:31:01.859 --> 00:31:04.640 the beginning and the end. I will give to the 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:08.400 one who thirsts from the spring of the water 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:12.279 of life without cost. He who overcomes, that's 00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:15.819 the believer, shall inherit these things and 00:31:15.819 --> 00:31:19.799 I will be his God and he will be my son. Oh, 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.799 what a future awaits the child of God. Buddy 00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:28.509 says, the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable 00:31:28.509 --> 00:31:32.509 and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers 00:31:32.509 --> 00:31:36.750 and idolaters and all liars. Their part will 00:31:36.750 --> 00:31:40.609 be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, 00:31:41.230 --> 00:31:50.150 which is the second death. Let's pray. My friend, 00:31:50.150 --> 00:31:53.109 someone has said, if you're born but once, you 00:31:53.109 --> 00:31:59.690 must die twice. But if you're born twice, you 00:31:59.690 --> 00:32:06.970 may die but once. The second death. As surely 00:32:06.970 --> 00:32:11.910 as there is a heaven, there is a hell. As surely 00:32:11.910 --> 00:32:18.069 as there is blessing for God's own, there is 00:32:18.069 --> 00:32:22.289 punishment for those who reject Him. I wonder 00:32:22.289 --> 00:32:24.730 with our heads bowed and our eyes closed if there's 00:32:24.730 --> 00:32:29.220 one person here tonight, old or young, man or 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:33.799 woman, who would say, Pastor Call, I am not sure 00:32:33.799 --> 00:32:39.019 of my destiny. I do not have assurance in my 00:32:39.019 --> 00:32:44.759 heart that heaven is where I'm headed. I want 00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:49.920 to be sure. Pray for me. Would you lift your 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.480 hand and put it down? Pray for me as we close 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:56.690 the service. As I read about the lake of fire, 00:32:57.329 --> 00:33:00.890 my soul trembles within me because I fear that's 00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:06.470 where I'm headed. May I pray for you? Is there 00:33:06.470 --> 00:33:13.009 one? Father, it would appear that all of us tonight 00:33:13.009 --> 00:33:16.950 have that assurance of the Spirit within our 00:33:16.950 --> 00:33:25.099 hearts that we are the sons of God. I thank you 00:33:25.099 --> 00:33:28.200 that it does not yet appear what we shall be 00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:32.799 or shall enjoy, but one day we will experience 00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:37.319 the fullness of all that you have promised in 00:33:37.319 --> 00:33:42.180 your word. Lord, I pray that you will remind 00:33:42.180 --> 00:33:45.400 all of us that it will be worth it all when we 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:50.220 see Jesus. Father, there are some of your children 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:52.579 here tonight who are struggling in the midst 00:33:52.579 --> 00:33:58.430 of battles. Some are discouraged. Oh, I pray 00:33:58.430 --> 00:34:02.089 that you will encourage them in the fight. May 00:34:02.089 --> 00:34:06.950 they fight the good fight of faith. And I pray 00:34:06.950 --> 00:34:11.670 that they will keep their eyes lifted up. Deliver 00:34:11.670 --> 00:34:14.989 them, I pray, from heaviness and from mourning. 00:34:16.070 --> 00:34:19.170 And fill them with joy even in the midst of the 00:34:19.170 --> 00:34:22.789 battle, knowing that it will be worth it all. 00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:28.199 that if we endure we shall also reign with Christ. 00:34:29.460 --> 00:34:32.199 Father, I pray that even now we will live as 00:34:32.199 --> 00:34:38.159 good citizens of the kingdom. And I pray that 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:41.980 as we continue our pilgrimage in this world, 00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:44.380 headed toward those things that we have studied 00:34:44.380 --> 00:34:47.920 in recent weeks and months about the end of the 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:53.679 age, that we will do so considering the manner 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.639 of people we ought to be, how holy and righteous 00:34:56.639 --> 00:35:00.480 our lives should be upon whom these things have 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:05.519 come. Thank you for the destiny that by grace 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:10.500 you have given us in Jesus Christ. In His name 00:35:10.500 --> 00:35:11.719 we pray, amen.