In studying
eschatology (end time prophecies), I find it is helpful to review what we
understand in order to see what light (if any) it may shed on what we do not
fully understand. Here’s my recent top 10 points review, followed by a few insightful
ponderings.
What We
Understand
1. We understand The Bible often communicates God’s strategies and tactics in ‘weeks’ of sevens (a Biblically important number), which in some instances are 7 earth days, 70 earth years, 7,000 years, or even 7 weeks of years, as in Daniel’s vision of 70 weeks of 7 years, totaling 490 years.2. Adam gave satan a ‘long-term lease’ on planet earth. Scholars estimate Adam was created 4004 BC, or about 6030 years ago. We don’t know what year Adam ‘signed’ this lease (i.e., when he and Eve sinned against God) or how long it will last. Many Bible scholars guesstimate it will last a week of millennia (7,000 years).3. We understand The Lord enjoyed His Sabbath rest in Day 7 of the creation week. This may either be a literal 24-hour earth day, or a thousand years, as metaphorically noted in Psalm 90:4, or something else entirely. We also understand God activated the first chapter of His plan of salvation early in mankind’s second millennium, with the birth of Noah 1056 years after creation.4. We understand from Zechariah 14 that Jesus will return to Earth at the end of the tribulation period during which Christ rejecters will be punished. At that time, He will end the Armageddon War (Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19:11-21), and then establish His thousand-year reign from His base in Jerusalem.5. We understand His reign will be accomplished and facilitated by The Church, redeemed and immortal, with resurrected Christians appointed as kings and administrative support staff over cities, regions and nations across the entire post-tribulation world, and by the redeemed remnant of Israel as His priests in Jerusalem. (Exodus 19:6)6. We understand satan (and presumably his cohort of demons) will be locked up during this thousand-year reign of Christ, and afterward must be released for a ‘short time’ to deceive the nations. (Revelation 20:3) How long might this ‘short time’ of deception last? Consider that current day historians understand the first war to be recorded was in 2700 BC, some 4,000 years after Adam was created, or ~1,100 years after the flood. Did it take this long for satan to deceive the world and foment war? How long might it take him to do this after the Millennial Reign?7. We understand there will be no mortal warfare during Christ’s Millennial reign, as mortals will ‘beat their swords (armaments) into plows (productive tools), and learn/study war no more’. This infers there will be no armaments industry on earth during Christ’s thousand-year reign.8. We understand from that a battle even greater than the 1st War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38) and the Armageddon War (Revelation 19:11-21), will occur sometime following Christ’s reign. This will be the 2nd War of Gog and Magog. (Revelation 20:7-10) This will be the concluding result of satanic deceptions of nations when he is released for ‘a short time’ following Christ’s reign. This signals the armaments industry and study of war will resume big-time post-Millennial reign. Since it will likely take quite some time for mortal mankind, once again to ‘learn war’, devils and demons will thus have their work cut out for them following a thousand years of peace on earth.9. We understand from Zechariah 14 that Jesus will be physically on the Earth to end the Armageddon War. However, in an insightful contrast, Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20:7-10 do not infer a physical presence of Christ on Earth during the 1st War of Gog and Magog (before His Millennial Reign), and the 2nd War of Gog and Magog (some time after His Millennial Reign). However, Revelation 20:9 does suggest the continued presence on Earth of some post-Millennial Reign saints in Israel and Jerusalem. This begs the question, 'Which saints?' This apparently refers to people who will become saints during and/or after the Millennial Reign. (See: Salvation in the Millennium (Series))
10. We understand this final attack in Israel will be followed by the general resurrection from the dead of all humans who will have missed all earlier resurrections and rapture events. The Lord consulting The Book of Life, per Revelation 20:8 and 15, indicates the presence of saints in this massive crowd.. All others will be judged and cast into the eternal lake of fire, very likely on the new, eternal Earth. This is the Great White Throne Judgment. NB: Both groups will be resurrected in their physical, immortal/eternal bodies, with their spirits and souls in tact, not as some ethereal spirits incapable of feeling pain, or expressing joy/grief, etc. Scriptural basis for this conclusion is the 7 times (# of perfection) Jesus stated, ...there will be weeping/wailing and gnashing of teeth' in the lake of fire/hell -- characteristics only attributable to physical bodies!!!
A. From the above, we see clearly that The Bible affirms satan’s and his cohorts will have two deceptive periods of rulership on Earth – the first beginning when Adam and Eve sinned, and a second beginning at the end of Christ’s Millennial Reign. Curiously and alarmingly, both are referred to as lasting for a ‘short time/little while’. (See Revelation 12:12 and 20:3) Could there possibly be any meaningful time correlations between these two, unique references? The first ‘short time’ has thus far lasted nearly 7 millennia, or a week of millennia (based on Moses’s metaphorical reference in Psalm 90:4 to a thousand years being like a day to God)! Short time/little while, eh? So could there possibly be yet another several thousand years of satanic rule over mortals post-Christ’s Millennial reign??
B. If the New Jerusalem (an exceedingly large and great cubed city) will not descend on the new Earth until after the Great White Throne Judgment (inferred in Revelation 21 that follows Revelation 20), what might we imagine Jerusalem and Christ’s Throne look like during His Millennial Reign? Could the temple described at the end of the Book of Ezekiel be a clue. If so, what should we presume re. the animal sacrifices for sin offerings that Ezekiel mentions? Will they be either for (a) all Jews who will have survived the great tribulation with the mark of the beast, plus their descendants born in The Millennial Reign; or (b) EVERYBODY (Jews and Gentiles) who will have survived the great tribulation with the mark of the beast, plus their descendants who will be born during The Millennial Reign?
C. Will there be salvation during The Millennial Reign? Is the active presence of devils and demons a prerequisite for salvation, and proven faith to overcome their deceptions and temptations, as it is with us today? If so, there will likely be no salvation during that age simply because satan's kingdom will be 'locked away', per Revelation 20. Isaiah 11 an 65 give us a synopsis of that age, and Isaiah 65:20 clearly references people dying. What does dying without being deceived and tempted by satan's kingdom infer regarding salvation? Of course, no one knows, and this is open to much speculation. See mine here: Salvation in the Millennium (Series). One key to understanding this issue is to understand the diverse human populations on Earth during atheism Millennial Reign. Feel free to add yours in a comment below or on posts in this series.
D.
(Add your
end-time ponderings and your comments below…)
