Finally, Peace On Earth! -- Loyal OK Peace UCC

Finally, Peace On Earth!

Revelation 20:1-15

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city He loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

This is an exciting chapter – for the redeemed! But oh, the misery for those who reject the lordship of Jesus Christ! When these events take place you want to be saved, and you want your entire family to be saved!

Chapter 19 describes Christ’s return in power and authority. It ends with the beast and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire – a “lake” that burns with sulfur. In chapter 20, God goes after Satan. Actually, He just sends an angel to capture Satan and bind him for 1,000 years in the Abyss (bottomless pit). Satan is a loser whom no one should be foolish enough to follow. Those who do not follow Satan and his beastly forces can look forward to special rewards.

Until the angel binds the devil for this 1,000 years, it is our personal responsibility to bind him in our lives. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” says James 4:7. Please! Don’t let the devil defeat you!

Then John sees (verse 4), “Thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” These are probably the overcomers from all churches of all time, possibly including the Old Testament saints. Those who came to life after Christ’s return are said to be the faithful who died during the tribulation. John does not mention the resurrection of the church saints who have died, for this occurred when Christ removed his church from earth and took it to heaven.

“The rest of the dead do not come to life until the 1,000 years are ended.” (Verse 5) Scholars vary on this verse like they do most of Revelation. It all depends on your millennial viewpoint. I teach the pre-millennial return of Christ, while others teach a post-millennial return or no millennial at all.

The “rest of the dead” are not resurrected for judgment until the Great White Throne judgment mentioned in verse 11.

This 1,000 year reign of Christ (the millennium: “a thousand years”) has the following characteristics:

A. It was predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 9:6, 65:19-25; Daniel 7:13-14; Micah 4:1-8; Zechariah 14:1-9).

B. Satan will be bound for 1,000 years.

C. Christ’s reign will be shared by the faithful of His churches, and possibly by the resurrected saints.

D. Those reigning with Christ stand far above all the nations, for they will minister to and rule both Israel and the other nations. (v. 6; 3:21; 5:10, Matthew 19:28)

E. There will be peace, safety, prosperity and righteousness throughout the earth. Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 9:10)

F. Nature will be restored in its original order, perfection and beauty. (Psalms 96:11; 98:7-9; Isaiah 14:7,8; 35:11; Romans 8:18-23)

G. At the end of the 1,000 years, the kingdom will be handed over by Jesus to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24); then will begin the final and everlasting kingdom of God and the Lamb (Revelation 22).

In verse 7 Satan is released from his prison – he cannot repent – he is what he is. You and I can be redeemed… take advantage of that if you haven’t already! Satan will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth. Gog and Magog refer to the nations that Satan will use to war against the kingdom of God. In times past this was often labeled as Russia, Moscow and Tobolsk. My personal belief is that we cannot know until it comes to pass. We have to be careful about getting bogged down in the details because they are not essential to salvation.

As the battle builds, fire will come down from heaven and devour the enemies of God. Then the devil, which deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur along with the beast and the false prophet. They will be tormented day and night forever. Hell fire was prepared for Satan and his fallen angels. You and I can only go there by treading upon the love of God.

Verses 11-15 tell us of the Great White Throne Judgment. You don’t want to be there either! God, the Judge of Sinners, sits on this throne. Some believe that those who are saved during the millennial reign will also be present here, which would explain Jesus’ story about the sheep being separated from the goats.

At this judgment, if your name is not found in the Book of Life you are sent to the lake of fire (hell), with Satan and his crowd. This is the second death.

The Lake of fire:

A. Trouble and distress (Romans 2:9)

B. Weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13)

C. Everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

D. Fiery furnace (Matthew 13:42, 50)

E. Gloomy dungeons (2 Peter 2:4)

F. Eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46)

Is your name in the book of life? If not, today is the day!
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Billy Graham tells the story of a time when Albert Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with great embarrassment rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket. The conductor said, "We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it. Everything is okay."

The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket. He came back and gently said, "Dr. Einstein, please don't worry about it. I know who you are." Einstein looked up and said, "I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going!"

With more than 100,000 visitors yearly, Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs campus is a busy place. That's how it was Thursday May 2, 1996. Laurilee Keyes was tending the reception desk when a man abruptly yelled, "Hang up the phone!"

Trying to politely finish her conversation, Laurilee didn't look up and gestured for the man to wait.

"Laurilee!" shouted Judy Baker, sitting next to her. "Hang up the phone right now!" "I looked up and a gun was pointed at me," says Laurilee. "Then the gunman started screaming that he wanted everyone else out of there.

"It really scared me when he started stripping off his clothes," Laurilee says. "But he stopped at his waist and put on a vest that he said contained explosives. He held the gun in one hand and a detonator in the other."

For the next 90 minutes, the two hostages talked calmly with the gunman.

"What's your name?" Laurilee asked as Judy offered him a glass of water.

"Kerry Dore," he said, accepting the water. They asked about his family and learned that he had children.

When Dore told the women that he planned to end his life that day, Laurilee tried to dissuade him, "I told him that his children didn't want a dead father."

Then, in what Laurilee describes as a divine moment, Dore was on the phone with the police negotiator, and the women heard him say he wouldn't hurt the hostages. He never looked at the women to give them permission to leave; they didn't look at each other; no one spoke; Judy and Laurilee simultaneously got up and slipped out the door.

"I fully expected to hear a gunshot any second," Laurilee recalls, "and I started thinking whether I was ready to die. I prayed and felt totally peaceful."

Both women walked to safety, and a short while later the gunman surrendered peacefully.

Lois Mowday Rabey, Christian Reader, "Ordinary Heroes." Found on www.preachingtoday.com

These are tough times… we never know when we will step from this life into the next. Are you ready?