REVELATION 20: 1 - 6 PART 1 of 2

REVELATION 20: 1 - 6
SATAN IS BOUND FOR A THOUSAND YEARS

photo courtesy of Bible Truth About the Second Coming

   1) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in His hand.

   2) And He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

   3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:  and after that he must be loosed a little season.

   4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:  and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

   5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.  This is the first resurrection.

   6) 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 shall reign with Him a thousand years.  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

  

 

COMMENTARY

       Here is another unnamed angel, this one having the assignment of throwing Satan into the bottomless pit and locking him away for a thousand years.   Michael, the Archangel, had thrown Satan and his followers out of heaven.  In fact, some of those angels who chose Lucifer were cast out of heaven in the middle of the tribulation.  (See Jude 6)  The chain with which Satan is bound is obviously not a physical chain that we are familiar with, but it will hold these spirits throughout the millennium.  Satan will be bound for a thousand years.  He will be shut up and sealed.  He will not be able to tempt mankind again until the thousand years are finished.  In fact, he won't even be able to communicate with his "powers and principalities".  You could say it will be a sort of "solitary confinement".

   All of the upheaval on the earth has ridden us of its human and demonic corruption. There will be no "power" to corrupt those who are left living at the end of the tribulation nor those who will be born during the great millennial messianic kingdom.  It is expected, that God will use the physical convulsions of the earth during the tribulation period to also purge and cleanse the lands and waters of earth, to restore it close to how it was in the beginning when He first created it.

   Then the Apostle John saw the thrones and they sat upon them.  Who are "they"?  Let's look in I Corinthians 3: 11 - 15 and Daniel 7: 22 for the answer to this question.  These are the saints who Jesus has washed with His own blood, purified, and sanctified: Old Testament saints and New Testament saints.  We rode with Him at the end of the tribulation, now we rule with Him.  This also includes the tribulation saints who did not deny the faith or receive the mark of the beast.  John first saw these saints near the beginning of the tribulation under the heavenly altar.  Even in Revelation 6: 10, they cried out to God, "how long" were they to wait for Christ to avenge them.  Now, "they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years", which means they, too, have received their resurrection bodies which will live forever.

   Take a minute to read Matthew 24: 29 - Matthew 25: 46 and you will see that immediately following the tribulation is the judgment of the nations.

   Do you know my Jesus, Who will return to earth as a Conqueror?  Now is the time to accept His offer of salvation, while He is still The Sacrificial Lamb offering you grace.  Click here for more information:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

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REVELATION 20: 7 - 15 PART 2 of 2

REVELATION 20:  7 - 15

PART 2 of 2

GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

 7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

   8) And shall go out to 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.

   9) 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.

   10) 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 for ever and ever.

   11) 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.

   12) 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.

   13) 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.

   14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.

   15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

COMMENTARY

      When the thousand years had expired:  Those who had survived the tribulation and who was judged by Jesus and found with a saving faith in Him, will "inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world".  They will replenish the earth, restoring each of their countries that had been destroyed and remade.  The conditions favorable to human fertility and longevity will have been restored.  People will be having babies when they are 500 years old, as they did prior to the Great Flood.  Those who survived the tribulation will pass down to their children, grandchildren, and generations what they went through and how great and powerful our God is.

   Theirs will be a world with no crime, no war, no external temptation to sin, no evil spirits.  There will be resurrected saints from all ages to witness to those born during this millennium. Each person born during this millennium, will still have to personally accept salvation through Jesus Christ.  They will probably even get to visit with Him in person.

   Satan will be in the "bottomless pit" for a thousand years but it has not changed his heart.  What would it take to change a heart?  Knowing that God rules supreme and He gave everything to Jesus and he (Satan) was just a creation, still, he idolizes himself.  He must overthrow God and assume His position.  Repeat after me:  "Thou shalt not covet."

   When Satan is released after the thousand years, he will find that the people of the earth are many, as the sand of the sea.  The population will be the highest number in history.  He will find many willing to listen to him (and he is a very convincing liar).  Their hearts are naturally "deceitful and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17: 9)  They have inherited Adam and Eve's heart. This will be mankind's last and greatest test.

   Gog and Magog (Russia) and other nations will be envious over the fact that Israel is over them.  They will understand history and how Israel is God's chosen people, how He loved them, how He provided and protected them.  They will covet Israel's position in The Kingdom.  They will be quick to be used by Satan.   They will devise a way to make weapons against Jerusalem and will compass the beloved city.  BUT GOD.  God, Himself, sends fire down upon them from heaven and devours them.  Then Satan is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where he joins the beast and the false prophet in eternal torture.

   Now, John has seen some mighty things, some glorious things, but now, what he sees is even greater, so blindingly glorious that the earth and the heaven disintegrated.  He sees "the unveiled glory, the pure, white-hot energy of The Creator, in all His ineffable brilliance."  Peter spoke of this event in 2 Peter 3.

   And John saw the dead:  all those in Hades (all who had died without Christ and had been buried) , who were living in the tribulation but had no heart for God and perished in the fire (or any fire, including cremation) ,  those who died in the seas (whether it was the great flood or any body of water and had not been buried).  All these people will be rejoined with their mortal bodies.  Then they will be judged by God!  The books will be opened and all their works will be displayed for all His creation to witness.  I can imagine that each of us have our own book where all our "works" are written.  This may not be the case, but I can imagine it.  I am sure, though, about The Book of Life.  If your name is not written in it, you will be cast into the lake of fire.

   Let's talk about you.  Have you been washed of your sins in the blood of Jesus?  You really don't want to risk being judged at the Great White Throne.  Now is the time to make your decision.  None of us are promised tomorrow.  Please visit our "Pathway to Salvation" page here:    https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.


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REVELATION 19: 11 - 21 PART 2 of 2

REVELATION 19: 11 - 21

PART 2 of 2
ARMAGEDDON

photo courtesy of Book of Revelation

 11). And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.  

   12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.

   13) And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:  and His name is called The Word of God.

   14) And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

   15) And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations:  and He shall rule them with a rod of iron:  and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

   16) And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

 17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

   18) That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

   19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.

   20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

   21) And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth:  and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.  King James Version (KJV) public domain

COMMENTARY

   And John sees heaven open and Jesus come riding on His white steed with all the saints, dressed in white fine linen with Him.  He is coming to claim His right to His creation, the earth.  He has the deed.  He wears many crowns to show His authority over all the earth. He is The King of Kings.  His vesture is dripping in blood, His blood that paid the price of salvation.  He is the only One who could pay it, as He alone is without sin.

   Notice in verse 15 that it is written that He shall smite the nations and He shall tread the winepress.  We will accompany Him from heaven, but He is powerful enough by Himself to do all that will be done.  We are witnesses. 

   Then the invitation goes out to all the foul of the air to come and gather for the supper of God, to feast on the flesh of all those who denied Jesus, even their horses. 

   You remember in chapter 6 that we had the battle of Gog and Magog.  That was the beginning of the tribulation.  This battle, the battle of Armageddon, brings an end to the tribulation.   Satan has been strategically gathering his armies, powers, and principalities to Armageddon probably since mid-tribulation.  The time is now at hand.  The first casualties were the false prophet and the beast.  It will be terrifying for those who follow them, to see them taken out first,  and cast alive into the lake of fire.  The false prophet and the beast are just men who receive their power from Satan.

   Those who had rejected Christ were terrified that the first casualties were their leaders.  They had thought they were invincible, powerful, could defy death!  Now, they anticipate their own fate but they have come too far in the process to reconsider.  Maybe there is a chance.....?  No, Jesus is The Most Powerful.  He slays all of them.  Blood runs as high as the bridle of the horses and as long as 1,600 stadia.  See Revelation 14: 19, 20

What about you?  Where do you plan to spend eternity?  Jesus paid the price for your sins so that you can spend eternity with Him in heaven.  You cannot buy it.  You cannot work for it.  All you need to do is accept it!  Learn more on our "Pathway to Salvation" page here:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

  
If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray that all who visit us will accept salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We encourage you to leave us a comment with your thoughts and share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.

REVELATION 19: 1 - 10 PART 1 of 2

REVELATION 19
PART 1 of 2

THIS IS THE HOPE OF CHRISTIANS:
GOOD CONQUERS EVIL

photo courtesy of explore Daniel and Revelation

   1) And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

   2) For true and righteous are His judgments:  for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.

   3)  And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

   4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

   5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.

   6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:  for the Lord God omnipotent reighneth.

   7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him:  for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

   8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:  for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

   9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of The Lamb.  And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

   10) And I fell at his feet to worship Him.  And he said unto me, See thou do it not:  I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:  worship God:  for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.  King James Version (KJV) public domain

  
  

COMMENTARY

     The scene switches from the destruction of Babylon on earth back to heaven, where there is much jubilation and celebration that Babylon has FINALLY received her just rewards.   This is a thousand times more exciting than your team winning the super bowl!  This is the ultimate prize!  This is the last time we will see the twenty-four elders at the throne.  Again, these guys represent the heavenly saints, the Old Testament saints.

  In Revelation 4, the saints gave God praise for His creation, ascribing to Him glory and honor and blessing.  In Revelation 5, they praised Him for His redemption, ascribing to Him power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.  Now, with the first of four Alleluias of Revelation 19, they also praise Him for salvation.  They knew the price of salvation was paid and they were saved and salvation was from God; now, they see the entire satanic empire crumble.  Satan looses.  Righteousness prevails.  Alleluia!

   The celebration continues in verse 3.  Alleluia!  The smoke from burning Babylon rose up to heaven, a sweet aroma to all who have been persecuted and martyred by her.  Not only the city of Babylon, but the inhabitants will burn eternally for their sins.

   Verse 4:  This commentary from Dr. Henry Morris got deep.  Please allow me to quote some of what he says:  "To worship, in the Bible, means to bow down to the will of God, acknowledging that what He says is true and what He does is right.  Many and long had been the years when it seemed that God didn't care about the sufferings of His people nor about the blasphemies of Babylon, and many had even claimed that God was dead."  Have you ever been in a circumstance like this?  When you cry out, "God, where are You?"  Dr. Morris continues, "Such a time is designed for true worship, bowing down in obedient faith, even when the way is dark and the reason fails.  The will of God may be difficult, but the will of God is best, and one day God's will is to be fully manifest in all its perfect wisdom."  

   Then a voice came from the throne telling all to praise our God.  They were praising God now, for Who He is, not just for what He has done for them.  He is the most powerful God,  This is the last of the four "Alleluias".  I have to imagine that this praise is long and loud!

   Now comes The Marriage of The Lamb.  The Church is presented to Him pure.  He loves us so much that He gave His life for us.  Dr. H.A. Ironside says that Christians are filling our  hope-chest here on earth while in our service to The Lord.  He says that everything that is really done for Jesus is something added to that bridal chest.  Dr. Morris says that our "righteous deeds in some marvelous transmutation become the clean white linen robe of righteousness provided by The Savior for His people.  Whatever the case, I am washed in The Blood of my Savior.  My salvation is of Him, not by anything that I could do.  I am in service to Him; where He leads me, I will go.

    Note that The Bride was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (Isaiah 61:10), where the Harlot was arrayed in scarlet and purple and fine linen.  The Harlot is a fake, an imposter.  Jesus did not grant that she should be arrayed in fine linen.

   Here is another blessing:  "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of The Lamb."  Then, it is written down as assurance that God says so:  "these are the true sayings of God".

   John was so excited that he fell down at the feet of the angel to worship him but was rebuked.  The angel said he is a servant of The Most High God, just as John is, just as we are,  and is our brother!  But, examine his words a little closer.  This angel maintained and proclaimed the same "testimony of Jesus" which we we proclaim.  But "Jesus" is His human name.  All of the angels recognize that Christ is God, but here, they also recognize that God became man to save His people.  This is really the climax of all that John had been shown.  This is the reason that the tribulation saints were beheaded.  It is the "testimony of Jesus" that is the true prophecy; it is what makes the antichrist mad.  Why do you think he is called "the anti-christ"?  So stand up tall and with a loud voice, proclaim Jesus is Lord!  Amen?



Tell me, do you know my Jesus?  You are encouraged to visit our "Pathway to Salvation" page by clicking here:      https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

If this ministry is a blessing to you, 1) pray for this ministry, that God uses us for His glory, 2) leave a comment to encourage us or to ask a question, 3) share this post on your favorite social media, that your friends might also be blessed, 4) click on the "follow" button and follow this ministry, which improves our ranking on google.  Thank you and God bless you.