The Millennium and Armageddon

Teachinghearts	The Millennium (Revelation 20) "Explore the Word. Change the World"	Lesson 26: Time: 60 minutes Print: 15 pages

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Revelation 20

Symbols
This section of Revelation introduces God in the Feast of Tabernacles. While the righteous live with God, Satan and the dead bodies of the wicked are confined to earth. God forces him to inherit the sanctuary he created. The Bible says that "the meek shall inherit the earth". Apparently the wicked will also inherit the earth as dust under our feet.
The symbols used are specifically from the fifth curse. The people will be exiled so that the land can enjoy its Sabbaths. The righteous are exiled to heaven. The wicked are exiled to the grave. The land enjoys the 6000 years of annual Sabbaths that have not been kept. The people in heaven keep the 6000 years of weekly Sabbaths that have not been kept. It is Satan who prevented their rest and he is confined on the largest prison planet as a prisoner of war.
Our study of Revelation 20 and the Millennium can be divided into three main sections:

Beginning. What takes place at the beginning of the 1000 years?
During. What takes place during the 1000 years?
End. What takes place at the end of the 1000 years?

Beginning		During			End
Second Coming	First Resurrection	Vultures Feast	Satan Jailed on the Earth	Saints Judge	Third Coming	Second Resurrection	White Throne Judgment	Hell Fire
Wicked rejected		Wicked Judged						Executed
Righteous accepted		Righteous in heaven			Righteous inherit the earth

Let us review what has happened before the thousand years began.

The church has been persecuted because they would not accept the mark of the beast.
The wicked surround the saints and try to kill them.
Christ rescues them and all the righteous dead at the Second Coming. He kills the wicked and imprisons Satan.

The Beginning of the 1000 Years
The Return Of Christ as The Conquering Messiah
The 1000 year period begins with the return of Christ. Several scriptures tell us that Christ will return as the conquering Messiah, and that all men alive will see Him when He does. Christ's return will not be something only the few will know about, with the righteous being "secretly raptured". All mankind will know when He returns:
Look, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1: 7)

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24: 30. See also Mark 13: 26, Luke 21: 27)

The Transfiguration

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the mountain to pray, and the disciples saw Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with Jesus.
This is a symbol of the two classes that will be with Jesus, the resurrected dead, and the translated living:

Moses. He represented the resurrected dead. (Remember in Jude 1: 9, we learn that the Devil disputed about the body of Moses. So Moses was resurrected).

Elijah. He represented the translated living. (Remember how Elijah was taken up to heaven alive in a chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2: 11)

The First Resurrection
At Christ's return, the righteous dead will be resurrected from the grave, and gathered by the Angels to meet Him in the air. This is all those who have died "in Christ" since the beginning, since the Garden of Eden. Then, the righteous that are living at His return will be "caught up with them". This is called the rapture.

The Coming. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17)

The Gathering. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24: 31).

The Change (Rapture). In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15: 52-53)

Living In Heaven. Revelation 20: 6 says those who are resurrected will reign with Christ for the 1000 years. They reign with Christ in Heaven, not on earth. There they will be kings and priests of God. Christ is already in heaven reigning at the "right hand of God".
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him." (1 Peter 3: 22) (See also Acts 7: 55-56, Romans 8: 34, Hebrews 1: 3, Hebrews 8: 1, Hebrews 10: 12, Hebrews 12: 2).

Christ told us that He would come for His followers, that we could be where He is:
In my Father's house are many mansions: if not, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14: 2-3)
For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3: 20)

Wicked Dead Remain Dead
That the righteous dead are "raised first" (1 Thessalonians 4: 16) corresponds well with the statement that "the rest of the dead lived not again until the end of the 1000 years" (Revelation 20: 5). As we have already studied, the wicked dead are not part of the "first resurrection" (Revelation 20: 5-6).
Christ also taught that there would be two resurrections:
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation." (John 5: 28-29)

The Wicked Living Are Destroyed
We have previously studied that the wicked cannot exist in the "fire of God's glory", and how that at Christ's return, the wicked will be slain by the glory of His presence.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: (2 Thessalonians 2: 8)

Vengeance. and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1: 7-8 )

In Revelation 19: 17-21 we saw that the wicked were slain. This is the seventh plague in Revelation 16: 16-21. Jeremiah refers to the same period:
Unburied. A noise shall come to the ends of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give those that are wicked to the sword, says the Lord. This says the Lord of hosts, Look, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. (Jeremiah 25: 31-33)

The Day of the Lord. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6: 14-17)

The Earth Is Desolated. (The Undoing of Creation)
At Christ's return, all human life upon the earth will be eliminated for the 1000 years. The righteous dead have been resurrected, and along with the translated righteous living, will live and reign with Christ in Heaven. (Revelation 20: 6). The wicked dead (those already dead, and those destroyed at Christ's Coming) "lived not again until the end of the 1000 years" (Revelation 20: 5).

Darkness. I saw the earth, and, look, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I saw the mountains, and, look, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I looked, and there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I looked, and the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities there were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For this has the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. (Jeremiah 4: 23-27)

Yet will I not make a full end. Christ did not make the "full end" of the earth at this time, or of the judgments. The earth is desolate, but it is not fully destroyed. The judgments of the wicked remain to be carried out after the 1000 years, after the second resurrection (the resurrection of damnation).

See, the Lord will lay waste the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants." ... "The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled; for the Lord has spoken this word. (Isaiah 24: 1, 3)

No Light on the Earth. There could be at least two reason why this could occur. Both could happen simultaneously.

Nuclear Winter. Jeremiah describes a shaking planet without light. What he saw was not a time when there is no sun, he probably saw a period of nuclear winter. This occurs with the eruption of a supervolcano or when an asteroid of ½ to one kilometer strikes the earth throwing a dust cloud and debris into the atmosphere, blocking sunshine and affecting the global climate. It is consistent with what happens on the earth at the Second Coming. Just as water came from within the earth and the sky in the flood, hail and fire can come from within the earth and from the impact of large asteroids. A continuusly erupting volcano could supply the dust that blots out the sun.
Black Dwarf. If the fourth plague is the process of the sun becoming a red giant and then a black dwarf during the fifth plague, then there would be no light during the millennium. Both this and the nuclear winter could exist on earth. The transformation of the sun from a red giant to a black dwarf within months or weeks is possible.

Satan Is Chained and Bound

Bottomless Pit

The Bottomless Pit is also known as the Abyss. It is the form of the chaotic earth before the creation.

The word translated "bottomless pit" or "pit" in these verses is the Greek word "Abussos", (Abyss). It is the same word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) for "the deep" in Genesis 1: 2.

There, the surface of the earth as it appeared on the first day of creation ( "without form and void") was an abyss. This is the same description of the earth by Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 4: 23-27).

Altar of Sacrifice. Just as the lamb is bound on the altar. Satan is bound and chained on the earth when the whole earth becomes an altar.

Revelation describes the final event associated with Christ's return at the beginning of the 1000 years. Satan is bound in the "bottomless pit".
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And threw 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. (Revelation 20: 1-3 )

Some people try to apply this literally, saying that Satan is literally placed in a bottomless pit and bound with a literal chain and lock? It is possible that when the earth is split, Satan could be trapped in the channel created between the two halves of the earth. However, Revelation is a symbolic book and this symbol means much more. Whatever this place is, he cannot leave it. He has been effectively told to put on a dunce cap and "go sit in the corner" for one thousand years.
Sealed in a Tomb. Just as Jesus was placed in a tomb with a seal over it, Satan is now sealed alive in his tomb.

The symbolism here is that, at the beginning of the Millennium, Satan is "bound" to the "Abyss", the void and formless, lifeless earth, for 1000 years. With no living human upon it, Satan has no one to tempt or lead into sin for the 1000 years. He can only wander about the "abyss" and see the outcome of his rebellion against God, and ponder God's final judgment upon him (Satan) for all the destruction and death he has created. Satan is "chained" by circumstances. According to Isaiah 14, he will be stuck in a place with a lot of rotting corpses and maggots and worms will cover him. Instead of walking among the stones of fire, he will be walking among corpses who will be on fire.

The Wicked Angels. It is unclear if he is alone or if the other evil angels are with him. They probably are. I think that they should be stripped of their ability to travel and then be scattered around the earth. Satan should be trapped alone for a part of the time. The wind should bring the sounds of his angels cursing him. Then he should be forced to live with a group of cranky and disobedient angels. But God has better plans.

The Scapegoat
This is the period when the scapegoat is banished to the wilderness. This is the same serpent who is chained in the abyss.
On the day of atonement (judgment) the sins of Israel were finally removed. In this ceremony two goats were used.

The Lord's Goat. It was sacrificed.
The Scape Goat. It was released alive into the wilderness. The scapegoat did not represent Christ because it was not sacrificed for sin. It does not represent us because, although we were also set free He removed our sins and does not remind us of our sins any more. But he represents Satan during the millennium. At the end of the day of atonement judgment, Satan will be released alive into the wilderness (the destroyed earth) and he is thrown off a cliff. There he will be left to think about the sins that he has inspired. He is the ultimate cause of all sin and he must die in the wilderness because of sin but not for sin.

Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. (Leviticus 16: 21)
Notice that the goat is not sacrificed for the sins of Israel. But, it hears all the sins for which it is responsible and it must go into the wilderness to think about the destruction that he has caused.

The Strong Man. The man who carries the goat into the wilderness is the angel who binds Satan.
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20: 1-2)

Satan Bites the Dust.
He eats the bread of his altar. This is the dust of the dead bodies. He cannot turn dust or stone to bread as he tempted Jesus to do. This is his time of famine and cannibalism of the dead. At this point Genesis 3: 14 is totally fulfilled.
The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field. On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life. (Genesis 3: 14)
Satan was cursed from the moment he tempted Eve. He would crawl around in the dust. This confinement to the earth was in several stages. He gradually loses access to heaven, then the sea (people) and finally the earth.

No Access to Heaven. Revelation 12: 7-9 describes a war which caused Satan's removal from heaven and confinement to earth. He can no longer tempt heaven or make accusations against us.
Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. (John 12: 31)

Now the salvation, and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before God day and night. (Revelation 12: 10)
» Scapegoat Thrown off a Cliff. The cliff that Satan is thrown off is Mount Zion that He aspired to take by force.
No Access to the Sea (People). This confinement increases when the people are removed. He can no longer tempt the people of the earth. The sea is dried up and now Satan is confined to a barren earth. Here he will learn to crawl.
No Access to the Earth. After the judgment he will be thrown out of the earth and there will be no place left from him except eternal death.

During the 1000 Years
Judgment by The Righteous In Heaven With Christ
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to 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 worshipped 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. (Revelation 20: 4)

Modern Beheadings

Since 2004, in the war in Iraq Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi has used publicized beheadings as a way to terrorize victims.
By 2007, Mexican drug cartels were using this tactic to inflict terror and to publicize it on the internet.
So it will probably be used against the church during the persecution.

As we already noted in the previous section, the righteous will live and reign with Christ in Heaven for the 1000 years. During this time "judgment was given to them". The saints will be shown the "records of heaven". They will be able to see why those that are in Heaven are there, and why others are not in Heaven. God will give them the 1000 years to see that "His judgments are righteous and just".
Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6: 2-3)
The saints in Heaven will even have the opportunity to "judge angels". These are those fallen angels who followed Satan in starting the Great Controversy that has plagued the earth and man for so long.

In Prison! Satan During the 1000 Years
In our discussion so far, we have seen that Satan (and most likely his evil angels) are bound upon the desolate earth for the 1000 years, with no one to tempt, and nothing to do but to consider the "fruits" of their rebellion.
This is the description of that time in Isaiah 24: 19-23.

The Broken Earth

Laver. The laver is dried up when the sea of wicked people die. His worshippers are dead.

» The Earth is Split by the Earthquake of the Seventh Plague.
The earth is broken apart, the earth is split through, the earth is shaken violently,
» The Rotation of the Earth changes after it is struck by a massive asteroid. It wobbles like a falling, spinning top.
the earth reels back and forth like a drunkard and it totters like a shack, for its transgression is heavy upon it, and it will fall never to rise again.
» Satan, his angels and the wicked are punished on the earth.
So it will happen in that day, that the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth on earth,
» Satan Confined in the prison on earth for 1000 years (many days) Before they Die.
They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished.
» No sun or moon in the new earth.
Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of Hosts will reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. And His glory will be before His elders.

The Wicked Dead

The Feast of Birds

Millennium

Altar of Incense. Satan smells the rotting corpses of his army that litter the earth.
Menorah. No lights in the heaven.
Table of Shewbread. The meal for vultures.

Satan is represented by several symbols.
Dragon. Chained for inciting war.
Scapegoat. Banished for inciting sin.
King of Babylon. Disgraced king of the wicked.

At the Second Coming, the wicked who are alive will be killed, but not buried. The wicked who are dead will remain dead, unaware of what has just happened.
And much as is it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without sin to those who eagerly await Him. (Hebrews 9: 27, 28)

So all the wicked receive the first death and they remain dead during the 1000 years (Revelation 20: 5). Their bodies are not buried and they will be eaten by birds and animals.

The Feast of Birds.
Feast of Birds. Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, "Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You may eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth ... " (Ezekiel 39: 17-18)
After the Second Coming the birds will eat all the rotting, dead bodies that litter the surface of the earth.
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." (Revelation 19: 17-18)

Jeremiah and Isaiah describe prophetically the condition of the world during this time. It is desolate.

But even the grave rejects Satan so that he can see the results of his rebellion. He walks among rotting corpses instead of among the stones of fire at the Throne of God as he contemplates the fact that Christ is the selected Branch.
The Rejected Branch (Destined to be Firewood). All the kings of the earth lie in glory, each in his own tomb. But you have been thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch, clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, who go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse. (Isaiah 14: 18-19)

At the End of the 1000 Years
The Third Coming: The New Jerusalem Comes To Earth
A City From Heaven. At the end of the 1000 years, Christ will return to earth, with His saints and with the New Jerusalem. These are the righteous that have been with Him in Heaven since the first resurrection.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. (Revelation 21: 2, 10)

A City Located in the Old Jerusalem. Zechariah predicted the same event and he identifies the exact location where the city will descend. The Heavenly Jerusalem comes down in the valley cleaved out of the Mount of Olives.
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the middle of it toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal: yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah:
Christ Comes with the Saints. and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with you. (Zechariah 14: 4-5)

A City Made by God. This is the city where Christ had gone "to prepare a place". We could not go there after the resurrection of Christ. But we could go there after the Second Coming when He "comes again" to receive us.
Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14: 1-3)

- Christ in Heaven Second Coming Righteous in Heaven with Christ Christ, Righteous Inherit Earth

Prepares a place Comes Again Receives us Where I am, there you may be also New
Jerusalem
on Earth Wicked
Raised
Judged Hell
Fire New
Earth

Our time First Resurrection, Rapture Millennium

This is where the saints had lived for the 1000 years. This is the heavenly city that Abraham was looking for.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." ... "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11: 8-10, 16)

-	Christ in Heaven	Second Coming	Righteous in Heaven with Christ	Christ, Righteous Inherit Earth
	Prepares a place	Comes Again	Receives us	Where I am, there you may be also		New Jerusalem on Earth	Wicked Raised Judged	Hell Fire	New Earth
Our time	First Resurrection, Rapture	Millennium

Vomited out of the Earth

Bible symbols compare the resurrection to being "vomited out of the bowels of the earth".

The Righteous. This is why the sacrificial animal must be one that chews the cud. He must be able to bring up the seed from the bowels of his stomach. This is why Christ compares His experience to that of Jonah who was vomited out of the belly of the fish.

The Wicked. Now we find that the earth has a covenant with God to vomit up the dead.
The question is, which vomit will you be in?

The Second Resurrection
At the end of the 1000 years, the Wicked Dead are resurrected. (Revelation 20: 5, John 5: 28-29.) Christ is the one who causes the resurrections, by calling the dead out of their graves. This suggests that Christ must be present when the dead are resurrected. It is interesting to note that the 1000 years both begins with a resurrection (of the righteous) and ends with a resurrection (of the wicked). It also begins and ends with a Coming of Christ. While Chapter 20-21 discusses the events around the 1000 years, it does not specifically tell us that Christ returns at the end of the millennium. It does teach about the coming of the Heavenly Jerusalem to earth at the Third Coming and that the wicked will surround it after the judgment. We conclude that the rest of the dead are raised at the time the city descends.

The Land and Sea Vomit up the Wicked.
For the land has become defiled; Therefore I brought its punishment upon it, so the land has vomited out all its inhabitants. (Leviticus 18: 25)
The land gives up the dead so that they can be punished. That is the law.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades [the grave] gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (Revelation 20: 13)

Satan Is Released and Deceives the Resurrected Wicked.
The resurrection of the wicked snaps Satan out of his long depression and he quickly moves to begin a life of crime and deception and mischief. This renewed activity will last for only a short time.
And threw 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. (Revelation 20: 3)

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 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 heaven and devoured them. (Revelation 20: 7-9)

In verse 3, Satan was bound so that he could not deceive the nations any more. This was because all the wicked are dead. So notice what happens when they are resurrected. Satan is released again. Therefore, the presence of absence of a group of wicked are the conditions that bind or release him.
Satan is "Released" from the Pit (the Abyss) because now that the wicked dead have been resurrected and are on the earth, he (Satan) once again has someone to tempt and deceive. And, as noted in Verse 8, Satan immediately sets out to "deceive the nations". All the wicked, from all of earth's history, are resurrected. Satan gathers them together in preparation for one "last ditch" effort to overthrow Christ and the saints, to attack the New Jerusalem.

The Great White Throne Judgment. (The Last Judgment)
It is at this time that the final Court is convened to judge the wicked. This shows them the judgments by which they were judged unworthy to enter Christ's holy City. It is called the white throne judgment because of this text.
I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels like a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands and thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him. The court sat and the books were opened. (Daniel 7: 9-10)

Three Phases of Judgment
There have been three phases of judgment. This is the final phase.

The Investigative Judgment ("The Charges"). (From 1844 to the Second Advent): This judgment decides who should be saved. This is the Great Day of Atonement. When Christ is judging the righteous and the Heavenly beings are given the opportunity to see that God's judgments are righteous and just.
The Millennium ("The Jury of Their Peers"). (During the 1000 Years ): This judgment decides why the wicked were lost. The resurrected righteous dead and the translated righteous living spend this time in Heaven. During this period, the righteous are allowed to judge so that they can see that God is just. (1 Corinthians 6: 2-3)
... for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (Romans 14: 10-11).
Technically, the righteous have already stood before God when Christ represented them. So Heaven pronounced that we are pardoned through Christ. None of our sins are brought out because they have been removed.
The White Throne Judgment ("The Trial"). (At the End of the 1000 Years): The wicked defend themselves in this judgment. So far, the judgment has rejected the wicked as a group. But they have not been able to defend themselves individually before God. This is their chance. They will be judged out of the books of their life.
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Look, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1: 14-15)
Satan and the resurrected wicked are judged and they also see that God's judgments have been righteous.

During each phase, each group gets to review the judgments and justice of God and they all conclude that God is righteous. So, at the end of this third phase, all of the universe has seen that God has been righteous. And every knee will bow in acknowledgment of that.
Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2: 9-11)
Sadly, the result will be that they will admit that they were wrong and God was right.

The Battle of Armageddon

Rebellious to the End

When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly, In the morning however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are, we have indeed sinned, but we will go to the place which the Lord has promised."
But Moses said, "Why are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed? Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you." For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword ...

On the edge of the Promised Land a final rebellion occurs. While they agree with the decisions of God, the wicked cannot resist one last chance to have their own way. Do or die! They try to take the Promised Land by force. But this was not the first time.

Ancient Israel.
Ancient Israel also rebelled on the borders of the Promised Land and tried to take it by themselves. According to Numbers 14: 39-45, after Moses spoke to them about their sin and the judgment of God, the people wept. They admitted that they had sinned but they decided to take the land. In vain Moses said, "Why are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord when it will not succeed?"
Both groups had this in common.

They were on the borders of the Promised Land.
They were denied access because of sin.
They agreed that God's judgment was correct.
They tried to take the land by force on their own.
They knew that God was not with them.
They were slaughtered from above.
- The wicked are killed by fire coming down from heaven.
- Ancient Israel was killed by the Amalekites and the Caananites who came down from the hill country.

Gog and Magog.
There are only two nations remaining on the earth at this time. Israel, and the wicked who are known as the nation of Gog and Magog. These are the humans and the angels who will be destroyed. Their leader is Satan.

This draws our reference back to Ezekiel 38, which gives a literal account of Gog and Magog attacking God's literal Israel, and of God's wrath and intervention on their behalf. This is prophetic of the end time final attack upon God's people at this end time.

This war and the millennium are two of the most popular symbols from Revelation although they are not mentioned as often as other symbols in the Bible. Most people believe that it is a battle in the middle east between the United States and Israel against Russia, China and the Muslims. The recent change of the political landscape has not really changed this interpretation.
But Revelation 20 shows something completely different. God fights this war after the resurrection and the rapture and the judgment. That is the time sequence. However, Revelation 16 suggests that only the preparation for the war begins before the Second Coming. Satan recognizes that this is the end. The saints are suffering under the final horrible persecution and God has responded with wrath. He has unleashed the seven last plagues.

Sixth Plague Seventh Plague Resurrection Millennium Resurrection Judgment Armageddon Hell New
Earth

Preparation Second Coming Satan is Incarcerated
Scapegoat is banished Guilty Final War Death

Sixth Plague	Seventh Plague	Resurrection	Millennium	Resurrection		Judgment	Armageddon	Hell	New Earth
Preparation	Second Coming	Satan is Incarcerated Scapegoat is banished	Guilty	Final War	Death

Preparation. During the sixth plague Satan tries to recruit the wicked. The Army of Armageddon.
for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har- Magedon. (Revelation 16: 14, 16)

Revelation 19 also suggests that at this point Satan knows that it is God that he will have to fight so he and his angels try to recruit an army of the wicked. He tries to defeat God at the Second Coming.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (Revelation 19: 19)
Rescued by the Second Coming. God comes prepared for war with an army dressed in righteousness. Right makes might. He rescues His persecuted people during the seventh plague. They escape the cosmic war that Satan has been preparing.
Millennium Incarceration. Technically, war preparations are interrupted. All the wicked are killed and Satan is restricted to the earth. The war criminal is imprisoned, but he is alive. While he has one thousand years of incarceration to contemplate his bad behavior, he can also plan a resistance. He can also create or salvage weapons left over. He knows his future. He will have one more opportunity.
The Great Supper. The perspective of Revelation 19: 17-18 and the old testament is that at this point God invites the birds to eat the flesh of unburied kings and people. Why? They lay dead on the surface of the earth because there is no one to bury them.
The Stones of Fire. Isaiah 14: 19-20 indicate that Satan will be walking among the dead and decaying bodies of the wicked. The bodies prepared for fire. He used to walk among the precious stones of fire at the throne of God. How the mighty has fallen!
The New Jerusalem. A beautiful city, 375 miles (603 meters) high descends on the earth. The wicked are resurrected. Satan starts lobbying.
Judgment. After the second resurrection, Satan and the wicked are judged and they are pronounced guilty. And they agree with this judgment.
Final War (Attack on God). This is when the plans, prepared for over one thousand years are put into action. Satan persuades them that they can be cowards and accept death or be heroic and fight back and have a chance. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. It is a powerful argument. Hitler, Gengis Khan, Atilla and many other infamous leaders and men of war and powerful angels lead a sickly, diseased and motley crew of humans who surround the city with their weapons. Sticks and stones.
Destined to fail. Stupid plans. Stupid Satan. Rebellious people. Destined to fail.
Destruction. While we are watching from the city, the gates are open. For some strange reason God does not close them. I think a better plan would have been to rely on the mercy of God. There are many stories in the past where people have been able to persuade God to change His mind, because they thought that they could convince Him to have mercy. A better plan would have been to walk to the open gates, unarmed and submit to God.

But they do not want heaven with all those boring rules. So God Himself sends fire from within His body and destroys them instantly. As the earth is burning, the New Jerusalem sits in the middle, untouched.
The Eighth Plague. Zechariah 14: 12-15 suggests that the wicked will rot while they are still standing. They are probably burned up afterwards. Only Satan and the beast will be thrown alive in the lake of fire. But they will also be burned up.

Armageddon

Satan and the Wicked Sinners Destroyed
After the judgment at the end of the 1000 years, Satan, death and the wicked are thrown into the lake of fire. where they suffer the second and final death.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel. (Genesis 3: 15)
This curse is finally fulfilled. Satan gave Christ a non-fatal wound, but Satan receives a fatal head wound at this time.

The Devil, the Beast and the False Prophet (Leaders). "And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was thrown 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." (Revelation 20: 9-10)

Death. "And death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20: 14-15)

The People. Now this is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem, their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. (Zechariah 14: 12)
This is either the description of the wicked at the Second Coming or after their destruction at the Battle of Armageddon. It seems as if the people will be instantly destroyed and then their carcasses are thrown into the fire. But the Devil is thrown alive into the fire.

The Murderer is Punished
And you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. (Numbers 35: 33)
Before this time all blood has been poured out into the land.

» The Blood of Food. Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. You shall not eat it, you shall pour it out on the ground like water. (Deuteronomy 12: 23-24)

» The Blood of Sacrifices. The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. And all the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. (Leviticus 4: 34)

» The Blood of the Dead. ... for you are dust and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3: 19)
Vengeance is taken at one time. Then the land vomits up all the people who are guilty. This is Satan and the wicked.

Justice Delayed But Not Denied
The Blood of Martyrs Cries out For Justice. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained. And they cried out with a loud voice saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?". (Revelation 6: 9-10)
Notice that their blood is symbolically at the altar, just like the blood of the sacrifices.

The Blood of the Innocent Cries out For Justice. God said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. (Genesis 4: 10)

The blood of all offerings and all food was poured into the ground. This is the time when the architect of death will face his own guilt. The land will cry our because of all the blood of death that it had to absorb. Then, even the land will turn against him. So Satan has no other place to go. He was thrown out of Heaven at the crucifixion. He will be vomited out of the earth. He has no physical place left that will take him. Therefore, he will be burned up.

The Earth is Cleansed and Renewed
The wicked will be completely burned up outside the city of the New Jerusalem. They will not be tortured forever.
Reduced to Ashes. For, see, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yes, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. ...
And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 4: 1-3)
This also fulfills the prophecy of the continual burnt offering. The fire was continual. It was not to be extinguished. But the animal was burned up and the ashes placed outside the city. Christ became the continual burned offering so that we could avoid this punishment of being burned with the continual fire.

Fire

Hell Fire

The Old Heaven and Earth Melts.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
"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 intense heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. (2 Peter 3: 7, 10-12)

For, look, the Lord comes forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place. (Micah 1: 3-4)

A New Heaven and Earth Created.
Along with the sinners, the fire that comes down from God will cleanse the earth, and Christ will make a new earth.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21: 1)

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5: 5)
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which lives righteousness. (2 Peter 3: 13)

The Promise of Seed Time

As scientists create "suicide seeds" such as the terminator and traitor seeds and big farm conglomerates squeeze out family farms all over the world, they are directly causing a promise of God to fail.

Just as He promises day and night to continue until the end of the earth, He promises that seed time and harvest will remain. (Genesis 8: 22)

Businessmen are trying to patent seeds and stop the natural harvesting of seeds for planting.

Terminator and traitor seeds are sterile seeds that will grow for only one season. The crop that they produce does not create seeds that will grow again. The farmer is forced to buy seeds every season.

One more reason for God to return.

A New Kind of Time
After sin and death has been destroyed, there will be a new heaven and earth. But Revelation 20: 10 seems to suggest that the devil will be tortured forever. Where will they be? Let us take a look at this by looking at the Greek language and at the creation of the old earth.

The Greek language has three different case endings for time.
1. Locative. Describes a point in time or an instant of time.
2. Accusative. Describes the limit of time.
3. Genative. Describes the kind of time. This is the case ending used in Revelation 20: 10.
Creation. The covenant states that while the earth remains seed time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8: 22)
So we find in Revelation 21: 1, 22-25 that the new heavens and earth have no sun or moon or day or night. It is a different kind of time. A new time frame.

So, as long as the old earth or day and night kind of time exists, the devil will be tormented forever. But when the new heavens and earth are created, the old one will go away, and with it will go the day and night kind of time, the devil and the wicked. They will no longer exist because the old earth will no longer exist. The devil can only exist in the time frame that has darkness. According to Isaiah 60: 11- 20, the day will last forever in the new earth because the sun will never set because the Lord will be a constant light.

The old testament made reference to this kind of time. According to Jeremiah, when the covenant with the day and night is broken (that day will always follow night Genesis 8: 22) then God can break His covenant with David and the priests of Levi.
If you can break my covenant with the night, so that day and night not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. (Jeremiah 33: 20-21)

The covenant with the priests of Levi can formally be broken at this time. This is because God intends to make kings and priests of all the families of the earth not just Levi and Judah. (Revelation 20: 6).

The Leper Planet

The Cleansing Rituals

In these cleansing rituals, we see the following truths:

The crucifixion
The judgment
The Mark of the beast
The Righteous waiting after the cleansing
Satan and the Millennium
The exile

The cleansing of the leper resembles the ceremony on the day of atonement, when two animals were used. One was killed and the other was set free in the open land. The leper ceremony shows this atoning work and it also shows how the cleansed leper must still wait outside his tent before he can join the rest of the people.

The Leper People
In Leviticus 14, the procedure to cleanse a leper included the following:

The leper lives outside the camp separate from the clean people.
The priest comes to visit the leper and if the leper is clean then he should perform the following ceremony
- Two living clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet string and hyssop.
- One bird is killed in an earthenware vessel over running water. This symbolizes the altar of sacrifice which is made of earth and the laver.
- The living bird, the wood, scarlet string and hyssop are dipped in the blood of the dead bird. The wood represents the cross, the scarlet string is the blood of Christ, the dead bird is Christ and the living bird is the saints.
- The leper is sprinkled seven times.
- The living bird is set free over the open land. This is similar to the scapegoat but it could also represent humans who are set free by the death of Christ.
- The leper washed his clothes, shaves his hair and bathes
- He can enter the camp but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
  » Even after he has been cleansed, the leper still waits outside his house. He still does not physically join with the rest of the camp.
  » The priest waits seven days outside the sanctuary during his inauguration. We are a nation of priests.
  » Even though Christ was really killed from the foundation of the world, we must wait 7000 years for the new earth.
  » Even though the sanctuary was cleansed in 1844, there is still a waiting time before we go to heaven.
  » Even after the door of the Ark was closed, Noah had to wait seven days before the rain began.
  » Even after the Second Coming it takes seven days to enter heaven. (See the Seventh Seal.)
- On the seventh day, the leper washed his clothes, shaves his hair and bathes.
- On the eighth day, the priest who pronounced him clean shall present the leper, two male lambs, one ewe, oil and grain offering before the Lord at the doorway of the tent.

The Leper House.
When they entered the Promised Land, they could find a mark of leprosy on a house. The house would be quarantined for seven days and the infected stones torn out and thrown in an unclean place outside the city. The priest returns on the seventh day to make an inspection.

Quarantine. The earth is quarantined for 7000 years.
Inspection. A final inspection or judgment is made on the seventh day.
Clean. The house is cleansed with the same ceremony used to clean the people. The house of Israel will be cleansed and saved.
Unclean Mark. The whole house is torn down and thrown in an unclean place outside the city. The people with the mark of the beast will be destroyed outside the New Jerusalem. The whole earth is destroyed in the lake of fire.

6000 Years (6 Days) 1000 Years (Day 7) Day 8

The Leper Planet and People Quarantined Heaven Leper House Cleansed

Lepers outside the Camp Cleansing Washes clothes, bathes Cleansed lepers enter tent Final
Inspection
(Judgment) Cleansing
House
Torn Down Clean
Earth

Bird killed Lepers wait outside tent Lepers join clean people

Heaven is the camp of the clean, unfallen people. Earth is the location of the lepers outside this camp. They are waiting to be cleansed so that they can enter the tent prepared for them in Heaven.

6000 Years (6 Days)	1000 Years (Day 7)	Day 8
The Leper Planet and People Quarantined	Heaven	Leper House Cleansed
Lepers outside the Camp		Cleansing	Washes clothes, bathes	Cleansed lepers enter tent	Final Inspection (Judgment)	Cleansing House Torn Down	Clean Earth
Bird killed	Lepers wait outside tent	Lepers join clean people

The Exile
The final curses in Leviticus 26 require the exile of the people so that the land could enjoy its Sabbaths. The period of global exile is the one thousand years of the millennium. The land will be empty of the human race because the wicked will be dead and the righteous are in heaven.
If the land rests for a thousand years then there were 6000 years of Sabbaths violated. This is the origin of the theory that this earth will last for 6000 years before the Second Coming. The unknown question is when will this occur?

Six Thousand Years
The millennium begins at the end of a specified period of time. It is the Sabbath millennium of rest after six thousand years of slavery to sin. There are several laws and prophecies that suggest that the earth will last for six thousand years before the righteous are taken.

No Sin 3000 Years Three Thousand Years 1000 Years 1000 Years

Israel Planted Forbidden Fruit Holy Fruit (First Fruits) Public Use

Human History 1000 Years 1000 Years 1000 Years Resurrection Land Sabbath Jubilee

Israel Punished Torn Revived Raised Up on the Third Day Alive

No Sin	3000 Years	Three Thousand Years	1000 Years	1000 Years
Israel Planted		Forbidden Fruit		Holy Fruit (First Fruits)	Public Use
Human History		1000 Years		1000 Years	1000 Years	Resurrection	Land Sabbath	Jubilee
Israel Punished	Torn	Revived	Raised Up on the Third Day	Alive

Covenant. If the earth has been unfaithful in keeping the land Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbaths for 6000 years then God can still keep His covenant with the earth by giving it 1000 years of rest and giving the people 1000 years of rest.
Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation while you are in your enemies' land; Then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your Sabbaths, while you were living on it. (Leviticus 26: 34-35).

The Fruit Harvest. The fruit harvest during the feast of Tabernacles represents the perfect church that is ready to go and live with God as a holy nation. The following verse points to the fourth year of the harvest as being the time when it is ready to be given to God. Therefore that year is the millennium when the fruit harvest is taken to the sanctuary.
Forbidden Fruit. When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.
Harvest Belongs to the God. But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.
Harvest Belongs to the People. In the fifth year you are to eat of its fruit, that its yield may increase for you, I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19: 23-25)

Christ: The First Fruits

Christ is described as the first fruits from the dead earth although He was not the first person to be resurrected. Now we see that for three periods of time, that the fruit from the earth is forbidden as an offering to God. It is only at a certain point in time that the fruit can be brought to the sanctuary. Christ died and was resurrected at that time. And He became the first Person who was resurrected when God began to accept the offering.

So the fifth year is the jubilee on earth when the land will be given back to us as an inheritance. This also fits the symbolism. So the question is when did the first 3000 years begin?
Around 1015 BC, the permanent temple was completed by Solomon and the Jews finally had a place to offer sacrifices. God began this count when the sanctuary system was in a permanent place and the land was at peace. Although they had entered the land 490 years before, that was the time God considered them planted in Israel. God destroyed the earthly sanctuary after the death of Christ because we should be looking to the sanctuary in heaven.

Forbidden Fruit. In the first three years the fruit is still not ready for use. Humans cannot enter heaven for the first three centuries after the tree is planted. If you consider several important stages in the Plan of Salvation you will see that this rule has been kept in regards to the sanctuary.
- The Building of the Sanctuary. Israel, Jews and Christians, are taken to heaven three thousand years after the sanctuary. The sanctuary in heaven can accept the holy worshippers after 3000 years.
- Living with Christ (The Sanctuary of God). The new world comes back to earth during the Jubilee year, three thousand years after the death of Christ. It is still another millennium in which they are at rest with God. So Christ returns to live on the earth 3000 years after He first lived here.
So we have 3000 years of the old sanctuary on earth and 3000 years between Christ's living on the earth.
Holy Fruit. In the fourth year, according to Jewish custom, this holy fruit belongs to God and it must be eaten in Jerusalem. Christ was killed in Jerusalem, then eaten and swallowed up by the grave. But the Church will be taken into the New Jerusalem in Heaven alive 4000 years after Israel entered the Promised Land.
Common Use. In the fifth year, the fruit can be used by the people. We inherit the earth after the millennium.

Revival and Resurrection. There is a scheduled time for our revival and resurrection after being punished.
Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days. He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. (Hosea 6: 1-2)
According to Hosea, revival and resurrection are two separate processes. The same time table that was applied to the church can be applied to Christ. If we substitute ten years for each day then the same pattern emerges in His life. If we look at the last three days of His life the pattern emerges again.

33½ Years		Three Days and Three Nights
30 Years	3½ Years	Thursday		Friday			Saturday			Sunday
4 BC to 31 AD		Nissan 14				Nissan 15 (Sabbath)			Nissan 16
Life of Christ		Night 1			Day 1	Night 2		Day 2	Night 3		Day 3
Grows Up	Ministry	Supper	Garden	Trial		Buried in the Grave (Tomb)					Resurrected
The Seed Grew		Chewed up				Swallowed					Vomited
Obedient to God		Substituted for the Wicked			Torn	Dead			Revived		Raised Up
Not Ready	The Fruit Tree in the Fourth Year				The Holy Fruit Eaten in Jerusalem						First Fruits
Light of the World		(Darkness) Forty Two hours »			6 hours	36 hours					Light
Lamb of God		(Death) Forty hours »			4 hours	36 hours					Life

Torn. Christ was torn or killed for us at the crucifixion. The torn curtain before the Most Holy Place was a symbol of His death.
Revived. The second day of His three day ordeal ended when the Sabbath ended. So Christ must have been brought back to life immediately after the Sabbath was over. Then He stayed in that tomb to complete the number of hours in the darkness. Here we have a paradox. He is dead because He has still been swallowed up by the grave. But He is alive, waiting for God to call Him. Noah also waited in the Ark after the doors were closed.
Raised. Then Christ was raised from the dead at dawn on the third day when the tomb was opened.

Just as Christ was resurrected on the third day, the church may be resurrected on the third millennium after the first faithful Israelite was torn at the crucifixion. The revival at the end of the second millennium must be the latter rain.

Repetition and Enlargement
The events of this period is mentioned in many old testament prophecies. Many prophecies blended the Second Coming and the destruction of the wicked in a simple statement. This is because the righteous will suffer no more after this event and all that remains is the destruction of the wicked.
Revelation 20 gives more details about these events that are connected to that time:

Millennium.
- Isaiah 13: 20-22 The earth will not be inhabited from generation to generation and only the shaggy goat will be there. The shaggy goat is the scapegoat, Satan.
- Isaiah 14 describes the millennium in detail.
- Isaiah 24 and 25 described the earth as destroyed and abandoned.
- Isaiah 26: 14, 19, 20 describes separate resurrections for the wicked and the righteous. It says that the righteous as being hidden for a little while. They will be in heaven during the millennium.
Resurrection. The doctrine of the resurrection is clearly explained in Revelation 20, for the first time we know that there are two resurrections separated by 1000 years.
The Binding of Satan. The old testament gives the most detail about this time. Isaiah refers to this punishment of Satan.
Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you saying, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew the cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?"
All the kings of the earth lie in glory, each in his own tomb. But you have been thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch, clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, who go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse.
You will not be united with them in burial, because you have ruined your country, you have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. (Isaiah 14: 15-20)
The Judgment of the Wicked. They will be able to start a war after the decisions of the judgment has been made. A decision that they agree with but are too stubborn to accept.
Battle of Armageddon. It is actively fought after the millennium and after the final judgment before God.
Hell. the righteous will be in the middle of it but we will not be touched by it.
New earth and a new time. We will start a new time frame.

Many of these old testament prophecies were given in the context of the fall of Babylon. Aside from the prophecies of Daniel, the destiny of Babylon is the only old testament prophecy that is picked up by Revelation as being future.

Text Old Testament Prophecy Revelation Prophecy

Isaiah 13 4 God's army ready for war 19: 11-15 God is preparing to return to the earth

5 The army is coming from a far land 21: 2 New Jerusalem comes from heaven

5,9,11 Come to destroy the whole earth 19: 11-15, 21 Second Coming

10 Astronomical signs 6: 12-14 Dark day, falling stars and future events

20 Not be lived in from generation to generation 20: 5 Millennium

21-22 Inhabited by the shaggy goat, wild animals and birds 20: 2 Only Satan (the scape goat) will live there

Isaiah 14 2 Rule over captors in the day of rest 20: 4; 19: 15 Must refer to the role of judgment by the saints during the 1000 years.

7 Whole earth at rest 20: 5,7 Millennium. Saints are in heaven, on earth all the wicked are dead and Satan is bound.

9 The grave is excited about meeting the wicked 20: 15 Description of the death of all the wicked

9 The wicked are raised 20: 5 The second resurrection

12-19 The disgrace of Satan 20: 10 Destruction of Satan

19-20 Satan 20: 1-3, 7 Satan will not die in the millennium. He will live with the dead, decaying bodies on the earth.

21 Place of slaughter 20: 15 Hell.

21-22 Wicked will not populate the earth. 21: 8, 27 Wicked will not populate the earth.

Isaiah 21: 2-9 2-9 Babylon is conquered 18: 2; 14: 8 Babylon is fallen

Isaiah 24 1-23 Millennium 20 Earth is destroyed and abandoned

22 Confined in prison 20 Wicked will be dead during the millennium

22 Punished after many days 20 Final punishment after the millennium

Isaiah 25

The Second Coming 1 Plans formed long ago 13: 8; 17: 8 Earth is destroyed and abandoned

7 Removes the covering over all people 6: 14 Sky rolled up like a scroll

8 Death will be swallowed up 20 Final punishment after the millennium

Isaiah 26

The Second Coming 2 The righteous enter heaven 19-21 Earth is destroyed and abandoned

14 The wicked dead are not raised 6: 14-17; 14: 17-20; 19: 15 The wicked living are killed at the Second Coming

19 The righteous dead will live 20 The first resurrection

20 The righteous will be hidden for a little while 20 The millennium spent in heaven

21 The wicked dead will be punished 20 The third coming

Isaiah 47: 1-11
The fall of Babylon 7 I will be a queen forever 18: 7 The church believes it will rule the nations forever

9 Occurs in one day 18: 8 The seven last plagues occur in one day

9 Loss of children 18: 14 Her fruit is gone

9 Widow 18: 23 Lost the bridegroom

11 Sudden destruction 18: 21 Future fall of Babylon

14 Burnt up by fire 14: 18 Destroyed by fire

15 None to save 18: 15; 17: 16-17 The church will be abandoned by all the people and governments who supported it.

Jeremiah 51
The fall of Babylon 7 She was a gold cup in God's hand 17: 4 Babylon had a gold cup full of immorality

7 She intoxicates the earth. Nations drink her wine. 14: 8; 18: 3 Governments and people commit immorality

9 Her judgment has reached heaven 18: 5 Her sins are piled as high as heaven

37 Ruins, haunt of jackals 18: 2 Dwelling place of demons, unclean spirits and birds

44 What Babylon swallowed will come up out of his mouth 16: 13 Three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, beast and false prophet

6,45 Come out of her my people 18: 4 The call to come out of Babylon in the message of the second angel

49 Falls because she killed Israel 17: 6; 18: 24 Babylon is responsible for the death of the prophets and the saints and all people

53 Even though she goes up to heaven Daniel 8: 10-11; Daniel 11: 36; Revelation 12: 4 The church replaced the ministry of Christ with a human system

Zechariah 14 1-2, 3 Nations gathered 19-20; 16: 16 Preparations for the battle of Armageddon

2 Jerusalem captured 13; 20: 9 Israel persecuted. New Jerusalem besieged

4 New Jerusalem 20 The New Jerusalem come to earth on the Mount of Olives

12-15 Hell 20: 15 The destruction of the wicked

Ezekiel 38 8 Israel restored 19 Israel saved

10-12 Evil plans 16: 16 Plans to attack Jerusalem

19-22 Judgment by plagues 16 Seven last plagues

Ezekiel 39 2 Nations gathered 19-20; 16: 16 Same as Daniel 11: 45

6 Fire sent 19 Second Coming

9-17 Millennium 20 Millennium

17-19 Feast of birds 19: 17-18 Dead bodies in the Millennium

Text	Old Testament Prophecy	Revelation	Prophecy
Isaiah 13	4	God's army ready for war	19: 11-15	God is preparing to return to the earth
5	The army is coming from a far land	21: 2	New Jerusalem comes from heaven
5,9,11	Come to destroy the whole earth	19: 11-15, 21	Second Coming
10	Astronomical signs	6: 12-14	Dark day, falling stars and future events
20	Not be lived in from generation to generation	20: 5	Millennium
21-22	Inhabited by the shaggy goat, wild animals and birds	20: 2	Only Satan (the scape goat) will live there
Isaiah 14	2	Rule over captors in the day of rest	20: 4; 19: 15	Must refer to the role of judgment by the saints during the 1000 years.
7	Whole earth at rest	20: 5,7	Millennium. Saints are in heaven, on earth all the wicked are dead and Satan is bound.
9	The grave is excited about meeting the wicked	20: 15	Description of the death of all the wicked
9	The wicked are raised	20: 5	The second resurrection
12-19	The disgrace of Satan	20: 10	Destruction of Satan
19-20	Satan	20: 1-3, 7	Satan will not die in the millennium. He will live with the dead, decaying bodies on the earth.
21	Place of slaughter	20: 15	Hell.
21-22	Wicked will not populate the earth.	21: 8, 27	Wicked will not populate the earth.
Isaiah 21: 2-9	2-9	Babylon is conquered	18: 2; 14: 8	Babylon is fallen
Isaiah 24	1-23	Millennium	20	Earth is destroyed and abandoned
22	Confined in prison	20	Wicked will be dead during the millennium
22	Punished after many days	20	Final punishment after the millennium
Isaiah 25 The Second Coming	1	Plans formed long ago	13: 8; 17: 8	Earth is destroyed and abandoned
7	Removes the covering over all people	6: 14	Sky rolled up like a scroll
8	Death will be swallowed up	20	Final punishment after the millennium
Isaiah 26 The Second Coming	2	The righteous enter heaven	19-21	Earth is destroyed and abandoned
14	The wicked dead are not raised	6: 14-17; 14: 17-20; 19: 15	The wicked living are killed at the Second Coming
19	The righteous dead will live	20	The first resurrection
20	The righteous will be hidden for a little while	20	The millennium spent in heaven
21	The wicked dead will be punished	20	The third coming
Isaiah 47: 1-11 The fall of Babylon	7	I will be a queen forever	18: 7	The church believes it will rule the nations forever
9	Occurs in one day	18: 8	The seven last plagues occur in one day
9	Loss of children	18: 14	Her fruit is gone
9	Widow	18: 23	Lost the bridegroom
11	Sudden destruction	18: 21	Future fall of Babylon
14	Burnt up by fire	14: 18	Destroyed by fire
15	None to save	18: 15; 17: 16-17	The church will be abandoned by all the people and governments who supported it.
Jeremiah 51 The fall of Babylon	7	She was a gold cup in God's hand	17: 4	Babylon had a gold cup full of immorality
7	She intoxicates the earth. Nations drink her wine.	14: 8; 18: 3	Governments and people commit immorality
9	Her judgment has reached heaven	18: 5	Her sins are piled as high as heaven
37	Ruins, haunt of jackals	18: 2	Dwelling place of demons, unclean spirits and birds
44	What Babylon swallowed will come up out of his mouth	16: 13	Three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, beast and false prophet
6,45	Come out of her my people	18: 4	The call to come out of Babylon in the message of the second angel
49	Falls because she killed Israel	17: 6; 18: 24	Babylon is responsible for the death of the prophets and the saints and all people
53	Even though she goes up to heaven	Daniel 8: 10-11; Daniel 11: 36; Revelation 12: 4	The church replaced the ministry of Christ with a human system
Zechariah 14	1-2, 3	Nations gathered	19-20; 16: 16	Preparations for the battle of Armageddon
2	Jerusalem captured	13; 20: 9	Israel persecuted. New Jerusalem besieged
4	New Jerusalem	20	The New Jerusalem come to earth on the Mount of Olives
12-15	Hell	20: 15	The destruction of the wicked
Ezekiel 38	8	Israel restored	19	Israel saved
10-12	Evil plans	16: 16	Plans to attack Jerusalem
19-22	Judgment by plagues	16	Seven last plagues
Ezekiel 39	2	Nations gathered	19-20; 16: 16	Same as Daniel 11: 45
6	Fire sent	19	Second Coming
9-17	Millennium	20	Millennium
17-19	Feast of birds	19: 17-18	Dead bodies in the Millennium

Summary

Day and Night Time The End of Day and Night Time New Time

6000 Years 1000 Years Short Time Eternity

Time of the end Second Coming

Rapture and First
Resurrection

Wicked Killed

Millennium Third Coming

Second
Resurrection

Wicked Raised

New Jerusalem
descends to the earth New Heaven
and
New Earth

Saints in Heaven

Earth destroyed Satan Loosed

Satan bound on the earth Judgment Armageddon Hell

Righteous Judged
(1844 - End) Righteous rewarded Righteous judge the wicked Wicked rewarded Righteous inherit the Earth
1 Millennium 2 Judgment of the wicked 3

The events of the millennium in order are as follows:

The Second Coming and the First Resurrection
The Millennium starts with the Second Coming of Christ. This is a visible event. At that time the righteous dead are raised and the righteous living a changed and together they rise in the air to meet God. Simultaneously, the earth is devastated with hail about 100 pounds each and the wicked living are killed. The wicked dead remain dead.

The Millennium on Earth (The Largest Prison).
At this point the earth is devastated, smashed and burned. The Bible describes it as an abyss, similar to its state before creation. No one is alive except for Satan. He is restricted to this planet and cannot leave. In this environment he is forced to roam the earth and view the devastation that he has caused.
The Millennium in Heaven (The Longest Party).
Meanwhile, the saints are in heaven with Christ for a Sabbath rest from evil. During this time they get to know God more fully. They also get an opportunity to judge by reviewing all the decisions that God has made. They get a chance to affirm why this or that seemingly good person did not make it to heaven. Why God was patient with sinners even as terrible crimes were being committed on Earth.

The Third Coming and the Second Resurrection
At the end of the millennium God comes back to the earth with the saints and city, the New Jerusalem. The city is placed on the former geographical location of the Mount of Olives. It is 1500 miles square and 1500 miles high.
The resurrection of the wicked (the second resurrection) occurs. God pronounces final judgment on the wicked. At the end of the process, even the wicked admit that God has been fair and just and bow down to Him.

Soon afterwards Satan convinces them that their only options are to wait for death or to try to take the city by force. They have nothing to lose since they are already under a death sentence. Apparently, enough time is given for him to make this argument, work with all the military geniuses and make weapons.
God will demonstrate that even after they admit to their errors they still have not changed. Not one of them is salvageable because they will always use their free will to rebel and cause disruption.

The Battle of Armageddon
They encircle the city of God that has been transported to the Earth, ready to attack. The battle is short lived. It started at the time they martyred the final saints and it was interrupted by the Second coming and resumes now.
Hell Fire
God sends fire to destroy them. This is the hell fire. This causes the second and permanent death. The fire eventually goes out because the righteous will walk on the ashes of the wicked (Satan and humans).

The New Heaven and New Earth
God creates new heavens and earth with the New Jerusalem at the center. The great controversy is over.

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Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15
Copyright Updated : August 15, 2006
Credits:
Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008)
1. See our reference page for "a New kind of time".
All images were created by Laverna Patterson and are the property of teachingheart.org