End Times: Back to the Future

Lesson 21 w/AnswersRevelation 20

The Millennial Reign of Christ and the End of Human History

End Times

We saw in our last lesson the return of Christ and the complete defeat of the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and their wicked forces. In this lesson, we will see Christ establish His earthly kingdom, rule with a rod of iron for a thousand years, and then execute the final judgment — the Great White Throne judgment — signaling the end of human history and the beginning of a new and wonderful world.

Read Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah Chapter 11, Isaiah 65:18-25, and Revelation Chapter 20; then consider the following questions:

  1. From where will Christ rule? (see Isaiah 2:1-5)
    1. ANSWER: Jerusalem
  2. Read again Revelation 20:1-3. Where is Satan thrown, and why?
    1. ANSWER: He is thrown into the Abyss, the bottomless pit, for a thousand years, so that he can no longer deceive the nations.
  3. Read 1 Peter 5:8. How does this relate to what we just read above?
    1. ANSWER: Satan is actively deceiving the nations today and is seeking out Christians to destroy or devour like a roaring lion.
  4. In Revelation 20:4-6. Thrones are given the authority to judge. Who are these thrones given to? (see Luke 22:29-30)
    1. ANSWER: My interpretation is that they will be given to the 12 Apostles.
  5. What other judgment occurs at the Second Coming of Christ? See Matthew 25:31-46.
    1. ANSWER: This is the judgment of (1) the nations who either protected or supported the Tribulation Saints, and (2) the nations who persecuted and martyred them.
  6. How is this judgment different from the Great White Throne Judgment referred to in Revelation 20:11-15?
    1. ANSWER 1: This judgment is when the Son of Man comes in all His glory, and marks the beginning of his thousand year reign.
    2. ANSWER 2: This judgment judges the "living nations", not the "wicked dead".
    3. ANSWER 3: There is no resurrection of the dead associated with this judgment.
    4. ANSWER 4: No books are opened.
    5. ANSWER 5: There are three classes judged at this judgment: (1) the saved (i.e., The Sheep), (2) the lost (i.e., The Goats), and His elect (i.e., the nation of Israel — referred to as "my brethren" in verse 40. At the Great White Throne, only one class is judged, the "dead".
    6. ANSWER 6: At this judgment, kingdoms are given to the Saved. At the Great White Throne Judgment, there are no kingdoms given, no saved; they are all cast into the lake of fire.
  7. In Revelation 20:5, who are those described as "the rest of the dead". See Revelation 20:11-15.
    1. ANSWER: These are the wicked dead.
  8. In Revelation 20:7-10, Satan is loosed for a short period, and numberless multitudes follow him. Who are they? Isaiah 65:18-25 will give provide insight into this as well.
    1. ANSWER: They are the lost that survived the Great Tribulation and were ruled by Christ with a rod of iron for a thousand years. But they reject him and once again follow Satan the moment that they are given the chance.
  9. The events described in Revelation 20:11-15 can be seen as the end of Human History and the precursor for the next phase of God’s eternal plan, i.e., a new heaven and earth. What does the phrase "death and Hades gave up the dead" mean? If the dead, the lost, go to Hades to await judgment, why is death also mentioned here?
    1. ANSWER: This refers to the reuniting or resurrecting of the physical bodies of the wicked dead. They will go in their resurrected bodies into the lake of fire. Every human that God ever created will receive a resurrected body. The ultimate question is where in eternity that everyone’s resurrected body will reside.

In our next lesson, we learn about the new heaven, the new earth and the new Jerusalem. What an exciting event to look forward to! God has a perfect plan, we are active part of it, and in the end He has planned for us a beautiful home where we will live with God, the Holy Spirit and Christ. What a joyous hope He gives us through the shed blood of Christ.

Have a great week everyone!

In Christ,

Wes

[2011]

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