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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to Christ in Prophecy Radio. I'm Tim Moore, director and senior evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries. Today we arrive at one of the most glorious stretches of Bible prophecy, Revelation chapters 20 through 22. If you've been following our prophecy chart series, you know that we've walked through the seven Seal Judgments, the seven Trumpet Judgments, and the seven Bowl Judgments. We've watched the rise and fall of the Antichrist and the False prophet. We've witnessed the armies of the world gather in the Valley of Armageddon, and. And we've seen Jesus Christ descend from heaven with the armies of heaven behind him to defeat his enemies with nothing more than the word of his mouth. Now the question becomes, what happens next? Well, with me today to discuss these exciting future events is my friend, Dr. Nathan Jones, an expert on all that happens after Jesus returns.
- [00:48]
B
Thank you, Tim. I'm glad to be here. And to answer, what happens next is breathtaking. Satan is bound. Christ establishes his kingdom on earth. And the promises God made to David, to Israel, and to the Church are finally, fully and literally fulfilled. For a thousand years, Jesus will reign from Jerusalem in peace and righteousness and justice. And after one final rebellion is crushed, God will make all things new. We're talking about a new heaven, a new Earth, and the new Jerusalem descending from above.
- [01:18]
A
Well, Nathan, that's a lot to cover. So, folks, you better buckle up, because this is the part of Revelation that fills believers with hope. Everything we've studied, every judgment, every battle, every act of divine wrath, every has been building toward this moment. The testimony of Jesus truly is the spirit of prophecy. And today we get to see that testimony reach its culmination. So stay with us. We're going to walk through the binding of Satan, the Millennial Kingdom, the Great White Throne, Judgment, and the Eternal State. You don't want to miss this. To get an even better understanding of the timeline of Revelation events, request a copy of our End Times Prophecy chart. It will give you a chronological, visual, visual display of End Times events and is available at christinprophecy.org or by calling 972-736-3567. You'll be glad you did. Stay tuned.
- [02:09]
C
With all the uncertainty in the world today, it's good to know that God's promises never fail. As you listen to Christ in prophecy each week, we'll explain what God has revealed in his prophetic word. Join us as together we look forward to his imminent return. To listen to more programs and to hear more hope for the Future, go to christinprophecy.org.
- [02:37]
A
Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio and our discussion of the millennial kingdom. So, Nathan, I am going to ask you a pointed question. How do we know that this millennial kingdom will actually last for 1,000 years?
- [02:47]
B
Well, I think because the Bible said so, and it didn't say so just once or twice, but in Revelation 26 times it says a thousand years. And so, folks, this is where we get the term millennial kingdom. Mille annum thousand years. It's like the opening act of the eternal portion of God's promise to Jesus that he would rule and reign over David's throne forever. So this thousand years is the start. We can go right to chapter 20, verse one. It says, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who was the devil, and Satan, and bound him, what, a thousand years? And he threw him into the abyss and shut it up and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were completed. And after these things, he must be released for a short time. So my question for you, Tim, is how can we take thousand years literally? I mean, you've got a lot of people out there say, well, Jesus for a day is like a thousand years. So we're just talking about a time period. How do we know that it's truly 1000 literal years?
- [03:53]
A
Well, we obviously hearken to a principle of Bible interpretation, interpretation and prophetic interpretation called the plain sense. Meaning, in other words, if the plain sense makes sense, don't look for any other sense, lest you end up with nonsense. He told us six times, this period will last 1,000 years. And so, simply put, we take him at his word that for 1000 years Satan will be bound and Christ will reign. And I think it's important to recognize, Nathan, as many of God's promises that you and I speak of and look for forward to, that are made to us. There are other promises that are made to Jesus Christ. There are promises made to Satan. There are promises made to the church at large. There are promises made to the Jewish people, even to the created order, goodness. In Ezekiel 36, God made promises to the very mountains of the land of Israel. So it's not always about us specifically, but we are the beneficiary of so many blessings. Even as Christ reigns for a thousand years, we get to co reign with him.
- [04:52]
B
Yes, that's the one thing about the kingdom of Christ. You know, we believe that God is sovereign. There's a providential kingdom. We believe that he rules over a spiritual kingdom. He said it's not of this earth. There's an ecclesiastical kingdom, a fancy word for the church, that during this church age, from Pentecost to the Rapture, he rules through the church. But there's a fourth fold to the kingdom of Christ and that is the Davidic kingdom, where it is the promise that from 2 Samuel that Jesus will rule and reign on the throne of his father David in Jerusalem. And as we learn in Revelation 20, it will be for a thousand years, but then go on into eternity. So the number one recipient of those promises of the kingdom is Jesus Christ.
- [05:32]
A
Amen. And absolutely. Well, there is a promise made here and it is the binding of Satan. Satan will be bound for a thousand years. And it says here in Revelation chapter 20 that for the thousand years he will not be able to deceive the nations. Nathan, there are people who actually would suggest or submit that Satan has been bound already. And my retort is, well, gee, if he's actually not deceiving the nations, how are they so incredibly deceived? I reject the idea that Christ has bound Satan now because if this is as good as it gets, boy, that doesn't give me a whole lot of hope. Satan is absolutely still deceiving the nations today. So we look forward to this period. We not deceive them, at least for 1,000 years. But then there's a mystery. Why would Christ release Satan after the end of this thousand years?
- [06:20]
B
Well, what happens folks, is to give you a little background here is there is going to be a seven year tribulation time period. We read in the previous chapters of revelation how 21 judgments will befall the world. Most of the world will be destroyed. It will be on the brink of collapse. And that is when Jesus bursts from the clouds with the church following him. That's us. And we see Jesus defeat Satan. He throws him in a pit. The Antichrist, false prophet, and I believe the demons into the lake of fire. And then he gathers all those who are left on the world alive and holds what's called the sheep. Goat Judgment of Matthew 25. And those who have accepted Christ are called the sheep. They go into the kingdom in their earthly bodies and they have children and in an almost perfect condition. Folks, we're talking about a kingdom where there's ample food and the lifespans go to hundreds of years. There's no war, the animals aren't killing each other. There's going to be many. Some have estimate up to 20 billion people by the end of that thousand years. But then God does something interesting. He releases Satan. And Satan immediately goes on the attack, trying to deceive those children born of the saints. Well, the Lord always gives humanity free will and those children get to choose Jesus or not. And Tim, one of the most tragic stories in all the Bible is that like the sands of the sea, those children will turn and follow Satan in one last attempt to overthrow Jesus.
- [07:38]
A
You know, you make a great point, Nathan. There are things that are happening millennial reign that we cannot overlook. So many of the promises even back into the Old Testament that God made to the created order that it would be restored to its perfection, that he intended in the Garden of Eden, that there will not be poisonous plants and animals, that even the ox will eat hay with the lion, that the lamb and the wolf will lie down together. It's not a lamb and a lion, folks. Our title hearkens to none other than Jesus Christ. But in other words, all the animals that would tend to eat one another and prey upon man and will be domesticated to the point that there is absolute peace, righteousness and justice on the earth during that thousand years. God fulfilling his promises to Jesus and yes to the created order. And we know that during that period that Israel will be reestablished as the primary nation of the earth. So there are promises again made to Israel that will be fulfilled during this millennial reign. But again, key to our understanding of for what's in it for us is we get to reign with Jesus co reigning alongside of Him. According to Revelation 26, 5, 10.
- [08:48]
B
Yes, the saints are promised to rule and reign with Jesus Christ. Well folks, so what does that mean? It means maybe someday you will be a mayor, a governor, a teacher, an administrator, maybe even a law enforcer. But there will be Tim, no Congress, because Jesus Christ will be the only lawgiver. And folks, he will rule from Jerusalem and He invites the nations up to see Him. He even holds the feast of Tabernacles. So the nations go up to see Jesus and celebrate with him and learn his law. Just like in the days when Jesus sat on the mount and the peoples would come up to him. And folks, it's a time period with no satanic deception until the very end. It's just so glorious that Tim and I couldn't possibly cover all of it. So go to our website at christinprophecy.org, both Dr. Reagan and myself have written books on on the Millennial Kingdom. My book is called the Coming Millennial Kingdom. And if you want a good bite sized version, Tim wrote a wonderful pamphlet about the Millennial Kingdom to help you understand all the blessings that are coming for Jesus, for the world, and for you and me. So check it out on our website@christinprophecy.org
- [09:56]
C
when you scroll through the daily news, you almost always hear bad news. It's easy to forget that there's anything good happening in the world today. But here at Christ in Prophecy, we're proclaiming the good news that Jesus Christ is returning soon. This program is one of the many resources made possible because of the sacrificial financial support of our prophecy partners. These are faithful men and women who give each month and pray for our ministry. Prophecy partners commit to give $25 a month or more. That's less than a dollar a day for your gift. We'll send you our Lamplighter magazine, ministry updates and special offers throughout the year. To become a prophecy partner and share the good news that Jesus is coming back, go to christinprophecy.org donate that's christinprophecy.org Donate
- [10:50]
A
well, speaking of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ, recently we had opportunity to ask some of the Friends of Lamb and Lion Ministries what they are looking forward to in the Millennial Kingdom. Let's hear what they had to say.
- [11:01]
B
And once all this craziness is done and we're in Christ's Millennial Kingdom, what part of it are you looking forward to the most?
- [11:06]
D
I'm looking forward to seeing Jesus the most. Jerub blows me away to think we, the three of us and everybody else, we are going to see Jesus in person. We've all been to Israel, we've been to Jerusalem. But I remember talking about the Temple with you one time and the coming temple, how big it's going to be and the glories of the Millennial Kingdom. But seeing Jesus, that blows my mind.
- [11:30]
B
During the Millennial Kingdom and this is my hope is that will we get to go and explore all these planets? Will we get off planet during the Millennial Kingdom?
- [11:38]
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I mean, we'll have glorified immortal bodies. I mean, there's not going to be anything. We won't be hurt by anything.
- [11:43]
B
We won't need spaceships or spaces, spacesuits.
- [11:45]
E
We can go to the bottom of the, the deepest ocean if there's going to be ocean still at that time. We can go to outer space. You can sit on the rings of Saturn and just look out at the galaxy. I mean, so I tell my kids all the time. We play Minecraft a lot together. And you have two modes. You have survival mode and you have creative mode. Survival mode. You have to eat, drink water. You can get hurt. You have to take care of the guy because he's limited. But in creative mode, it's like God mode. You can go anywhere, you can go underwater, you can build a whole city underwater. You can go to do whatever. So we are not going to be limited by anything physical.
- [12:19]
A
Well, Nathan, obviously you could ask any Christian and some would be completely confused about what the millennial kingdom is all about. But anyone who has studied the prophetic word of God understands that there are so many promises that lie ahead of us, and one of them is the glorious millennial kingdom.
- [12:34]
B
Well, let's first look at Israel, the Jewish people in perspective. The Bible prophesies that there will be a day where the Lord's anger against them will abate. He will heal them of their backsliding. He will return them to their land and a remnant. A third of the Jewish people will call out, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. When Jesus returns, they will be a priestly people. During this time period, folks, the Jewish people will finally fulfill the role that God has always meant for them. They will bring people up to see Jesus each and every day. I love that passage in Zephaniah where 10 people will grab hold of a sleeve of a Jewish person saying, hey, we know that God is with you. Take us to him. And so the Jewish people will take the gentile nations up to see Jesus in Jerusalem. So the Bible prophesies that where now the Jewish people are just mistreated and anti Semitism abounds because they know Jesus enduring the kingdom, they will receive honor and blessing and they will finally fulfill their role as a priesthood.
- [13:35]
A
You know, as you look at the current events in the world today, Israel has been under attack for its entire existence, even back to Old Testament times and certainly in modern times. In recent months we have witnessed as the war with Iran has come to full fruition because Iran has determined to destroy Israel and of course the United States. But we are promised that in the fullness of time, God will restore all of the blessings that he has intended for Israel. It will be the prime nation. And Nathan, we talk about the land itself being restored, the earth. I think there is perhaps no better picture of that than the restoration that is promised to the Dead Sea. Anyone who has traveled to Israel know that the Dead Sea is so full of salt and minerals that even touching it to your tongue or your lips, it tastes absolutely awful. You can float in it without the ability to sink. But According to Ezekiel 47, in this time period, the Dead Sea itself will be healed, transformed into a beautiful, clear body of water teeming with fish and life giving once again. I think that is just a perfect metaphor for what will happen to the entire Earth, which is when God makes all things new.
- [14:42]
B
Folks, you've got to think about. By the end of the tribulation, the Earth literally is teetering on the brink of annihilation. All the marine life, all the fresh water life has been killed. Most of the trees, all the green grass people are burning, the radiation. The whole world is about to become like Mars. And Jesus returns and fixes it and heals it all. And so then we contrast it with what life will be like in the millennial kingdom, where there's going to be so much food. It says that the person harvesting will pass by the person who's sowing the seeds. There'll be no hunger. There'll be no homelessness. He's going to lift diseases. The infirmities that we suffer from today will be lifted. There will still be sin, but it will be so much more reduced.
- [15:23]
A
You know, Nathan, the Bible says even the suffering that we experience today is not worthy to be compared to the glory that awaits us. And that will begin to be seen here on the Earth during that millennial reign. Well, folks, to get a better understanding of the timeline of Revelation events that we're covering very Quickly, again, call 972-736-3567 or visit us at christinprophecy.org and request a copy of our End Times Bible Prophecy chart. It will give you a chronological visual display of all the things we're talking about. And I'm sure it will be a great blessing to you. We'll be right back.
- [15:58]
C
Swipe away the endless bad news and open up our Lamplighter Magazine to discover your blessed hope. Our bimonthly magazine sheds God's light on today's headlines through powerful articles written by men and women who love God and His Word. Find out what's really happening and how you can have hope in Christ. The Lamplighter magazine is available in print, email and downloadable formats. Request your copy when you go to
- [16:23]
B
christinprophecy.org well, welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. I'm Nathan Jones. I'm here with Tim Moore. And now we've come to one of the most sobering passages in all the scripture. Satan's final rebellion. And then it's the Great White Throne judgment and the transition to the eternal state. So, Tim, we've talked about Satan's final rebellion. We had all those people who have chosen to follow him attempt to overthrow Jesus. What happens when that army reaches Jerusalem?
- [16:49]
A
Yes, so obviously Satan is going to be released at the end of a thousand years. And if it was you or me, Nathan, we might say, well, don't release him, because he'll just deceive the nations once again. But in God's plan, that will happen. And certainly he will deceive the nations. Those children, grandchildren, great great great grandchildren of the believers who entered the Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies. They may have been obeying all the rules under Christ's reign, but they weren't doing so from a heart attitude of believing in Christ. They were just doing so almost through clenched teeth, you might say. So as they are given the opportunity to rebel, they will. And the question is, why would people follow Satan and follow his deceptions? It's because sin is deep in the human heart. And I think God demonstrates once and for all that it is not our nurturing, because we will live and the entire world will exist in perfect harmony. But given the opportunity for rebellion, because sin is in our heart, it's part of our very nature, people will rebel. And again, that rebellion will be put down very quick as the Lord just with a word speaks and destroys all those who have rebelled against him. And now finally, According to Revelation 20:10, the devil himself will be thrown into the lake of fire and burimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also. And they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. And so, Nathan, we would not wish this fate on anyone. Of course, we don't want anyone to go through the Tribulation. So our urgency is to say, accept the Lord's offer of salvation today so that his wrath does not abide on you.
- [18:22]
B
Yeah, big picture view, folks. The Lord wants to fill heaven with people who choose to be with him. Those in their earthly bodies. We've got free will. And even the children of the Tribulation saints during the Millennial Kingdom can choose Jesus or not. Satan's released because he's a lightning rod. He gives them a choice. And Lord just sends down fire and incinerates them. Why? Because there's no war during the Millennial Kingdom, so there's really no battle to come. This is where, folks, then we get to the next. This is the end of the Millennial Kingdom and we are ready to get into a new phase. Chapter 20 of Revelation verses 11 through 15 called the Great White Throne Judgment. Tim, what is the Great White Throne Judgment?
- [18:58]
A
Well, we talked about the Bema seat judgment where the Lord judged, or gave as you call it, a report card for the saints awarding those who trust in Christ for their righteous deeds. You can imagine crowns and other things being given a new name, all sorts of accolades during our seven year period and there in heaven. But now at the Great White Throne Judgment, the living and dead are brought before the Lord and judged according to their works. And anyone who has not trusted in Christ is guilty because all of our even supposed righteous works are like filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. Nothing comes close to his holiness, his righteousness, and so none will be found blameless who stands before him uncovered by the blood of Christ. And so everyone who is found guilty by virtue of only having works, essentially the Bible says their name has not been written into the book of life, will be thrown into the lake of fire.
- [19:54]
B
Folks, this isn't a judgment for believers. This is a judgment for everyone throughout history who's rejected Jesus Christ and his salvation. Only those who've been confined to a place the Bible calls torments or Hades are awaiting this resurrection to the Great White Throne where they will be judged. They're missing out of the Lamb's Book of Life. If your name is in the Lamb's Book of Life, it means you're saved. And the Bible says they will all be cast into the lake of fire. And that's when Jesus will hand over all authority to His Father. Sin has been defeated. He's even going to throw death and Hades into the lake of fire that his victory might be all in all. And that's when he ushers in chapter 21 one that the new heavens, the new earth and a new Jerusalem. Tim says, I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth have passed away. Praise God.
- [20:44]
A
Praise God. Exactly. So this earth that has been so corrupted and yet the Lord loves His creation. And so we believe that he is going to reform the earth and the heavens that surround it into even greater glory than they are right now. There will be a new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven. And, and given the dimensions of the new Jerusalem that is described there in Revelation 21, it is likely that the earth itself will be much larger than it currently is in order to contain this large, beautiful city of Jerusalem. And so yes, the Lord says in verse four that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. And I love how it says there in Revelation verse 5 as well. Write he who sits on the throne saying, behold, I am making all things new. And write, for these words are faithful and true. He is making all things new. But here again, Nathan, we don't have to wait. If we put our trust in Christ Jesus right now, he has promised to make us new, to give us a new heart and give us a whole new lease on life and literally eternal life with him.
- [21:51]
B
And that's why the Bible ends in chapter 22, where not once or twice, but three times Jesus promises, yes, I am coming. He is coming, folks. Well, we have covered the full Sweep of Revelation 20:22, from Satan's Binding to the lake of fire, from the millennial kingdom to the new Jerusalem. And it all comes back to John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Folks, there's only two eternal destinies. And that's why in this life, we must make a decision for Christ. Stay with us. Tim's going to return with a final word of encouragement.
- [22:29]
C
Recently, a listener named Jim contacted Christ in Prophecy to say, whenever I feel discouraged, your ministry reminds me of the temporary nature of it all and the eternal promises that await us. Thank you for blessing us for so many years. We want to hear from you. Let us know how understanding Bible prophecy has shaped your faith by sharing your story@christinprophecy.org contact
- [22:56]
A
every time I stand at the Mount of Olives and look out over Jerusalem, I can't help but think this is where it all comes together. Not in some distant, abstract way, but right here on real ground, in a real city where a real king is coming back to reign. What we've walked through today isn't the stuff of storybooks. These are promises from a God who has staked his own name on on keeping every single one of them. A kingdom where Jesus sits on the throne of his father David, just as Gabriel told a young Jewish girl named Mary he would A world transformed where the wolf lies down with the lamb, where children play without fear, where righteousness flows like a river through the land. Every time I read Isaiah's description of the millennial kingdom, something in my spirit leaps. And this is what we were made for. But even in that glorious age, the human heart will be exposed when Satan is released. After a thousand years, multitudes will choose rebellion, proving once and for all that sin isn't the product of a bad environment. It's the condition of every human heart that hasn't been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. And that is why the Great White Throne judgment is both righteous and necessary. God isn't arbitrary. He is just. Every person who stands before that throne will have had the opportunity to receive his grace. But the story doesn't end in judgment. It ends in hope. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will no longer be any death. God Himself dwelling among his people forever. No more sorrow, no more separation. Just his presence, unbroken and unending. If you're listening today and you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, don't let another moment pass. The God who will fulfill every one of these promises is extending his hand to you right now. Revelation closes with Jesus saying, yes, I am coming quickly. And the church responds, amen. Come, Lord Jesus. May that be our cry, yours and mine, today and every day until he comes. Maranatha and Godspeed.