Revelation 20:1-10
The Thousand Years
1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Satan’s Doom
7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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Things to come
When Jesus comes again, believers will be judged and then enjoy eternity with God in Heaven. Unbelievers will also be judged and then spend eternity in Hell.
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Loretta Lynn
The book of Revelation is probably the most puzzling book of the Bible. For many people it holds the key to the future of the world. Others see it as a curiosity, a tale full of strange symbols and creatures. The truth is that Revelation is the final statement, closing argument and final scene of the Bible.
We need to listen carefully to the words of Revelation and hear the clock of time ticking, and the clock is definitely winding down. When the events described here are done, the clock will stop. Time will end, an unbroken eternity will stretch into the future.
In Genesis, the creation of heaven and earth are described.
In Revelation, the new heaven and earth are described.
In Genesis, God says “Let there be light.”
In Revelation, Jesus is the light of the new heaven.
In Genesis, sin is born.
In Revelation, sin is destroyed.
In Genesis, Satan makes his entrance.
In Revelation, Satan makes his exit.
In Genesis, death comes to mankind.
In Revelation, death dies.
The message of the bible in 4 points:
- God created you
- God loves you
- God sent Jesus to die for you.
- God is going to send Jesus again to bring believers back to Him.
Revelation 21:6 presents Jesus as the Beginning and the End:” “I am the Alpha and the Omega — the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the spings of the water of life without charge”
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So what happens next?
One of the most fascinating features of the Bible is that it is more than just a history book, it actually tells us what is ahead for our world and us. Both the Old and New Testaments speak of how the world we know will end and that God is working out His purposes until then.
“When the drama of history is over, Jesus Christ will stand alone upon the stage. All the great figures of history – Pharaoh, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Churchill, Stalin, Johnson, Mao Tse-tung – will realise they have been bit actors in a drama produced by Another” Helmut Thielicke
In the Old Testament the prophets looked forward to “the Day of the Lord” and to the intervention of God in reclaiming the world and bringing the resolution of evil. For those who worship God it will be a day of glorious hope; for those who serve evil and turn from god, final judgement will come.
The prophets envisioned a picture of security for God’s people – a time when nations would serve the God of Israel and a time when the law would be written on their hearts. The prophecies centred on the on the coming of the Messiah who would rule the world in righteousness.
There are two terms that are used to describe this coming Deliverer in the Old Testament prophecies. The first pictures the Messiah as the Suffering Servant. The second is the Reigning King.
The Coming Deliverer is
The Suffering Servant
Already meticulously fulfilled
Zechariah 9:9
The Reigning King
“He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea.”
Zechariah 9:10
The Suffering Servant
In Isaiah 53 there is a list of fifteen specific details that were fulfilled exactly in the death of Jesus. Verses 3-12 speak of His suffering, rejection by His people, silence before His accusers, taking our sins on Himself, being treated unjustly, burial with rich people, and His resurrection from the dead. The coming of Christ in Bethlehem as the Suffering Servant, answered the hope of God’s people for a Messiah who brings forgiveness and redemption for his people. Through the cross and the resurrection, Satan has been judicially conquered so that “by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil” Hebrews 2:14.
The Reigning King
At the second coming of Christ, He will come as the Reigning King: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase in his government and peace there will be no end” Isaiah 9:6-7.
The rule of God in Christ
The prophets used both terms, the Suffering Servant and the Reigning King. They “searched intently and with the greatest care” the details of the Redeemer’s coming without fully comprehending how and when their prophecies would be fulfilled (1 Peter 1:10-12).
Zechariah most explicitly wrote of both aspects, saying the King would arrive: “righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey… He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” Zechariah 9:9-10.
Jesus is coming
The glorious and incontestable fact that Jesus is coming the second time is the Christian’s firm hope; but, the revealed details take some though and study. Jesus’ own description of His second coming cannot be surpassed. “I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3).
“Immediately after the distress of those days… the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky… They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory” Matthew 24:29-30.
At His ascension into Heaven while the disciples stared heavenward, two men dressed in white stood beside them and said: “Men of Galilee… why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” Acts 1:10-11.
Paul also emphasised it: “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first”
1 Thessalonians 4:16).
The second coming of Christ is the great expectation of the church. As Christians we should, with Paul, love to look for “that blessed [and] glorious hope appearing of our great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ” Titus 2:13.
The return of Jesus is an incentive for holy living: “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming” 1 John 2:28.
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” 1 John 3:3.
Neither the prophets or the apostles mention the return of Christ for speculative purposes but always as a motive for practical daily holiness.
We could summarise this doctrine with Peter’s words “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” 2 Peter 3:11.
The Tribulation and the Antichrist
The New Testament writers list some events that will occur prior to the second coming of Jesus and often emphasise that the second coming is imminent. Jesus gave us a preview of some of these “end times” in His words on the Mount of Olives (see Matthew 24; Mark 13 & Luke 21).
The Tribulation is one inevitable event that will precede the second coming of Jesus (Revelation 7:14). Satan’s longtime and persistent opposition to God’s work will accelerate to a new extreme and be seen by all.
At this time will be the appearance of a being called the “Antichrist”, heightening opposition to God and Jesus. Before this person appears, the “spirit of the antichrist” will be seen. In fact, his presence was already noted in apostolic times: “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour” 1 John 2:18.
Of this antichrist John asked, “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son” 1 John 2:22.
Though there is a considerable difference of opinion among Bible scholars, some feel that the descriptions given in Daniel 11:37 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 refer to this same Antichrist.
These verses along with the description of “the beast” in Revelation 13:3,13,16-17, present several striking similarities.
“He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”
Daniel 11:37
“He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4
“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3
“And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.” Revelation 13:13
“He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17
Satan will empower the Antichrist to act supernaturally with a view to deceiving and persuading. He may act as an ecclesiastical leader, manipulate religion for his own ends and claim the worship due God. He will also demand political allegiance and exercise economic pressure to force compliance (Revelation 13:16-17).
Those who try to oppose him will face trouble so great that unless God shortened the days no one would survive: “For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24:21-22.
Three different views
Biblical scholars give three different views concerning whether believers will go through the final great tribulation or be taken to be with Christ before it occurs.
The pretribulation view.
Christ will return for His church before the great tribulation, allowing believers to escape the worst horror. Now called “the Rapture,” this view cites Revelation 7:14 “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation.”
This tribulation appears to coincide with the seventieth “seven” mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy:“He [the prince that is to come, or antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” Daniel 9:27
By comparing the prophecy recorded in Daniel 9 with parallel passages, these ‘sevens’ are interpreted as seven years, not seven days. The tribulation will be a literal seven-year period ruled by the Antichrist, just before his final defeat by Jesus.
The midtribulation view.
The rapture will take place in the middle of the seventieth “seven”, three and a half years after its beginning.
The post-tribulation view.
This interprets Jesus coming for his saints and his revelation (coming with his saints) as one and the same event, occurring just after the tribulation.
Is anything yet to happen before Christ Returns?
People holding a pretribulation view feel that there is nothing to prevent the Rapture from happening at “any moment”. This “perhaps today” awareness encourages many Christians to live each day in the light of the imminent return of Jesus.
Most who hold a midtribulation or post-tribulation conviction believe that certain events (primarily the tribulation, or the first half of it) must take place before Christ comes again to earth.
Despite the differing views, each of us Christians can assuredly look forward to the indescribable glory and deliverance that will be ours when he comes. This is our “blessed hope” – to see Jesus Christ come back as the disciples saw Him go into heaven.
The Millennium
What about the period of a thousand years foretold in Scripture?
Specifically by John in Revelation 20:1-10. This period of time has three distinct stages:
The first stage beginning with verses 1-4 and Jesus reigning in peace. Satan is bound and can no longer deceive people for this thousand-year period. It is an idyllic millennium. Premillennialists believe Christ will come to reign for a literal thousand years on earth. Finally, Satan will be bound and can no longer deceive the nations. The Millennium, then, is an extension and visible expression of Christ’s reigning in the hearts of His people on earth and in heaven. Some see it as a fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel, involving the restoration of the Jews to their homeland as a nation and the reestablishment of a literal throne, king, temple and sacrificial system.
The second stage Johns shows us is in Revelation 20:4-6. During this time, the martyrs “who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God…came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4.
The third stage is depicted in Revelation 20:7-10 is at the end of the thousand years. Satan is released and, with his cohorts, seeks to organise the nations against God. But quickly he and those with him are summarily overcome by God and thrown into the lake of fire for eternal torment.
Amillennialists believe the idea of a literal Millennium can not be in harmony with the whole of biblical eschatology (theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind). They view the Millennium as only a symbol of the ideal church, not a literal reign. The Millennium will be a visible expression of Christ’s reign in the hearts of His people or the fulfilment of god’s promises to Israel, involving the restoration of the Jews to their homeland.
Postmillennialists see the influence of the Gospel as an increasing force for good that eventually leads to righteousness and peace on earth. They claim that the missionary task of the church includes the ultimate Christianisation of society.
Whatever points of view expositors take on the tribulation, the Rapture and the Millennium, all agree on the great, glorious and incontestable truth that Jesus is coming again.
Resurrection: Believers and Unbelievers
Extraordinary and momentous events will take place at the second coming of Jesus. The resurrection of the believing dead will occur, and believers who are still alive will be changed and “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The resurrection of the dead is emphasised in the New Testament, and also taught throughout the Bible. Job said: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after all my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another” Job 19:25-27.
King David anticipated this resurrection: “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” Psalm 16:9-10.
Daniel mentions it: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3.
Jesus taught it repeatedly and emphasised that it will include all people: “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:28-29.
That the resurrection is a physical rather than a merely spiritual event is evidenced by the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:44) and by that of Jesus himself (Luke 24:39).
The resurrection of the body is part of our total redemption (Romans 8:23). The Apostle Paul refers to our resurrection bodies as “clothes with our heavenly dwelling” or “an eternal house” not built by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:2,4).
Our resurrection bodies will not be identical to the ones we have now, but they will be closely related to them.
The disciples for example recognised Jesus by the scars in His hands and side (John 20:27).
Believers will be resurrected at the coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This will be the first resurrection “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.’” John 5:28-29.
The Apostle Paul wrote “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11.
It is literally the resurrection “out of the dead” – the righteous will be raised from among the wicked.
There is an indication of a time lapse between the resurrection of believers to glory and the resurrection of unbelievers to judgement. Though we cannot be exact about the length of this interval, at least a thousand years will separate the two resurrections (see Revelation 20:4-6).
Where are the dead before the Resurrection?
What about the condition of the dead believers before they are resurrected?
Some have inferred that the soul is without a body and that believers are in a condition of conscious joy. Others note that God is timeless and therefore to be present with God is to outside of time, as we know it. Regardless, Paul was willing “to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:8. He said, referring to death, that he preferred “to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” Philippians 1:23. Dead believers are at rest: “Blessed are the dead who are in the Lord… They will rest from their labour” Revelation 14:13.
The Bible affirms the conscious existence of both the wicked and the righteous after death and before their resurrections but give few details. Unbelievers, however, await the resurrection in a state of suffering (see Luke 16:24).
Death is frequently described in the Bible as sleep. In the Old Testament the term sleep is applied to all the dead, but in the New Testament it mostly applies to the righteous dead.
Paul used the word only of believers. This term does not apply to the soul or spirit; it does not imply total unconsciousness with reference to earthly life, for which consciousness of the body is necessary. The dead are “asleep” as far as this world is concerned, but this in no way implies that they are asleep or unconscious to the other world or that their spirits are totally unconscious.
The consciousness of the unrighteous dead is also clearly taught, they are in prison (1 Peter 3:19), which would be unnecessary if they were unconscious. The story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), shows that the unrighteous dead experience conscious suffering and punishment.
What about Purgatory?
The passages cited regarding what happens to people after they die provide no evidence of Purgatory. The Bible is clear that a person dies either as one who has been redeemed or as one who is under judgement. After death there is no passing over from one condition to the other. Final judgement or redemption simply settles what has already begun at the time of death.
The Bible says more about the condition of the dead than about their location. In the Old Testament the souls of all the dead are spoken of as going to sheol, which is translated “grave”, “hell” or “pit”. “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” Psalm 16:10.
Sheol is a place of sorrow. King David said “The snares of death [sheol] confronted me” 2 Samuel 22:6.
Hades, translated as “hell” and “grave” is the New Testament equivalent of sheol. Other New Testament terms for the intermediate state include paradise (Luke 23:43) and Abraham’s side (Luke 16:22).
What are the Judgements?
The intermediate state will be succeeded at last by the final judgement, toward which all history is heading. God is the Ruler of all, the Lawgiver and the final Judge. Sometimes the Bible mentions God the Father as judge: “God, the judge of all” (Hebrews 12:23); and sometimes it mentions Christ as judge: “Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead” 2 Timothy 4:1. The relationship of the Father and Son in judgement is made clear:
“He [God the Father] has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man [Christ] He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead” Acts 17:31.
God is judging people and nations continually, but there will be a final judgement that all previous judgements foreshadow. It will be an extension of past and present judgements. An unbeliever “stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” John 3:18.
The purpose of final judgement will not be to ascertain the quality of an individual’s character but rather to disclose his character and to assign him to the eternal place corresponding to what he is because of his trust or lack of trust in God.
Several future judgements are mentioned in the Bible. The judgements of the living nations (Matthew 25:31-46), according to premillennialists, will take place at the return of Christ and His saints. It will lead to the setting up of the millennial kingdom. Believers will be judged, but not with unbelievers: “We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10.
Why are believers judged?
The judgement does not decide a believer’s salvation, but it appraises his works. A Christian, in this judgement, can suffer loss of reward.
“This is a judgement, not for destiny, but for adjustment, for reward or loss, according to our works, for position in the kingdom – every man according as his work shall be” William Evans in The Great Doctrines of the Bible.
What about the judgement of Satan?
The final judgement of Satan will occur just before that of the great white throne: “The devil, who deceived men (and women), was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur” Revelation 20:10. Presumably Satan’s demons will be judged at the same time, for Jesus spoke of “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Matthew 25:41.
What about Hell?
The Bible is clear that the final destiny of the wicked is Hell. This terrible place is described in various ways. It is a place or state of everlasting fire (Mark 9:43, Matthew 25:41). It is spoken of as a lake of burning sulphur (Revelation 20:10).
Hell is conceived as a place of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12). It is described as a place of eternal torment and punishment (Revelation 14:10-11). If figurative language is involved, it is obviously symbolic of something so awful no one in their right mind could be indifferent to avoiding it. One of the books on Systematic Theology describes Hell this way: “The loss of all good, whether physical or spiritual, and the misery of an evil conscience banished from God and the society of the holy and dwelling under God’s positive curse forever.” A.H. Strong.
Nowhere in the Bible is there any trace of the idea that Hell is a kind of debauched club, absence from which would cause us to miss our friends – this is a lie that Satan perpetrates to blind us to the true nature of Hell. Hell is the “blackest darkness… forever” (Jude 13) – utter aloneness.
The writer C.S. Lewis defined one of the most awful aspects of hell as “nothing but yourself for all eternity”.
There is no biblical evidence for believing in the final restoration of the lost or in universal salvation of all people. Perhaps the clearest disproof of these notions, as well as of final annihilation, is the fact that the same word, eternal, is used to describe both punishment and life: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” Matthew 25:46.
Everlasting life and everlasting punishment?
However we may try to qualify the word so that it means, “age-long” rather than “everlasting”, we must apply the same qualification to the destinies of the righteous and the wicked.
We cannot consistently deny eternal punishment without also denying eternal life. And “eternal life” is everlasting life. Eternal certainly means “everlasting” when it is applied to God. Why should it mean anything else when it modifies “punishment”?
What is the worst thing about Hell?
God in His love has done everything necessary to redeem mankind. His justice requires that He punish sin, but His love provides salvation freely for all who accept it. Those in Hell are there because they refused or ignored God’s love; they are there solely responsible for their condition. The realisation of this truth will surely be one of the most painful experiences of Hell.
What about Heaven?
The final destination of the righteous is Heaven. Heaven is most simply defined as where God is. It is a place of rest (Hebrews 4:9), of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17) of purity (Revelation 21:27), of worship (Revelation 19:1), of fellowship with others (Hebrews 12:23_ and of being with God (Revelation 21:3). “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” Revelation 21:4.
Crowns in Heaven?
The believer may receive one or more crowns the crown of life (James 1:12), the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4) and the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). Those who have been won for Christ through our witness become our crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Through all of this, the centre of Heaven will be God Himself, the Lord of Heaven. Those around His throne are pictured as being in such awe that they cast their crowns before Him and say, “You are worthy, our Lord and god” (Revelation 4:11).
Not the same old, same old!
Everything in Heaven will be new: “The earth and everything in it will be laid bare… But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” 2 Peter 3:10,13.
John reports: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” Revelation 21:1-2.
God’s kingdom will be established when “at the name of Jesus every knee should [shall] bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:10-11.
The kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our Lord, and He shall reign forever and ever – His will done on earth as it is done in Heaven. Imagine this sight: “[I saw] someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet… His head and hair were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters” Revelation 1:13-15.
Hope for the future?
Our hope for the future is to see with our resurrection eyes the Lord Jesus Christ, a sight that outstrips our human comprehension.
Heaven could never be the boring experience of strumming a harp on a cloud as some so wrongly imagine it.
Heaven will be the most dynamic, expanding, exhilarating experience conceivable. Our problem now is that, with our finite minds minds, we cannot imagine it. In the words of a classic hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton:
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun”
Jesus is our hope. Because of what Jesus did in the past, we can live in the present in His power, and we can know that we have a future with Jesus in Heaven.
The promise that requires our action.
Heaven will be the perfection that we have longed for. If Jesus came back today, as a believer you have a promise of a place with Him in Heaven.
Do you have a friend or family member who needs to hear about God’s gift of salvation and the promise of eternity in Heaven? Ask the Lord to provide you with the opportunity to share the truth with this person.
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Discussion questions:
Can you explain this statement: “Both the Old and New Testaments contend that history is moving to a climax and the sovereign God is in control”
How is the fact that Christ is coming again an incentive for holy living?
Do you believe that Jesus could come in your lifetime? In what way might that change the way you live?
How would you explain the tribulation and the Rapture?
Can you define and explain the following terms: Pretribulation / Midtribulation / Post-tribulation?
What is the difference between premillennialsim, amillennialism and postmillennialism?
What happens to believers’ bodies when they are resurrected?
What happens to dead believers before they are resurrected?
What happens to dead unbelievers before they are resurrected?
How will the judgement of believers differ from the judgement of unbelievers?
Can you describe Heaven and what will happen to believers there?
Can you describe Hell and what will happen to unbelievers there?
How should the reality of Heaven and Hell encourage you to witness to unbelievers?
Imagine that your best friend, who does not believe in Heaven or Hell, is going to die tomorrow, and only you know it. How do you convince your friend that Hell is real, that Heaven is an option, and that the choice is up to him or her?
