We continue our study of the “End Times” according to God’s Schedule. Let us remind ourselves of God’s Schedule. We are currently living in the age of Grace (The Church Age of Jesus Christ), after this Age, the Tribulation Age of 7 years will happen to judge Israel and the Whole World, then after the Tribulation, The Millennial Kingdom will occur, then as we will note today, there will be a final judgment by Jesus Christ before the new heaven and the new earth, the Holy Eternal State with God!
Now, why does God give us a glimpse of the future? God reveals the future for us, so that we will:
• know that God is in total control (we can trul rest in God!)
• not be surprised with what’s going to happen (we can be ready for God!)
• study the Word of God (God desires for us to hear Him daily!)
• know how to live since we know the future (we are to live God’s way)
• tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (we are instruments for God and people need to be saved)
• know God is love!
Why should people be ready for God? Remember, anyone can die at any moment and face the judgment of God! The “Rapture” can happen at anytime when Jesus appears in the clouds and instantly takes Christians up to heaven and leaves behind on earth unbelievers who will face trials and sufferings on earth! Are you ready? Believe in Jesus Christ as your only God and Savior if you have never done so before it is too late!
Let us learn from God about the final judgment of people and the earth; open your Bibles to Revelation 20…. Read along with me Revelation 20:7-15…..
Take a look back with me to v1-3 of Revelation 20….
V1-3: God locked up satan for 1000 years so that he could not deceive anyone in the world. Think about that for a moment, for 1000 years, there will be a relationship with Jesus Christ and people without the influences of evil!
But what do we note in v7-9?
- Satan was released and deceived the nations of the world again!
- There were so many who followed satan again to war against God again! How can this be??? Let’s think about this…
While satan was locked up for a 1000 years, Jesus reigned on earth and the people on earth at the start of the Millennial Kingdom were Believers of Christ! And so, apparently, those Christians populated the earth for 1000 years and when satan called people at the end of that Millennial period, many people allowed their wicked hearts to be deceived to go against God who they just experienced!
What does this tell us? Remember Romans 3:23? Every person sins even after walking with Jesus Christ on earth! Every person must grasp the free gift of grace of God through Jesus Christ to be saved! Every person born on earth are stained with sin.
- God destroyed all who went against Him with fire from heaven (now does this mean God had no love for them? Let’s talk about this in our applications later)
V10: God finally judged the devil and threw him to hell forever, eternally separated from God and God’s people!
V11-15: The Great White Throne of Jesus Christ!
- There were no longer earth and sky (only Jesus seated on a Throne was hanging in space)
- Everyone who was “dead” stood to be judged by Jesus; who are the “dead” people? We can note that all Believers of Jesus Christ are resurrected to be with God forever! The dead people judged in finality are people who lived on earth but refused the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!
What should all of this mean to us today? Let us remind ourselves again why does God give us a glimpse of the future? God reveals the future for us, so that we will:
• know that God is in total control
• not be surprised with what’s going to happen (we can be ready for God!)
• study the Word of God (God desires for us to hear Him daily!)
• know how to live since we know the future
• tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• know God is love!
And based on the Great white Throne of Jesus Christ: God will end all unrighteousness once and for all and establish the Holy Eternal Age with All Believers of Christ! And so, this is what will happen to this earth and all the people who ever lived on earth!
We will discuss in more detail this Holy Eternal Age we will be in next week and perhaps for 2 weeks; God tells us a lot about our Perfect Eternal Home for us! Stay tuned! Hang in there! Heaven is real and will come soon for us!
Let me end with what I alluded to earlier about God’s love. In spite of all the tribulations and the final judgment, God is longsuffering, patiently offering to everyone the gift of salvation! Think about these loving truths about God for a moment; God didn’t have to:
- create anyone! The Triune God is self-sufficient! God created out of love!
- promise a Savior after the first people sinned!
- choose a People to reveal Himself! God loves and blesses Israel!
- repopulate the earth with Noah and his family!
- give all the Promises in the Old Testament!
- allow Jesus Christ to suffer and die!
- allow the Holy Spirit to live within a Christian!
- Offer the gift of salvation throughout the ages including the Tribulation Period and the Millennium! God always offers the Gospel of salvation till people die!
- Repopulate the earth again for a thousand years knowing that many will still go against Him in the end! God allowed creation of many more people during that thousand years to allow many to receive the blessings of eternal life!
And of course, there are so much more we can say about God’s love! How do you see this God? Do you truly believe and accept His amazing love for you?
Take a moment to quietly pray about God’s love and why He gave us a glimpse of the future, then we will worship with our Offerings; take a moment to quietly talk to God in worship and commitment…..
Benediction – Romans 8:28-39…..
