Opener:
Well Good morning church! It is so nice to be back, and it is nice to see everyone here today! I trust you have had an awesome week! Today, we are concluding our end time series and talking about the millennium and the new heaven and earth. Before we get into that, lets recap of the last number of weeks.
The first week of our study, we talked about Matthew 24 and all the events that Jesus shared with His disciples about what the beginning of the end times will look like. We talked about all the challenges that we are facing globally and how we are truly living in biblical times and we are on the brink of the end times starting.
The following week, we talked about the Rapture of the church. We talked about the various theories out there. We talked about the pre-tribulation, mid- tribulation, and post- tribulation. I shared my thoughts on these events.
Today, I am concluding our sermon series. We are talking about the Millennium and the new heaven and the new earth. There is an encouragement in Revelation 1:3 NKJV that I would like to share with you: 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
So as a recap of our timeline, we are currently in what we call the church age. The next thing will be the rapture of the church, after the rapture, the believers will be judged at the Judgment seat of Christ. Our works will be tested and we will be rewarded. After this we will enter into the marriage supper of the lamb and enjoy a 7 year feast. After the tribulation period, Jesus will return to the earth with His saints and we will rule and reign with Him for one thousand years. That brings us to what we are talking about today, that thousand years called the Millennium. After the thousand years, then final judgment will take place that those that rejected Jesus will be thrown into the lake of fire. God will then create a new heaven and a new earth . Then we will forever live with the Lord. The bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:8 NKJV8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Tech team: End time Chart
We passed out a chart last week, here is that chart again to take a look at. So looking at this like a week from a heavenly timeline. Day one was when God created Adam in the garden. Moses received the law which gave us instructions on how to live which marked day 2 or two thousand years. Then the Messiah came and He ushered in the church age. After this comes the rapture which is day six and then the millennium which is the Sabbath or the day of rest.
I. Return of Christ
A. The return
a. Now that we have a good handle on the timeline of the events, we can look at the return of Jesus at the end of the tribulation.
b. Before He returns, the nations of the world we all be gathered near Jerusalem for the war called Armageddon.
c. This war was prophesied in the book of Zechariah 14:1-2 NKJV 14 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
d. The antichrist is has gathered the world to battle and something unexpected will happen. An invasion from heaven will take place. Hallelujah!
B. Open heaven
a. The heavens will open up like a portal from the unknown and Jesus Christ will be leading the charge not on a donkey but as a conquering king on a white horse.
b. His eyes will be like a flame of fire and He will be wearing His crown.
c. The church will be following Jesus, all dressed in pure white linens and riding on white horses.
d. Then this will happen: Revelation 19:19-21 NKJV - 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
e. Not only does Jesus take out all the leaders of the world and their armies, he captures the beast and false prophet and throws them alive into the lake of fire.
f. It is at this point that all unbelievers are purged and the Millennium then starts.
II. The Millennium
A. Preparation
a. During the tribulation and when the seals are opened we see a tremendous amount of destruction that occurs here on the earth.
b. We see the sea life that dies off, a third of the earth being burned and the drinking water damages.
c. A prophecy that Isaiah shares in Isaiah 51:3 NKJV - 3 For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
d. In one fell swoop, the earth will be restored back to what it was in the garden of Eden. How cool is that!
e. The earth will be what you could say born again, it will be restored to its proper health and balance.
B. Nations judged
a. Right after the Millennium starts, the judgment of the nations will occur.
b. Turn your bibles with me to Matthew 25:32-36 NKJV -32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
c. So here Jesus is talking about the gentiles being judged.
C. Sheep and goats
a. So all these gentiles from every single time period will be judged.
b. They are broken up into two categories: those from sheep nations and those from a goat nation.
c. The sheep nations are the ones described on the right, those that supported and cared from Israel.
d. The goat nations are those that persecuted or neglected the people.
e. So every nation will need to give an account on how well they treated the Jewish people.
f. The bible says in Genesis 12:3 NKJV 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
g. Those nations that blessed Israel will be blessed and those that are not will be cursed.
D. Thousand year rest
a. So after the judgment of the nations, the millennium starts.
b. The earth will enter into a thousand year Sabbath after the six thousand years of hard work.
c. Israel will possess all the land promised to Abraham and the desert will become plain. The dead sea will burst into life.
d. A thousand year rest, peace throughout the world, no more cancer, no more disease, everyone in perfect health.
E. Preparing us for eternity
a. The millennium is a time that will prepare us for eternity. Satan will be bound and have no power.
b. Jesus will rule from Jerusalem and the church will be right there by His side.
c. The world be a joyous place, a place where holiness will rule and justice will prevail. There will be a freedom from disease.
d. Even with all this freedom, mans fallen nature will be around. The believers that survived the tribulation will have children,grandchildren. Millions of babies will be born during the Milennium, and they will be living in a perfect world yet prone toward sin.
e. Revelation 19 tells us that Jesus will rule the earth with a rod of iron. Sin will still be around and dealt with sternly.
f. The Millenium shows us that even with Satan locked away, without Christ redemption would not be possible.
III. The final conflict
A. The end of Millennium
a. At the end of the millennium we see that Satan will be let loose one last time from prison.
b. The bible tells us in Revelation 20:7-8 NKJV -7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
c. Even living in a perfect world, what will cause people to follow Satan?
d. It is their sinful nature that will pull them away from Christ.
B. Adam and Eve
a. Adam and eve lived in a perfect environment. Everything was absolutely pristine and yet somehow satan was able to creep into their minds.
b. He was able to temp them into falling into sin.
c. After satan is released, there will be those born during the millennium that will follow him.
d. Satan will gather his army together and try to once again otherthrow God.
e. Once again, he will be defeated! Hallelujiah!
f. The bible says in Revelation 20:9-10\ NKJV - They went up on the breadth 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. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where[a] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
C. End of time
a. After all of this, the end of time occurs and the beginning of eternity.
b. Before eternity though, there is one last thing that takes place and that is the great white throne judgment.
c. So up until this point in time, there have already been six judgments.
i. The bride of Christ was judged and rewarded right after the rapture.
ii. Believers who died during the tribulation were raised from the dead and rewarded at the end of the tribulation.
iii. Old Testament believers were resurrected and rewarded at the second coming.
iv. The Jewish people that survived the tribulation were judged at the second coming.
v. The sheep and goat nations were judged.
vi. Satan and all his fallen angels at the end of the millennium.
D. The unbeliever
a. There is one group of people that have yet to be judged.
b. All the unbelievers throughout history will receive their final judgment.
c. This is judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15 NKJV 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before [a]God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second [b]death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
d. So to be clear, the Great White throne judgment is not for believers. It is here where all the unbelievers will receive their final sentence.
e. They will be thrown into the lake of fire forever. He will also throw, death and the grave into the fire as well.
f. 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 NKJV says: 5 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
g. This is the last and final judgement and now eternity will commence and there will be no end to that.
IV. Eternity
A. New heaven and earth
a. When John got a vision of this event he was no doubt shocked what he saw. He did his best to describe this in the book of Revelation 21:1-4 NKJ V- 21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
b. This is exactly what we have to look forward to church. How exciting is that? This is our hope and our dream.
c. Every tear will be wiped away for some of us we have shed a lot of tears, all our sorrow and pain gone in a moment. Hallelujiah!
d. While the millennium will be really awesome, eternity will be even better yet.
B. Playing harps?
a. If you take a poll of believers, some will say that in eternity, they will be sitting around plucking on a harp all day long.
b. I do not belive that to be the case at all. While we can’t possible comprehend all that God has for us in our finite minds.
c. We can surmise from the Scripture what it will be like.
C. Heavenly visions
a. Heaven is a place that is full of praise. In fact, when Charity mom passed away and went to heave she described it to me. One of the things that she describe d was the worship and this worship, this praise was like you could feel and see the notes go right through you.
b. There will be no unhappy faces, everyone will be all smiles all the time.
c. The goodness of God will be prevelant and everyone will have that mindset.
d. We will know each other and talk to each other. We will see those that went before us friends, family, we will see the apostles, Moses, the old testament prophets.
D. Service
a. Heaven will be place that we serve others and not one person will grip about it.
b. We will be all trying to do good and serve one another.
c. We will learn new things and explore the different places of heaven.
d. The understanding of our minds will be open and we will fully understand the mysterious of God.
E. Mansion
a. There will be a mansion waiting for you there.
b. You will live in this mansion that Jesus prepared for you.
c. You will walk on the streets of gold.
d. We will serve the Lord and be with Him forever and ever.
Closing:
As we close up today and this series, I trust that it has impacted your life as it has mine. The time period that is right in front of us is going to be awesome. We have a lot to look forward to church! We get to rule and reign with Christ. We get to come back to earth with Jesus and defeat the devil for good. We get to spend an eternity praising and worshipping our God! We will have all eternity to spend with each other and serve each other.
