End Times The Resurrection of Damnation & Great White Throne Judgment

In our last post we looked at many of the dramatic changes that will take place on earth during the Kingdom Age when Jesus Christ reigns and rules. We noted that lifespans will increase and that childhood will last for about 100 years. 

Who are these people and where will the people come from when Satan is let out to deceive the nations one final time? Why will God allow this to happen? I hope to answer these questions today.

There will be many Jews and some Gentiles who will survive the great tribulation period and will enter the kingdom age on earth in their natural bodies. They will marry and produce children. Isaiah gave us a vivid picture of Jerusalem being repopulated as we noted in our last couple of posts. 

The knowledge of the LORD will flood the earth but the people in the kingdom age in their natural bodies will also need to be regenerated. Remember, there will be kingdom judges who adjudicate disputes between people and Christ will smite the wicked during His kingdom. These things indicate that at least a portion of people living in the kingdom are not born again.

Satan's Final Rebellion

Revelation 20:7-10  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10)  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

I think the best way to understand the next sequence of events is to view the 1,000 year kingdom as the final test of mankind. Most would call this the dispensation of the kingdom.

The word "dispensation" is used to describe or classify probationary periods when God tests man. 

The first test is called the Dispensation of Innocence. God tested Adam and Eve by placing them in a sinless environment where they communed with him on a daily basis. 

This dispensation covers the time from the creation of man to the fall of man (Genesis 1:28-30 and 2:15-17).  Adam and Eve were given one command to obey: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed this rule, and were expelled from the garden as punishment, ending the dispensation of innocence.

The 2nd dispensation is called the Dispensation of Conscience, a time when man was left to rule himself by his own will and conscience, both of which had been tainted by sin. It was a disaster, and ended in disaster—the worldwide flood (Genesis 3:8—8:22). 

During this dispensation, man became so wicked that "every intention of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually" and God regretted making man and was "grieved to his heart" (Genesis 6:5-6). God chose to end humanity with a flood and begin again with Noah and his family (Genesis 6:11-18).

The 3rd dispensation of human government began after the flood.  God promised not to curse the earth again, and never to flood it again. He commanded Noah and his sons to repopulate the world and spread across the earth. God established capital punishment (Genesis 8:1-9:7). 

Noah's descendants failed to "fill the earth" as commanded, and instead worked together to create false religion by building the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). God countered by confusing their languages, creating different nations and cultures that later spread to different areas. This was the beginning of human government that lasted until the promises given to Abraham.

The 4th dispensation of promise began with the call of Abraham. The call of Abraham, the lives of the patriarchs, and the enslavement of the Jewish people to Egypt are part of the dispensation of promise. Abraham's descendants waited for the promise that God would make Abraham's descendants a great nation and give them their own land (Genesis 12:1-7). 

This dispensation ended with the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Once they left Egypt they were officially a nation, led by God into the wilderness toward the Promised Land.

The 5th dispensation of law lasted almost 1,500 years, beginning with the Exodus and ending with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God gave the law as recorded in Exodus chapters 19-23. It outlined moral laws, ethical laws and ceremonial laws governing worship and sacrifices. 

The people of God repeatedly broke His commands, and fell into idolatry. A strict observance of the law was not as important to God as mercy and faithfulness (Hosea 6:6). The law was given to show the people that they needed to depend on God to save them, rather than trusting themselves, their own goodness, or other gods for salvation.  The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin. They were symbols looking forward to Jesus Christ, the only one whose blood could take away sin (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:3-10).

The 6th dispensation of grace started at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and continues today. It is the new covenant in Christ's blood (Luke 22:20). This is also called the "age of grace" or the "church age," and scholars believe that the entire dispensation—more than 2,000 years—occurs between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9:24. 

Atonement was provided on the cross, once for all, for any who would believe. Abraham's children are all those who have faith in Christ, including Gentiles (or non-Jews) (Hebrews 10:10, 14; Romans 5:1; Romans 3:29-30; Galatians 3:7, 29). During this dispensation the Holy Spirit of God indwells believers (John 14:16-26). The Church Age will end with the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10) 

The 7th dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom begins with the defeat of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3) and ushers in 1,000 years of peace with Christ reigning on the earth (Revelation 20:4). This is the fulfillment of many prophecies, declaring that Christ will return and be King. 

After the 1,000 years are ended, Satan will be released. People will follow him in a battle against God, and they will be defeated again (Revelation 20:7-10). There will be a final judgment of all people, great and small (Revelation 20:11-15). 

God rules on earth through His Son, King Jesus Christ. The Devil is bound up and unable to deceive people throughout the kingdom age. The world reverts back to its creation glory with Christ on the throne. 

Even with all of these good things, God will let Satan out one last time and he will quickly deceive the nations once again and he will have no problem finding lots of rebellious people. (God and Magog in this text is not the same as Ezekiel 38-39). 

This final battle will end as God sends fire and brimstone down from heaven to destroy all those involved.

God is a consuming Fire

Deuteronomy 9:3  Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

Hebrews 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

A massive army will surround the holy city and encompass the saints. There will be so many that the soldiers will be like the sand of the beaches in number. What happens next? Fire from heaven comes down and consumes them all in a moment. 

What will happen to Satan? He will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone forever. This is his fate and he cannot escape it. 

The Great White Throne Judgment

Revelation 20:11-15  And I saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

John tells us that the next event after Satan is cast into the lake of fire is something called the Great White throne judgment. This judgment is the judgment of damnation (John 5:29). This judgment describes what awaits all people who die without accepting God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

God will open up His books and those whose names are not written in the book of life will be judged according to their works. All their works are recorded in His books. Death and Hell will be cast into the lake of fire along with every person not found written in the book of life.

Thoughts to Ponder...

We have reached the end of the End Times and all of the judgments connected with them. Several new beginnings will commence shortly and we will have a look to see what our future home in heaven will be like.

For those who are born again and living for the glory of God please be a faithful witness to your families, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Share the gospel of Christ with them. You can use many of these posts to communicate truth with other people. We all need to see the lost people around us as God does, sheep without a Shepherd. 

God has given us His Word which is powerful, living truth that He uses to save souls and to call the wandering believers back to the straight and narrow path of righteousness. 

Please pray that the Spirit of God will instill a sense of urgency in our hearts about the shortness of time remaining, the importance of living for His glory and the need to witness for Christ.

Bob