Discuss Revelation 20 Page 3

Gigi.

You stated.

Yes, God will do this for Israel. ( We do not know exactly when He will do this, perhaps pre-tribulation or earlier or perhaps just after the tribulations starts. We just don't know. But dispensationalist have pigeon holed this into their system in ways that are not explicitly stated in Scripture as to when this will happen.

You seem to be unsure of your viewpoint but rebuke the dispensational viewpoint.

I said in my earlier posts it's after the tribulation and wrath of the Lord.

Here's one of many reasons why.

We know it's not before the Tribulation because the verses I mentioned.

Ezekiel 36:30. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, THAT YE SHALL RECEIVE NO MORE ( REPROACH ) OF FAMINE AMONG THE HEATHEN.

The Antichrist is going to bring REPROACH

AND AN IDOL! Ezekiel 36:25.

HERE'S WHERE ASSESSMENT GETS CONFUSING.

In your second statement you stated.

"

As far as Ezekiel,

This is a figurative prophecy of God regathering all of Israel (Both houses) by resurrecting them to life when Jesus returns after the Tribulation is over. Or perhaps figuratively re-establishing Israel to the land that they have long been away from...( AND WE DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT WILL BE (the second option.)

Now I know you say the Millennium is in heaven, but your second opinion you suggest the restoration of Israel is after the tribulation here on earth.

Do you separate the restoration of Israel from the Millennium?

Earlier in my replies I stated to you the Millennium is here on earth pointing you to Revelation 20:6-8.

What makes this dispensational is Jeremiah says God is going to do something in a NEW WAY. ( In terms of Knowledge and virteous practice.) Jeremiah 31:33-34.

That's what I believe. .

God bless.

Hello Skyler. According to Revelation 20:11-15, hell (in Greek, Hades: the abode of the departed spirits), will not last forever. In that very last day when all are judged by God (at the Great White Throne judgement), all those who have died & not found written in the Book of Life, would be found guilty before God & cast into the Lake of Fire. Not only them, but "death & hell" as well, as there would no longer be any need for them, since sin will be no more as Satan himself will be consigned to that fiery Lake (v20) & with him all who have rejected God & His Son Jesus Christ. So, there will be a day when hell will be emptied out & removed altogether, but the Lake of Fire will exist for eternity in the final judgement of those who rejected God's Love.

And Jesus spoke of this final place in Luke 12:4,5: "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." Here the word for 'hell' in Greek, is 'geenna or gehenna', which is different from the (temporary Hell/Hades). And this place (Gehenna) is the final place of eternal torment; but those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life ( Revelation 21:27) will live eternally with God & His Son, with the host of Heaven, on the new Earth in the New Jerusalem where there will be no more sin & Satan to deceive mankind.

Hi Gigi.

I haven't been ignoring you, I just chose to hold off from reading replies until I could focus on answering rather than multitasking as I seem to can't get away from.

It's not your view that's the issue, It's the lack of knowledge and evidence you present when you rebuking

If you have been studying scripture on eschatology you share what you have learned out of scripture! Not "What you think was taught over the centuries. If one gives you a scripture such as Revelation 3:10 as a proven pret-rib verse Meaning kept OUT of that time!

(From the "HOUR" of temptation)

Should you say no it's not or deal with this verse with your own interpretation? You say "It don't say that, and then go on to say what you think others in the past had to say.

That's the issue I have with your rebuttals.

It's not one that helps. I've known for a while you were on opposite sides of many views and that isn't the problem. It's the way you enter the discussion.

When you do explain your view you leave holes that need to be filled with scripture!

For instance, you said you believe in the Millennium but it's not on earth, it's in Heaven.

Well you have A LOT of old testament scriptures you have to clarify!! A LOT!!

You said the rapture is at the end of the world when we are Judged. How does that work being that the Millennium is in Heaven? Please explain that because that's not even a post-trib view!!

How does it work?

How do you associate this with Revelation 20:7-8 ?

'And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

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.

Also Revelation 20:9.

Do you understand why I say you should show why you hold these views that doesn't seem to line up.

I wish I had more time to engage. Hopefully soon I will.

Go's bless

Dear David, I do agree with much of what you say but differ in these ways:

Our physical bodies will be resurrected and then transformed into the bodies we will have for eternity. These bodies will be like Jesus' resurrected body, tangible, flesh and bones bodies that cannot decay, die, or possess any aspect of sin. These bodies are spiritual in that they are animated by the Holy Spirit and governed by Him. Our present bodies are carnal in that they are animated by the laws of nature and are governed by the sinful nature. I believe that Jesus is still fully human along with being fully God. He retains all of His humanity, body, soul, spirit as we will also.

I believe that unbelievers will be resurrected also in physical bodies of flesh and bones but they will not be transformed as ours are. They will be immortal, but will not be incorruptible and unable to sin like ours. These believers will live forever under the judgement of God in hell (the lake of fire) and the wrath of God will forever be upon them. I do not believe in annihilation as you do.

I am not sure about the resurrection and judgment happening at the same time for both believers and unbelievers, as in Revelation 20:5 it says that the unbelievers will not be resurrected one thousand years after the resurrection of the saints.

This seems to indicate a 1000 year reign of Jesus. But I think that this reign is in heaven. After that 1000 years, then the unjust will be resurrected and judged to spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil, the fallen angels, and the Nephillum.

Like you, I believe that Jesus is not going to set up a kingdom on earth, nor will this kingdom be for Israel with a renewed Levitical system of sacrifices and offerings. That system was ended with Christ's death (the tearing of the curtain that separated people from the presence of God in the Holy of Holies) and was demolished in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. that made it so that there was not longer any temple

David0920. The anti-Christ certainly gives every resemblance of Satan himself. But to use those principles of Hermeneutics I hold to (that of literal, contextual, & Scripture with Scripture rules), I note in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (he is called the 'man of sinson of perdition'); and verse 9 (anti-Christ appears on the scene 'doing the works of Satan'). The wording & context itself suggests strongly that this is a person, not Satan, but given all the powers of that wicked one that virtually makes him Satan incarnate.

I agree, that essentially this is a battle in the spiritual realm, even as the enemy of our souls comes against Christ & all who've chosen not to obey Satan, but here we see a physical representation, if you will, of Satan; one raised for this final onslaught, "whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming", the one called "the beast & his false prophet" ( Revelation 19:20) finally cast into the Lake of Fire. And then "the dragon, that old serpent (of olden times), which is the Devil and Satan, will be bound a thousand years" ( Revelation 20:2). I believe these verses should convince us that three separate persons filled with evil are being revealed here but all hold to that foul & wicked spirit.

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Therefore, I reiterate the three rules of Hermeneutics: a literal interpretation (unless a non-literal one is clearly called for); an historical, grammatical & contextual usage to understand the environment & language of that writing; & of course, using Scripture in other places within the Bible to help interpret the portion we're reading. Outside of this defined & confined meaning of 'biblical hermeneutics', we might open ourselves to erroneous understanding & teaching. If we believe that the Holy Spirit assists us in our understanding, then He would not disregard proper interpretative conventions, rather make that Scripture meaningful to us as well as applicable to our lives.

Then going back to our 'Lake of Fire' example, 'Fire' may be the common word that is seen, in say in 1 Kings 18:19-40 & in Revelation 20:14,15, but the whole context is very different between the two. Where 'fire' consumed the sacrifice on the altar in the one, & then in the other, 'fire' doesn't consume, but is eternal & tormenting (even as Jesus spoke of this in Mark 9:43-48). If we don't apply these rules, we can then make the Revelation account anything we want it to mean (or support our belief); such as being a fire of purification (purgatory), or only a spiritual (not actual) fire to demonstrate God's hatred of sin, but the soul be saved. If any of these (& other) interpretations are used, we in the first instance violate the proper understanding of the given Word & secondly, apply our own principles which ultimately makes the Word meaningless & worthless. The Holy Word is to be rigorously guarded from anything that would lead the reader to distraction & departure of the Truth.

Ok David0920, to take up the example of "God speaking about fire". Agreed, when God speaks of fire it inevitably applies to some sort of judgement from Him or a purifying work.

The point then, from your understanding, when 'Fire' is mentioned in Revelation 20:14,15, how do you interpret it? Is it a Fire of Judgement, or a Fire of eternal torment, or a Fire for all who've not obeyed God in faith and will be purified to be made acceptable & be saved, or only a spiritual Fire (i.e. not a literal Fire, therefore not an eternal one)? Sorry to put it to you in this way - I'm trying to establish what you mean by 'comparing Scripture with Scripture', because there are various interpretation methods used & many of them inconsistent with correct biblical hermeneutics, as you might have seen here, which has prompted you to raise this important matter.

And by this I mean, Fire is certainly shown in various portions of the Bible, but the word Fire can only be understood by the context it is found in (e.g. the fire that consumed bullock sacrifice in 1 Kings 18:19-40, is it the same fire in Revelation 20:14,15?). It may have exuded the same heat & power, but can we correlate it with anything other than the fire from God for the purpose of incinerating the sacrifice & nothing else? In such an example, we cannot make the two Scriptures fit together, though 'Fire' being the common word, nor can we force the meaning of other words to mean (or, apply) to other situations when the context is not the same.

Jimbob:

When did you become a NEW CREATION?

You were raised a NEW CREATION with Christ; HIS RESURRECTION, was also YOUR RESURRECTION.

That was 2000 years ago; but he has GIVEN us his words and spirit of TRUTH, to UNDERSTAND what he did FOR US; HIS GIFT TO US, 2000 years ago.

Revelation is the revealing of Jesus Christ and those WORKS HE DID, it's not future it's past. There is nothing left to be done BUT BELIEVE THE WORK'S of HIS (and your) CROSS.

Revelation 20:5 Blessed and Holy is he who hath part in the FIRST RESURRECTION, it has ALREADY HAPPENED, your were saved before you were even born.

Your were saved from death 2000 years ago, your were predestined, by his resurrection, to be a SON of GOD, 2000 years ago.

There is no 7 year reign of a single antichrist, there has been 2000 years of antichrist reigning; because they don't believe God's Words: the WORK'S of GOD.

If you do't believe God's Words, you will die in your SIN, UNBELIEF, and have to be raise back to your unbelieving flesh and judged again by GOD'S WORDS.

John 16:8 And when he IS COME (Christ's second coming, as the spirit of TRUTH and spirit of PROPHECY, the HOLY GHOST) he will reprove the world of SIN, and of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and JUDGEMENT:

John 16:9 "OF SIN", because they believe not on me ----THE WORD(s).

When you close your eyes and take your last breath you are raptured at that instant into the presence of God.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who (Christ) only hath IMMORTALITY .....

1 Corinthians 15:54 ...this mortal SHALL HAVE PUT on IMMORTALITY ... HIS GIFT ...

John 17:22 ....that they may BE ONE, as we are ONE .....

Isaiah 27:12 ....and ye shall be gathered ONE BY ONE, O ye children of (the promised) ISRAEL (Christ).

God Bless YOU!

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Appreciate your comments Jimbob & I'll take it from the top.

Revelation 19:7-9. The way I understand the relationship of Jesus Christ to His Church, is that we have already been joined to Him; Ephesians 5:31,32, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Paul believed that the Church was already joined to Christ - they were one - we were already married. So there's no second marriage planned - only His bride gathered together & being made ready for that great celebration, otherwise called, the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb". Where "the marriage of the Lamb is come" as seen in verse 7, it is in celebration, with the Supper, of the union that had already taken place when the Holy Spirit was given to every believer, joining him/her to Christ. And as His bride was arrayed in fine linen for the celebration, clearly depicts the pure, holy & acceptable state of Christ's spouse, the Church.

Yes, His Army, which includes His bride & probably other angels, do join Him in His descent to Earth. So the question (which you have answered), 'if the bride is with Christ, then where has the Marriage Supper taken place, in Heaven or on Earth?' Your understanding, is in Heaven, "The wedding has taken place and the Bride is now called the "wife". My sense is that the Supper is still to take place; why? The Bride was made ready & arrayed in 'marriage' outfits, Jesus & the Bride (& others) mount their stallions, & join Him in war; and of course, victory is theirs. What comes after this? Revelation 20:1-5 tell us that after Satan is bound in the pit, John saw thrones & those who died under the anti-Christ's pogrom. These saints arose from their graves & presumably Jesus & His army of saints joined them. This is the First Resurrection of Believers. (this paragraph continue onto Page 2.)

I'm sorry Ruby, I don't see the connection with what I wrote on this point of the "Lake of Fire" & what you wrote (quoting Scriptures), on the 'third part of....'. Revelation 8:7-12, for example, speaks about a third part of trees, grass, sea, fish, ships, rivers, waters, sun, moon & stars being affected at the opening of the seventh Seal, a time when the Wrath of God is poured upon the whole Earth.

Whereas the OT Scriptures you gave allude to Israel's captivity & suffering through it & their restoration (even a third part of them) when they will say "The LORD is my God". Israel is yet to be refined, as passing through God's Fire ( Zechariah 13:9), but it won't be through the Lake of Fire, reserved as the final judgement of eternal torment to all who reject God, where even death & hell will finally be destroyed ( Revelation 20:10-15).

The 'refining fires' of God can come to all us, according to His Will & Purposes for our lives, but at the end, only the Lake of Fire, unlike any other disciplinary measure, will be the ultimate ruin of wicked man & spirit. To make the Lake of Fire (& you haven't suggested this in your comment now), as a refining work to eventually restore all mankind to a state of full spiritual healing & bliss, is totally inconsistent to biblical teaching & correct hermeneutics.

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Mark 13:20 'elect', I believe applies to the elect among Israel, in its context of the chapter. But of course, after the Gospel is brought to the Gentiles, we too join the elect of God ( Colossians 3:12; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:2), but Jesus directed His message to the Jews of His day.

Revelation 13:7,8: are these saints the ones living at the time of revelation of the beast on Earth, or are they the 'new believers' who have turned to Christ, rejecting the beast? And the Lamb's Book of Life, does it record all believers now & into the future, or only adds to the record those who are being saved by the Blood of the Lamb? Moot questions for sure.

Revelation 20:4-6: "This is the first resurrection". The Rapture of the Church (i.e. which includes the resurrection of the dead in Christ) & the resurrection of the tribulation saints are not the same. The Rapture is not a part of the First Resurrection (some have included them together, referring to it as two phases of the one). The Rapture is the catching away of believers to be with the Lord in Glory. The First Resurrection is for the tribulation saints who have died for Christ & will reign with Him through the Millennium. The scenarios are different hence cannot be the same. So, should not the Rapture then be called the First Resurrection? Apparently not, as that is the secret coming of Jesus to take away His Church from the Wrath to come. Blessings.

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Hi Jimbob & thank you for sharing this. I'll leave the matter of who the 'saints' are; I brought this up earlier. But to Revelation 19:7-9: in the context of the whole chapter, I read those verses differently to you. There was great praise going on in Heaven, with the words, "for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready (v7)". Christ, the Lamb, was being made ready for His Wife (the Church) & the Voice from God's Throne told John to write, "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." Was this supper to take place forthwith, since the Bride was there & ready & waiting?

If I had to analyse it, I would say, No. The Bride was not altogether there - there were yet more to join them so that the marriage supper could take place. The announcement at verse 9, was the imminency of this marriage supper: the bride was already there (raptured saints?), but not the full number (tribulation saints?). Then in Revelation 19:11-21, we see the Lamb, not enjoying this time with His Bride, the Church, but going out to war against the beast, false prophet & those having the beast's mark on them - all being killed & consigned to the Lake of Fire. Then John was given the vision, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years ( Revelation 20:4). Here is the 'first resurrection' of those living in the tribulation days, who rejected the beast & his mark, & were beheaded for their love for Jesus & together with the saints from Heaven, share in that great Supper time.

Thank you David0920, I agree again with what you've shared here. And the examples you gave of Ruth & Lazarus do clearly illustrate the Gospel message or of our release of sin's deathly grip on our lives. Indeed, to other folk, there may be elements within those accounts that will leap out & speak to them in other ways, such as: faithfulness, devotion, singlemindedness, etc. To each one, the Spirit will speak & touch on those points from the Word that are most necessary for HIS Work to be carried out in their lives.

But also what interested me from your comment was your point 2, "We are to interpret Scripture with Scripture." Looking at that statement, who could disagree with you, as that is one of the primary ways of really understanding the biblical accounts, getting them in correct perspective & that which gives a fuller understanding of the Truth. But at the risk of offending some here, we often read comments such as a recent one: stating that the Lake of Fire "as being God Himself since God is a consuming fire" (here we get two Scriptures that reveal Truth: one referenced to Revelation 20:14 & the other to Hebrews 12:29). So now we get another example of someone showing his version of 'Scripture interpreting Scripture'. Is this then a case of Scripture interpreting Scripture? It is true, 'Fire' is common to both verses, but isn't the promise of an eternal Lake of Fire given to all "not found written in the book of life", rather than Fire being God Himself & by extension, God ridding the filth of all found there & finally saving them, as going through fire for cleansing? How we interpret this Truth can give totally opposite meanings which not only distorts the Word but leads the unlearned into confusion & a false understanding.

So this was the point I was making: that there is a correct method of comparing Scripture to Scripture, and I couldn't discern your position on this, or was it just a general post to all of us to correctly interpret the Bible?

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Revelation 13:11: of another beast. I understand this one to be representative of the False Prophet who is anti-Christ's lieutenant, if you will, speaking with the same authority & force as Satan himself. A deadly duo indeed. And we see this lieutenant again in Revelation 16:13 (all three are separate: Satan, anti-Christ, & the false prophet), Revelation 19:20 & Revelation 20:10. Yes, the dragon is Satan, but we can identify the beast & the false prophet as separate entities, coming from Satan.

And I agree with a lot of what you shared in your page 2, with the exception of course to the beast which speaks like a dragon; I don't believe this is Satan but the false prophet. And yes, it is in the first 42 months that the anti-Christ appears & causes this worldwide mayhem & God's Wrath being poured out during the second 42 months.

But our problem remains: when is the Rapture? Is it after the first 42 months, or before it? Again, my critical verses are 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9. How we understand the meaning of the 'restrainer', will most likely place us in the pre or post-trib position. Paul's readers were confused & agitated that the Day of the Lord had begun (as taught by the false teachers). Paul assured them that the 'restrainer' hadn't been removed yet, allowing the man of sin to be revealed & assume his dictatorship. But the question, 'who is he who restrains? Thank you again Jimbob for this lively & inspiring discussion; I appreciate the time you've given to it.

Hi Barbara. In Revelation 20:14,15, we read about this event that is way into the future. Hell is 'Hades' in Greek, which essentially means, 'the abode of the departed spirits'. According to Revelation 20:11-13, those who stand before God in that final judgement, with the books about their lives opened, have all been dead. And hell will be emptied out of those spirits of men that hated God, their bodies, whether in the earth or in the sea will be raised to stand trial before God. All will be judged and condemned into an eternity of endless torment & horror. The graves will be emptied & hell will be emptied. There's no more need for them. All that is evil & representative of evil will forever be cast aside.

Then the beauty & holiness of the New heaven (sky), the New Earth & the New Jerusalem (Revelation chapter 21), will renew all that was lost when mankind decided to rebel against his Maker.

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I appreciate the ongoing discussion Jimbob we're having as very few are prepared to persevere in it. Yes, I did mention 'imminency & suddenness', but also mentioned 'readiness' ("In the NT, the command was for readiness"). We will have to leave that one, as after my revisiting those passages because of your comment, I still see that all three as adverbs are in use or implied, including, 'watchfulness'. We'll have to leave those Scriptures for other readers to examine.

Matthew 24:29-31. I read that as the Second Coming of Christ after the Great Tribulation days & that Jesus' rule upon the Earth will be with his elect living on the Earth at that time. It does not speak of those who will be instantly caught up to be with Christ (i.e. without the gathering of them together by the angels) & to be with Christ forever. Here, in the Rapture, those of the living & dead believers will be "changed" ( 1 Corinthians 15:52), i.e. physically reconstituted ("putting on incorruption") to be with Christ in the heavenlies, whereas this isn't a requirement for those 'of the elect' on the Earth who are gathered & relocated to Jerusalem (presumably).

Revelation 20:4-6 speaks of the vision that John received of all those who had laid down their lives for Christ. Not only those who came to believe in the Truth & resisted the Anti-Christ during his reign, but the multitudes since the Church's inception that have remained faithful to the Lord & willingly went to their deaths. Yes, we can suffer now (in tribulation), even as those who went before us, but this is part & parcel of following Christ ( John 16:33); including Romans 8:16-18; Philippians 1:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5; 2 Timothy 2:11,12; etc (as you shared). I read this as the 'common' tribulation (trials of faith) that believers can experience, but not of the Great Tribulation (at the Day of the Lord).

Jimbob:

John 5:28

Is Jesus not speaking about His resurrection in this prophecy?

Do you not think you fit into Revelation 20:6 Blessed and Holy is he that part in the first resurrection?

God Bless You!

Jimbob:

What is the soul?

At the second resurrection everyone that did not take part in the first resurrection, will be resurrected back to their flesh and blood bodies. The grave is the prison.

Ezekiel 38, Revelation 20:7-8

God Bless You!

Hello Caleb,

Genesis 2:15,16,17, Genesis 3:1-6, skipping parts Genesis 3:14,15, between the seed of Serpent - Revelation 20:2,

John 8:34, 1John 3, Romans 5, John 3:16-21, James 1:5, Proverbs 8:17,

Example, simple Salvation "GOD save me" many times in life threatening situations, & many times HE has. Psalms 18:3, Psalms 107:13, Psalms 44:7, Luke 18:42, Psalms 34:6,

Matthew 10:22, Hebrews 2, Matthew 24, Mark 13, Psalms 139,

Romans 10:13, context Romans 10, Everlasting Salvation, Isaiah 45:17, Acts 4,

1John 3:14, Job 38:17, Revelation 20, Psalms 49, Ecclesiastes 8:8, Romans 5, Revelation 21,

Hopefully these are helpful

Sammi:

Christ constantly caught flack from his peers, he said we should expect the same thing.

You have ALREADY BEEN RESURRECTED.

John 11:25 ....I am the resurrection, and the LIFE .....

Revelation 20:6 Blesses and HOLY is he that hath part in the first resurrection ......

1 Timothy 6:16 Christ ONLY hath IMMORTALITY, dwelling the light (the presence of God, Abraham's bosom) ....

1 Corinthians 15:53 ...this mortal SHALL put on IMMORTALITY ---Christ only hath immortality ---

1 Corinthians 15:38 But God giveth it (the new creation, the born again) a BODY (you are the BODY OF CHRIST) as it hath pleased him (the Father), and to every SEED his (the Father's) OWN BODY (Christ is the body of the Father).

Ephesians 4:4 ONE BODY (man, Christ being the FIRST among many BROTHERS, joint heirs), ONE SPIRIT

Ephesians 4:5 ONE GOD and Father of ALL, above ALL, and through ALL, and in you ALL.

John 16:8 And when he (the spirit of Christ) comes (it began at Pentecost, the feast of the FIRSTFRUITS) he will reprove the world of SIN .....

John 16:9 Of SIN because they BELIEVE NOT ON ME -----I am THE LIFE, man is my BODY, man does what the will of God causes him to do ---

Romans 9:21 Hath not the POTTER (the spirit of Christ) POWER OVER THE CLAY (the potter's body) of the SAME LUMP to make one vessel (the potter's body) to HONOUR and another to DISHONOUR.

Luke 16:6 The law and prophets were until John: SINCE THAT TIME, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man PRESSES INTO IT.

Revelation 14:19 And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great WINEPRESS of the wrath of God.

We are the grapes of the vine, and we have to be PRESSED to become the NEW WINE ---this is a parable ---

God Bless You as HE leads you to all truth.

Armand,

I will try my best to answer who it is Satan will seduce once he is released for a short time after the 1,000 year reign. First let me say this. It won't be believers.

So, Satan will be bound for a thousand years. He will be cast into the bottomless pit, the ABUSSO, and shut up, a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more.

And after these things, it is necessary for him to be loosed for a short season.

So after the thousand years, we leave with Christ. And the people on the earth who are left over from the tribulation, who still are not saved, but they've been given this one thousand year opportunity to live under the rule of Christ with Satan bound, but when Satan is let loose, we will see that they will go back to serving Satan again.

I think it's a tragedy, but we have to understand that when a person is a rejecter of Christ, you could send him to heaven for a thousand years and say "Look how nice it is here," and when he comes back he's going to reject it. Nothing's going to impress him to be saved.

It's like the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man didn't want out. He only wanted to be comforted.

The reason he didn't want out was not because of the comparison between hell and heaven. It's because there's only one other place to be other than hell, and that's in the presence of Jesus Christ.

And for some people that's hell. They would prefer to be in hell, only comforted. They don't want to be with Christ. They are rejecters. And once a person's heart is a rejecter of Christ, you can't do anything about it.

Even living under perfect conditions, they still go back to serving Satan again.

I hope this helps?

In a word , humans .

But they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years. But over whom do these priests of God rule for those thousand years. Aren't the people who didn't accept Jesus and who were lost in another last? And when Satan is released again a thousand years, what people is he going to seduce.

Difficult questions, please can you explain.

Evelyn,

In Revelation 3:5, John gives an exhortation to the church. He says, "He that overcomes, and that's a Present Participle.

To the one who (is) overcoming, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will (not) blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

We are given references to the Old Testament that tell us there's more than one book. ( Exodus 32:32-33, Daniel 12:1-2, 7-10, Psalm 69:28)

There's the book of life which has listed in it everybody that has received human life. And then there's the book of the Lamb, those who belong to Christ.

In the book of life, if a person rejects Christ, their name is removed from the book of life as if they've never been born. They're gone!

But no one is ever blotted out of the Lamb's book of life.

If you go back into the Old Testament and you study from those references, it will show you that there's more than one book. And the Jews knew that.

It's not that God has books up there. But it's just a human example or an illustration that God knows everything, all the people that have been born, and all the people that belong to Christ.

He say (I will not) blot out his name out of the book of life. And I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Jesus said that He would do that.

So, our names are entered into the Lamb"s book of life the moment we receive Christ. He will never blot out a believers name from that book. That's how permanent our salvation is. He will never blot our names out of His book!

When are our names entered into the book of life?

Deborah:

Your question, who are the dead in Christ that rise first?

They were the Old Testament Saints, they died not having received the promise, eternal life through the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

When Christ was resurrected, they also were resurrected.

Matthew 27:52 And the graves were open; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Matthew 27:53 And came out of the graves, after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, (NEW Jerusalem) and appeared to many.

They were caught up into the air, and when we depart this body of flesh, in the twinkling of an eye, we are caught up, as they were into the presence of God, because you are married to him and have become one with him.

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a lamb stood on Mt. Zion, and with him an hundred and forty four thousand (symbolic, not literally 144,00), having his father's name written in their foreheads.

Revelation 14:4 ..... the are the firstfruits (of Christ resurrection) unto God and the Lamb.

Romans 8:23 And not only they (Old Saints), but ourselves also, which have the FIRSTFRUITS of the SPIRIT (life and truth in us) ....

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection .....

God Bless You!

Hi Sue.

Can you rephrase your question please.

We would love to help.

God bless.

Are we to be judge mental?

This doesn't make sense seeing how Ezekiel 38 is the invasion and the purpose of the invasion the battle of Gog and Magog which is the war that still wages on between the two brothers Jacob and Esau and is settled by God just before the millennium begins yet after The Gathering Ezekiel 39:25

Its the End of Days according to Ezekiel 38:16 where it states it will be the latter Days which means end of days, the millennium is for The Restoration between the them since the two sticks of Judah and Israel were already rejoined back in chapter 37.

The use of Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:8 is apparently an inclusive term for all the Gentile nations; East (Gog) and West (Magog) all over the world and is being referenced here as to how many there is that will still go against the Lord during the millennium; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. (To gather them together to do battle against the Lord God)

Hi Moses.

You asked "Does this mean everyone in Heaven will be tempted one last time and maybe even loose our salvation?" This won't be in heaven, it will be here on earth after the tribulation.

The Church will be raptured up before the tribulation.

You have this account here in Revelation 20:7-8 "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

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.

( The Church is a people called out of the nations.)

Therefore we are not identified as "THE NATIONS "

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

I believe the Millennium is a final test/temptation on the "HEART" of Man. Under a 1000 years of perfect conditions and governing when given the chance man turns his back on God again.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and Incurably wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9.

This is not the Church, we're given a new heart.

God bless.