Elstree and Borehamwood to become a Christian Community
In this our final episode we explore what the ultimate future holds for mankind.
We saw last time that if we have been judged worthy to reign with Jesus for 1,000 years, it will be a time of surprises.
A time of Joy, of Holiness, Comfort, Justice, removal of the curse and with sickness removed, healing for all deformity.
Freedom from all social, political or religious oppression, and a peace not known before.
The perfect economic system will provide just the right level of labour and prosperity for all.
No wonder some consider it as being Eden restored, or as Paradise gained.
So what brought it to an end?
Revelation chapter 20 tells us that after 1,000 years Satan is let loose.
Let us first see what takes place before Satan is released.
Rev 20:1-6
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more 'till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
4And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
We see that, although the saints may suffer for a while, they are rewarded with living under Christ’s rule for 1,000 years.
Let’s read on a bit further. Rev 20:7-10
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8and 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.
9They 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.
10The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
God engineered the release of Satan so that mankind could recognise the true state of his heart.
Think about it. Man has been living in peace and prosperity for a thousand years but he is still willing to revolt against his creator and benefactor.
So now we come to the last event which is to take place on this earth.
Rev 20:11-15
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.
12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before 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.
13The 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. 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Just as the righteous saints received rewards according to the actions they had performed in this life, so we now read of the rewards, or leniency, metered out to some whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of Life.
Notice, if your name is not written in the book of life then, regardless of any reward, or leniency shown, you will still end up in the lake of fire.
And now we come to, not so much the renewal, but the replacement of heaven and earth.
The Apostle Peter tells us in his second letter that “the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed by an intense heat. The earth also.”
Earlier in chapter 3 he reminded his readers that the world had once before been flooded in judgement.
Even in his day, as in ours, many no longer believed it, but he says, that it happened as a warning to what is going to happen in the future.
He says in v7 that “the heavens and earth that now exist are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.”
Jesus Himself says in Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Let’s read what John saw. Rev 21:1-8
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. 2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3And 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.
4And 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."
5Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
6And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
John then saw a Holy City, Jerusalem, descending out of the heaven from God. This new city is a cube, just like the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
Its size is incredible. It is a cube one thousand four hundred miles high. More incredible is that God Himself is now going to dwell with man.
The city has no need of a sun or a moon, so perhaps the new heavens will lack these particular planets.
The beauty of it is likewise indescribable, though John tries to.
If you would rather spend eternity living in the city of God, rather than the lake of fire, then you need to commit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging you are a sinner and that by trusting in his shed blood you will receive forgiveness and have a relationship with God Almighty, receiving power to live a live of an overcomer.
If you do not know Jesus as your Saviour then why not ask Him now.
An old saying is, “Born once die twice. Born twice die once.
How many births have you experienced? And how many deaths do you want to experience?
You can be born again, born twice, by committing your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given you the freedom to chose.
May God bless and guide you in your choice.