The Second Coming of Christ
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The Events Preceding the Day of the Lord
“The four horsemen of the apocalypse,” of Revelation 6, symbolically represent the first four seals.
First seal (white horse): Establishment of a world religion and or government through deception.
Second seal (red horse): War and/or anarchy on the earth.
Third seal (black horse): Famine due to crop failures and/or a worldwide economic collapse.
Fourth seal (pale horse): Death of one-quarter of the world’s population by various means, possibly culminating from the first four seals.
The Signs of The Day of the Lord
Fifth seal: Persecution and martyrdom of saints.
Sixth seal: Great earthquake, sun darkened, moon turned to blood, stars fall, heaven departs as a scroll, and every island and mountain moved.
The Events Preceding the Day of the Lord
http://www.bibleprophecytruth.com/1. First seal (Rev. 6:1–2)
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Overall, the white horse and its rider are vivid representations of a powerful, aggressive, victorious force running unrestrained over mankind. Like a knight in armor or a soldier in full dress uniform, the first horseman appears to the eye as glorious and noble, but its intent is to kill, destroy, and subdue its enemies. Its white façade is deceptive, concealing a deadly, unholy purpose
Thus, the white horse and his rider symbolize the spirit of conquest and militarism. . . . Economic power, propaganda, the use of religion, diplomacy and political shrewdness are also part of successful conquest.
2. Second seal (Rev. 6:3–4)
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
This seal undoubtedly involves war and could be the infamous WWIII, and or it could involve total anarchy within countries where gangs, thieves and hoodlums would rule the streets. The great sword probably represents the fact that many will be killed during this time. The red color of the horse most likely represents the blood that will be spilled as a result. While it is true that we are experiencing wars and riots in various places throughout the world now, the distinguishing factor in this event is that peace will be taken from the entire world, and thus death will spread to the entire planet.
3. Third seal (Rev. 6:5–6)
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
One of the ancient (and even modern) uses of balances is to measure out food. The phrase, “a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny,” indicates that grains and possibly other foods will become very expensive. This could be caused by food shortages due to crop failures and/or a worldwide economic crisis.
The average worker in the apostle John’s day made about a penny a day. Thus, these verses indicate that one measure of wheat will cost a whole day’s wages. The second part of the phrase, “see thou hurt not the oil and the wine,” indicates that this affliction will not affect beverages made from grapes and oil, probably olive oil. Thus, if this affliction only affects some food items and not others, this would indicate that the most probable cause would be crop failures from drought, floods, and/or disease. Here the color black speaks of death from this worldwide famine.
4. Fourth seal. (Rev. 6:7–8)
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth
One fourth of the world’s population will suffer death by the sword, hunger, plagues, and even attacks by wild animals or diseases spread by them. This extraordinary death count may be the culmination or result of all the first four seals put together, or it may represent the number who die from this seal alone.
5. Fifth seal (Rev. 6:9–11)
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The fifth seal gives a clear picture of what it entails. Those holding the testimony of Jesus during this time will be persecuted and martyred for the cause of Christ.
The first five seals will span a length of time from at least 3.5 years to a maximum of six years in total duration. Things will become more severe upon the opening of the fifth seal, which starts after the 3½ year point. That time period is called the great tribulation and is when Christian and Jews will be persecuted and no one will be able to buy or sell without having the mark of the beast. Even though the first four seals present many difficulties, the fifth seal will be the most difficult to withstand. This is the time that Christians will need to concentrate on preparing for. Realizing the great tribulation, as already discussed, will most likely last from ½ to 2½ years, thus Christians will probably be faced with up to a maximum of 2½ years of time where they will not be able to buy or sell and will have to prepare for.
In considering how to prepare for those times realize that saving money for that time will most likely be of no help, for with the initiation of the mark the world will be under a cashless monetary system and money will be obsolete and become worthless. Thus to prepare one should concentrate on making preparations which will allow you to make it through those times without money.
6. Sixth seal: Great earthquake, sun darkened, moon turned to blood, stars fall, heaven departs as a scroll, and every island and mountain moved.
Tribulation-Signs in the heavens, whats coming (Fox 26) Mark Biltz
As already stated, since the moon is turned to blood before the Day of the Lord, and the moon is turned to blood during the sixth seal event, then the events associated with the first six seals as listed above will also occur before the Day of the Lord.
The Signs of The Day of the Lord
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1. The Sign of the Sun and Moon
Acts 2:20:
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”What type of event would cause such occurrences? Many have speculated as to the cause.
Some have asserted such things as a pole shifts, the passing of planet X( Planet x is claimed to be a undiscovered brown dwarf star that orbits our sun and every five to ten thousand years comes close to the earth and causes cataclysmic events), or even a super volcano.
Amos 8:9
makes a strong case for the Day of the Lord entailing a pole shift,
“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.”
The only way for that to happen would be for a pole shift to occur.10
Revelation 6:12–14 says:
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
2. Great and Mighty Signs
God will pour out His Spirit in a great and mighty way, and great signs will be done by God’s people
Acts 2:17.
“That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”.
Thus, another sign before the Day of the Lord is that God will pour out his Spirit in a great and miraculous way, and many of the gifts that were so prolific in the first century will flourish once again.
3. The Falling Away
Two other events in scripture that must occur before the great Day of the Lord are found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”
The great falling away will be a time when professing Christians, in large numbers, will turn away from the faith.
In order for a great falling away to take place, I believe an alternative belief system to the true gospel will be promoted with such believability that nominal Christians (not true Christians) will reject the God of the Bible. We can only speculate as to the exact reasons for the “falling away,” but there are many plausible theories.
One such theory involves aliens. Specifically, I am talking about the theory that aliens are real space beings and are the originators of life on earth. Another theory as to why the great falling away may occur regards the rise of pagan religions and their elements of heresy that attack Christian doctrines. In fact there is a film entitled Zeitgeist, meaning spirit of the time, which is promoting pagan heresies and is destroying the faith of many nominal Christians.
4. Revealing of “the Man of Sin”
We all know that the man of sin is the antichrist. What does this revealing entail?
2 Thessalonians 2:4 gives us the answer:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
In other parts of scripture, this event has been termed “the Abomination of Desolation”:
Matt. 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Dan. 11:31
And they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”
5. Will the Temple
At present, the temple does not exist. It is reported that the Jews are ready to build this temple. To perform sacrifice rituals there must also be certain items such as the table of shew bread, the golden lamp stand, and the Ark of the Covenant. The late archeologist Ron Wyatt has claimed to have found and seen all of these items and has told leading Jews where they are.
6. The Mysterious Sign
This sign was given to us in Malachi 4:5–6:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
We see here that the prophet Elijah will return, one of the main things that he will accomplish is to turn the hearts of the Jewish people to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Some Christians believe he will most likely be one of the two witnesses listed in
Rev. 11:3–14:
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the daysof their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7. Seven Seal
The day of the Lord: Judgement day after the RaptureAfter the rapture occurs, many other catastrophic events—all part of the Day of the Lord —will occur during this time.
Rev. 8:1-6
The first judgment of the Day of the Lord is the seventh seal: And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
When the seventh seal is opened, the first thing that we notice is that there is a time of silence in heaven The next thing we see is that fire is cast to the earth. This may indicate a meteor shower or horrific lightning storms. There is another earthquake and the seven trumpet judgments are permitted to begin.
The First Trumpet Rev. 8:7
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
This may be what is known as ball lightning, which has been observed frequently in modern times. This phenomena is caused by the air being super-charged with static electricity.
The Second Trumpet Rev 8:8–9
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
This judgment is most likely a meteorite crashing into the ocean. A meteorite is a rock composed of various substances that falls to earth from outer space. As a meteor, which could vary in size from a piece of sand to what is described here as a great mountain, hits the earth’s atmosphere, its outer layer catches on fire. Hence, the phrase “a great mountain burning with fire.”
When a huge meteorite slams into the ocean, due to the temperature difference between the ocean and the meteorite’s burning outer layer and frozen core, the meteor will explode. If this is, in fact, what will occur during this judgment, the resulting explosion would dwarf any nuclear bomb explosion by many times. Scientists have calculated that a meteor of 1,700 meters in diameter would unleash an explosion equivalent to 100,000 to 1,000,000 megatons of TNT.44
The heaviest and biggest meteors usually have iron in them, so the blood color referred to in the passage would probably be caused by the tiny bits of iron ore, which due to the huge explosion, would be scattered over large distances and will rust in sea water, turning it red or blood in color. Thus, the affected area would become poisonous and kill any sea life in that area, just as scripture describes. The explosion will also unleash huge tidal
waves, and as a result, one-third of all ships in the world will be destroyed and most likely coastal communities would be impacted.
The Third Trumpet Rev. 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
The “great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp” most likely describes a comet, which will explode near the surface of the earth or actually hit the earth. When they explode over an area, they produce a devastating effect. The result looked like a nuclear explosion, and there was evidence of the area becoming uninhabitable.
The name of the comet is “Wormwood.” Wormwood is a plant that grows in Europe and is used to make absinthe, an hallucinogenic liquor. Taking too much of it could bring death. Thus, the name Wormwood implies that the comet will be made up of poisonous
substances. Upon exploding this comet will spew whatever poisonous material it contains over a large area, and as the scriptures say one-third of fresh water will become poisonous and, many men will die.
The Fourth Trumpet Rev. 8:12
This judgment removes one-third of all light. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
As a result of this judgment, the light of the sun, moon, and stars is diminished by one-third. This phenomenon could be caused by all the debri in the atmosphere from the explosions of the second and third trumpet judgments or it could be caused by some other astral phenomena.
Whatever the cause, the earth will only receive one-third of the light that it would normally get. This would probably result in many plants dying and a great “ice age” descending upon the earth.
With the occurrence of the rapture, the Day of the Lord begins. After this event then the wrath of God will begin to be poured out upon the earth. It will start with fire being cast to the earth and a great earthquake at the seventh seal. Then a series of four horrific trumpet judgments are unleashed. These most likely consist of severe thunderstorms with killing hail and lightning, which destroys one-third of all the trees; a meteor exploding in the ocean which destroys one-third of all sea life and ships; an exploding comet which poisons one-third of freshwater, killing many; and a diminishing of one-third of the world’s sunlight.
This, however, is nothing in comparison to the next three trumpet judgments, which are so severe that a special announcement is given before they occur.
Rev. 8:13
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
The Fifth Trumpet Rev. 9:1-12
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them….And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Abaddon and Apollyon are names for satan. So what happens here is that satan is thrown down to the earth and he opens the bottomless pit or hell, and the sun and air are darkened from the huge volume of smoke coming out of this pit. Literally, I believe this pit is a huge hole in the earth where lava and smoke spew out. This scenario is similar to what scientists describe as a super volcano. Scientists tell us that the largest super volcano in the world is located at Yellowstone . They say that if it erupts, it would open up a 20-mile x 40-mile hole in the earth. Recently, Yellowstone has been showing signs of increased activity, alarming some that a massive eruption may be looming.
The Sixth Trumpet Rev. 9:13-19
The next woe, or horrific judgment
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates . And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.”
This frightening demon army will kill one-third of all mankind left on the earth at that time. Some think that the phrase “which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year,” indicates that this judgment will last for 13 months a day and an hour. I see that as a possibility, or the phrase could just be indicating that the judgment would start at a certain hour, month, day, and year.
After all of these occurrences and judgments the earth’s population has been drastically reduced. The first five seals have eliminated at least one-third of the world’s population. The sixth seal has reduced the world’s population via the rapture by an untold amount. The first five trumpet judgments have also killed much of the world’s population.
So let’s say if we start with six billion people at the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel, and subtract one-third for the first four seals, that leaves us with 4.5 billion. Then let’s speculate and say we lose another billion from the first five trumpet judgments, which I feel is a conservative estimate, we are down to 3.5 billion. And then lose another one-third with the sixth trumpet that leaves the world’s population at about 2.33 billion.
And I believe this to be a conservative estimate.
The Seventh Trumpet Rev. 10:6-7
The final trumpet judgment is the most severe of all, and just like the seventh seal judgment, it is composed of seven more judgments known as the vial or bowl judgments. This last trumpet will come near the end of the 70th Week. We know this by several verses found in Revelation:
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
We notice here that it says there will “be Thus, this last trumpet judgment comes near the end and will consist of seven bowl or vial judgments. The last bowl judgment, the battle of Armageddon, will be the end of the reign of the antichrist. Another verse that confirms this is Rev. 11:15: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” So the final result of the seventh trumpet is the seven bowl judgments, which will culminate in the Lord defeating the gathered armies, the antichrist, the false prophet, and satan at the battle of Armageddon.
The Bowl Judgments
These bowl judgments, which occur within the 70th Week of Daniel, will be very severe and extremely catastrophic.
The first bowl judgment is a grievous sore or boil upon all who have the mark of the beast.
Rev. 16:2: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”
The word “noisome” most likely refers to the cries of pain that will be uttered by those afflicted with the boils.
The second vial turns the sea into the blood of a dead man and all living things die in the sea.
Rev. 16:3
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
In the second trumpet judgment, we theorized that the sea will be turned to “blood” in color as a result of the discoloration of the sea from the exploding meteor. In this judgment, the verse suggests that the sea will actually be turned to blood, reminiscent of
when Moses changed the Nile to blood before Pharaoh.46 But not fresh blood but putrid decomposing blood as of a “dead man.” As a result, all living things in the sea will die. I can imagine that the stench from the decayed blood and all of the dead sea creatures will encompass the globe and at the least would be nauseating.
The third vial
Rev. 16:4
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood”.
The fourth vial causes extreme heat to come over the earth. This could be caused by the sun becoming hotter or because the earth is now closer to the sun, due to possibly having a changed orbit. “
Rev. 16:8,9
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to
scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory”.
The fifth vial causes total darkness over the whole earth:
Rev. 16:10
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom
was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain”.
The sixth vial makes possible the seventh and final vial judgment by drying up the Euphrates River
Rev. 16:12-14
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates ; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go
forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
How will the antichrist be able to trick people into ignoring what the scriptures say and get them to gather to fight against God in the great battle of Armageddon? Here is a possible scenario: We know the antichrist—who I believe will claim to be the alien who started life on earth—will be able to perform miraculous signs and will probably
trick people into believing that hostile aliens (namely, Jesus and the saints) have been responsible for all the recent disasters and are coming to take over the world. They will then rally the people of the world to fight against them to save the planet. This same scenario was portrayed in the popular movie “Independence Day,” which depicted aliens trying to take over the earth and the people of the earth collaborating to defeat them.
Whatever deceptions they use, unfortunately the world will ignore the scriptures and believe the deceiving spirits and gather for the great battle of Armageddon. Thus, we come to the final judgment.
The Final Judgement, the seventh vial Rev. 16:17-21
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon
This last and final judgment starts with the greatest earthquake that the world has ever experienced. This earthquake is so great that every mountain and island are now gone! If all the mountains and islands are gone, surely there will be no buildings left, either. As a result, Jerusalem
Rev. 19:11-21
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS…And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Rev 20:1-4
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Thus, the Day of the Lord, which started with the coming of Christ to the clouds to receive His own at the rapture, is a time in which God pours out His wrath upon the earth. This wrath is contained in the seventh seal and the seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments and culminates with the return of Christ to the earth at the battle of Armageddon.
Fortunately the story does not end here, after the great battle the blessings of the Day of the Lord period will begin to be poured out during the Millennium and beyond.
Right after the battle of Armageddon, Jesus will set up His Millennial Kingdom. Several events will take place during this time of transition.
Zechariah 14 speaks of this battle and then shows the Lord returning to Jerusalem
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah Jerusalem Jerusalem : and it shall be lifted up…And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem
it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of tabernacles. (Zech 14:1-16)
The Millenial Kingdom
Ezekiel shows us these exact things in his description of the millennial temple:
Ezek 41:1-7
Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory…and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.
After Armageddon, the Lord will rebuild the temple occupy the throne and the waters of life will start flowing. The temple that was built and occupied by the antichrist would have surely been destroyed by the great earthquakes, and it will be the Lord, Himself, that will rebuild it:
Zech 6:12,13
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Scripture also tells us that the day after Armageddon, the day that Jesus takes the throne, the first resurrection will be complete:
Rev. 20:4-6
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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Here we see a description of the last phase of the “first resurrection” where those who will become Christians after the rapture and were martyred will be resurrected. These saints will join the saints who were resurrected with Christ at His first coming and those resurrected at the rapture.
These first resurrection saints will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years in the Millennial Kingdom Jerusalem
Isa. 11:6-10
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious”
Isa. 65: 19-25
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem
We see here that the earth will be restored to Garden of Eden conditions. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Peace will rule the world, and even the animals will not attack each other or humans; nor will they be afraid of humans. People will live to very old ages probably like before the flood. The crops and trees will yield abundantly. This will be a truly fantastic time. The blessings of God will abound to all.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
This truly unique time will last for 1,000 years as described in Rev.20:1-4.
After the 1000-year reign, satan will be let loose for seven years to “try” those that live on the earth. During the Millennium, the people who lived through the 70th Week of Daniel will repopulate the earth. This new population will be given a choice as to whether they want to follow God or satan. Unfortunately, some will follow satan and be deceived into thinking that they can defeat God and will be annihilated in one final battle.
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. 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. 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. (Rev. 20:7-10)
After this final battle will be the second resurrection and the great white throne judgment. Then, the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth:
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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Rev. 20:11- 21:1)
After these events, the New Jerusalem, adorned as a bride, will descend out of heaven.
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. (Rev. 21:2-5).
This is where the saints of all time will live after the Millennium—in the New Jerusalem. And yes, Old Testament saints will live there too:
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Heb 11:9,10,16)
From what we see above, the best part about this great city is that the Lord Jesus Christ will dwell there. We also notice that this city will truly be heaven on earth, for there will be no crying, pain, tears, or dying. It will also be a city of great beauty:
Rev. 21:9-27
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb…And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones…And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
