43

Go to:


In chapter 20, Satan, the old dragon, is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. A thousand years of paradise on earth as described in Isaiah, Chapters 11 and 65, now begin. The faithful saints will reign with Him for a thousand years. In verses 7-10 Satan is released from his prison, and goes out and deceives the nations into going to war against the Lord and His saints. Why would God do that? Man has been saying for centuries that the real problem with man is not sin, but his environment. If every one had a utopia to live in, there would be no sin and crime. So God gave man that opportunity. The children who are born during the thousand-year reign live in a perfect utopia. Christ rules from Jerusalem with a rod of iron and there will be no sin: a perfect environment to enable one to live a perfect life. Notice what happens when the temptation to do evil comes. The number who follow Satan are as many as the sands of the sea. They had an opportunity to trust Christ, and they didn't. They tried to be sinless in a perfect utopia, and they couldn't. God has proven once again what He said through His prophet in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Christ always has been, and still is, the only answer. Israel (Revelation 1:7) finally recognizes Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and takes her place as the leading nation of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ will rule from Jerusalem and will be king over all the earth. (Zechariah 14). Jesus Christ will set up what He calls The Great White Throne. He will judge all the unbelievers from this throne. Every unbeliever will be called from the dead and will stand before him to be judged. Two sets of books will be opened. One set of books will have all of the evil deeds that the person being judged has ever done. The other book is named. It is the book of life. The names of every one who had put their faith in Jesus Christ are sealed in that book. Whoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. In Verse 10 we are told that the Antichrist and the false prophet have been there for a thousand years. They are still there and will be tormented there forever and ever. God tells us that now is the time to put our faith in Jesus Christ, to save us from that horrible place. Chapters 21 & 22 describe for us a new heaven and a new earth. God will be with us, and dwell with us, and we will be his people. He describes for us a magnificent city with streets of gold, and huge gates, each made up of one beautiful pearl. The walls of the city are garnished with precious gems. There will be a beautiful river of the water of life that flows through the city. There will be no more curse, and there will be no more night. There will be no more tears. There will be no more death. There will be no more sorrow, and no more pain. It will be a wonderful eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ. God ends the book with an eternal challenge. The Holy Spirit calls you to come. The church calls you to come. Anyone who hears and is thirsty for the water of life may come and take of the water of life freely. God's spirit is calling today, to all who have not put their faith in what Christ did for you at Calvary. God, in His great love, sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die in your place, as your sin bearer. He only asks that you believe that, and trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He died for you. He was buried for you and He rose victorious from the grave for you. Jesus said in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Do you believe this? Your answer will be the difference between the river of life or the lake of fire! May Our Lord's richest blessing be yours as you meditate on this marvelous book.