Creation’s Final Judgments

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The text does not say how long “a little while” is, but it is long enough for the plan of God to be accomplished.

Understand this: From the beginning of time til the end of time—Satan serves God.

In rebellion—Satan still serves God’s purpose.

Satan is ever and always a tool of God.

Satan’s arrows are ultimately God’s arsenal against the wicked.

How long Satan will be freed for is only as long as it takes to stir the unrepentant of the world in one final act of rebellion against God.

This war, at the end of the millennium, makes clear to us that though the world is living in utter peace, in perfect security, in perfect justice, without the influence of the adversary, sin persists and not everyone born in the millennial period will repent of sin and worship God.

And given the the long lives and good health of the world, the population will explode in that 1000 years, and there will be a vast multitude (numbers as the sand on the seashore) that will still refuse to bow the knee to God.

The unredeemed nations will gather from the four corners of the earth (N, S, E, W) for war.

They are called Gog and Magog.

You may well remember those names from the beginning of our study in Revelation.

Ezekiel 38-39 spoke of this group.

We postulated that after the rapture, before the official beginning of the tribulation, Gog and Magog would come against Israel and God would decimate them.

This is NOT the same Gog and Magog, NOT the same battle.

The Gog and Magog of Ezekiel perish in the mountains by a natural disaster

This Gog and Magog will be destroyed on the plains around Jerusalem by a great fire from heaven.

Remember, the judgments of God have decimated earth and dramatically altered it’s geography. Israel has been raised and all the world flattened.

The world is a plain of land now. This will give dramatic ease for the army to approach

It also makes it clear that these are different Gog and Magog references because the first were destroyed in the mountains.

Rather, it seems here, that this force is being likened unto Gog and Magog.

Gog and Magog seem to be being used here in the sense of those who stand against God in utter rebellion.

Gog seems to arise from Agag who opposed God in arrogance and whom God judged for it.

Magog was the descendent of Noah’s grandson that staged a rebellion against God.

Together, they stand as a representative of those who stand against God.

And it is these that Satan will incite, one last time, to have a run at God.

But

Like Armageddon

It’s outcome will be anticlimatic.

The saints have gathered here at Jerusalem to worship.

The armies of the rebellion will approach

And in a moment, fire from heaven will descend and consume them before a war even begins.

It is over as past as it began. Just like Armageddon.

The devil is then thrown in the lake of fire with the antichrist and false prophet and their torment will be eternal.

The Final, Final Judgement - Revelation 20:11-15

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

There is a reason this point is titled such. By final—FINAL, I mean this.

Never again, after this point, will there even been a need for judgement. Satan’s was the first rebellion ever to exist.

He will lead the last rebellion ever to exist.

And after this rebellion is put down—sin will be eradicated, the new heaven and new earth will be will be established and never again will there be a rebellion that will require judgement.

It will be done—Once and for All.

I am not sure that you and I can even fathom and comprehend in this moment what that will be like.

I am not sure we we can grasp how that can even be true. But it will be.

This is commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgment.

This throne-larger, grander, and greater than those upon which man sat to rule with Christ—

It’s whiteness blazing the truth of God’s holiness and purity—His supreme right to rule.

Who is seated on it?

God

Yes

But Father or Son?

Yes

Rev 3:21 - The Father and Son share the throne

Jesus was given the right and authority to judge - Jn 5:22; Acts 10:42

John 5:22 ESV

22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,

Since neither Father nor Son seem to be specifically mentioned here—it is best not to identify either specifically but to lean towards God, in His fullness sits on it.

As we behold Him seated there, something fascinating happens.

Earth and sky fled away and found no place before Him.

The great void of pre-creation seems to return, to a degree at least. As if creation is uncreated. And before creation is recreated, restored—one final act takes place—this final judgment.

Before God established the new heaven and new earth—sin free—the issue of sin needs final dealing with.

Graves give up their dead.

The sea gives up its dead

Hades and death give up their dead. All death gives up their dead so that each may come and stand before the Great White Throne and be judged by the Creator of all who is seated there.

Listen, justice demands that every sin be addressed. If even one left unaddressed, than it negates God’s holiness and justice.

Nothing can slip.

Nothing did slip

Isaiah 53:5–6 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus was payment for the sins of the world. Gal 3:13; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24

Galatians 3:13 ESV

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Repentance and faith applies that payment to our accounts.

Refusal to repent—you are left standing holding the bill.

Phil 3:19; 2 Th 1:9

Philippians 3:19 ESV

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 ESV

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

And the cost—takes eternity to suffice.

They will be judged by the books

Two books

One that appears to contain the works of man

One that is the Book of Life in which the names of the redeemed reside.

This appears to have a counterpart in mankind—ancient cities kept books recording the name of every member of their society—a registry.

In similar fashion—heaven has a registry of its citizens. And if you name is not found in the registry—

If their name is not found in the book of life, then the book of deeds stands as testimony of their lack of repentance and faith and they find only condemnation and judgment.

The Lake of Fire will be their fate.

Joining antichrist, false prophet, and Satan

Darkness - Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2 Pt 2:17

Place of worm - Is 66:24; Mk 9:44

Banishment - Mt 8:12; 22:13

Unending Sorrow - Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28

Torment

Mental - Dan 12:2; Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28

Physical - Rev 14:10-11; Mt 25:41; Mk 9:43-44; Lk 16:23-24

Greek is Gehenna

Physically, referred to Valley of Ben Hinno (2 Kings 23:10)

The site of Israel’s paganistic act of offering of children sacrifices - Jer 19:2-6

It is located southwest of Jerusalem

In Jesus day, it was used for nothing else but a garbage dump. The fires that were constantly kept burning there to dispose of the garbage dumped left of noxious odors.

This is a living picture of a site so deplorable it could only be used for a dump and the smell coming off the site was one of foul stench.

Degrees of punishment — Mt 10:14-15; Mk 12:38-40; Luke 12:47-48; Heb 10:29

ALL punishment is torment

But understand, some will be greater than another.

The more knowledge and understanding one has of the truth—rejection of that truth will bring stiffer judgment.

Conclusion

Application

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