The Final Judgement
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Last Week
Last Week
We have worked our way through the book of Revelation and are now almost to the end. John the son of Zebedee was in exile on the isle of Patmos, and Yeshua revealed Himself to John there. John was commanded to write to seven communities in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).
Last week we looked at the imprisonment of HaSatan for 1000 years, and we looked at the First Resurrection, the resurrection of the righteous, who will reign with Messiah, Yeshua, for that thousand years.
Today we will cover the end of the millennial reign, where HaSatan once again convinces the nations to war against Adonai. We will look at the war of Gog and Magog and at the Great White Throne judgement.
Let us turn to Revelation 20:7-15
When the thousand years has ended, satan shall be released from his prison, and he shall come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for the battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the kedoshim and the beloved city—but fire fell from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they shall be tortured day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne, and the One seated on it. The earth and heaven fled from His presence, but no place was found for them. And I saw the dead—the great and the small—standing before the throne. The books were opened, and another book was opened—the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Sheol gave up the dead in them. Then they were each judged, each one of them, according to their deeds. Then death and Sheol were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog
Where was Magog?
Where was Magog?
We start this passage in Rev. 20:8 with a world wide war against Adonai and His Anointed One, Messiah Yeshua. This battle occurs because HaSatan is released from jail, and tricks all the world’s nations to war against Yeshua who is ruling from Jerusalem.
So who was Magog, and where did he live? Well we first learn of him from Gen. 10:2-5 “Japheth’s sons were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. Gomer’s sons were Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. Javan’s sons were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittites and Dodanites. From these the coastlands of the nations spread out in their lands, each one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”
So as we see from the picture from the Holman Bible Atlas, the descendants of Japheth travelled from Ararat north and East, and occupied lands of modern-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Many early believers placed Magog, as shown in the map above, on the border of modern-day Turkey. For instance, Hippolytus of Rome wrote in his Chronicon in the early 3rd century A.D. that Magog was connected to the Galatians in Asia Minor. The Jewish sage Rambam, Rabbi Maimonides, also wrote in Hichot Terumot that Magog was on the border of modern-day Turkey.
I bring this all up, because there are some people who try to associate Magog with Russia, and every time that Russia does anything, they want to ask, “Is this the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophesy against Gog of Magog?” So to gain some clarity of this, let’s go an read Eze. 38:1-5 and as I do, I want you to keep looking at the map and notice where the different people groups were in Ezekiel’s time.
“The word of Adonai came to me saying: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him and say, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws. I will bring you out, with all your army, horses and horsemen—all of them splendidly dressed—a vast assembly with breastplate and shield, all of them wielding swords. With them will be Persia, Cush and Put, all of them with shield and helmet,”
Their Evil Plan
Their Evil Plan
In Revelation we read that the Devil worked to bring this coalition of armies together. Here in Ezekiel we read some of the details. Eze. 38:10-12
Thus says Adonai Elohim: “It will come to pass in that day that things will come into your heart and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who live securely, all of them living without walls, having no bars or gates, in order to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places now inhabited and against the people gathered from the nations, who have been acquiring livestock and property, who live in the center of the world.’
Well, the “Center of the world” is another way of referring to Israel, the apple of God’s eye. Zech. 2:12 ““For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, He has sent me after glory to the nations that plundered you—because whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—” .
This is very similar to Psalm 2:1-6
Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples mutter vanity? The kings of earth set themselves up and rulers conspire together against Adonai and against His Anointed One: “Let’s rip their chains apart, and throw their ropes off us!” He who sits in heaven laughs! Adonai mocks them. So He will speak to them in His anger, and terrify them in His fury: “I have set up My king upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
Adonai’s Response
Adonai’s Response
In Revelation we see that fire falls from heaven and consumes this army, but in Ezekiel we are given some more detail. Eze. 38:18-23
In that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“My fury will rise up in My nostrils. In My jealousy and the fire of My wrath I have spoken! Surely in that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep upon the ground and all humans upon the face of the earth will shake at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down. The steep places will fall. Every wall will fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will punish him with pestilence and blood. I will pour out rain on him, on his troops and on the many peoples with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. So I will magnify and sanctify Myself. I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Adonai.”
By this point in His Story, Adonai does not think very highly of those nations who would attempt to make war against His people. Adonai grabs the Devil, and throws him into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the False Prophet to be “tortured day and night forever and ever.”
Final Thought on Gog
Final Thought on Gog
The passage in Ezekiel 38 seems to be linked with the judgement of the Messiah’s arrival, and the establishment of His 1000 kingdom. For this reason, many see the Reference to Gog and Magog in Revelation 20 as a second, or more complete fulfillment of the Battle of Har-Migiddo (Armageddon).
Great White Throne Judgement
Great White Throne Judgement
Now in Verse 11, we get to the second resurrection. This is the time that all people, everywhere will be raised up to stand before Adonai. In his letter to the Romans, Rav. Sha’ul quotes Isaiah 45:23 which says “By Myself I have sworn— the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and is irrevocable: that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear.”
The Books are Opened
The Books are Opened
It is at this time that all people will be judged. The passage in Revelation states that all the Books, plural, will be opened. There are several references to these books being opened. One of the the most prominent is in Dan. 7:10
A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands of thousands attended Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
We see in Revelation, that all of our deeds are written in these books, and all people will be judged according to their deeds. This is truly a terrifying thought because there is none of us who is truly right with God. This will be the time that all wicked people will be judged, and all of our works will be tested as by fire. Rav. Sha’ul said to the congregation in Corinth, 1 Cor. 3:12-13
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work—what sort it is.
Book of Life
Book of Life
Near the end of his book, Daniel would write, Dan. 12:1-2
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has never occurred since the beginning of the nation until then. But at that time your people—everyone who is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake—some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Here we see a reference to another book, and if your name is in this book you will be delivered. The prophet Malachi called this a “Scroll of Remembrance.” Mal. 3:16-18. The word for book and scroll is the same in Hebrew.
Then those who revere Adonai spoke with each other, and Adonai took notice and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written before Him, for those who revere Adonai, even those who esteem His Name. “So they shall be Mine,”—says Adonai-Tzva’ot—“in the day I make My own special possession. So I will spare them, as one spares his son serving him. Then you will return and distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
And Moses referred to this book that Adonai has written after Beni Yisrael had sinned with the Golden Calf, Exo. 32:32
Yet now, please forgive their sin. But if not, please blot me out of Your book that You have written.”
This Book of Life records all people whom Adonai has forgiven. Adonai responded to Moses about this Book of Life, Exo. 32:33
Adonai said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
All people, regardless of where or how they died, will be raised on that final day. John mentions the people who died in the sea and therefore addresses the reality of people who were never properly buried.
Sheol Thrown into Lake of Fire
Sheol Thrown into Lake of Fire
And after the judgement we see that Hades and death are thrown into the Lake of Fire. The Hebrew word Sheol, simply means the place of the dead. Please don’t ask me where it is, I really don’t know. In fact, the only people who might know are those who have died and come back to life. So I will simply refer to a story that Yeshua told about this place. Luke 16:19-31
“Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living it up in luxury every day. But a poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming to lick his sores. “It happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. And from Sheol, as he was in torment, he raised his eyes. And he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side. So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good things, even as Lazarus received the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are tormented. Besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is firmly set, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us. “Then the rich man said, ‘I beg you then, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house! For I have five brothers to warn, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’ “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’ ”
Application for Today
Application for Today
How do we apply this to us today? I have been warned to never talk about Hell, and for that matter the Lake of Fire and final judgement, unless there are tears in my eyes. It is true that Yeshua talks about Hell more than any other person in the Scriptures. It is also true that his most severe warnings were directed to his Talmidim.
It is a terrifying to recount the words of John here in Revelation 20:15
And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
And it is my heart-felt prayer that no one: not my worst enemy, not the people who have hurt me, not the people who have wronged me, that no one would end up there. This is why Yeshua warned his Talmidim so strongly in Matt. 5:30, Matt. 18:8, Mark 9:43 to do anything we can to not end up in this place. Peter would later write, 2 Pet. 3:8-13
But don’t forget this one thing, loved ones, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you—not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will melt and disintegrate, and the earth and everything done on it shall be exposed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Live your lives in holiness and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. In that day the heavens will be dissolved by fire, and the elements will melt in the intense heat. But in keeping with His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
From this we see that it is not Yeshua’s desire to send anyone to this Lake of Fire, a place that was created for the Devil and his angels. However, Yeshua wants all people to repent, turn away from sin and turn towards Adonai.
And what sort of people should we be? Peter tells us to do four things.
Live our lives in holiness
Live our lives in godliness
Look forward to the Day of God’s judgement
Look forward to the new heavens and new earth
Pray for people to repent and have their name written in Yeshua’s Book of Life.