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During World War II, a 29-year-old engineer named Tsutomu Yamaguchi was on a trip to Hiroshima, Japan, on the same day that the United States dropped the first atomic bomb. As he got off a streetcar, the atomic bomb detonated less than two miles away. Although the explosion killed 80,000 people, Yamaguchi escaped with only ruptured eardrums and sunburnt skin. After a painful night in an air raid shelter, he returned home to Nagasaki, 200 miles away. He reported to work three days later and was telling his boss about his ordeal when the second atomic blast hit Nagasaki, killing another 70,000 people. Yamaguchi became the only official survivor of both explosions. Remarkably, despite the double exposure to radiation, he was in good health for most of his life and lived to be 93 years old.
You know, the Bible tells us about two ancient cities that were razed by fire from heaven, leaving only three survivors. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah sadly turned away from the source of life and were completely destroyed. Join me today as we uncover the biblical truth about Judgment Day.
In our presentation tonight, we'll talk about the great judgment day. The Bible says that we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Now, we will look at several chapters of the Bible, mainly the 20th chapter of Revelation which talks about this great day of judgment and also talks about the millennium. So what's going on during that time? You can read in John chapter 14, He said, 'I will come back and take you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also'. So we will be with Him in the mansions He has prepared in the New Jerusalem.
And then it continues in Revelation 20: "And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." So judgment is given to the saints and we live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Number 6: What will happen at the end of the 1000 years? You read in Zechariah 14:1, "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming...and in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives." At the end of the thousand years, Jesus will say, 'The hour has come. I answered his questions. Now let's go down and return to My original plan for this planet.' And His feet will come down, touch the Mount of Olives, “which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives will split in the middle of it.” - will split in two and form a large valley. Jesus taught much from the Mount of Olives. He prayed on the Mount of Olives, 'Father, not my will be done, yours be done.' The Mount of Olives is not far from Bethany, where He ascended into heaven. And so this was a special place that happened to the apostles. He predicted the end of the world on the Mount of Olives looking at the temple.
And after His feet touch the mountain, this great valley is formed. There will be a big earthquake. He is preparing the foundation; so he tells us that the new Jerusalem descends. John chapter 21, verse 2: He says, “And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven. Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” - because the bride of Christ, the church, lives in that city - and what a glorious experience that will be.
What will happen next to release Satan from his prison? Well, Satan is bound because he has no one to tempt or manipulate. All the wicked are dead, right? He has no one to own, no one to control. But when Jesus comes back, he says, at the end of the thousand years, the rest of the dead, the third time we read that, they will not live again until the thousand years are over. If the dead in Christ rise first, then the rest of the dead are the wicked and will rise in the second resurrection, are you still with me? This means that they will live again when the thousand years are over. And when Jesus comes down, he calls them from their tombs. "and when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison."
What frees you from your prison? Well, now the world is lit up with the city of God and all the wicked come out of their graves. The Bible calls them 'Gog and Magog'. All names in Revelation are symbols. Does the Apocalypse talk about Balaam? If that happen. it is a symbol that the Apocalypse mentions Jezebel, not the real Jezebel, she is dead. He is talking about a spiritual Jezebel. He talks about Apollyon and he talks about all these names - he talks about Egypt, he talks about Sodom - and when he talks about Gog and Magog he's talking about the ancient enemies of God's people because, all the wicked down through the ages, they represent the enemies of God's people.
I'm going to tell you an amazing fact about Napoleon Bonaparte. You know, at one point, Napoleon was raging across Europe and it looked like he was going to reunite the old Roman empire, he was a brilliant general, but, in the biggest battle in Europe, before the First World War, Napoleon was finally defeated. by this coalition of nations and they banished him to Elba, this island. And he knew that he would soon be sent to a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic. He, very cunning, managed to escape, a bold and daring flight from that island, returned to France, gathered the French army, and for another hundred and eleven days he was in power, and gathered the forces once more. Even though he was trapped, he couldn't change. Once he got back to the mainland, he went back to war to become king of the world again.
Satan is released to show everything - he used to be - think about it: Satan was number 4 - Father, Son, Holy Spirit are God - he was the greatest of creations. It will run now. He will be cast into this lake of fire. Before God does that, he wants to make sure that all those good angels heard Lucifer appeal to them, they chose to remain loyal to God, but maybe they were on the fence. And so, God wants to make sure there is no doubt. As soon as Lucifer has an audience again, he reverts to his old ways. He cannot change any more than Napoleon, who was probably inspired by the devil's pride.
What will Satan do when he sees the wicked resurrected? - is question number 8 - it says, Revelation 20:8 - "And he will go out to deceive the nations" - that tells you who Gog and Magog are, right? The nations of all the wicked - "which are in the four parts of the earth, Gog and Magog." Now, when we are resurrected, we get glorified bodies, right? People often ask, 'What will happen to the wicked when they are resurrected? What will they get? I think the Lord just brings them together to let them know what's going on, but they don't get any special bodies, they don't get the updates that we do. They only receive a reduced rent to help them get through the trial experience. They probably come out of their graves almost as they entered. I can't prove it, but I don't think they're getting any sort of glorified bodies.
It says, "to assemble them for battle: the number of which is as the sand of the sea." You think of all the people who have lived through the thousands of years of human history, all alive at the same time on the planet, and he sees all these forces, now, I know it's a sad thought, but it's biblical. Who has the biggest army? Satan. Christ or Satan? Now think about it: you have Jesus and all the good angels - the good angels outnumber the bad ones - and then you have Satan, all the evil and evil angels. The bad outnumber the good; Broad is the way that leads to destruction. So they cover the earth like a cloud and that means everyone in this room will meet again one day. I hope you're in town. Amen. When this happens. And he goes on to say, "And you will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud to cover the land." Then they will completely cover the ground. It's like a cloud.
At this crucial moment, what stops everything? Now that Satan has been released from his prison, what do you think he will do when he is released? He gathers all the wicked and says, 'We are more than they are.' You read in Ezekiel that it says they unite. Read in Zechariah, 'Against the city of God to attack the city of God.' And he says that they are released from prison for a while.
How long is that time? I don't know, but it's enough for them to organize themselves like armies. And Satan will say, 'This is our city.' And even though it has fallen, it still looks like a glorious being. He said, 'That's the enemy. This belongs to me'. He's got it and he's going to bring them all together with him, because what else? It is his last hope. And, desperate, instead of repenting, they try to attack the city of God.
But, before they can launch their attack, Jesus says, 'Enough is enough'.
Amen.
This is the great judgment day. Now, when I talk about judgment, it actually happens in three phases. You have a judgment that takes place before the coming of Jesus: those who take the name of Christ, their names are recorded in the Book of Life: "He who has the Son has life", and we are judged on the basis of the merits of Christ. The Bible knows - the Bible tells us that God knows, before He comes, who is saved because when He comes, He is distributing rewards, right? Hell will give to each according to his works when he comes. He knows who is saved and who is lost.
Then there is judgment during the thousand years we participate in by asking questions and understanding why God judged as he did. We are affirming the judgments of God.
So, the final executive part of the judgment is the White Throne judgment that takes place now, at the end of the thousand years, when all the wicked stand before the Lord. Christ, on His great white throne, is exalted over the city where everyone sees Him. And the glory of Christ will be overwhelming. And, you can read it here in--it says, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
This final judgment is where everyone lines up in a big line like the Department of Motor Vehicles and everyone is waiting and saying, 'Next case'? And one by one we all arrived and - I don't think so. On Pentecost, when the Lord filled 3,000 people with the Holy Spirit, was it one at a time or all at once? So there will be a mass judgment, but each person, and it may take a while, each person will have their life analyzed in Heaven. They will see a picture of Christ's sacrifice and all that God has done to try to save them. And everything will open. We will see people who will be out of town because of our influence. If you are saved, I hope you will see people who are within the city because of your influence. And so, it's not just that you're going to be judged by your actions, you're going to be judged by what you've done to others. Your example will make the difference. It's not just what you do for yourself, each of us is influencing others for or against God. Amen? So you want to have a good influence.
So Christ is up there and everyone sees the glory. What then happens when they see the glory of God? You read that verse in Romans chapter 14, verse 11: "As surely as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. That in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow from the things that are in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth;" - everyone will bow before God, even Lucifer, at some point, will fall. You will have to declare 'God is good'. I made a mistake. You will be overwhelmed with a sense of your own sin.
Do you know what Judas did before committing suicide? He entered the temple and said, 'I have given innocent blood.' And he went out and hanged himself. Satan, from his proud lips, will be forced to confess that he was the author of all this rebellion. Every knee will bow. All people who are atheists and said 'God does not exist', all knees will bow. I'd rather bow to Jesus now, amen. And be ready when he comes - amen. And don't be a rebel like waiting until it's too late. "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen?
Amen.
And you read in Revelation 19, "I heard a loud voice from many people in heaven, saying... righteous and true are their judgments." Do you realize what's going on there? Everyone in Heaven is saying that they are affirming God's judgment. So who's the judge? Ultimately it is God, and everyone will declare that God is just. God is good. His judgments are fair.
Don't go anywhere folks, we'll be back in a moment with the rest of today's presentation. Have you read what the Bible really says about last-day events? Are you familiar with the signs of the second coming, the last plagues and the final judgment? Anyone looking at the headlines today is probably wondering if our world is heading towards Armageddon, but I want you to know that even in the face of everything that is happening, you can still live in peace and security for your future. would you like to know how?
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What happens next? He then tells us that this is the final phase of what they would call the battle of Armageddon. The battle of Armageddon begins before Jesus arrives and ends afterward. The battle of Armageddon is not China, Russia and Israel and God is concerned with the battle between good and evil. You know, there's a story in the Old Testament about Gideon. Gideon was surrounded by a threefold union: the Amalekites, the Edomites, and the people from the east, all come like--covered the land like a cloud. They devoured the land like locusts and God said to Gideon, 'I'm going with you and all you need are your 300 men. And there, in the valley of Megiddo, Gideon, by God's power and his spirit, gained complete victory over these superior forces.
You see, this scenario happens several times in the Bible, except in Revelation it's the beast, the dragon and the false prophet, another threefold union, they come against the people of God, they come against the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but they are defeated. And this is where Jesus, you see Him sometimes pictured and winning on His horse and then He sends judgment on the wicked. It says in Revelation 20, verse 9, fire comes down from God's heaven and devours them.
Now what does he say is wrong? It eats them up. Whoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. There is no third option. All is well - we're in Heaven - your name is in the Book of Life, or you follow the devil and his angels into the lake of fire.
Now the big question is, do people misunderstand the lake of fire. Let's talk for a moment about Hell. You read in Revelation 20, verse 14, it says, "This is the second death." I once heard a pastor say, 'If you're born once, you'll die twice. If you are born twice, you only die once. See, Christians, you can die, but then you rise and do not die the second death. The wicked, if they are born once and not born again, will die the second death.
Let's talk a minute about Hell, shall we? This is a very misunderstood subject and many people have turned away from God due to the terrible perpetrated medieval myths that are not biblical. I used to think that God was a sadist. Someone is lost: You have a teenager who is past the age of accountability but doesn't accept Jesus, so he goes into the same lake of fire as Adolf Hitler and burns for millions of years. And a million years after roasting and boiling and screaming in agony, moment after moment he pokes his head out of the brimstone and says, 'God, how long?' and God pushes you and says, 'You haven't even started yet.' (Laughter) That's the image that many people have of God, and that's what they've been taught. It is not what the Bible teaches.
Let me quickly tell you what the Bible teaches. Malachi chapter 4, 'Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble.' The day that comes will burn them. The Bible says that the wicked are devoured. The wicked are consumed. You have two options: whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Either you will perish or you will have eternal life.
God said to Adam and Eve, He said, 'If you disobey, you will die; if you think you live But the devil is saying, 'No, no, you have eternal life, no matter what happens. You are immortal. Either you burn forever or you go to heaven. The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says that God and God alone has immortality. Show me where it says people have immortality in the Bible. I'm quiet. He does not say so, but he says that when Christ comes this mortal will put on immortality. But we die.
The idea that God will immortalize sin - the Bible says there is no more sin, there is no more pain - if there is no more pain - Revelation says there is no more pain. How can God say all things are new if you have sinners immortalized in some torture chamber forever and ever? And many people have heard this, thinking people say, 'There is no justice there to torment the objects of your creation for all eternity for the sins of a split second.' This was used by the church in the Middle Ages to scare people.
God doesn't want you to come to fire insurance, He wants you to come to Him because you love Him. Amen. This is the second death.
Now, there are some difficult verses. It says, 'eternal fire' - he calls it eternal fire because what fire does is eternal. And he calls it eternal punishment: how long does the punishment last?
Forever.
Forever. The Bible says that the wicked will be treated like Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were burned? Are they still burning? No. They were consumed. He says: 'Turning them to ashes as an example to the wicked.' What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Burned. Different people will suffer different lengths of time based on what they deserve. There's a lake of fire, so don't go out there and say, 'Pastor Doug doesn't believe in hell.' I believe in hell. My hell is hotter than most hells. My hell is hotter because it burns people. Others simply simmer forever and ever. So I believe in hell.
The Bible says that people will be punished according to what they deserve. But the idea that he goes on forever and ever being tortured is not what the Bible teaches. God says he will make a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. All things will be made new.
So, quickly, let's review the millennium. You have the beginning of the first resurrection and the second coming; thousand years we lived and reigned with Christ during the--the millennium. Second resurrection descends the Holy City. And so, for the thousand years, we are living and reigning with Christ and there will be a judgment. But read in Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth." Why does it say 'New Heaven'? The word 'heaven' is an atmosphere around the earth. It's not a new house.
Hebrews had three words for heaven: heaven had three levels, I should say. You have the air around the planet where birds fly and clouds float. You have the part of the cosmos where the stars hang, then you have the abode of God which is called the third heaven. Paul speaks of a man caught up to the third heaven. And who knows where the verse about the seventh heaven is? It's not in the Bible. Ok, just checking to be sure. (Laughter)
So God is making a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth passed away." And God said He's going to make all things new. He says: "We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." And again you have the promise, 'Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the earth.' I'm getting ahead of myself here.
Question number 13: Where will God and the righteous finally live? When the New Jerusalem comes down, after the judgment of the great white throne, God will rain fire on the wicked outside the city. Each is punished according to what he deserves. The Bible says it rains fire on the earth. It is not - hell is not a torture chamber somewhere in the middle of the earth; the Bible does not teach that.
It says that God himself will dwell with us. You can read in Revelation 21:3 - what a beautiful promise. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them." He will be their God and they will be his people. And the Bible said we'll see his face. Amen. And then we will have glorified bodies. We will be able to eat from the Tree of Life - twelve different kinds of fruit twelve times a year. This is better than Baskin Robbins 31 flavors.
And you will be able to, let's meet, no more pain, no more police stations, no more illness, no more death, no more suffering. And it's real, folks. This pain and misery in our world was never God's plan. He's going to restore things to his original plan. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Where do we finally live? Not in heaven. The New Jerusalem comes down to earth. God made a city for you, but you can leave the New Jerusalem. It says you will trample the wicked for their ashes under the soles of their feet. They won't be ashes, they'll be beautiful carpets of living grass. But you will plant vineyards and eat the fruit. You will build houses.
We'll do exciting things. We will fly to unknown worlds. Does anyone know where this verse is? It's in 'Rock of Ages', it's not in the Bible, but it's a great verse. (laughs) We will go to unknown worlds. We will be able to fly. The Bible says that we will fly with wings like eagles, we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint. This is very real. Boy, I tell you, the older I get, the more heaven sounds to me. (high-pitched laughter) Because I realized: I want to exchange this one for a newer model, amen?
Amen.
The Lord will give us an improvement. The question is, will you accept Jesus' offer of eternal life?
Amen.
And a place in that realm. I heard a story years ago about this king of Persia. And he had a law in his kingdom, he had a harem, and the law was that no man should enter the harem except the sultan, the king. And he had his eunuchs and he had people who looked after the harem, but there were the women's rooms and the wives and no man was to enter.
The Crown Prince was a bit arrogant and thought, 'Well, this law does not apply to me because I am the King's son. I can go where I want to go. And one day he just marched into the King's harem, to the horror of everyone present and everyone present, and he made headlines and everyone asked, 'What will the King do?' because the king had a law that if a man dared to enter the harem, his eyes would be put out. Wow.
Now the king has a decision to make. He is a just king and a loving father. He doesn't want to blind his son, but he doesn't want to send the wrong message to his people either. What is your job? As the story goes, the king gouged out one of his son's eyes and plucked out one of his, so they could still see. But, you know, Jesus went the second mile. He didn't say, 'Look, I'll share your punishment.' He said, 'I will take all the punishment.' All you deserve for your life of sin - we deserve death - the penalty for sin is death. Jesus said, 'I will take your punishment. I'll take your weakness, I'll give you my strength. I will take your sin, I will give you my righteousness. I'll take the death you deserve and give you the life you deserve. He said, 'I'll do a full exchange with you.
The Bible is full of stories of God taking people out of prison and into the palace and doing it in one day. That's what he did for Joseph, from prison to palace. Daniel went from prisoner to prime minister. Esther went from being an orphaned captive to becoming a queen. The Bible is full of these stories. The Exodus - they passed from slavery to the Promised Land. It's all there to illustrate what God wants to do for you. We leave this world where we are slaves to sin. And Jesus said, 'I want you to live and reign with me in heavenly places.
Amen.
But the question is, will you accept it? The Lord loves you so much that He is giving you freedom. And I could talk about it for a thousand years. But, until you finally say, 'You know, I'm going to stop trying to do this myself. I will give my life to God. I will accept the sacrifice that Jesus made. On the cross, when He was up there, it's like you were the only one to sin. He loved you so much. If you were the one who rebelled and did all the nasty things you and I did, He said, 'I'll take the punishment, the shame, and the blame for it all because I love you so much, so much could you be with me.' He says: 'Lord, Father, the joy that you can be with me in paradise.' Do you want to be with Him in paradise?
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