I ask you to turn in your Bibles with me this evening to the book of Revelation, the 20th chapter, Revelation chapter 20. We're continuing on the theme, rebellion in the kingdom. We turn to Revelation, the 20th chapter. And as we turn to the Revelation chapter 20, we know that this passage tells us about Christ reigning for a thousand years, the end of verse 4. Those who had not received the mark of the beast will live and reign with Him a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. So the resurrected tribulational saints are resurrected to live in the millennial kingdom for a thousand years. The rest of the dead were not raised. They live not again, verse 5. Who would the rest of the dead be? By this point in our eschatological calendar, Where are we? Who are these rest of the dead that aren't going to live until the thousand years is over? Can anybody help me here? So before the millennium comes, in fact, before the tribulation comes, we believe that there'll be a resurrection. Before the tribulation comes, who will be resurrected then? We will. We will, the church will be resurrected before the tribulation. The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain should be caught up together to meet them in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." That's 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians 5 says, listen, 1 Thessalonians 5 says, them as upon a thief in the night, but ye are not as them," 1 Thessalonians 5 will say. There's a difference between the believer who's raptured, 1 Thessalonians and the unbeliever who faces the day of the Lord, the time that's characterized like a thief in the night when sudden destruction will come upon them. And so, resurrection one, that's the church, that's before the tribulation, seven years of tribulation. And now, we read in verse four, of those who have gone through the tribulation, they didn't receive the mark of the beast. They have been resurrected to enjoy the millennium, a thousand years with the Lord. But the rest of the dead, verse 5, who are they? They're not raised, who are they? Lost souls. Sadly, so many who at the end of the tribulation have rebelled against the rule of God and they face that terrible time called Armageddon. And more than that, they face the rod of judgment that separates the living nations that are going into the millennium from The damned, the people who have not received the Lord as Savior during the tribulation, they are confined for 1,000 years. Now, this is the first resurrection, verse 5, "'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such, the second death hath no power, that they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him 1,000 years.'" And when the thousand years are expired, Satan will 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 them is as the sand of the sea. And they went up with the breadth of the earth and encompassed the camp of the saints about in the beloved city. Fire came down from God out of heaven. and devoured them." We noted last week, and we'll fly through this first half of this outline, that in Matthew 6, we are instructed to pray, thy kingdom come. In fact, the only word that comes up twice in the Lord's Prayer is the word kingdom. We pray thy kingdom come and we acknowledge for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever as we conclude the Lord's Prayer. The revelation received by John on the Isle of Patmos here in Revelation 20 assures us that the prayers of the saints are gonna be answered in the arrival of the millennial kingdom. Question, is the word millennium found in the Bible? No. Can you give me other words that aren't found in the Bible Rapture and Trinity, all right? These are Latin words, but we understand the term millennium to mean this thousand years that are spoken of here. And it's hard for our finite minds to gather the detail and the wonder of what the millennial kingdom will be. The millennial kingdom will be a time of international peace. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. and the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and of the increase of his government and peace." I think the Lord wants us to know that in the kingdom there'll be peace. Hallelujah. In this particular time of political upheaval in America and around the world, it's good to know that there's a time of peace that's prophesied and a time of bodily healing. Isaiah 33 and verse 24 reminds us, and the inhabitants shall not say, I am sick. Won't that be wonderful? I mean, what will you have to pray about on a Wednesday night when the inhabitants of the world and the millennium are not saying any longer, I am sick? And the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. And the Bible tells us there'll be perfect justice. Isaiah 42 verse 3, he shall bring forth judgment unto truth, he shall not Fail, nor be discouraged, till He has set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for His law." A spiritual revival will break loose. Isaiah 60, verse 21, "'Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified, and physical longevity.'" Isaiah 65 verse 20, there shall be no more thence infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days. The child shall die at a hundred years old. So question, will there be death in the millennium? Yes. Who will die? Church saints have been resurrected. Old Testament saints have been resurrected. They're in resurrection bodies. Tribulational saints have been resurrected, all these to go into the kingdom. And if you say, well, what kind of body will they have? Bodies like Jesus' body. After Jesus was raised on the day of His resurrection, that Sunday evening when He gathered with the disciples in the upper room, did they see Him? Yes. Did they talk to Him? Could they touch him? Yes. In fact, a week later, the Lord says to Thomas, take your finger and put it into the holes of my hands. So it's a body much like ours, but it's not like ours, right? How did it differ? What did Jesus do in his resurrected body that we can't do? Okay, he traveled through doors. I can't do that. Sometimes I've tried, but it doesn't work out very well. I can't navigate through doors very well. What else? He took flight, didn't he? You don't want to use the word levitation because that sounds like a spiritist, but he took flight and he was visible as he did so. And Philippians 3 tells us with great confidence, he's going to change our vile body, it would be like unto his glorified body. Now, we'll have a body like his. Question, will we get married in the millennium? In resurrected bodies. Oh, what about that one? Probably not. I love the waffling there. That's good. Probably not. What do you think, Chloe? So the Bible says, Jesus said, we will be like the angels in heaven, either marrying or giving in marriage. But notice the qualifier, in heaven. Okay, so the Mormons teach eternal marriage, right? And the only place you can consecrate an eternal marriage is at the Mormon, at the temples, one of the temples. You can get that done up here in Carmel. I've laughed a little bit, probably teased even in this forum about the Mormon wife who says to her husband, don't you think it'd be wonderful for us to have an eternal marriage? And he says, let me think about it. That's a bad day at a Mormon house. We don't believe in eternal marriage. Okay. And no, I don't believe those who have resurrected bodies procreate or marry. Okay. Because now we're in the glorified body like Christ. So we have access rights, if you will, to heaven. Because the Lord Jesus has made our body like unto His body, and He had access rights to heaven, if you will, as He ascended up. And so, no, I do believe we'll be like the angels in heaven, neither marrying or given in marriage. But some people will be married in the millennium. Who? What? Mortal people. People who survived the tribulation and have entered in the millennium in their earthly bodies will have the capacity of procreation, and they'll have 1,000 years to procreate. And they will say, he was only 100, such a child. Now, how do they die in the millennium? Maybe judgment, because Jesus will rule and reign with a rod of iron. And the Bible has already said that capital punishment is righteous punishment. After all, the law in the Old Testament is perfect. While we can't fulfill the law, it's perfect. Capital punishment runs strong through the law. So could it be that capital punishment will be practiced during the millennium? Yes. And if it does, there'll be no reason for rebuttal because there'll be a just kingdom and people will die at 100 and people will say, such a child. And there'll be abundant prosperity. They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat of the fruit of them. They shall not build another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat. For as the days of a tree, so are the days of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." There'll be abundant prosperity. When will that happen? Well, let's remember our timeline. We're living in the church age. The end of the church age is the rapture. when the Lord Himself shall descend. Behold, I show you a mystery, 1 Corinthians 15 says, you shall not all sleep, but you shall all be changed. That's the rapture. Seven years of dreadful tribulation, spoken of in much of the book of the Revelation, and then the second coming of Christ. Never, ever confuse the rapture with the second coming of Christ. The second coming, key word coming. He's coming to the earth, Zechariah 12. His foot will stand on the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives will split in two. A great stream will flow from Jerusalem all the way to the Mediterranean. There's going to be a topographical change when Jesus Christ comes in glory. to set up his millennial kingdom. And then that thousand-year reign, we've been talking about that, and this evening, we're focusing on the rebellion at the end. One would expect that all of the citizens of the kingdom would say with Peter, it's good for us to be here. But they don't. At the end of a thousand years, those who have been born to mortals will themselves be in mortal bodies. And in those mortal bodies, they will rebel. against King Jesus. And so we learn of man's rebellion. While it seems to us almost inconceivable that man would rebel against the rulership of the Prince of Peace, yet that's exactly what the Bible says is going to happen. Psalm 2 says, why do the heathen rage, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? For the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, saying, they stand against His anointed, and we will cast Him down. And we read of that here in Revelation 20, when the thousand years, verse 7, are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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 is the sand of the sea, and they went up the breadth of the earth and encompassed the camp of the saints, and God will end up devouring them." Who are these that are the inhabitants of the kingdom? There are those who are immortal in heavenly bodies. We've referenced them several times, the immortal ones in heavenly bodies, the Old Testament saints, the New Testament saints, and the tribulational saints. There are those immortal bodies, these are the inhabitants of the millennial kingdom who have survived the tribulation and entered in. Now, not all survivors of the tribulation will enter into the thousand years. Only those who have professed faith in Christ. There'll be a tremendous revival during the tribulation, and those who have accepted Christ as Savior will enter in in mortal bodies, and they will be the ones who bear these children, who are born to the righteous survivors of the tribulation saints. These children will inhabit this new earth, and then they'll be angelic. If you were asked the question, just straight up tonight, do angelic beings inhabit the earth today? Do angelic beings inhabit the earth today? Yes. Yes. And demons do too. Now, during the millennial kingdom, the demons will be trapped with Satan for that thousand years in the bottomless pit. But right now, yes, we would answer yes. Angels do inhabit this planet with us. There are principalities and powers that are invisible to us, but no doubt very real, very serious persons, and they will inhabit the kingdom in the millennium. Will they be visible during the millennium? Now, you and I in glorified bodies like Jesus' body after His resurrection will be visible. Will the angels be visible? I don't know either. So if you come to a conclusion on that question somewhere in your Bible study, come and talk to me, I don't know. But I know that they'll be there, and of course the Lord Jesus Christ will be there ruling and reigning. You know, people talk about diversity. When my daughters were training to be school teachers, my eldest daughter was a public school teacher for several years in a special ed classroom, all of their teaching plans, their lesson plans, on an hourly basis during their student teaching, they were required to have a diversity moment, hour by hour throughout the day in order to be approved as student teachers in the public schools. A diversity moment, you know, we hear about it all the time, diversity. There's going to be amazing diversity in the millennium. You're going to bump into people. Are you a glorified person or a mortal? I think we'll know. Somehow we'll know. It'd be an awfully embarrassing thing for a mortal to offer a proposal of engagement to somebody who's in a glorified body and be turned down. So I think we'll know who's there and what's what. But there's going to be amazing diversity. Man's rebellion has a leader. It always has a leader. And in verse 7, at the end of Christ's thousand-year reign, Satan is released from the bottomless pit. Unchanged by his confinement, Satan deceives the unbelieving mortal citizens of the kingdom. This rebellion stands as proof positive of two doctrinal truths. We alluded to this last time. The first, man's total depravity, is seen here perhaps more evidently than seen any other passage in God's Word. to imagine that a person could enjoy a thousand years living under the rule and reign of King Jesus in a perfect environment where infants die at 100, where prosperity and health is known and justice reigns. And yet we read that they went up, verse 9, to the breadth of the earth and encompassed… This isn't a sliver of them. This is, it seems, a great body of people coming against the Lord, encompassing the very camp of the saints. Total depravity is made evident in this passage. How did this happen? Remember Romans 5 and verse 12? Wherefore, as by one man," can you work it through with me, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so then, death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. So theologians have two ways they can go when they talk about Adam's headship. I think there's maybe some measure of truth in both of these directions. You can talk about Adam's headship, he's the head, he's the first, the first man. And when Adam sinned, as the old catechism said, when Adam died, all died, all right? So is He the federal head of our race, the representative head of our race, or the seminal head of our race, the physical head of our race? Does the sin nature that we all possess come upon us because we are partakers of Adam's genealogy, DNA, his physical elements? Is the sin nature passed along? That's what a seminal headship would represent, that we're sinners because we're born and sin is somehow in our DNA. The other position is, no, no, no, sin is judicially passed upon us because Adam is our federal head, he's our representative head. Now, if you want to spend an evening talking about that, I don't know where you can go to do it. We're not talking about it here right now, all right? Other than to say that at the end of the millennium, at the end of the millennium, these who have been born in mortal bodies are so deceived by Satan, who's recently been released from the bottomless pit, that they follow him rather than Christ, which puts a dagger right into the brain cells of the environmental determinatist. Those who say environment shapes behavior. I've never realized that at the end of the millennium, the most awful rebellion that's ever been faced will be faced when Satan is released. Now, remember we said last time that God has done something wonderful in creating those agents who have some measure of freedom. The angels and we humans have been given a measure of freedom, right? You have choices that you will be accountable for making. And those agents of freedom who have choice will either be confirmed in righteousness or confirmed in unrighteousness. There's no middle ground, but everyone has to have a choice. So in Revelation chapter 12, when Satan falls, one-third of the angels fall with him, forever confirmed in unrighteousness. And two-thirds are forever confirmed in righteousness. And we who live right now in the age of grace have the opportunity to be confirmed in righteousness or unrighteousness. Just as in the Old Testament, before they died, confirmed in righteousness or unrighteousness, even so in the millennium, every mortal born with Adam's nature will either be confirmed in righteousness or unrighteousness, and the confirmation is going to be made evident at the last of the millennium. After a thousand years, there's going to be a tremendous rebellion And the other thing that this teaches us is the impossibility of a post-tribulational rapture. There is a view called historic premillennialism. A historic premillennialist believes that the church is going to live through the tribulation And not denying the rapture, the historic premillennialist believes the rapture comes at the end of the tribulation. We go up to come down and inhabit the millennium. So watch it now. If you hold to that view, you're going through the tribulation. You're part of the church. Other people are getting saved. It's glorious. You've met Moses and Elijah and 144,000 Jews that are witnessing all over the world. You're going through the tribulation. You go up, everybody that's saved just went up to come down. Question, what happens at the end of the tribulation? According to Matthew chapter 25, the Lord separates the sheep from the goats and all the goats are confined in fire. Who's going to live in the millennium? Only the ones that went up to come down? How are they going to procreate? You've got a problem with that view. Let me just tell you something. If you want to be part of the illuminated tonight, in our evangelical colleges and seminaries, historic premillennialism is really cool. It's becoming the preferred view. And what I just gave you tonight is one of the best ways to argue against it. It doesn't make sense if you put that rapture right before the millennium because you don't have mortals inhabiting the millennium with the historic premillennialist view. Okay? So we move on. The lands that are involved in this rebellion, well, verse 8 makes it very clear that all the nations are going to be deceived. And so this is a worldwide rebellion against the plan of God. Remembering that chronology of the end times, we head into this rebellion and we find Christ's retribution. Revelation 20 verses 9 and 10 tells us, of course, that Christ is going to punish them Devil deceived, verse 10, is actually cast in the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and he shall be tormented day and night forever and forever. Satan is not today in hell. That is not his home. Satan will one day have a permanent home called the lake of fire. Satan today is free to roam about. The book of Job tells us he even has some measure of access into heaven as he roams about. And remember what God asked Satan in the book of Job? Where have you been roaming? What have you seen? Satan is not an inhabit of hell today, but one day he'll be forever in the lake of fire. Christ's retribution, Christ's wrath, according to what we read, is going to be upon sinners, verse 9, those that went up. will be, according to verse 9, devoured. It's immediate. They will be destroyed by fire, like Sodom and Gomorrah was immediately and completely destroyed. Even so, at the end of the millennium, these sinners will be immediately and completely destroyed. And when they are, it's final, because there is a resurrection for everyone. I've had family members who have made bold statements like this, I want to be cremated so that God can never bring me forward for judgment. It doesn't work that way. Everyone will stand, it's appointed on the man, that can be mankind, wants to die and after this the judgment. So there will be a resurrection of the damned and we read about it here in verse 11. After that millennium, after that rebellion, after that devouring of them, after Satan has been doomed, then I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. 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 are written in the books according to their works. The sea gave up the dead which were in it. Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. They were judged, every man, according to their works, and death and hell were cast in the lake of fire. This is the second death. You've often heard it said, born twice, die once. If you're born and then born again, you may face physical death. Born once, die twice. If you've never been born again, you've only had physical birth, you will face death physically and then you'll face death eternally. This is the second death. And upon whom will the second death come? Verse 15, whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Those whose names are not in the book of life are cast in the lake of fire. So we see his wrath upon sinners, we see his wrath upon Satan, he's cast in the lake of fire, and we see his wrath upon sin in that the Lord Jesus Christ will not allow this awful sin to be perpetuated, verse 14 it should say rather than verse four, for death and hell were cast in the lake of fire. Christ will then wipe away all tears from their eyes This must be the end of sin, when tears are forever removed. For we read in verse 1 of chapter 21, a new heaven and a new earth comes. In verse 4, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There'll be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any pain, for the former things are passed away. And now, of course, we're reading about God's recreation. It is God's promise and purpose to make all things new. The Greek language has two different words for new. There's chronos. We get our word chronometer, chronology. It means in sequence. And there is kynos. We get our word kind. The word that's being used in Revelation 21 is kynos. He will make all things new after a different kind. It's not talking chronologically here. It's talking something spectacularly different than anything we've ever known. He's going to make all things new. One of the wonderful promises of the day when He makes all things new, He'll wipe away all the tears from their eyes. There'll be no more death. There'll be no more pain. There'll be no more sorrow. All those things will be behind. Why would a believer who's in heaven, who's met the Lord face to face, whose name is written in the book of life, why would that believer ever cry? So is the wiping away of the tears from their eyes figurative or is it literal? And if literal, why would they ever cry? Yes, Darlene? I'm sorry? It could be loved ones that never believe. Some would certainly hold to that, and there would be great sorrow. There's a song that's always haunted me. I dreamed I searched heaven for you, searched vainly in heaven for you. Friend, won't you prepare to meet me up there? Lest I should search heaven for you. I think we might cry because loved ones aren't there. What else would cause us to cry? God, wipe away all tears. missed opportunities. I think that's probably the more appropriate answer because it's based on 1 Corinthians 3 and 4. 1 Corinthians 3 says that as we will one day have our works for Christ revealed, wood, hay, stubble, gold, silver, precious stones, they'll be tried by fire. And that portrait of being tried by fire is not one that ought to cause us to be I don't want to use the word eager, it ought to cause us to walk carefully and to tremble before the Lord. But we will have our works tried by fire and those works that have been done for the Lord for His glory will endure and will have added luster. But those who have labored for their own glory have received their reward on earth. And I think that can bring tears. And so we read, of a new heaven. And we read of a new earth in verse 1 of chapter 21, I saw a new kind of heaven, a new kind of earth for the new heaven and the first earth and the first heaven rather passed away and there was no more sea. And there's a new Jerusalem. Isn't it interesting? There are two cities, and this is another study altogether and it's a wonderful one, the tale of two cities in the pages of God's Word. The city that's listed here that God will recreate is Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the heavenly city in God's Word. It's the apple of God's eye. The word Jerusalem is found over 500 times in the Bible. Anybody know the other city that's often spoken of in the Bible that's second most frequently spoken about? Babylon. And of course, we found in Revelation 18 that Babylon was destroyed, but the Bible is one giant belt with a buckle, right? The book of the Revelation, the tree of life, the book of Genesis, the tree of life. The book of the Revelation, Babylon, the book of Genesis, Babylon, and all things weave together. And so, the tale of two cities, Jerusalem survives, Babylon does not. And Jerusalem is coming down as a bride coming down adorned for her husband and a new condition. We've read of that, the voice that cries out of heaven saying, "'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them. They shall be His people. God Himself shall be with them and shall be their God.' And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself even as He is pure." Any questions as we conclude that study this evening? Thank You for Your patience and Your indulgence in it. There's a lot for us to consider when we consider what God has planned for those who love Him. Let's stand together and we'll pray and we'll dismiss carefully tonight as you go down the hallway to pick up your little ones. Father, we thank You that we can open Your Word tonight in a free land. May it ever be so. Lord, I pray for those who are in authority over us. Lord, help us to continue to live quiet, peaceable lives. I pray for those who even this evening in positions of power, are pushing and squeezing to try to find avenues to increase power rather than avenues to serve and perpetuate liberty. Lord, I pray for our country tonight as we head into this Christmas holiday and into a new year. Having put 2020 soon behind us, we look forward to the day when the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel. Until that day, Lord, I may we live faithfully. Whether we be young in this room or old, may all of us together desire each one to live in light of Your coming and to live to hear, well done, good and faithful servant. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.