Table – The World Empires in the Bible.
The Last Fight – the gathering of the worldly armies.
The passing away of heaven and earth.
Complete overview of time periods and events of the Last Days.
World history: a week with days of a thousand years
Table – World history: a week with days of a thousand years
The "end of the world" is the last period of the First
Creation. The period before it is the "Millennium", the period after
it is the Second, the "New Creation".
The "end of the world" starts with the Last Fight of Satan and his
earthly allies against the heavenly forces. In this fight Satan is destroyed in
Israel with his entire army. Immediately afterward, the Universal Resurrection
takes place as the last event on the ground of this earth. Due to the passing
away of the first heaven and the first earth the subsequent Last Judgment
already takes place before the great white throne and is the last event of this
period of time.
The subsequent period of the "New Creation" sees a new heaven and a
new earth with the Holy City of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
(See also discourse 1042: "Satan
rules over the world since two thousand years")
Kingdom of Egypt |
Kingdom of Assyria |
Kingdom of Babylon |
Kingdom of Medo-Persia |
Kingdom of Greece |
Kingdom of Rome |
Kingdom of Antichrist (The Great Tribulation) |
Millennium (Kingdom of peace) |
Last Fight |
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Rev 17:9-11 Thutmosis |
Rev 17:9-11 Assurnasirpal |
Rev 17:9-11 Nebuchadnezzar |
Rev 17:9-11 Cores (Cyrus) |
Rev 17:9-11 Alexander |
Rev 17:9-11 Augustus |
Rev 17:9-11 Beast |
Rev 20:4-7 Jesus Christ |
Rev 17:8-11 Satan (beast) |
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1st head / king he has fallen |
2nd head / king he has fallen |
3rd head / king he has fallen |
4th head / king he has fallen |
5th head / king he has fallen |
6th head / king he is |
1st Antichrist Sea Rev 13: Judgments of Seals |
7th head / king he will come |
2nd Antichrist Abyss Rev 13:7; 11, Day of the LORD |
1st Resurrection martyrs reign with Christ 1000 years |
8th head / king he was 7th |
Rev 6:2 |
R A |
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2Thess 2:3-7 |
2Thess 2:8 Mt 24:29 Rev 7:14 |
2Thess 2:9 |
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Eze 31:2-11 |
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P T |
Eze 39:1-13 Har-Magedon Rev 16:16; 19:19-24 |
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Eze 38:1-13 |
Isa 10:5-26 |
U |
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Dan 2:32.37-38 head of fine gold |
Dan 2:32.39 breast, arms of silver |
Dan 2:32.39 belly, thighs of bronze |
Dan 2:33.40 legs of iron |
Dan 2:33.41-43 feet iron, clay |
R E |
Dan 2:42.44 toes iron clay ten kings |
Dan 2:34-35. 44-45 mountain stone without hands |
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Dan 7:4 lion wings of eagle | |
Dan 7:5 bear raised side | |
Dan 7:6 leopard four heads | |
Dan 7:7 beast iron teeth ten horns |
2Thess 2:3-12 the lawless one | | |
Dan 7:8,11 ten horns little horn boaster |
Dan 7:13-14 Son of Man |
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V Rev 13:2 mouth of lion |
V Rev 13:2 feet of bear |
V Rev 13:2 like leopard |
V Rev 13:1 ten horns |
V Rev 13:3 slain to death (2The 2:8) but was healed |
V Rev 13:4.14 kings of the earth beast and false prophet into the lake of fire Rev 19:19-20 |
Rev 20:2-6 |
Rev 20:7-10 |
Just as Eze 39 describes the Battle of Armageddon with the
Antichrist (before the Millennium) we have in Eze 38,1-23 a description of the
Last Fight at the end of the world. Although some exegetes want to see both
prophecies as the description of one and the same event, differences and the
belonging to a certain event can be discovered very easily.
The fact that in both cases Gog from Magog, the prince of Rosh (or chief prince
of) Meshech and Tubal is mentioned here, may not surprise us since it is in both
cases the same Fiend, who sets out to battle against Israel, namely Satan. The
one time (Eze 39) we recognize him in the Battle of Armageddon – here Satan
gathers the kings for battle together with the Antichrist and the false prophet
and then marches with them "in spirit" so to speak as their commander,
as we can gather from Rev 16,13-14.
(See also Chapter 07: "The
Battle of Armageddon.")
Three unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the dragon, of the beast and of the false prophet.
Rev 16,13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of
the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the
false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; 16,14 for they are spirits
of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to
gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Rev
16,13-14;
The other time, here, at the end of the world, we learn from Rev
20,7 that after his release from the abyss he will seduce the peoples of the
world and will gather them for the Last Fight against God.
When the thousand years were completed Satan must be released for a short time.
Rev 20,1Then I saw an angel coming down from
heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
20,2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 20,3 and he threw him into the
abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the
nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these
things he must be released for a short time. Rev 20, 1- 3;
He will come out to deceive the nations and to gather them together for the war.
Rev 20,7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan
will be released from his prison, 20,8 and will come out to deceive the
nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather
them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the
seashore. Rev 20, 7- 8;
The LORD will turn him about and put hooks into his jaws, and He bring him out, and all his army.
Eze 38,1 And the word of the LORD came to me
saying, 38,2 "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of
Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 38,3 and
say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of
Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.
38,4 "I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will
bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them
splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them
wielding swords; Eze 38, 1- 4;
In comparison to that the text from Eze 39,1-3, which refers to
the Battle of Armageddon:
I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north.
Eze 39,1"And you, son of man, prophesy against
Gog and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O
Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal;
39,2 and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest
parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 39,3
"I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from
your right hand. Eze 39, 1- 3;
So, it is Gog, the prince of Rosh (it should be mentioned here
that "Rosh" can also mean "chief prince"), Meshech and
Tubal, whom the Lord will turn around in both cases.
As far as this is concerned, the statements in both chapters are the same.
Eze 38,8 brings us then the first decisive difference. There it
says, "After many days you will be summoned, in the latter years…".
This is a clear hint that this here is not an event sometime in the course of
history, but actually at the end of times, after the Millennium, at the end of
the world.
The further text in Eze 38,8: "..you will come into the land that is
restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many
nations" refers to the people of Israel, who after their gathering and
return to the land of Israel (also mentioned in Eze 38,12), will live peacefully
in the Millennium – waging war is not learned any more – and will dwell securely
there.
In the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword.
Eze 38,5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of
them with shield and helmet; 38,6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from
the remote parts of the north with all its troops – many peoples with you. 38,7
"Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are
assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 38,8 "After many days you
will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is
restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations
to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were
brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.
38,9 "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud
covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you." Eze
38, 5- 9;
Here, in connection with Eze 38,4.15 the complaint is often
brought forward that this fight probably will not be fought out with "army,
horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with
buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords". According to these
interpreters this was a symbolic metaphor, and this fight, would, of course, be
fought with tanks, aircrafts, and nuclear weapons.
These exegetes fail to see two things in this connection. First of all, in the
time before the Millennium, on the Day of the Lord, at the reorganization of the
earth by global earthquakes not only all war materials were destroyed, all oil
fields and natural gas fields will have exploded as well and therefore even
tanks or airplanes, etc., which may be perhaps still undamaged could simply not
be employed either for the simple lack of fuel. And secondly: In the Millennium
the Lord has put an end to wars. All over the world "swords were hammered
into plowshares" (Isa 2,4; Mi 4,3;) and waging war was not taught any more.
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Isa 2,2 Now it will come about that In the last
days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of
the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will
stream to it. 2,3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up
to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach
us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will
go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
2,4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many
peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears
into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never
again will they learn war.
2,5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isa 2, 2- 5;
Therefore, Satan has no other choice than to take recourse to
horsemen and horses, shields and swords, for his going to war against Israel.
And the fact that also in Israel people have not "learnt" any more
"how to wage war" for a long time is, of course, an enticing aspect
and almost destined for a treacherous assault upon this land.
Also Eze 38,11 mentions a detail from the life of Israel in the Millennium:
Because of the many people the cities will be inhabited without any walls and
therefore the cities will lie there unprotected.
And Satan wants to take advantage of just these circumstances in order to
assault the people of God.
You will turn your hand against the people who are gathered from the nations.
Eze 38,10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will
come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will
devise an evil plan, 38,11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of
unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely,
all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 38,12 to capture
spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which
are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who
have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’
38,13 "Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages
will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your
company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and
goods, to capture great spoil?’"‘ Eze 38,10-13;
They came up on the broad plain of the earth and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
Rev 20,9 And they came up on the broad plain of
the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city,
and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. Rev 20, 9;
The peculiar description of the geographical location of Israel
in the Millennium here above, in Eze 38,12: "at the center of the
world" and in Rev 20,9: "on the plain of the earth" has its
origin in the change of the earth’s surface on the Day of the Lord before the
Millennium. There "all valleys will be raised, and all mountains and hills
will be lowered" (Lk 3,5) and "all the land will be changed into a
plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem" (Zech 14,10).
If one takes into account these geological changes, the designation of Israel as
the geographical "navel of the world" (translation by Buber) – for
Israel is at any rate the spiritual center of the world in the Millennium – ,
but also the formulation: "… they came up on the broad plain of the earth
…" becomes understandable.
(See also Chapter 08: "The
reorganization of heaven and earth.")
Just as the Millennium (the Kingdom of Peace) – at least in the
land of Israel – is an earthly preview of the later New Creation (the kingdom of
God) in the days of eternity, the geographical location of Jerusalem in the
Millennium is an earthly preview of the heavenly Jerusalem, which will also come
down from heaven on a mountain – this mountain, however, will be much higher.
(See also Table 12: "The
earthly and the heavenly Jerusalem.")
Here below, in Eze 38,14, we learn now that Israel has been
living securely for centuries and – as we have read above – does not learn any
more how to fight and therefore is not prepared for any attack.
And precisely this is the "hook in the mouth", with which the Lord
baits Satan who has been released from the abyss and with which he "turns
him around" and lets him set out against the people of God in Israel.
When My people Israel are living securely I will bring Gog with his mighty army against My land.
Eze 38,14"Therefore prophesy, son of man, and
say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "On that day when My people
Israel are living securely, will you not know it?
38,15 "You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north,
you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly
and a mighty army; 38,16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a
cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I
will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am
sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog." Eze 38,14-16;
In Eze 38,16 we have now the definite statement: "in the
last days", so it is at the end of the world when Satan comes here over
Israel with his huge army. Also the text from Rev 20,8, which deals with this
fight at the end of the world, confirms this statement:
He will gather together the nations for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Rev 20,7 When the thousand years are completed,
will be released from his prison, 20,8 and will come out to deceive the
nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather
them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Rev 20, 7- 8;
For the land of Israel and its inhabitants – who will then, in
the Millennium, consist not only of Israelites any more, but as people of God of
all nations – there is no possibility of self-defense here. They do not have any
weapons, they have not learnt how to wage war. Their cities lie there
unprotected and do neither have walls nor ditches.
The army of Satan on the other hand has been gathered from all over the world.
Perhaps their number amounts to millions, who set out here to Israel – like a
cloud that covers the land. But precisely this is the will of the Lord. Also
here it shall be once again proved that the God of Israel, the Almighty, is the
only God on the earth, and that neither Satan nor millions of people can resist
this God.
It is the beginning of the end, and the passing away of the First Creation takes
its course.
When Gog comes against the land of Israel, My fury will mount up in My anger.
Eze 38,17 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, "Are you
the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of
Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you
against them? 38,18 "It will come about on that day, when Gog comes
against the land of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury will
mount up in My anger. Eze 38,17-18;
All the men who are on the face of the earth will shake and the mountains also will be thrown down.
Eze 38,19 "In My zeal and in My blazing wrath
I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the
land of Israel. 38,20 "The fish of the sea, the birds of the
heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the
earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My
presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will
collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. Eze 38,19-20;
We have here, in Eze 38,19, a "great earthquake",
which induces some interpreters to see a connection with the seventh judgment of
the bowls in Rev 16,17-18 and thus to place the entire chapter Eze 38 –
together with chapter 39 – before the Millennium, at the Battle of Armageddon.
Apart from the characteristics dealt with above, in Eze 38,8, that the situation
of Israel at the end of the Millennium is described here, such as
- After many days you will be summoned; in the latter
years (after a thousand years)
- you will come into the land that is restored from the
sword (no wars any more in the Millennium),
- whose inhabitants have been gathered from many
nations to the mountains of Israel (the people of Israel);
- but its people were brought out from the nations, and
they are living securely, all of them (Israel is living securely in the
Millennium).
- all of these statements cannot apply at all to the time before
the Millennium, before the Battle of Armageddon – there are also two sound
reasons for the earthquake in Eze 38,19 why they have to be assigned to the Last
Fight at the end of the world and not to the battle before the Millennium:
1. While in Rev 16,18, at the seventh judgment of the bowls,
a worldwide earthquake is described: "and there was a great earthquake,
such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an
earthquake was it.", here, in Eze 38,19, a local earthquake in Israel is
described: "on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land
of Israel".
2. And when it says in Eze 38,20: "The fish of the sea
…will shake at My presence", also this is not possible at the seventh
judgment of the bowls, before the Millennium, as already when the second bowl
was poured out in Rev 16,3 "every living thing in the sea" was killed
and therefore no fish are left any more that could "shake".
In addition to this earthquake Satan and his huge army will be
overwhelmed with all plagues that have ever fallen upon men. A great confusion
will seize the satanic army. They will not know any more against whom they are
fighting and will kill each other. Those who are left will die in a hailstorm
and in the fire.
I will rain on him and on the many peoples who are with him, fire and brimstone.
Eze 38,21 "I will call for a sword against
him on all My mountains," declares the Lord GOD. "Every man’s
sword will be against his brother. 38,22 "With pestilence and with
blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his
troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with
hailstones, fire and brimstone.
38,23 "I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the
sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD."‘ Eze
38,21-23;
John summarizes this in Rev 20,9 briefly in the sentence:
"And fire came down from heaven and devoured them".
And fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
Rev 20,9 And they came up on the broad plain of the
earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire
came down from heaven and devoured them. Rev 20, 9;
So, now it is over. It was Satan’s last attempt to get into
power. And he lost now once and for all. What and how many things has he tried
to do in the course of thousands of years! Below, in Eze 28,14-15, we read that
he was a "cherub who covers" in Eden, in the garden of God. He had the
seal of perfection, he was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. And God, the
Lord, says there himself, "You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I
placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst
of the stones of fire".
On the one hand it seems to be incomprehensible that a creature that was created
in this perfection, rises in order to fight against his creator. On the other
hand we know only too well from our human experience that it is again and again
precisely men with great charisma who develop into seducers, cheats, despots,
and tyrants, in their greed for even more power and influence.
But this has come to an end now. Everything proud and haughty has been abased
and even Satan himself has been defeated now.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Rev 20,10 And the devil who deceived them was
thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false
prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev
20,10;
(See also Excursus 06: "From
the face of God into the lake of fire.")
Now Satan is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone for
good. This "eternal fire", as it is also called, has not only been
prepared for the Devil and his angels, as we will read below, in Mt 25,4, but
also for all godless and accursed.
Depart from Me into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.
Mt 25,41 "Then He will also say to those on
His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has
been prepared for the devil and his angels; Mt 25,41;
You have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.
Eze 28,11Again the word of the LORD came to me
saying, 28,12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and
say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, " You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
28,13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was
your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the
jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the
workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you
were created They were prepared. 28,14 "You were the anointed cherub
who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You
walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
28,15 "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until
unrighteousness was found in you. 28,16 "By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast
you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 28,17 "Your heart was
lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your
splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see
you.
28,18 "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your
trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the
midst of you; it has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you. 28,19 "All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you; You have become terrified and you will cease to be
forever."‘" Eze 28,11-19;
Already in the Gospels it is handed down to us in Lk 20,27-36
that also at the time of Jesus there already were religious groups – here the
Sadducees – who did not believe in a Resurrection.
And they thought they were extremely smart when they wanted to embarrass the
Lord with the following problem they brought forward:
In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her."
Lk 20,27Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees
(who say that there is no resurrection), 20,28 and they questioned Him, saying,
"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife,
and he is childless, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to
his brother.
20,29 "Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died
childless; 20,30 and the second 20,31 and the third married her; and in the same
way all seven died, leaving no children. 20,32 "Finally the woman died
also. 20,33 "In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she
be? For all seven had married her."
20,34 Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in
marriage, 20,35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and
the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 20,36
for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of
God, being sons of the resurrection.
20,37 "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the
passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND
THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. 20,38 "Now He is not the God of the
dead but of the living; for all live to Him." 20,39 Some of the scribes
answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."
20,40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.
Lk 20,27-40;
We will come back to the answer the Lord gave them immediately.
But before doing so, we would like to ask ourselves briefly why these men who
were after all scribes and therefore were supposed to know the Scriptures, could
make such fools of themselves that they had to admit coram publico at the end,
"Teacher, you have spoken well."?
If we look at it closely, we realize that, in reality, they did not want to know
anything about Resurrection from the Lord. On the contrary, they thought that
they already knew everything about Resurrection and wanted to prove him that he
was wrong and that they were right. They wanted to show that there is no
Resurrection, and that there even cannot be one because otherwise these problems
they pointed out would arise.
And even today we find this attitude of mind in many "religious", but
also in faithful people. In reality, they do not want to gain any knowledge from
the Scriptures, much less new knowledge, but they want to retain their old
opinion they are accustomed to and are willing to put up with violations of the
Scriptures and its spirit for the sake of being able to retain their view.
Also the hint of the Lord at Ex 3,6 in his answer above in Lk 20,37-38 is
interesting.
I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
2Mo 3,5 Then He said, "Do not come near here;
remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is
holy ground." 3,6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid
his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Ex 3, 5- 6;
Here, God himself is speaking to Moses, and he says, "I am
the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob". And the Lord Jesus makes it clear to the scribes that they do not
know the Scriptures properly, that they did not read accurately enough what is
said in it, otherwise they would know that there is a Resurrection.
This hint is amazing inasmuch as it is based only on the single word
"am". God says, "I am …" and if we take a closer look at
this statement we really come to the conclusion that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
must be alive for God. He does not consider them as being dead, otherwise he
would have to say "I was (…) also the God of your fathers."
And as God speaks of the dead as if they were living, and as they actually are
not any more – or rather not yet – in the midst of the living, the logical
conclusion is suggesting itself that there must be Resurrection of all these
dead persons, in which they become "living souls" again.
But we Christians of today do not have any right to condemn the scribes of the
time of Jesus, who did not recognize so many things that he said himself and
that the prophets had prophesied concerning him if we ourselves are not ready to
read the Scriptures with a similar sharp eye and to check the meaning of each
single word before interpreting it.
And if the Lord tells his Disciples in the Sermon on the Mount,
Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law.
Mt 5,17"Do not think that I came to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 5,18
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Mt 5,17-18;
this means on the one hand that the prophecies of the Old
Testament concerning Israel and the world are to come true yet, and that heaven
and earth will finally pass away and will have to give way to a New Creation.
(See also Chapter 14: "The New
Creation.")
But let us now come back to the Universal Resurrection. Paul
describes us in his First Epistle to the Corinthians the "order" in
Resurrection and, of course, also gets to talking about the Universal
Resurrection.
For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
1Cor 15,20 But now Christ has been raised from the
dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 15,21 For since by a man came
death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 15,22 For as in
Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15,23 But each in
his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at
His coming, 15,24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the
God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
1Cor 15,20-24;
(See also Chapter 12: "The
Resurrection.")
As the entire subject of Resurrection is dealt with in a
separate chapter because of its scope, let us here take a closer look at only
one circumstance, which will subsequently be discussed in more detail in this
chapter.
The Resurrection of the dead comes through a man, our Lord Jesus Christ. And
this Resurrection of the dead is a Resurrection of all men, who are lying in the
tombs. Not a single one is excepted.
"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive".
Therefore all people will – or even must – come to life again through
Resurrection. So, Resurrection is a "revival" of the dead, a
"rebirth".
We want to keep that in mind and analyze it in the following in more detail.
This assumption is also confirmed to us by a word of the Lord,
in Mt 19,28.
In the regeneration you shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mt 19,28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say
to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son
of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Mt 19,28;
The Lord is talking here of the fact that the Disciples will
judge the twelve tribes of Israel. So, he is speaking of the Last Judgment
because Israel can only be judged after the Millennium, at the end of the world.
But the Last Judgment cannot take place unless the dead have resurrected before.
Therefore his hint "in the regeneration" refers to the Universal
Resurrection at the end of days.
So, Resurrection is – as already mentioned above – a regeneration. In fact for
all dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive and
will be regenerated.
This process of the spiritual regeneration at the time of Resurrection can also
be compared to the biological birth of man. In both cases men come to
"life". In the one case with a fleshy body, in the other case with a
spiritual body.
Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jn 3,3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God." 3,4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is
old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can
he?" 3,5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3,6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. 3,7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You
must be born again.’ Jn 3, 3- 7;
Also the Lord compares the spiritual birth to the physical birth
- and as he puts it, the birth of water. And also he tells us that we must be
born again (strictly speaking it literally says, "from above"). After
our biological birth – the birth of water (amniotic fluid) – we also have to be
born again spiritually in order to be able to enter the kingdom of God, to gain
eternal life.
(See also Discourse 85: "True
and false rebirth.")
And finally the Lord lets us also know here below, in Lk 20,34-36, that – just
as the "children of this world" see the light of this world at their
biological birth – also we, as "sons of the resurrection", will see
the light of "that world to come".
They are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Lk 20,34 Jesus said to them, "The sons of this
age marry and are given in marriage, 29,35 but those who are considered
worthy to attain to that world to come and the resurrection from the dead,
neither marry nor are given in marriage; 20,36 for they cannot even die anymore,
because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection. Lk 20,34-36;
So, they are children of the resurrection. However, we must not
forget here that there are also other "sons" of the resurrection. As
we have already seen above, all people will come to life again in the
Universal Resurrection, at the end of the world. This is also confirmed to us by
the Lord:
The resurrection of life and the resurrection of judgment.
Jn 5,26 "For just as the Father has life in
Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 5,27 and He
gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
5,28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are
in the tombs will hear His voice, 5,29 and will come forth; those who did
the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil
deeds to a resurrection of judgment. Jn 5,26-29;
So, those who did the good deeds will come forth to a
resurrection of life, but those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection
of judgment. That means, if they all came out of their tombs when they
heard the voice of the Lord, all of them must necessarily also have
resurrected.
So, Resurrection – and with it regeneration – is not (yet) a reward for the
faithful, but it is quite a "normal" continuation of human existence.
As the biological life comes to its end with the biological death, the then
immaterial spirit has to come to life again in the Resurrection in a spiritual
body – which is similar to the one of the Lord Jesus after his Resurrection.
But then – and only then – the roads of the "spirits" part. Those who
did the good deeds, will enter into eternal life. Those who committed the evil
deeds, will inherit eternal perdition in the judgment.
So, let us bear in mind once again: The term "regeneration" is only
another expression for Resurrection. As all people will resurrect, as the above
text tells us, also all men will be regenerated. This also finds its expression
in the following statement of the Lord:
In the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne.
Mt 19,28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say
to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of
Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Mt 19,28;
And He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Mt 25,31"But when the Son of Man comes in His
glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
25,32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats; 25,33 and He will put
the sheep on His right, and the goats on the
left. Mt 25,31-33;
At that time the Lord will judge all people, faithful as well as
godless. But he has allowed the Disciples to sit with him also on twelve thrones
and to judge their own people, the people of Israel.
And also the Disciples will not only have to judge faithful if they will judge
the twelve tribes of Israel. So, if the Lord is speaking here of
"regeneration", he does not mean a special event for Christians, but
the general happenings of this Universal Resurrection itself.
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jn 3,5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. 3,6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3,7 "Do not be amazed that
I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ Jn 3, 5- 7;
And when the Lord says here above, in Jn 3,5-7, "Unless one
is born …", this is not a hint either at a special group of people, but
plainly and simply the hint at the general necessity of such an occurrence. Of
course, also for the sake of being able to enter into the kingdom of God. But
not exclusively. This statement can be compared to the one which says: Unless
one is born (biologically), he cannot come to the faith in God. For this
statement does not mean either that every (biologically) born man will come to
faith.
"You must be born again" is therefore not – as it is sometimes
misunderstood – a kind of commandment in order to inherit eternal life, but it
is a precondition which is immanent in the system in order to be able to regain
"consciousness" at all after the biological death. Just as the
biological, that is to say the "fleshy" birth, is a precondition for a
child of this world to see the "light of day" and subsequently to gain
consciousness.
Also in Jn 3,6 we have a hint at the fact that a spiritual regeneration during
the lifetime of man – as it is postulated by some brothers and sisters – is not
possible at all: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit". Our earthly, biological body is
perishable. Only the body which is born "of Spirit" in the
regeneration, will be imperishable.
This is also told to us by Paul:
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cor 15,50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit
the imperishable. 1Cor 15,50;
(See also Excursus 07: "The
resurrection body.")
And the faithful as well as the godless will gain this
imperishability, this eternal existence, through Resurrection. The faithful will
spend this eternity in the kingdom of God, the godless, however, being endowed
with their immortality, will weep and gnash their teeth forever in the lake of
fire. This last consequence seems to be very hard and some groups therefore try
to reinterpret this eternal damnation into a restricted one as far as time is
concerned by maintaining the godless would someday or other cease to exist.
But if one bears in mind that it was not an unreasonable request and much less
any unattainable demands of any kind, but that it would have only required a
decision of these people during their lifetimes for God and the sacrifice of our
Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved, one recognizes on the one hand their
reproachable disinterest and on the other hand one starts to understand the
"gnashing of teeth" better.
Therefore we have to take this consequence seriously and orient ourselves by
those things which are in store for us after our death. Therefore we should not
rely on those values, which make us "rich" here on earth, in our
earthly, fleshy existence. No matter if this is a wealth of money and goods,
power and influence or knowledge and ability. For we have to leave all of this
behind us at our biological death.
All efforts and endeavors referring to this material world do not exist in the
other world, after the transformation of Resurrection. Then they are gone, do
not exist any longer, do not have any value any more. The only thing that is
still rated then, is man’s attitude of mind, that means: his motives for all his
actions.
It can be approximately compared to the "distillation process" in the
production of alcohol. In the kettle there is still the mash, which contains
skin, fruit pulp, and fruit juice. After the distillation process only alcohol
drops out of the outlet tube. It is not possible for the material components,
such as skin and fruit pulp, to take an active part in this
"transformation". They are left behind. The only thing that can remain
in existence, is the "spirit". In the case of the distillation the
alcoholic spirit – in the other case the human spirit.
Therefore we have to strive to acquire and accumulate that kind of wealth which
will retain its value also then, after our Resurrection, and which makes us
"rich" men in the eyes of God.
But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Gal 6,7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for
whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 6,8 For the one who sows to his own
flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit
will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Gal 6, 7- 8;
He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment.
Jn 5,24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come
into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Jn 5,24;
In Rev 20,13-14 we realize that really all people come to life
again in this Resurrection. Not only death and Hades will give up the dead who
are in them, but also the sea will give up the dead who are in them.
And the sea and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them.
Rev 20,13 And the sea gave up the dead which
were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and
they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 20,14 Then death
and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire. Rev 20,13-14;
It is rather unlikely that by here actually those dead are meant
who met their death in the sea as some people think, as all dead – no matter if
they were buried in the soil, in the sea or cremated in the fire – obviously
must be in Hades. Therefore it can be rather assumed that the "sea",
(as Rev 13,1; 11,7; 17,8 and also the fact that there is no sea any more in the
New Creation suggest), is the prison of the angels who fell away from God (Jud
1,6;) and thus an "abyss" in the sea. The Mariana trench in the
Pacific Ocean has for instance at the height of the Philippines a deepest depth
of more than 11 kilometers (Vitiaz depth)!
Also the Last Judgment is dealt with in a separate chapter and
therefore only the most important points shall be mentioned here.
And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20,11 Then I saw a great white throne and
Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no
place was found for them. 20,12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things
which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Rev 20,11-12;
So, according to Rev 20,11, it is the "great white
throne", before which the dead will be judged. The one sitting on this
throne, is the Lord Jesus, as we can doubtlessly find out in the subsequent
passages from the Scriptures.
And it says here that "books" will be opened. These books are also
interpreted by some people (e.g. Jehovah’s Witnesses) as "new commandments
of God". They think that men will get new "instructions" in these
books. This interpretation is astonishing because immediately afterward, two
sentences later in the same verse and also in the next verse, Rev 20,13, an
explanation is given at once what is written in these "books". They
are the "books of the deeds", and the dead are judged according to the
deeds which are written in these books.
The dead were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Rev 20,13 And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were
judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Rev 20,13;
Even if in between the hint is given that the Book of Life was
opened as well, we do know from other passages from the Scriptures that the Book
of Life or Book of the Lamb, as it is also called, contains only names. In this
book the names of all those are "registered" who have the
"foundation" which is Jesus Christ. So, the names of all those are
recorded in it who believed in Jesus during their lifetimes.
This passage from the Scriptures is of particular interest also for the reason
that it shows the systematics of this judgment a little bit. Although it would
be apparently easier to call out the names straightaway from the Book of Life
and thus to nominate the saved and to send the others into eternal fire, first
the books of the deeds are opened for the sake of justice and on account of the
entries to be found there first an evaluation of the resurrected is made.
Paul tells us in 1Cor 3,11 what significance these deeds have.
The day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire.
1Cor 3,11 For no man can lay a foundation other
than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 3,12 Now if any man builds on
the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 3,13 each
man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to
be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s
work.
3,14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a
reward. 3,15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but
he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1Cor 3,11-15;
The deeds are tested "as through fire" so to speak.
Everything that does not stand this test, will burn down. It has to be borne in
mind here that at that time, namely Rev 20,12-14, no separation of the wicked
from the righteous has taken place yet. The deeds of all resurrected -
irrespective of the fact whether they were faithful or not – are first subjected
to a test and assigned to them. As we learn above, from 1Cor 3,14, this can
entail strange situations.
Paul writes here to the church in Corinth, that is to say to faithful. And three
verses before he also points out that he is speaking to those who have the
"foundation", which has been laid – namely "laid" by him,
Paul. And this foundation is Jesus Christ. So, he addresses the faithful or, in
order to quote Rev 20,12, those who are registered in the Book of Life. So,
these are people who are saved in any case and who will enter into eternal life.
And now Paul writes that among these faithful there may be such persons whose
deeds will all burn down. So, they do not have any "fireproof" deeds.
They are standing there empty-handed.
But then their names are looked up in the Book of Life. And here their names are
written. And although all their deeds burned down, so, although they did not
even accomplish a single deed in their lives which had its origin in their
faith, they nevertheless succeeded in one thing: they believed in the Son of
God, in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer. So they will – as Paul puts
it – "suffer loss", but nevertheless "be saved, yet so as through
fire".
And this situation has, of course, also its counterpart with the unfaithful. For
their deeds are first tested as well. And if one pursues the approach of Paul
further, there may be on the other hand also here people who have to present
"golden heaps" of deeds. During their lifetimes they were unselfish
and helped other people with all their strength and served them. However, not
for the sake of Jesus, but because they had a social attitude, because they
pitied these people because of their poverty and helplessness. They might have
even sacrificed their entire property and spent their whole lives helping the
poor and the needy. But they did not think of Jesus when they were doing that.
They were lacking the faith in him.
Who has left house or family for the Lord’s sake will receive eternal life in the age to come.
Mk 10,29 Jesus said, "Truly I say to you,
there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 10,30 but
that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and
brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with
persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. Mk 10,29-30;
Who has left house or family for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive eternal life in the age to come.
Lk 18,28 Peter said, "Behold, we have left our
own homes and followed You." 18,29 And He said to them, "Truly I say
to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or
children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 18,30 who will not receive
many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."
Lk 18,28-30;
And after their deeds have been established and rated, the Book
of Life will be opened also in the case of the unfaithful. But their names will
be looked up in it in vain. And they will enter into eternal perdition,
"there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth".
If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 20,13 And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were
judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 20,14 Then death and Hades
were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
20,15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he
was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20,13-15;
He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Jn 3,34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the
words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 3,35 "The Father
loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 3,36 He who believes in
the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God abides on him." Jn 3,34-36;
God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through His Son.
Acts 17,30 "Therefore having overlooked the
times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere
should repent, 17,31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the
world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished
proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17,30-31;
For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.
Jn 5,19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to
them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,
unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does,
these things the Son also does in like manner.
5,20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He
Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that
you will marvel. 5,21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
5,22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all
judgment to the Son, 5,23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor
the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
Him. Jn 5,19-23;
He will sit on His glorious throne and will judge all the nations which will be gathered before Him.
Mt 25,31"But when the Son of Man comes in His
glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
25,32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate
them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 25,33
and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Mt 25,31-33;
(See also Excursus 04: "Is
there a judgment upon nations?.")
On that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.
Eze 1,22 Now over the heads of the living beings
there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread
out over their heads. 1,23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out
straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on
the one side and on the other.
1,24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as
they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of
an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 1,25 And
there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever
they stood still, they dropped their wings. 1,26 Now above the expanse that
was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli
in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure
with the appearance of a man.
1,27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like
glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the
appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a
radiance around Him.
1,28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the
appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and
heard a voice speaking. Eze 1,22-28;
The saints will judge the world.
1Cor 6,2 Or do you not know that the saints will
judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to
constitute the smallest law courts? 6,3 Do you not know that we will judge
angels? How much more matters of this life? 1Cor 6, 2- 3;
The Apostles will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mt 19,28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say
to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son
of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 19,29 "And
everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and
will inherit eternal life. Mt 19,28-30;
He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne.
Rev 3,21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to
him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with
My Father on His throne. Rev 3,21;
The Lord came with His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly.
Jud 1,14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in
the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord
came with many thousands of His holy ones, 1,15 to execute judgment upon
all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have
done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners
have spoken against Him." Jude 1,14-15;
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
Mt 10,32 "Therefore everyone who confesses
Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
10,33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My
Father who is in heaven. Mt 10,32-33;
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mt 25,41 "Then He will also say to those on
His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been
prepared for the devil and his angels; 25,42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me
nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 25,43 I was a
stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick,
and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
25,44 "Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You
hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
take care of You?’ 25,45 "Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to
you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did
not do it to Me.’ 25,46 "These will go away into eternal punishment,
but the righteous into eternal life." Mt 25,41-46;
We have here the "day of harvest". Whereas the wheat
(the righteous) below, in Rev 14,14-16, is reaped by the Son of Man himself by
means of a sickle, it is the angel with power over fire who orders another angel
to gather the clusters (the wicked) from the vine of the earth, and to throw
them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And just as at the sixth seal,
before the day of the wrath of God before the Millennium, first the elect were gathered and the
remaining godless were then left to the catastrophes of the Day of the Lord,
also here, after the harvest (the Resurrection of all men), the angels will
first separate the weed (the wicked) from the wheat (from the righteous) and
throw all unrighteous into the eternal fire. The righteous will then enter into
the eternal kingdom of the Father, into the heavenly Jerusalem.
The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are angels.
Mt 13,36 Then He left the crowds and went into the
house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable
of the tares of the field." 13,37 And He said, "The one who sows the
good seed is the Son of Man,
13,38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons
of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 13,39 and the enemy
who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are angels. 13,40 "So just as the tares are gathered up and
burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the world.
13,41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will
gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit
lawlessness, 13,42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in
that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13,43 "Then the
righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He
who has ears, let him hear. Mt 13,36-43;
At the end of the world the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous.
Mt 13,47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 13,48 and when it
was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the
good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.
13,49 "So it will be at the end of the world; the angels will come forth
and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 13,50 and will
throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. 13,51 "Have you understood all these things?" They
said to Him, "Yes." 13,52 And Jesus said to them, "Therefore
every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head
of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old." Mt
13,47-52;
The hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14,14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His
head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 14,15 And another angel came out of the
temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in
your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the
earth is ripe." 14,16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over
the earth, and the earth was reaped.
14,17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also
had a sharp sickle. 14,18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire,
came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the
sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters
from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." 14,19 So the
angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of
the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
14,20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out
from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred
miles. Rev 14,14-20;
(See also Table 13: "The
judgment upon the resurrected nations.")
As we can gather from 20,11-15, the Last Judgment will not take
place on the ground of this present earth any more, not in this First Creation
any more. The dead will resurrect, and Hades as well as the sea will give up the
dead within them, and heaven and earth will pass away. Then the resurrected ones
will already be standing before the great white throne of God and the Lamb in
order to be judged. While the wicked will be thrown into the lake of fire, the
righteous will enter into the New Creation of God in eternity, with a new heaven
and a new earth.
Resurrection and Last Judgment before the great white throne.
Rev 20,11 Then I saw a great white throne and
Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no
place was found for them.20,12 And I saw the dead, the great and the
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book
was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which
were written in the books, according to their deeds. 20,13 And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which
were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their
deeds. 20,14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the
second death, the lake of fire. 20,15 And if anyone’s name was not found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20,11-15;
Then comes the end, when the Son hands over the kingdom to the God and Father.
1Cor 15,20 But now Christ has been raised from the
dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 15,21 For since by a man came
death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 15,22 For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15,23 But each in his own order:
Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
15,24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and
Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
15,25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 15,26 The
last enemy that will be abolished is death. 15,27 For He has put all things
in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in
subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in
subjection to Him. 15,28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son
Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so
that God may be all in all. 1Cor 15,20-28;
The first heaven and the first earth passed away.
Rev 21,1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for
the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any
sea. 21,2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
21,3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the
tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be
His people, and God Himself will be among them, 21,4 and He will wipe away every
tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no
longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed
away." Rev 21, 1- 4;
(See also Table 09: "God’s
plan of salvation and its effects on Creation.")
General survey of the periods and the events in the Last Days.
The Great Tribulation
1st seal: The first Antichrist (first 31/2 years)
The beginning of the woes:
2nd seal: Nation against nation, men slay one
another
3rd seal: Famine and earthquakes, drought and shortages on food
The abomination of desolation on the holy place
The Great Tribulation:
4th seal: Death and Hades reap the harvest
5th seal: The martyrs in heaven6th seal: The great darkness
The return of the Son of Man
The sealing of the 144,000The Rapture: the raising up of the dead in Christ and their take off with the living ones The dead faithful out of the Great Tribulation in heaven 7th seal: Silence in heaven
The Day of the Lord
The plagues of the trumpets 1-6God’s two witnesses The 7th trumpet The two witnesses of God killed by the raised up Antichrist / The fall of Jerusalem The dominion of the demonic Antichrist (second 31/2 years) The day of the wrath of God
The judgments of the bowls 1-6
The judgment on heaven and earth / Israel dwells in security in the time of the judgment The 7th bowl of wrath: The reorganization of heaven and earth The destruction of Babylon The battle of Armageddon
The Millennium
The judgment of reward in heaven / The First ResurrectionThe return home of the redeemed All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the Messiah God’s new and everlasting covenant with Israel / God pours out His Spirit on Israel The remnant of Jacob conquer all their enemies The rebuilding of Israel / The entering of the Lord into the temple
The End of the World
Satan gathers all nations / The last fightThe General Resurrection / The Last Judgment The Death and Hades annihilated The passing away of heaven and earth
The New Creation
The new heaven and the new earth / There is no longer any seaThe heavenly Jerusalem / The tabernacle of God among men The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it. The glory of God illumines it, and its lamp is the Lamb / There is no more night |
(See also Table 14: "The
Great Tribulation – classified by events.")
In the upper table, you can see what is happening in the end time. In the table below you will see when all this happens. And in the following document you will see how and why it all starts:
(See also discourse 1133: "How and why the Great Tribulation begins: "The beginning of birth pangs".")
With the short presentation of the Second Coming of the Lord and the
Rapture in discourse 122, we can at least see the sequential arrangement of these two individual events.
But we are still lacking (and this has likewise been the case in previous interpretations
along these lines) any concrete allocation of these events to our own real temporal
dimension. We know that all this will happen in the future. But in what future? In a
thousand years, in ten thousand years, in a century or in a decade?
Hitherto in biblical exposition it has not been possible to find a halfway concrete – by
which we mean realistic – interpretation which would be subject to scrutiny (especially
and above all in the light of the Bible). Those "biblical researchers" had a quick way of
putting the kibosh on such attempts, by quoting Matthew’s "But of that day and hour no one
knows" (Mt 24,36).
Now, however, it has proved possible – here at Immanuel.at – to anchor
this kind of approach in Scripture and as a result to develop an interpretation that
accords with reality. In the following table Peter’s statement that "with the Lord one day
is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day" is taken as the basis, and
combined with the biblical count of years (still included to the present day in the Jewish
calendar). This is then supplemented by the biblical circumstance that the Millennium, the
thousand years Kingdom of Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is "that rest" (Heb 4:3-6) and
the Sabbath of God (Israel will dwell in security, Jer 23:6; 33:16; Isa 38:14; Micah 5,3;
Zech 14:11), they will no longer learn war (Isa 2:4; Micah 4:3). And finally we are also
faced with the consideration that the judgments of seals, trumpets and bowls in Revelation
are likewise based on this "weekly scheme" of a unit of 6+1 "days".
(See also Table 14: "he Great Tribulation – classified by events.")
So if the last thousand years of this world are the "Sabbath of God" and a
thousand years with the Lord are like one day, then the six thousand years before this
(according to the biblical / Jewish count of years) correspond to the six days of the
week. And so it becomes possible to present the time of world history from a biblical
point of view in a frame of seven thousand years, and to arrange relevant events of a
worldly and biblical nature in a "real time" perspective.
(See also Discourse 122: "Still 224 years to go till the Millennium.")
Jewish day of the week |
Jewish chronology years running |
THE MILLENNIAL WEEK But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2Pet 3,8; (Ps 90:4) |
Christian chronology years BC/AD |
Christian day of the week |
Jom Rischon |
0 200 400 600 930 |
Creation of Adam and Eve Death of Adam |
-3760 -3560 -3360 -3160 --2830 |
Sunday |
Jom Scheni |
1000 1056 1656 1755 1946 |
Birth of Noah Flood Dispersion (confusion of languages in Babel) Birth of Abram |
-2760 -2704 -2104 -2005 -1814 |
Monday |
Jom Schlischi |
2006 2121 2647 2728 2767 |
Death of Noah Death of Abraham Birth of Moses Exodus (Ex 12:1-20) Death of Moses |
-1754 -1639 -1113 -1032 -993 |
Tuesday |
Jom Revi’i |
3000 3174 3277 3760 3793 3830 3895 |
Destruction of the Solomonic Temple Jerusalem is being rebuilt (Dan 9:25) Birth of Jesus Christ Death of Jesus Christ Destruction of the Herodian Temple Bar Kokhba Revolt – Israel in the Diaspora |
-760 -586 -483 0 33 70 135 |
Wednesday |
Jom Chamischi |
4000 4236 4400 4600 4855 |
End of the Western Roman Empire Start of the Crusades |
240 476 640 840 1095 |
Thursday |
Jom Schischi |
5000 5252 5400 5776 5800 |
Discovery of America 2016 AD The Great Tribulation (Rev 6:1 – Rev 20:6) |
1240 1492 1640 2016 (2040?) |
Friday |
Schabbat |
6000 6600 6800 7000 |
Start of the Millennium Truly they shall not enter into My rest. (Hebr 4:8-9; Ps 90:4) The end of the world The Resurrection / The Last Judgment |
2240 2840 3040 3240 |
Saturday |
(See also discourse 122: "Still 224 years to go till the Millennium.")
(See also Table 01: "Chronological table from Adam to Jacob.")