How Will the World End?

There have been many people over the years who have asked and attempted to answer this question.  In 1999, there was concern that the year 2000 would throw the worlds’ computers into complete chaos – potentially causing the end of civilization as we know it.  Then, in 2012, there was much hype over the ending of the Mayan calendar on December 21.  Many felt that this would be the end.  Others believe AI, nuclear war, or a giant asteroid will end life as we know it.  And of course, we have politicians telling us on a regular basis that unless we take impossible measures, we humans will destroy the earth in only a few short years.

Dates have come and gone, and theories have gone cold.  But there is one who does know how it will end, and that is God himself.  God exists outside of time and already knows what we see as the future.    

 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

2 Peter 3:3-10 (NLT)

To summarize, God is patient, but Jesus will return, and the earth will be judged and consumed by fire.  And there are many signs that this day is getting very close – but that is a discussion for another article.  If this sounds scary, it is, unless Jesus is Lord of your life.  If you are saved, you have no reason to fear. 

There are differing opinions about how this final ending will take place, but a straightforward reading of the Bible yields the scenario I have outlined below.  Why did I choose this?  First, there were over 300 prophecies of the first coming of Jesus and all were literally fulfilled.  Second, the other scenarios simply don’t fit without twisting or even omitting certain passages.  As stated in other articles, the Bible has an extremely high degree of consistency and reliability, suggesting that it truly is the inspired Word of God. Finally, many of the prophecies of the end of days are literally happening in our lifetime. This gives me confidence that the rest will as well.  Based on a straightforward reading of the Bible, here is what we can expect will occur.

  1. The church disappears.  All true believers disappear when Christ calls us to meet him in the clouds.  This is not the second coming of Christ, as he does not physically return to earth.  (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
  2. Gog-Magog war happens, either just before or just after the disappearance of the church.  A coalition of nations attacks Israel, but Israel is miraculously saved. (Ezekiel 38-39)
  3. Daniel’s 70th week begins.  This is a seven-year period of time in which God deals with the Jews and calls the world to repentance (the Tribulation). (Daniel 9:20-26)
  4. Jesus opens a scroll that is the title deed to the earth.  (Revelation 5)
  5. First half of the Tribulation
    1. 4 horsemen are sent out:  A political figure referred to as the Antichrist comes on the scene, followed by massive war, inflation, famine, and disease. A quarter of the population of the earth will die.  (Revelation 6:1-7) 
    2. Antichrist will sign a seven-year peace treaty in the Middle East.  As a result of the peace treaty, Israel will rebuild their temple.
    3. There will be a great earthquake causing the sky to go dark, the moon to become red, and the mountains to be moved.  The sky will roll up like a scroll, and people will recognize that this is the judgment of God on a Christ-rejecting sinful world. 
      (Revelation 6:12-17)
    4. 144,000 Jews will be sealed by God to bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah.  (Revelation 7:1-8)
    5. More judgments from God come down warning people of just how serious it is to reject him. (Revelation 8:7-9:21)
      1. Hail, fire, and blood fall from Heaven setting fires on the earth.  One-third of all trees and all of the grass are burned.
      2. A mountain of fire is thrown into the sea causing one-third of all sea life to die and destroying one-third of all ships.
      3. A burning star falls on one-third of the rivers and springs, making one-third of the water bitter and causing death to those who drink it.
      4. One-third of the sun, moon and stars go dark.  
      5. Demonic locusts will sting and torment anyone not marked by God for 5 months.
      6. An army of 200 million will kill one-third of the people on the earth.
  6. Second half of the Tribulation (Great Tribulation)
    1. Antichrist breaks his peace treaty and desecrates the temple.  (Daniel 9:27)
    2. Two Witnesses come on the scene calling everyone to repent.  They are killed after 1280 days, but God brings them back to life and then translates them to Heaven.  A terrible earthquake follows. (Revelation 11:3-12)
    3. Satan and his minions are thrown out of Heaven.  Satan declares war on the Jews causing them to flee, and then declares war on Christians. (Revelation 12)
    4. Antichrist is further empowered by Satan.  He suffers a fatal head wound but is healed.  Antichrist is worshipped by many because of this. (Revelation 13:3-8)
    5. A false prophet rises to prominence and declares Antichrist to be god. He sets up a statue and requires all people to worship it.   Those who refuse will be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)
    6. Antichrist requires all people to take his mark in their foreheads or hands.  This will be a mark of allegiance to Antichrist and against God, and without it, they will not be allowed to make purchases or conduct business of any kind. (Revelation 13:16-18)
    7. Angels will go through all of the earth warning people to repent and to reject the mark of Antichrist. They will fully warn those left on the earth of the consequences of rejecting God. (Revelation 14:6-11)
    8. God’s final judgments are poured out on those who have taken the mark of allegiance to Antichrist. (Revelation 16)
      1. Malignant sores
      2. Sea turns to blood and everything in it dies
      3. Rivers and springs turn to blood
      4. Sun scorches people with fire
      5. Antichrist’s kingdom goes dark
      6. Euphrates River dries up and armies from the east march west.  All those against God gather at Armageddon
      7. Thunder and lightning flash, and there is a massive earthquake that destroys the cities, flattens the earth and causes the islands to disappear
  7. Christ returns to earth with the believers in Heaven to defeat Antichrist and his followers. Antichrist and the False Prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:11-21)
  8. Satan is bound for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3)
  9. Jesus sets up the millennial kingdom where he will reign over the earth for 1,000 years.  Those killed for their faith in the tribulation will reign with him, and those who survived the tribulation will repopulate the earth. (Revelation 20:4-5)
  10. Satan will be released and will gather and deceive a group of people.  They will declare war on God but will be quickly and utterly defeated. (Revelation 20:7-9) 
  11. Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire forever.
    1. All who rejected Jesus are raised to judgment.  They will be judged according to their works and found lacking. They will be sentenced for their sins and thrown into the lake of fire forever. (Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8)
    2. The New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem are revealed.  (Revelation 21:1-22:6)

We will look at each of these in greater detail.  

A Disappearing Church

This is perhaps one of the most controversial subjects in the church.  This event, often referred to as “The Rapture”, is when Jesus calls those who are alive and saved to Heaven.  At that moment, living bodies are changed into spiritual ones.  This is not the second coming of Christ. He does not come down to earth, but instead calls Christians up to be with him.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.  So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NLT)

Some claim that this is not a real event because the word “rapture” is not in the Bible.  While there are a lot of words not in the Bible (dinosaur, computer, trinity), the word “rapture” actually comes from one of the earliest translations of the Bible, the Latin Vulgate, written in 382 AD.  1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the word “rapiemur” (a verb tense of “rapturo”), which is translated above as “caught up”.  In Greek, the word is “harpazo”, which means to snatch or take away.

For others, the debate is when the saved will be taken away.  This and other discussion on this topic is covered in a separate article (“Vanishing Christians”).  Regardless, the Bible says it will happen.  When millions disappear, the world will be left in chaos.

Gog Magog War

This may happen either just before or just after the church disappears from the earth. (Ezekiel 38-39)

Ezekiel 38:1-6 speaks of a ruler by the name of “Gog” and a nation by the name of “Magog” amassing an army to attack Israel.  The region of “Magog” includes Russia and the Republics of the former Soviet Union.  (Rosh is Russia, Mescheck is Moscow and Tubal is the region of Tobolsk in Russia.) Gog is a title for a leader, kind of like the word “pharaoh” or “president”. This leader will call upon several other countries to help:  Persia (Iran), Cush or Ethiopia (includes Sudan), Put or Libya, Gomer (Turkey), and Beth-Togarmah (Armenia).  The three main leaders implied in these passages are Russia, Iran, and Turkey.  Although these countries have not historically worked together, we have seen that change over the last 15 years.  

Please don’t get hung up on verse 4 where it speaks of horses for warfare.  If you look at the original Hebrew word, it is a mysterious word (“cuwc”), which can be translated as horses, but the primary definition is rapid flight.  The idea is that they would move very quickly.  Similarly, the word for “swords” in Hebrew is better translated “new weapons”. Ezekiel was hearing about things that he would not have been able to comprehend.  And, as verse 16 tells us, this was to happen in the distant future.  

Ezekiel 39:9 tells us that the weapons that will be used against them will provide fuel for seven years.  (This is why this would likely happen just before or just after the Church is caught up.) Finally, Ezekiel 39:11-16 talks about how the dead bodies are handled.  When they are found, they will not be touched, but a marker will be placed by the bodies and people specifically hired to remove the bodies will get them.  This suggests the possibility of nuclear warfare.

Daniel’s 70th Week:  The Seven-Year Tribulation

Daniel 9:24-27 contains one of the most fascinating prophecies pertaining to the last days.  Please understand that Daniel received several prophecies in very specific detail that covered the period of time from around 607 BC, when Daniel and other Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon, until the time of Christ.  Each of these was fulfilled to the letter.

This particular prophecy was told to Daniel by an angel (probably Gabriel).  He told Daniel there would be 70 sets of 7 years, or 490 years, in which God would deal with the rebellious Jews.  These were broken into three pieces: 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years.  

  • First 49 years began on March 14, 445 BC when Artaxerxes gave the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem.  (See Nehemiah 2:1-8.) This took them 49 years.
  • The next 434 years were the “silent years” during which there was no Biblical record until the New Testament.  From March 14, 445BC to the end of the 483 Jewish (lunar) years (49 + 434 years) takes us to April 6, 32AD – the exact day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  Then, as Daniel 9:26 tells us, the Anointed One (Jesus) would be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing.  Jesus was crucified later that week.  (Verse 26 goes on to tell us that the temple would be destroyed, which happened in 70 AD.  At this point, Israel ceased to be a nation until 1948.)
  • When the Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah at his first coming, the prophetic clock stopped leaving seven years unfulfilled.  From then through the present, we entered a gap period called the age of grace.  But God was not done with the Jews.  During this time, many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Some Jews have been saved, but today, most are atheist or agnostic.  (See Romans 11:25-31 for more on this topic.)
  • The age of grace will end when the church is removed.  This will start up the clock again, and there will be one final seven-year period in which God will deal with the Jews, and they will come to understand that Jesus is the Messiah.  During this time, God’s wrath will be poured out on a Christ-rejecting sinful world.  Although this period is focused on the Jews, many non-Jews will also be saved during this time.

The Title Deed to the Earth

Revelation 5 tells us about a scroll with writing on both sides.  No one is worthy to open the scroll except for Jesus.  This scroll is the title deed to the earth itself.  When Adam rebelled in the Garden of Eden, he gave over the title to the earth to Satan.  Jesus bought back the rights to the earth when he came to earth as a man (as Adam had been), lived a sinless life, and paid the penalty for all of the sins of mankind on the cross.  (See Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-28.)   Jesus was the only one who was worthy to open the seals to the scroll and reclaim the earth. 

First Half of the Tribulation

The scroll above had seven seals.  Revelation 6 tells us that as each of the seals are opened, judgments fall upon the earth, the first of which is the revealing of a significant political figure.  2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 tells us that once the Holy Spirit (the restrainer) is removed from the earth (the catching up of those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells), the man of lawlessness will be revealed.  The Bible gives us many names for this person, but the name that most people recognize is Antichrist, a word that means “against Christ”.  Throughout history, there have been many who have had the spirit of antichrist, but this will be one final political figure who will dominate the seven-year period.

When millions of Christians suddenly disappear, the world will be thrown into utter chaos. Rumors will float about alien abductions or some nefarious weapon of mass destruction.  This will create the perfect situation for the rise of a political figure who seems to have answers, and the world will turn to him in desperation. He will come into power through intrigue and deception, promising peace and safety, but instead he will deliver mass destruction. (Daniel 8:23-26)

Antichrist will later be accompanied by the False Prophet, who will set up a one-world religion focusing on Antichrist.    (Revelation 13:11-15) Both will be empowered by Satan, creating an unholy trinity.  Satan loves to counterfeit God, and this is one more example of that. 

The next three horsemen will quickly follow: massive war, inflation, and death.  One-quarter of the world’s remaining population will die from war, famine, disease, and wild animals driven into populated areas due to the upheaval.  

Seven-Year Treaty

The tribulation is kicked off when Antichrist signs a peace treaty in the Middle East.  (Daniel 9:27). This will allow the Jews to rebuild their temple, something the Temple Institute has been preparing for since 1987.  Because of this and other deceptions, many Jews will believe that Antichrist is the Messiah.  (John 5:43)   We will see, however, that this treaty will not last.  Antichrist will end the treaty after the first 3 ½ years and desecrate the temple as noted above in Daniel 9:27.

Great Earthquake

Charismatic political leaders, peace treaties, war, inflation, famine, and disease are all things that we are familiar with today.  It has been suggested that the beginning of the tribulation may look like a more significant version of things in our world today.  In some ways, the beginning of this period will reflect the downward spiral that happens when God is removed from the world.  Although this is happening in several microcosms today, the complete removal of God and his Spirit will have disastrous effects never before seen.   

But what follows will clearly be understood as a judgment from God.  Revelation 6:12-17 tells us that there will be a massive earthquake that is so devastating that the sun is darkened by the dust, the moon turns red, and mountains are physically moved.  Furthermore, there will be massive atmospheric changes when stars fall and the sky rolls up like a scroll.  The event will be so significant that the inhabitants of the earth will understand that this is judgment from God.  People will try to hide, but they won’t be able to hide from the One who sees everything.  

Please understand that the judgments, both now and later, are not that of a capricious god having a temper tantrum. These are judgments from a fair and righteous God who created the world knowing that we would rebel against him, yet still loved us enough to send his Son to pay the penalty that we could not pay.  He knew ahead of time what would cause us pain, and he called it sin. Yet humans, in their rebelliousness and ignorance continue to embrace it.  The judgments of God are not only deserved, but they are final calls to repentance.  God does not want anyone to perish, and many during the tribulation will come to accept Christ as their personal Savior.  This is the good news.  But for those who continue to reject him, there is nothing but judgment awaiting them.

The Sealing of 144,000 Jews

Now there is a pause while God “seals” 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel).  (Revelation 7:1-8) These are not the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  The Bible clearly identifies these BY TRIBE, meaning that they are very clearly Jews.  They will now understand that Jesus is their Messiah, and they will testify to this by bringing many to Christ.  God will miraculously protect these individuals from many of the events to come.  (I believe that God will also seal those who are saved during the tribulation from his wrath, but all will still suffer terrible things at the hands of Satan and Antichrist and most believers during this time will perish.)  

More judgments from God

The seventh seal is opened in Revelation 8:7-9:21 and we see the next round of terrifying judgments to hit the world.   

  1. Hail and fire mixed with blood will hit the earth. One-third of the earth will be set on fire, one-third of the trees will be burned, and all of the grass will be burned.
  2. A mountain of fire will be thrown into the sea causing one-third of the sea to become blood, one-third of all sea life to be destroyed, and one-third of all ships to be destroyed.
  3. A burning star will fall from the sky, falling on one-third of the rivers and springs of water.  One-third of the water will become bitter, and many will die from drinking it. 
  4. One-third of the sun, moon, and stars will go dark.
  5. The bottomless pit will be opened, and smoke will pour out, thereby darkening the sun.  Demonic locusts will come out and sting anyone who is not sealed by God.  They will torture humans for five months.  (It is possible that the locusts that John saw were actually modern weapons of war.  For example, from the description, could these be helicopters?)  An army of 200 million will kill one-third of the earth’s remaining population. (China currently boasts an army of over 200 million.)

Sadly, instead of repenting, depraved mankind will curse God and continue on their path to ultimate destruction.

Finally, we see the seven bowls of judgment poured out on a Christ-rejecting, sinful world.  

  1. Malignant sores on all that took the mark of the Antichrist
  2. Sea is turned to blood, killing everything in it
  3. Rivers and springs are turned to blood  
  4. The sun scorches the earth and its inhabitants 
  5. Complete darkness will cover the earth
  6. The Euphrates River will dry up and kings from the east will march through.  Demonic spirits will gather people to the valley of Armageddon to go to war against God.  
  7. A great earthquake will strike, and cities will fall into ruin.  All islands will disappear, and mountains will be leveled.  75-pound hailstones will hit the earth.

Despite all of this, people will refuse to repent. 

The Treaty is Broken

As we mentioned above, Antichrist will break the treaty after the first 3 ½ years and desecrate the temple.  (Daniel 9:27) There are some who believe that this was already fulfilled when Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) desecrated the Jewish Temple of that time by offering a pig on the altar to Zeus.  This occurred around 167 BC.  Although the Bible is silent on this time period, it is recorded in the Jewish records in the book of Maccabees.  There are many cases in the Bible where prophecy has dual fulfillment.  In other words, it is fulfilled on a smaller scale earlier in history and then on a larger scale later in time.  This is one of those cases.  We know this, because Jesus quotes this verse almost 200 years later.  

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Matthew 24:15-16 (NIV)

Jesus was speaking of a future event here – something that is yet to be fulfilled.  

Two Witnesses

During the early part of the tribulation, two unusual men will come onto the scene directly from Heaven to prophesy for 3 ½ years.  (Revelation 11:3-14)  They will testify that Jesus is the Messiah and call everyone to repentance.  They will be hated by many, but if anyone tries to harm them, they will die from fire from the witnesses’ mouths.  They will have other supernatural powers as well, such as inhibiting the rain, turning rivers and oceans to blood, and causing plagues.  Although we don’t know who these two witnesses are, I personally believe they are Moses and Elijah, because they were the two who were seen with Jesus at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8) and because of the powers they have. 

After 1,260 days, (toward the end of the tribulation), Antichrist will kill them and leave their bodies in the streets of Jerusalem.  Many will celebrate their deaths, because theirs was a message of repentance.  But after 3 ½ days, God will bring them back to life and then translate them to Heaven.  This will be followed by another massive earthquake, showing the world once again that God is in control.  

Satan Evicted from Heaven

Many believe that when Satan (then called Lucifer) rebelled against God, he was thrown out of Heaven and sent directly to hell.  This is not true.  In fact, Satan won’t be thrown into hell (the lake of fire) until toward the end of this story.  Although he was removed from his position in Heaven and removed from certain parts of Heaven, he still has access. We see this in the book of Job.

One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.  

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

Job 1:6-7 (NLT)

Notice that Satan is called “the Accuser”.  We see this same term used in Revelation 12:10. Satan is condemned for all eternity, and he hates the fact that God loved humans enough to redeem them.  Because of his hatred, he stands before God, day and night, telling him how terrible we are and how much we deserve judgment.  Please do not ever make the mistake of thinking that Satan is collecting humans to be his loyal subjects for some kingdom in hell.  There is no kingdom in hell.  He wants only to destroy every last one of us.  Fortunately, for those who have made Jesus the Lord of their lives, Satan’s accusations are simply thrown out, and we are justified by our faith in Jesus.  

But at this point in the tribulation, Satan is permanently expelled from Heaven, along with one-third of the angels that rebelled with him.  We learned earlier that Satan is the ruler of this world now, but once he is permanently expelled from Heaven, his temporary home will be earth, and he will be furious.  He will declare war on the Jews, because Jesus was born of the Jews.  God will supernaturally help the Jews escape his wrath, and they will run to the wilderness (most likely Petra) for the remaining 3 ½ years.  Then, Satan will turn his wrath on those who become Christians during the tribulation.  (Revelation 12)

Tribulation Part 2 (The Great Tribulation)

At this point, Satan will further control Antichrist.  Antichrist will receive what appears to be a fatal head wound, but he will be miraculously healed.  (Remember that Satan loves to counterfeit what God has done.)  With this healing, many on the earth will marvel at him, and pledge allegiance to him, either out of wonder, fear, or both.  (Revelation 13:3-8). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+13%3A3-8&version=NLT 

Another man will rise to power, described as the “False Prophet”.  It is likely that this man will already be working in the background preparing the world to accept a unified, one-world religion.  But now, he will declare the Antichrist to be god and will demand that he be worshiped as such.  He will set up a statue of Antichrist, and all who refuse to worship it will be put to death.   (Revelation 13:11-15)

In order to further ensure allegiance, Antichrist will mandate that all people receive some kind of mark IN their foreheads or hands.  (Revelation 13:16-18) Although many translations say this mark will be ON the skin, this is one place where the King James Bible translates the word correctly as IN.  This would likely be some kind of microchip, not unlike those already in use today, that would be embedded under the skin and read by a scanner.  Without this mark, no person will be able to make any purchase or conduct any business.  This means you will not even be able to buy groceries, pay for utilities, or make a mortgage payment without having this chip embedded in your person.

This mark (called the Mark of the Beast) will not be something that happens by accident.  You will fully understand that by accepting this implant, you will be pledging eternal allegiance to Antichrist (quite literally selling your soul to Satan) and rejecting God and the salvation offered by Jesus Christ.  In fact, Revelation 14:6-11 tells us that three angels from Heaven will fly over the entire world warning people against taking the mark and alerting them to the consequences of doing so.  They will give the gospel message and call for people to repent.  Those who refuse the mark will have a very hard time for this period of time, but by accepting Jesus, they will have eternity in paradise.  Those who accept the mark will face an eternity of agonizing pain, suffering, and darkness. 

Finally, God pours out the last series of judgments against those who have pledged their allegiance to Antichrist by taking his mark.  (Revelation 16)

  • Malignant sores will cover their bodies
  • The sea turns to blood and everything in it dies
  • Rivers and springs turn to blood
  • The sun is afflicted and scorches people with fire
  • Antichrist’s kingdom goes dark 
  • The Euphrates River dries up, allowing armies from the east to march to Armageddon.  All of those who have turned against God will gather there for the final war.
  • Thunder roars and lightning flashes.   A massive earthquake destroys the cities, flattens the earth and causes the islands to disappear.

Despite all of this, those who have rejected God will refuse to repent.  They will instead gather to wage a war they cannot win.

The Second Coming of Christ

Finally, we see the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth.  (Revelation 19:11-21). No longer do we see the meek lamb of his first coming.  Now we see the conquering hero returning to claim the world as his own.  With him are the armies of Heaven – believers who put their eternity in his hands.  The war is quickly over.  Antichrist and the false prophet are immediately captured and thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.  The rest of the army is killed from what is described as a sharp sword from his mouth.  The Word of God is often referred to as a sword, so it is likely that the armies are destroyed simply with the powerful Word of God.

Satan Bound

Once the war is over, an angel from Heaven (probably Michael) seizes Satan and binds him for 1,000 years.  Many people see the war as God vs. Satan or Jesus vs. Satan – as if they are equals. This is simply not the case.  It is good to note here that Satan is bound by another angel.  He is far inferior to Jesus.

The Millennial Kingdom

After this, the earth will be cleansed from the horrors of the tribulation and Jesus will set up his Millennial Kingdom.  The Millennial Kingdom is a 1,000-year time of peace in which Jesus physically rules and reigns on the earth.  Those martyred for their faith during the tribulation will reign with him, and the remnant that managed to survive the tribulation will live on the earth and repopulate it.  (Revelation 20:4-5)

There are several passages in the Bible that talk about the Millennial Kingdom that are often confused with the New Heaven and New Earth spoken of in the next chapter of Revelation.  Here are some of the descriptions we find:

  • Jesus will rule and reign with perfect wisdom and understanding.  (Isaiah 11:1-5)
  • Animals will no longer be a danger to humans or to each other.  (Isaiah 11:6-8)
  • Jerusalem will be restored, and all people will know the Lord.  He will bring everyone safely to Jerusalem.  (Isaiah 11:9-16)
  • All people will sing praises to God. (Isaiah 12)
  • People will live unnaturally long lives, and only those who choose active rebellion will die as young as 100.  (Isaiah 65:20)
  • People will build homes that will not be pillaged or robbed.  They will live in safety and be blessed. (Isaiah 65:21-23)
  • Prayers will be answered even before they are asked.  (Isaiah 65:24)
  • No one will be hurt or destroyed.  (Isaiah 65:25)

To summarize, it will be a time of peace, prosperity, restoration and justice.  

Satan is Released

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison.  He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. 

Revelation 20:7-9 (NLT)

First, I need to clarify that the Gog and Magog noted here is not the Gog-Magog war noted above.  They cannot be the same, because the one noted above leaves behind wreckage that is burned for seven years and there is not a separate seven-year period of time after this event.

But perhaps the biggest question is why was Satan set free?  After 1,000 years of peace, why would God let him free, knowing that he would lead another insurrection that would be immediately squashed.  The answer is free will.  If you recall, the Millennial Kingdom was initially populated by those who didn’t take the Antichrist’s mark, yet still managed to survive to the end.  It is possible that some of these were never actually saved or were too young to even understand what that meant.  In addition, there will be people born during the 1,000 who have free will and will still need to make a choice.  You would think that living in a peaceful world where all needs are met would make people want to choose Jesus, but sadly, there will still be those who choose death over life.  They will learn very quickly that they made the wrong choice.

Satan is Thrown Into the Lake of Fire

 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  (Revelation 20:10, NLT)

The Final Judgment

The event that comes next is the most frightening and heartbreaking event.  Revelation 20:11-15 tells us of the final judgment of any person who rejected Jesus and the tremendous sacrifice he made for us.  Those who made this terrible choice will be judged by their works.  Every sin ever committed will be laid bare, they will be judged guilty, and they will be sentenced to the lake of fire for eternity.  They will fully understand what their arrogance and rebellion has cost them, and they will fully understand that Jesus is Lord.  

And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 

Revelation 20:15 (NLT)

There are those who deny that hell exists, but the Bible talks more about hell than about Heaven.  It is not because God is vindictive and mean.  It is because hell is real, and it is the choice made by anyone who chooses sin over Jesus.  Heaven is perfect, which means there can be no sin there, because sin always causes pain and destruction.  It may seem harmless at the time, but over time, damage is done.  The Bible talks about hell to warn us away from the things that hurt us.  But this is not what God wants for us.  

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

2 Peter 3:9. (NLT, emphasis mine.)

God could have destroyed us rebellious humans long ago and started over.  Or he could have made us robots without a free will to simply do his will.  But that isn’t what he wanted.  He wanted us to make the choice to love him. He wanted us to trust him, that he knows what will give us fulfilling lives.  He wanted us to accept the free gift of salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ and choose eternal life with the One who loved us enough to die for us.  I pray that anyone who has not made the decision to turn away from sin and make Jesus the Lord of their life will make that choice before it is too late. 

New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem

The final event is recorded in Revelation 21:1-22:6 when God reveals the new heaven, new earth, and a new Jerusalem.  Now, for all of eternity, God will live with his people just as he did in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world.  From this time on, there will be no death, pain, sorrow, or crying.  The city will be beautiful, with golden streets and precious gems adorning the gates.  The light of God will replace the sun, the water of life will flow through the city, and lush fruit trees will adorn the sides. 

Heaven is not where people fly around with harps, sitting on clouds and dying of boredom.  It is a place that is filled with love, beauty, purpose, and meaning.  Relationships will be restored, never to be broken again.  And we will spend all of eternity with the One who paid it all to redeem us!

Conclusion

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

2 Peter 3:11-15, 17-18 (NIV)

If the tribulation sounds horrific, it’s because it is.  It is my sincere prayer that you have or will make the decision to turn from sin and follow Jesus before that time comes.  (And signs point to the reality that it may come very soon.) But if you find yourself reading this during this frightening time, please understand that the torment of this period is nothing compared to an eternity in hell.  There is still time to make the decision to follow Jesus.  It won’t be easy, but your eternity depends on it.

Resources

Resources:

“What is the Tribulation” at Got Questions https://www.gotquestions.org/tribulation.html

Prophecy Updates with Pastor Brett Meador at Athey Creek Christian Fellowship.  (Monthly updates as to how our current events fit into Biblical prophecy.)

Songs of Victory

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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