Rev 19:12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
The above two verses identify Him as King Jesus.
Rev 19:14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This verse, in exact opposition to the Rapture verses of
1Th 4:14-18 which had faithful servants being lifted up (Raptured) to Heaven, has faithful saints following King Jesus "from" Heaven. There is no mistaking who these "armies" are. We are described as wearing "fine linen, white and clean"
So in
Rev 4, we are seen in Heaven. We return from Heaven with King Jesus after the seven-year Tribulation.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The above verse describes those who came to accept Jesus after the Rapture - they were left behind as non-believers or as "weekend Christians" that refused to follow the rules of Jesus. Unrepentant homosexual "Christians, adulterers, thieves, sexual deviants, liars etc. These folks realised their mistake after the Rapture, and refused to accept satan and his mark. Many of these people were converted to Christ through the two witnesses and the 144,000 converted Jews, who God miraculously protects throughout the entire Tribulation as the following scriptures confirm...
Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were]
sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Some of these, in fact many, will be beheaded for their refusal to accept satan and his mark, as
Rev 20:4 describes. It also tells us that those who were beheaded for their belief in Jesus, "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." which immediately begins at the conclusion of the destruction of satan's armies through the brightness of His coming. So, those who were executed for their new found faith in Jesus, were resurrected, and that ended the "first resurrection"
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This [is] the first resurrection. Those who died without Jesus would remain dead until Jesus resurrects (second resurrection) them at the final judgment, when they will be tossed into the lake of fire.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Why would satan be held for a thousand years if all God's saints were already saved?
Rev 20:8 And shall go out
to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. Where did all these people come from? These are the descendants of the people who went through the entire seven year Tribulation, and did not worship satan, nor did they receive his mark. If they did, they would have been destroyed along with all satan's other friends at the brightness of His coming. They would have remained dead throughout the entire thousand year reign, as
Rev 20:5 states. Many were beheaded, but many must have survived without being caught. These will also be the descendants of the protected 144,000 Jews, who were not executed because they had the mark of God on their foreheads.
So for many generations, there would be human life on earth during the entire thousand-year reign of Jesus. These would not "reign" with Jesus. We know this, because
Rev 20:4 tells us only the saints which followed Jesus out of Heaven at the second coming, and "those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God" would reign with Him for the thousand years.
So again, why would Jesus let satan out? Why didn't Jesus simply toss satan into the lake of fire as soon as He returned?
The answer is
free will None of us come to Jesus by His force. Jesus says we must "freely" accept Him. Same for these generations of humans who have been born during this thousand-year period.
Incredibly, there are many who fall for satan's lies as the scriptures clearly state
the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. Saying that satan cannot be underestimated is a serious understatement!
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
The verse above describes the end game, when King Jesus finally pits an end to satan and his followers for ever, as the following verses describe...
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Following that, we are in for an indescribable eternity with our King Jesus!!
Poll
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