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Lesson 32: The Millennium
For many years there has been a lot of confusion about what will happen when Jesus returns. Some people say that Jesus will live on this earth and set up a kingdom. Some people say that He will get married and have children. Others say that He will only return in spirit and that we will finally live in peace. No matter how logical these may sound or how they may follow traditions passed down for generations, none of them are true. According to the Bible, the events that follow Jesus’ second coming are entirely different. In this lesson we will learn the truth about Jesus' second coming and what happens before, during and after a thousand year period called the millennium.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
Afife sat on the couch with her hands covering her face in an attempt to hold back the tears. She was about to go to Fatma’s house for a Bible study and once again Reşat didn’t want to go.
“I just don’t understand why you won’t go,” she cried.
“I told you already, I just don’t want to go.”
“Honey, I know you are struggling with the health message and the Sabbath. But that doesn’t mean you can’t attend the group,” Afife pleaded.
“Look, I don’t want to go. I don’t know why you are making such a big deal about this. Its not like I am standing in your way. If you want to go, go! Just leave me alone,” Reşat said.
Afife sat there dejected for a few seconds and then got up to leave. She wiped the tears from her eyes, put on her coat, and walked out the door. For the fourth week in a row she went to Fatma’s house alone.
When she walked into the house, everyone looked at her with the same sorrow-filled eyes. They prayed and asked God to comfort her and be with them during the study. They opened their Bibles and started another study in the Life Changer series. (To be Continued)
Afife wasn't just sad about going to the meeting alone. She was thinking about the eternal destiny of her husband. The resurrection from the dead is a reality that will soon take place and it causes us to ask some important questions:
Q1. According to Jesus, what will the righteous resurrect to? Read John 5:28, 29.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q2. What will the unrighteous resurrect to?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Jesus was very clear when He said that everyone would be resurrected. The question is, will they all be resurrected at the same time?
Q3. When Jesus returns from heaven, what will happen to the believers who had already died? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q4. What will happen to the believers who are alive?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q5. Where will we all meet Jesus?
A.______________________________________________________________________
In these two short verses we learn that Jesus will visibly and audibly come in the clouds with a loud shout, that the dead believers will be resurrected, and that they will go together with the believers who are still alive to meet Jesus in the air. There is no mention of Jesus touching the ground, setting up an earthly kingdom, or engaging in dialogue with non-believers. If Jesus takes the believers to heaven, what will happen to the non-believers?
Q6. What happens to the wicked and non-believers? Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns, the glory that the believers behold and rejoice in will be a burning fire to the non-believers. In short, they will die. But Jesus said that everyone would be resurrected. How can this be? Let’s go to the book of Revelation to find out (Read Revelation 20:5).
We will continue the verses surrounding the verse we just read. But first we must ask a question.
Q7. How many resurrections are there? One or two?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Yes, according to the Bible there are two resurrections: one for the righteous dead and one for the wicked. The first resurrection is the reward of eternal life for the righteous dead. The second resurrection is for the wicked to hear their sentencing. At that time they will see Jesus in His glory and acknowledge that God’s law is just. Then they will receive the consequence for their sins, eternal death. This punishment is a consequence for their sin and refusal to accept God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Q8. After Jesus returns and the righteous are taken to heaven, who will remain dead?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q9. How long will the wicked be dead?
A.______________________________________________________________________
In summary, when Jesus returns the wicked who are dead will remain dead and the wicked who are alive will die. And they will stay dead for 1000 years. What about their leader, Satan? What will happen to him?
Q10. How long is Satan bound? Read Revelation 20:1-3.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q11. During the 1000 years what will he not be able to do?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q12. After 1000 years, what will happen to him?
A.______________________________________________________________________
During the 1000 years that the wicked are dead, Satan will be imprisoned. We must remember that the book of Revelation is filled with symbolism and references to what previous prophets wrote. Therefore, we must look for those references and the symbolic meaning of words. It is interesting to note that the word used in Greek, the language in which Revelation was written, to describe this bottomless pit is abussos. It is actually the equivalent for the Hebrew word in Genesis 1:2 which was translated as deep and described the world in its dark, undeveloped stage. At the beginning of the 1000 years we are essentially seeing that the earth will be like it was at the beginning, lifeless.
Q13. What will the world be like after Jesus takes the believers to heaven? Read Jeremiah 4:23-26.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q14. Why won’t the wicked be mourned and buried? Read Jeremiah 25:30-33.
A.______________________________________________________________________
The wicked won’t be mourned or buried because there won’t be anyone to do it. A lifeless earth is a metaphorical prison for Satan because he is confined in a place where he can’t do what he does best: lie, steal, cheat, kill, and destroy. Now that we know what will happen to the wicked and Satan, let’s see what God’s people will be doing.
Q15. What is the condition of those who experience the first resurrection? Read Revelation 20:6.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q16. What will they be? How long will they reign with Jesus?
A.______________________________________________________________________
The people of God will be happy and holy. They will be priests and reign with Jesus for 1000 years. What will they be doing? Read Revelation 20:4.
A._____________________________________________________________________
When Jesus was living and teaching on this earth 2000 years ago, He told His disciples that God had given Him the authority to judge. In this verse, we see that Jesus in turn gives His followers the same authority. Paul actually mentioned the same event in his letter to the Corinthians.
Q17. Who will the righteous judge? Read 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 and Psalm 149:4-9.
A.______________________________________________________________________
The righteous followers of Jesus will reign in heaven as priests and judges. They will review the books of judgment and see that God’s justice was true in every case. They will also bear witness to the justice of God’s condemnation of sin and its source. Now the only thing left to do is destroy the devil and all of his followers.
Q18. After the 1000 years end, what will happen to Satan? Read Revelation 20:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
After the 1000 years, Satan is released.
Q19. What does Satan do immediately after being released? Read Revelation 20:8.
A.______________________________________________________________________
That old serpent and fallen angel called the devil goes about deceiving the nations. It is his last chance to fight against God and he is convinced that he can win. This brings us to a very important point, if all the wicked are dead who can he deceive? The answer is simple, the wicked come back to life in the second resurrection.
Remember, the second resurrection is all about judgment. These people will not have a second chance to repent and follow God. We all have one life and it is during this life that we must each decide who we will follow in the Great Controversy. Unfortunately, these people are brought back to life for one purpose, to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and justness and to pay the penalty for their sin. But for the believers, this is where the future gets really exciting.
Q20. What did John see coming down from heaven? Read Revelation 21:2.
A.______________________________________________________________________
After 1000 years in heaven, the people of God return to earth with Jesus in a beautiful city called New Jerusalem. It is inside New Jerusalem’s protective walls that we will witness the final destruction of all that is evil.
Q21. What do Satan and his followers do? Read Revelation 20:9a (first sentence only).
A.______________________________________________________________________
Read Revelation 20:11-13.
In these verses, we are reading about the great judgment when the wicked will be judged for their evil deeds and refusal to submit to God. It is during the judgment that they will finally realize who God really is and all that He had done for them. When the books of life and judgment are opened, they will be able to see that they had every opportunity to be in the New Jerusalem with the believers and that they lived lives of selfishness and disobedience. It is during the judgment that everyone will bow on their knees and confess that God is love in both justice and truth (Isaiah 45:23, 24).
As a result of their sin, the wicked and their leader, Satan, will be destroyed.
Q22. Is this an event that you want to experience? Read Revelation 20: 9b (second sentence,)10, 14, 15.
A.______________________________________________________________________
For Satan, the evil angels, and the wicked, this is the end. They will not burn in hell and then be allowed to go to heaven. They will not burn in hell forever. Hell is the experience of being burned up in the lake of fire and then never existing again. Death itself is even destroyed. When this is all over, God will do something amazing.
Q23. What will God make? Read Revelation 21:1, 3-5.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God is going to make a new heaven and new earth! It is our inheritance and we will live forever the way that God always wanted us to. There won’t be any tears, pain, sickness, or death. The entire earth will be like the Garden of Eden and we will once again be a perfect people living on a perfect earth in perfect communion with a perfect God. Just as Jesus said, “the meek will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Q24. What prophecy of the Old Testament predicted this sequence of events? Read Leviticus 23:34-36, 39-43.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Do you remember in our lesson called ‘God’s Last Day People’ that the spring and fall feasts of the Israelites were prophecies about the work of Christ? The spring feasts found their fulfillment in events surrounding Christ’s first coming. The fall feasts pointed to events at the end of time including the announcement of the Day of Judgment in 1844. In the tabernacle service another event on the Day of Atonement had predictive meaning. Every 50 years at the end of the Day of Atonement, a trumpet was blown announcing the year of jubilee when all slaves in Israel were set free and all debts were canceled. When Jesus comes, the trumpet shall sound and all those who are Christ’s will be set free from the slavery of death and inherit eternal life.
Yet one feast remained in the Jewish religious calendar. It was called the Feast of Tabernacles and also called the feast of harvest. It not only celebrated the time when the Israelites wandered in the desert forty years, but it also predicted a future event. After Jesus comes and raises the dead (Jubilee trumpet call of the Day of Atonement) we go to live with Jesus and God for 1000 years in heaven. But that is not our permanent home. We will be living in heaven in “booths” or “tabernacles” so to speak. After the 1000 years are finished we will live on this earth.
The feast was also called the Feast of Harvest because it was celebrated after the harvest of grain. Do you remember that the gathering of God’s people is compared to “firstfruits” and “harvest” (James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:23)? When Jesus comes, we are the harvest! But what happens to the weeds in the field? They are gathered in bundles to be burned. Jesus said, “'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:30).
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
When the study was finished, Afife started crying. Fatma looked at her daughter, and Gül knew immediately what she wanted. She got up and ran to the kitchen bringing back a cup of water.
“Here drink some water auntie,” Gül insisted.
“Thanks sweety,” Afife said after taking a few sips. “I’m sorry. I cried last time and I am crying this time. I am messing up the group. All I can think of when I read these things is Reşat.”
“Don’t talk like that. We know that it has been hard,” Mehmet consoled her. “I wish my wife would come to the group.”
“I wish she would too, Mehmet. But I think Reşat’s not coming is a bit different. I mean he knows the truth about the Bible, God, and Jesus. Now, after doing this study, I can’t bear to think of him not being in heaven. I know he believes in Jesus, but he is actually choosing his friends, alcohol, unclean foods, and working on the Sabbath over Jesus. Jesus said that if we love the world more than Him we won’t have eternal life. Is it really possible, that I could be in the city of God and he could be on the outside? I don’t want him to burn up!” Afife proclaimed as she started crying again.
“Calm down my love,” Fatma said as she hugged Afife. “We will solve this together. None of us want to have any part in the final judgment of non-believers. Let’s pray for wisdom and guidance.”
The group all knelt down and began to pray. As they poured out their hearts to the Lord, a peace came over them. They knew God had heard their prayers and that He would intervene.
“I want to go speak to Reşat,” Mehmet said. “I know he will make the right choice. He just needed some time to think things over.”
“I too think he will return to the group,” Fatma reassured everyone. “I want to come Mehmet. He is my cousin.”
“It would make this a lot easier.”
“So it is decided, let’s follow Afife home tonight and visit with Reşat,” Fatma said.
Everyone slowly made their way to the door and before long Fatma, Mehmet, and Afife were at Afife’s apartment building. When Reşat opened the door, he was surprised to see Mehmet and Fatma with his wife.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you all at this hour. Please come in,” Reşat politely said.
“Thank you, Reşat,” Mehmet replied.
It was already late and Mehmet and Fatma would still need to return home, so after sitting down, they got straight to the point.
“Reşat, we need to talk to you. Reşat, you know that we all love you. You also know that God loves you and that Jesus died the second death so that you won’t have to,” Mehmet said.
“Yes, I know all of that. Where are you going with this?”
“Reşat, we want you to come back to the group. More importantly, we want you to listen to what Jesus is telling you.”
“Well I appreciate your concern, but I don’t want to attend the group anymore. I am comfortable with how far I have come and I don’t think health or the Sabbath has anything do with my salvation.”
“Honey, do you remember what Jesus said about gaining the world and losing your soul? Do you remember what Jesus said about keeping His commandments?” Afife asked.
“Of course, I remember!” Reşat responded.
“Well, I don’t want to gain the world nor lose my soul. I want the gift of eternal life and that means that I need to listen to Jesus. I need to keep His commandments about food, drink, the Sabbath, and anything else He shows me. Do you even know what we studied about tonight?” Afife asked.
“No, I don’t.” Reşat answered.
“We learned what will happen when Jesus returns. We learned about the destruction of evil, sin, Satan, and non-believers. We learned that we will spend 1000 years in heaven with Christ and then return to the earth in the city of God. We learned that the wicked, the ones who didn’t listen to God, will try to destroy the believers and that fire will come down from heaven and destroy them. Reşat, I want you to be in the city with me. Right now, I am afraid you won’t be!” Afife said and started to sob.
“Reşat,” Fatma said, “In the new heaven and the new earth there won’t be anyone disobeying the Lord. There won’t be some people off in the corner of the universe somewhere doing their own thing. It is all or nothing. Those who inherit eternal life are the ones who conform to the principles of God’s kingdom here on this earth. The time of decision is here, it is now. When we reject the principles of God’s kingdom here, we reject His kingdom forever. Have I made myself understood?”
Reşat just stood there in shock, not knowing what to say. Up until this point, he had considered the health message and Sabbath to be simply a suggestion or recommendation. He had said to himself, “A man has to feed his family. God will understand.”
But now, he saw that the issues ran much deeper. Was he really willing to trade eternal life for a finite amount of years on earth? Did he really want to gain the world and lose his soul? It was as if he woke from a deep slumber. He was actually seeing everything much clearer and felt like the apostle Paul when the scales had fallen from his eyes. But he was also scared. He felt torn apart inside and his reaction was explosive.
“It’s not just food,” Reşat bellowed as he jumped from his seat. He began to wave his arms wildly. “That is one thing. But it is my whole life! I talked to my boss about Sabbath. No way! I will lose my job.”
You don’t understand! Mehmet, you are retired. No problem! Fatma, you have your own store. O.K! What am I going to do? Where is a middle aged man going to find a new job in this market where he doesn’t have to work on Sabbath? Where? You tell me!”
Reşat was nearly screaming now.
“I have two kids in school. I have a nice house and a job. I will lose everything. What will you all do? Will you pay my rent? Will you send my kids to a nice school? Then what will I be? I will be a shame, that is what I will be! I will be a shame!”
Suddenly Reşat’s rage turned and he became quiet, running his hands through his hair. He fell back onto the couch next to Afife and said, “I want to be saved!”
No one could speak at all. Afife was crying and she just hugged her husband. Minutes passed but they felt like hours.
“I am sorry for what I have put you through Afife,” Reşat said remorsefully. “But I am a man and there are certain things I have to do. I have to provide for you.”
Afife blew her nose in a tissue and said, “Honey, I don’t care if we struggle in this world. If we keep God’s commandments and we suffer for it, I am willing to pay that price. But I will never be ashamed of you. Never. I want to spend eternity with you.”
“What about the kids? They will be ashamed of their dad. What will I say to them if I can’t provide the same living standard as before?”
Fatma interjected, “They will be proud of their father for being a man of principle. Besides, God may bless you with work because of your faithfulness. From a human standpoint it seems like it will go bad, but with God, all things are possible. You don’t know that it will go bad.”
Everyone sat quietly looking at Reşat. A long time passed again.
“Will you really be with me on this Afife?” Reşat said meekly.
“We will be in it together! Forever!”
“O.K. I will try it again,” Reşat said quietly.
Q25. Do you want to be behind the walls of New Jerusalem when sin is judged? Do you want to be on the new earth living with Jesus forever?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Call to commitment through prayer.
For further study read:
Revelation 19:11-21; Daniel 7:21, 22; 2 Peter 3:11-13; Malachi 4:3.
For many years there has been a lot of confusion about what will happen when Jesus returns. Some people say that Jesus will live on this earth and set up a kingdom. Some people say that He will get married and have children. Others say that He will only return in spirit and that we will finally live in peace. No matter how logical these may sound or how they may follow traditions passed down for generations, none of them are true. According to the Bible, the events that follow Jesus’ second coming are entirely different. In this lesson we will learn the truth about Jesus' second coming and what happens before, during and after a thousand year period called the millennium.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
Afife sat on the couch with her hands covering her face in an attempt to hold back the tears. She was about to go to Fatma’s house for a Bible study and once again Reşat didn’t want to go.
“I just don’t understand why you won’t go,” she cried.
“I told you already, I just don’t want to go.”
“Honey, I know you are struggling with the health message and the Sabbath. But that doesn’t mean you can’t attend the group,” Afife pleaded.
“Look, I don’t want to go. I don’t know why you are making such a big deal about this. Its not like I am standing in your way. If you want to go, go! Just leave me alone,” Reşat said.
Afife sat there dejected for a few seconds and then got up to leave. She wiped the tears from her eyes, put on her coat, and walked out the door. For the fourth week in a row she went to Fatma’s house alone.
When she walked into the house, everyone looked at her with the same sorrow-filled eyes. They prayed and asked God to comfort her and be with them during the study. They opened their Bibles and started another study in the Life Changer series. (To be Continued)
Afife wasn't just sad about going to the meeting alone. She was thinking about the eternal destiny of her husband. The resurrection from the dead is a reality that will soon take place and it causes us to ask some important questions:
- Will everyone be resurrected? If so when?
- Will everyone be in heaven?
- What will happen to the earth?
- Will the believers stay in heaven forever?
- What will believers do in heaven?
- What will happen to Satan?
- Will we ever live on earth again?
Q1. According to Jesus, what will the righteous resurrect to? Read John 5:28, 29.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q2. What will the unrighteous resurrect to?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Jesus was very clear when He said that everyone would be resurrected. The question is, will they all be resurrected at the same time?
Q3. When Jesus returns from heaven, what will happen to the believers who had already died? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q4. What will happen to the believers who are alive?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q5. Where will we all meet Jesus?
A.______________________________________________________________________
In these two short verses we learn that Jesus will visibly and audibly come in the clouds with a loud shout, that the dead believers will be resurrected, and that they will go together with the believers who are still alive to meet Jesus in the air. There is no mention of Jesus touching the ground, setting up an earthly kingdom, or engaging in dialogue with non-believers. If Jesus takes the believers to heaven, what will happen to the non-believers?
Q6. What happens to the wicked and non-believers? Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.
A.______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus returns, the glory that the believers behold and rejoice in will be a burning fire to the non-believers. In short, they will die. But Jesus said that everyone would be resurrected. How can this be? Let’s go to the book of Revelation to find out (Read Revelation 20:5).
We will continue the verses surrounding the verse we just read. But first we must ask a question.
Q7. How many resurrections are there? One or two?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Yes, according to the Bible there are two resurrections: one for the righteous dead and one for the wicked. The first resurrection is the reward of eternal life for the righteous dead. The second resurrection is for the wicked to hear their sentencing. At that time they will see Jesus in His glory and acknowledge that God’s law is just. Then they will receive the consequence for their sins, eternal death. This punishment is a consequence for their sin and refusal to accept God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Q8. After Jesus returns and the righteous are taken to heaven, who will remain dead?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q9. How long will the wicked be dead?
A.______________________________________________________________________
In summary, when Jesus returns the wicked who are dead will remain dead and the wicked who are alive will die. And they will stay dead for 1000 years. What about their leader, Satan? What will happen to him?
Q10. How long is Satan bound? Read Revelation 20:1-3.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q11. During the 1000 years what will he not be able to do?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q12. After 1000 years, what will happen to him?
A.______________________________________________________________________
During the 1000 years that the wicked are dead, Satan will be imprisoned. We must remember that the book of Revelation is filled with symbolism and references to what previous prophets wrote. Therefore, we must look for those references and the symbolic meaning of words. It is interesting to note that the word used in Greek, the language in which Revelation was written, to describe this bottomless pit is abussos. It is actually the equivalent for the Hebrew word in Genesis 1:2 which was translated as deep and described the world in its dark, undeveloped stage. At the beginning of the 1000 years we are essentially seeing that the earth will be like it was at the beginning, lifeless.
Q13. What will the world be like after Jesus takes the believers to heaven? Read Jeremiah 4:23-26.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q14. Why won’t the wicked be mourned and buried? Read Jeremiah 25:30-33.
A.______________________________________________________________________
The wicked won’t be mourned or buried because there won’t be anyone to do it. A lifeless earth is a metaphorical prison for Satan because he is confined in a place where he can’t do what he does best: lie, steal, cheat, kill, and destroy. Now that we know what will happen to the wicked and Satan, let’s see what God’s people will be doing.
Q15. What is the condition of those who experience the first resurrection? Read Revelation 20:6.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Q16. What will they be? How long will they reign with Jesus?
A.______________________________________________________________________
The people of God will be happy and holy. They will be priests and reign with Jesus for 1000 years. What will they be doing? Read Revelation 20:4.
A._____________________________________________________________________
When Jesus was living and teaching on this earth 2000 years ago, He told His disciples that God had given Him the authority to judge. In this verse, we see that Jesus in turn gives His followers the same authority. Paul actually mentioned the same event in his letter to the Corinthians.
Q17. Who will the righteous judge? Read 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 and Psalm 149:4-9.
A.______________________________________________________________________
The righteous followers of Jesus will reign in heaven as priests and judges. They will review the books of judgment and see that God’s justice was true in every case. They will also bear witness to the justice of God’s condemnation of sin and its source. Now the only thing left to do is destroy the devil and all of his followers.
Q18. After the 1000 years end, what will happen to Satan? Read Revelation 20:7.
A.______________________________________________________________________
After the 1000 years, Satan is released.
Q19. What does Satan do immediately after being released? Read Revelation 20:8.
A.______________________________________________________________________
That old serpent and fallen angel called the devil goes about deceiving the nations. It is his last chance to fight against God and he is convinced that he can win. This brings us to a very important point, if all the wicked are dead who can he deceive? The answer is simple, the wicked come back to life in the second resurrection.
Remember, the second resurrection is all about judgment. These people will not have a second chance to repent and follow God. We all have one life and it is during this life that we must each decide who we will follow in the Great Controversy. Unfortunately, these people are brought back to life for one purpose, to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and justness and to pay the penalty for their sin. But for the believers, this is where the future gets really exciting.
Q20. What did John see coming down from heaven? Read Revelation 21:2.
A.______________________________________________________________________
After 1000 years in heaven, the people of God return to earth with Jesus in a beautiful city called New Jerusalem. It is inside New Jerusalem’s protective walls that we will witness the final destruction of all that is evil.
Q21. What do Satan and his followers do? Read Revelation 20:9a (first sentence only).
A.______________________________________________________________________
Read Revelation 20:11-13.
In these verses, we are reading about the great judgment when the wicked will be judged for their evil deeds and refusal to submit to God. It is during the judgment that they will finally realize who God really is and all that He had done for them. When the books of life and judgment are opened, they will be able to see that they had every opportunity to be in the New Jerusalem with the believers and that they lived lives of selfishness and disobedience. It is during the judgment that everyone will bow on their knees and confess that God is love in both justice and truth (Isaiah 45:23, 24).
As a result of their sin, the wicked and their leader, Satan, will be destroyed.
Q22. Is this an event that you want to experience? Read Revelation 20: 9b (second sentence,)10, 14, 15.
A.______________________________________________________________________
For Satan, the evil angels, and the wicked, this is the end. They will not burn in hell and then be allowed to go to heaven. They will not burn in hell forever. Hell is the experience of being burned up in the lake of fire and then never existing again. Death itself is even destroyed. When this is all over, God will do something amazing.
Q23. What will God make? Read Revelation 21:1, 3-5.
A.______________________________________________________________________
God is going to make a new heaven and new earth! It is our inheritance and we will live forever the way that God always wanted us to. There won’t be any tears, pain, sickness, or death. The entire earth will be like the Garden of Eden and we will once again be a perfect people living on a perfect earth in perfect communion with a perfect God. Just as Jesus said, “the meek will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Q24. What prophecy of the Old Testament predicted this sequence of events? Read Leviticus 23:34-36, 39-43.
A.______________________________________________________________________
Do you remember in our lesson called ‘God’s Last Day People’ that the spring and fall feasts of the Israelites were prophecies about the work of Christ? The spring feasts found their fulfillment in events surrounding Christ’s first coming. The fall feasts pointed to events at the end of time including the announcement of the Day of Judgment in 1844. In the tabernacle service another event on the Day of Atonement had predictive meaning. Every 50 years at the end of the Day of Atonement, a trumpet was blown announcing the year of jubilee when all slaves in Israel were set free and all debts were canceled. When Jesus comes, the trumpet shall sound and all those who are Christ’s will be set free from the slavery of death and inherit eternal life.
Yet one feast remained in the Jewish religious calendar. It was called the Feast of Tabernacles and also called the feast of harvest. It not only celebrated the time when the Israelites wandered in the desert forty years, but it also predicted a future event. After Jesus comes and raises the dead (Jubilee trumpet call of the Day of Atonement) we go to live with Jesus and God for 1000 years in heaven. But that is not our permanent home. We will be living in heaven in “booths” or “tabernacles” so to speak. After the 1000 years are finished we will live on this earth.
The feast was also called the Feast of Harvest because it was celebrated after the harvest of grain. Do you remember that the gathering of God’s people is compared to “firstfruits” and “harvest” (James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:23)? When Jesus comes, we are the harvest! But what happens to the weeds in the field? They are gathered in bundles to be burned. Jesus said, “'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:30).
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
When the study was finished, Afife started crying. Fatma looked at her daughter, and Gül knew immediately what she wanted. She got up and ran to the kitchen bringing back a cup of water.
“Here drink some water auntie,” Gül insisted.
“Thanks sweety,” Afife said after taking a few sips. “I’m sorry. I cried last time and I am crying this time. I am messing up the group. All I can think of when I read these things is Reşat.”
“Don’t talk like that. We know that it has been hard,” Mehmet consoled her. “I wish my wife would come to the group.”
“I wish she would too, Mehmet. But I think Reşat’s not coming is a bit different. I mean he knows the truth about the Bible, God, and Jesus. Now, after doing this study, I can’t bear to think of him not being in heaven. I know he believes in Jesus, but he is actually choosing his friends, alcohol, unclean foods, and working on the Sabbath over Jesus. Jesus said that if we love the world more than Him we won’t have eternal life. Is it really possible, that I could be in the city of God and he could be on the outside? I don’t want him to burn up!” Afife proclaimed as she started crying again.
“Calm down my love,” Fatma said as she hugged Afife. “We will solve this together. None of us want to have any part in the final judgment of non-believers. Let’s pray for wisdom and guidance.”
The group all knelt down and began to pray. As they poured out their hearts to the Lord, a peace came over them. They knew God had heard their prayers and that He would intervene.
“I want to go speak to Reşat,” Mehmet said. “I know he will make the right choice. He just needed some time to think things over.”
“I too think he will return to the group,” Fatma reassured everyone. “I want to come Mehmet. He is my cousin.”
“It would make this a lot easier.”
“So it is decided, let’s follow Afife home tonight and visit with Reşat,” Fatma said.
Everyone slowly made their way to the door and before long Fatma, Mehmet, and Afife were at Afife’s apartment building. When Reşat opened the door, he was surprised to see Mehmet and Fatma with his wife.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you all at this hour. Please come in,” Reşat politely said.
“Thank you, Reşat,” Mehmet replied.
It was already late and Mehmet and Fatma would still need to return home, so after sitting down, they got straight to the point.
“Reşat, we need to talk to you. Reşat, you know that we all love you. You also know that God loves you and that Jesus died the second death so that you won’t have to,” Mehmet said.
“Yes, I know all of that. Where are you going with this?”
“Reşat, we want you to come back to the group. More importantly, we want you to listen to what Jesus is telling you.”
“Well I appreciate your concern, but I don’t want to attend the group anymore. I am comfortable with how far I have come and I don’t think health or the Sabbath has anything do with my salvation.”
“Honey, do you remember what Jesus said about gaining the world and losing your soul? Do you remember what Jesus said about keeping His commandments?” Afife asked.
“Of course, I remember!” Reşat responded.
“Well, I don’t want to gain the world nor lose my soul. I want the gift of eternal life and that means that I need to listen to Jesus. I need to keep His commandments about food, drink, the Sabbath, and anything else He shows me. Do you even know what we studied about tonight?” Afife asked.
“No, I don’t.” Reşat answered.
“We learned what will happen when Jesus returns. We learned about the destruction of evil, sin, Satan, and non-believers. We learned that we will spend 1000 years in heaven with Christ and then return to the earth in the city of God. We learned that the wicked, the ones who didn’t listen to God, will try to destroy the believers and that fire will come down from heaven and destroy them. Reşat, I want you to be in the city with me. Right now, I am afraid you won’t be!” Afife said and started to sob.
“Reşat,” Fatma said, “In the new heaven and the new earth there won’t be anyone disobeying the Lord. There won’t be some people off in the corner of the universe somewhere doing their own thing. It is all or nothing. Those who inherit eternal life are the ones who conform to the principles of God’s kingdom here on this earth. The time of decision is here, it is now. When we reject the principles of God’s kingdom here, we reject His kingdom forever. Have I made myself understood?”
Reşat just stood there in shock, not knowing what to say. Up until this point, he had considered the health message and Sabbath to be simply a suggestion or recommendation. He had said to himself, “A man has to feed his family. God will understand.”
But now, he saw that the issues ran much deeper. Was he really willing to trade eternal life for a finite amount of years on earth? Did he really want to gain the world and lose his soul? It was as if he woke from a deep slumber. He was actually seeing everything much clearer and felt like the apostle Paul when the scales had fallen from his eyes. But he was also scared. He felt torn apart inside and his reaction was explosive.
“It’s not just food,” Reşat bellowed as he jumped from his seat. He began to wave his arms wildly. “That is one thing. But it is my whole life! I talked to my boss about Sabbath. No way! I will lose my job.”
You don’t understand! Mehmet, you are retired. No problem! Fatma, you have your own store. O.K! What am I going to do? Where is a middle aged man going to find a new job in this market where he doesn’t have to work on Sabbath? Where? You tell me!”
Reşat was nearly screaming now.
“I have two kids in school. I have a nice house and a job. I will lose everything. What will you all do? Will you pay my rent? Will you send my kids to a nice school? Then what will I be? I will be a shame, that is what I will be! I will be a shame!”
Suddenly Reşat’s rage turned and he became quiet, running his hands through his hair. He fell back onto the couch next to Afife and said, “I want to be saved!”
No one could speak at all. Afife was crying and she just hugged her husband. Minutes passed but they felt like hours.
“I am sorry for what I have put you through Afife,” Reşat said remorsefully. “But I am a man and there are certain things I have to do. I have to provide for you.”
Afife blew her nose in a tissue and said, “Honey, I don’t care if we struggle in this world. If we keep God’s commandments and we suffer for it, I am willing to pay that price. But I will never be ashamed of you. Never. I want to spend eternity with you.”
“What about the kids? They will be ashamed of their dad. What will I say to them if I can’t provide the same living standard as before?”
Fatma interjected, “They will be proud of their father for being a man of principle. Besides, God may bless you with work because of your faithfulness. From a human standpoint it seems like it will go bad, but with God, all things are possible. You don’t know that it will go bad.”
Everyone sat quietly looking at Reşat. A long time passed again.
“Will you really be with me on this Afife?” Reşat said meekly.
“We will be in it together! Forever!”
“O.K. I will try it again,” Reşat said quietly.
Q25. Do you want to be behind the walls of New Jerusalem when sin is judged? Do you want to be on the new earth living with Jesus forever?
A.______________________________________________________________________
Call to commitment through prayer.
For further study read:
Revelation 19:11-21; Daniel 7:21, 22; 2 Peter 3:11-13; Malachi 4:3.