The Lake of Fire / The Final Judgement (The Great White Throne)

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

The Release of Satan and the Rebellion at the End of the Millennium

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. So at the battle of Armageddon, the Lord uses the devil to gather all his enemies into one place so he can destroy them.

That's why the devil is going to be let out. So he can go out and gather all the rebels in the kingdom, gather them to one place so the Lord can destroy them. You say, wait a minute, hold on, you're telling me that there's going to be rebels in the kingdom who don't love the Lord?

Absolutely, there will be rebels in the kingdom. Let me explain how that works. You basically have three groups of people entering into the millennial kingdom. You have Old Testament saints. You have New Testament saints, both of which have received their glorified bodies.

And then the third group is those who survived the Great Tribulation. They are still in their natural mortal bodies. And even if every single one of them is saved going into the kingdom because they still have their mortal bodies, what do they do?

They procreate. So there's going to be a lot of children being born. You have 1 ,000 years of peace and prosperity and abundance on the earth. There's going to be a lot of babies born in the millennium.

Isaiah 65 verse 20 tells us this. It talks about that people in the millennium will die. There will be people who die in the millennium. Not all the New Testament saints who have been resurrected. Obviously they can't die.

We can't die. But there will be people who die during the millennium. These are the children. These are the people in their natural bodies. But it also says the person who dies at age 100, that's like dying young in the millennium.

So, in other words, the 1 ,000 years, over this period of time, the earth will be repopulated. The Tribulation brought the population of the earth way down, like way, way down. During the millennium, it's going to be repopulated.

So, even though it is a perfect environment with Jesus himself ruling and reigning with a rod of iron, there's still a problem. What's the problem? These people in their natural mortal bodies, they still have the sin nature.

They're going to be conforming. There's not really any bad influences. The devil's bound. Jesus rules and reigns with a rod of iron. If anyone does get out of line, it's going to be swift and it's going to be dealt with.

So, they're conforming on the outside, but on the inside, there's rebellion in their heart. Not everybody, but there's going to be enough who are rebels in their heart against the Lord, and the Lord knows it.

So, he lets the devil out to gather them all together. So, basically, when the devil is released, that rebellion in their heart will quickly bubble up to the surface. Look at verse 7. Now, when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth.

Gog and Magog. To gather them together to battle. This is the final battle of Gog and Magog. Final battle on the earth, whose number is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.

And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. So, that's what the devil did. Go out, gather all the enemies of God together into one place. Just like he did at the battle of Armageddon.

So, the good news is, as soon as this rebellion gets going, it's crushed immediately. And now, okay, now the end will come. Just make a note of this. You don't have time to turn there. In 1 Corinthians 15, 24 through 26, the apostle Paul says this.

Then the end comes. When he, that is Christ, delivers the kingdom to God the Father. When he puts an end to all rule in authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet.

There's still one enemy that remains. And what is that enemy? That enemy is death. Death will finally be destroyed. Death itself will be cast into the lake of fire. This is point number three, the final judgment.

Look at Revelation 20, starting in verse 10. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Where the beast and the false prophet were. No, that's not what it says. Where the beast and the false prophet are.

They're still there. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne. And him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works. By the things which were written in the books.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it. And death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. You know, when Christians, we talk about being saved. And we talk about salvation. Ultimately, because you're saved from sin and its penalty.

But ultimately, this is what we're being saved from. This is what Christ came to deliver us from, ultimately. So, if there is anyone listening who has never put their complete trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

What are you waiting for? You know, tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone. Because once a person has slipped out into eternity, their fate is sealed, so to speak. The Bible says, if you would confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

There is salvation from the lake of fire. And we don't want anyone to go to the lake of fire. A lot of preachers won't preach this book. A lot of churches avoid this book. If you love someone, you tell them.

Because you don't want them to go there. We preach this because we don't want anyone to go to the lake of fire. Now we get to point number four. The end of Revelation chapter 20. The final enemy, death, has been destroyed.

Death itself is cast into the lake of fire. And now, the end will come. Now, the eternal state is about to be ushered in. Look at Revelation 21 verse 1. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.

Also there was no more sea than I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.

And he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. After everything that's happened, there's going to be a lot of tears that need to be wiped away.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. So at the end of time, you have new Jerusalem, the heavenly city, descending from heaven.

Basically what that amounts to is you have heaven coming down to earth. Heaven comes down and envelops the earth. Christ delivers the kingdom to the Father, taking his place within the Trinity so that God may be all in all.

1 Corinthians 15, 28. You say, what does that mean? I don't know, but that's what the Bible says. But this is what I do know. This is when mankind receives his greatest reward. Eternal life is not your greatest reward.

Being in heaven isn't even the greatest reward. God himself is the reward, for we will see him face to face. This is what theologians call the beatific vision, where we finally see God, not Jesus. We see God the Father face to face.

Revelation 22, verse 4. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their forehead. So the curse has lifted. Paradise has been restored, and then some. And there's a lot of similarities between the first few chapters of Genesis and the final couple chapters of Revelation we don't have time to get into.

But what the first Adam lost, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, regained. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. And now man can experience that intimate fellowship with his creator that was intended from the beginning.

And then John notices something, and we're almost done. He notices something is missing. Revelation 21, verse 22. John says, but I saw no temple in it. In the new heaven, the new earth, there is no temple.

What's a temple? Temple is the house of God, the dwelling place of God. Why is there no temple? Well, there's no need, because God is there. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Verse 23.

And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. And the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is its light. Let's skip over to chapter 22, verse 7, and we'll close here.

Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, can you imagine what John must have, well, you can't imagine it.

John probably couldn't even imagine it, but he falls down as though he were dead. But he falls down. He doesn't know what to do. He's like, well, I should worship this angel then. John knows better than this.

So I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, see that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book.

What does he say?

Worship God. This is your instruction. Worship God. And he said to me, do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book. For the time is at hand. The Lord wants the book of Revelation preached.

Amen?

Do not seal these words. Because the time is at hand. It was true then and it's true now. Meaning these things are imminent. Any generation could see the coming of the Lord and these things. The scripture reading was from 2 Peter 3.

How scoffers will come in the last days. They hear, oh, the Lord's never going to come back. We don't ever expect to see these things. That's the voice of unbelief. The Bible says these things are at hand.

Do you believe that this morning? That these things are at hand? And then this is how the story ends. After there's a warning that nothing should be added to or taken away from the prophecy of this book.

It ends with verses 20 and 21. Says he who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly.

Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen.

Let's close.

Father, I'm reminded of what your word tells us. That I have not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. Lord, we thank you for your love.

We thank you for your grace. We thank you for the book of Revelation. And you said, Lord, that all who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy will receive a blessing. So, Lord, bless your people, I pray.

It's in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Coronet Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCoronetChurch .com.

We'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.