Events Before the Millennial Kingdom Starts
There will be a period of time between the end of the Tribulation and Jesus's ascent up Mount Olives in victory and the actual start of the Millennial Kingdom. The period of time between the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennial Kingdom is defined by Daniel.
Dan 12:11-12 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. (12) Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
What is of interest here is that those who survive past the 1,335 days will be blessed. 1,335 days is 75 days past the end of the Tribulation, which lasted for 1,260 days (Three and a half years) (Dan 7:25, Rev 11:2, Rev 12:12-14, Rev 13:5).
There are a number of events that will occur in these days leading up to the establishment of the Kingdom 75 days past the end of the Tribulation. Those events will be covered next.
The Removal of the Abomination of Desolation
There is a second number of days mentioned in Daniel's prophecy above, and that number of days is how long the Abomination of Desolation will remain in the temple following the end of the Tribulation. This abomination will remain in the temple for 30 days past the end of the Tribulation, then it will be removed.
The Antichrist and the False Prophet Cast Into the Lake of Fire
Isaiah, Habakkuk and Paul declared that the Antichrist was one of the first casualties of the 2nd Coming of Christ.
Isa 14:16-17 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, (17) the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"
Hab 3:13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
Isaiah declared that the Antichrist would not be buried with others that had been slain by Messiah. This is because we learn in Rev 19:20 that the Antichrist is cast ALIVE into the lake of fire. So the Antichrist is apparently resurrected at some point.
Isa 14:16-20 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, (17) the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?" (18) All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. (19) But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, (20) you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. Let the offspring of the wicked never be mentioned again.
Rev 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Satan Cast Into the Abyss
Satan will be locked into the Abyss for 1000 years and unable to deceive the people in the nations any longer. After the 1000 years confinement, Satan will be released one more time for a short period.
Rev 20:1-3 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. (2) He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (3) He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
The Judgment of the Gentiles
A detailed look at the resurrections and judgments can be found in this article:
A Look At the Resurrections and Judgments
(https://www.tojesusbeallglory.com/2021/05/a-look-at-resurrections-and-judgments.html)
This judgment takes place between the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennial Kingdom. The purpose of this judgment is to determine eligibility to enter the Kingdom. Those not eligible to enter the Kingdom will be banished to the lake of fire. The criteria for judgment is what as individuals they did to God's people, Israel.
The first passage to discuss this judgment is in Joel.
Joel 3:1-3 "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, (2) I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. (3) They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine to drink.
The second passage discussing this judgment is found in Matthew. Mathew details the judge, judgment and those judged in vs. 31-33.
Mat 25:31-33 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. (32) All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33) He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Verses 34-40 then detail the behavior of the pro-semitic sheep. Isa 13:1-5 also reveals the behavior of pro-Israel sheep, as the army being amassed are doing so in support of Israel.
Mat 25:34-40 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (35) For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, (36) I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (37) "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? (38) When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? (39) When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' (40) "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'
The anti-semitic goats behavior is defined next in vs. 41-45. These are those who will not survive past the 1,335 days spoken of at the top of this article.
Mat 25:41-46 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (42) For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, (43) I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' (44) "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' (45) "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' (46) "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
The Resurrection of Old Testament Saints
A detailed look at the resurrections and judgments can be found in this article:
A Look At the Resurrections and Judgments
(https://www.tojesusbeallglory.com/2021/05/a-look-at-resurrections-and-judgments.html)
The resurrection and timing for Old Testament saints are detailed in Isaiah and Daniel. Isaiah is a general statement that a resurrection will occur.
Isa 26:19 But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise-- let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy-- your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
The context of Daniel 12 is after the Tribulation, which helps to place the timing as following the Tribulation, at the end of the age. These Old Testament saints that are risen are the "friends of the bridegroom in Joh 3:29.
Dan 12:1-2 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. (2) Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:12-13 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. (13) "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Joh 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
The Resurrection of Tribulation Saints
A detailed look at the resurrections and judgments can be found in this article:
A Look At the Resurrections and Judgments
(https://www.tojesusbeallglory.com/2021/05/a-look-at-resurrections-and-judgments.html)
After the Rapture which removes all believers from earth, there is a great revival due to the work of the 2 Witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. People who are alive at that time and chose not to take the mark of the beast or worship the Antichrist will be killed. In addition to Old Testament saints rising at this time, believers who died during the Tribulation will also arise.
Rev 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:4 reveals two groups of believers reigning with Christ for 1000 years. First is "those who had been given authority to judge. These are the church which consists of both Jews and Gentiles, which was previously Raptured, and had previously been judged at the Bema Judgment. One of the rewards at the Bema judgment is ruling and reigning with Christ.
2Ti 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.
Rev 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. (10) You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Mat 19:28 Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The second group in Rev 20:4 is "those who had been beheaded because of their testimony" during the Tribulation period. They will also rule and reign with Christ.
The Marriage Feast of the Lamb
The Marriage Feast in Israel took place over 7 days. The Bride in this event is the Raptured church. The Guests are resurrected believing saints from the Old Testament and believers from the Tribulation.
Rev 19:9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
The Wedding Feast
The point of this parable speaks to the events surrounding the Wedding Feast. The illustration in Mat 22:1-5 shows that Jesus had invited the scribes and Pharisees back in the early part of His ministry, but they were not interested in Him. At this point the invitation is for the people of Israel.
Mat 22:1-5 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: (2) "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. (3) He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. (4) "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' (5) "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.
In fact, as Mat 22:6-7 show, some of them eventually mistreated the disciples and killed them, which angered the Lord, which eventually ended up with the burning of Jerusalem in 70AD.
Mat 22:6-7 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. (7) The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
Jesus then tells His servants about those He had previously invited, indicating that they did not deserve to come to the wedding feast. They were banished from the wedding feast, or the Millennial Kingdom, due to their committing the unpardonable sin (Mat 12:24). Nevertheless, after the Tribulation period, we are finally ready once again for a wedding banquet (Rev 19:7). This time everyone (the Jewish people and Gentiles) is invited to attend except the ones who previously mistreated and killed Jesus' servants, I.E. false religious prophets and teachers and those unbelievers who followed them.
Mat 22:8-10 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. (9) So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' (10) So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Although the gospel is open to everyone, some will not believe, and attendance at the wedding feast is for believers only.
Mat 22:11-14 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. (12) He asked, 'How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?' The man was speechless. (13) "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (14) "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
The 10 Virgins
The parable of the 10 virgins also speaks in the context of the marriage feast, and contrasts between believers and unbelievers. Believers have the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the unbelievers do not.
Mat 25:1-5 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Five of them were foolish and five were wise. (3) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. (4) The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. (5) The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At a day and time that is not known to us (Mat 25:13, Mat 24:50, Mar 13:32, Luk 12:46), the "bridegroom", Jesus, will cry out for us to come out and meet Him. Unbelievers or those who are too busy will find that without the Holy Spirit, they are going nowhere, and by the time they do remedy the situation, it will be too late.
Mat 25:6-13 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' (7) "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. (8) The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' (9) "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' (10) "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. (11) "Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' (12) "But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' (13) "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
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