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 couple
passages to discuss this judgment are 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.
Joel 3:1-2
"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.
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.
