David Jeremiah - Choose to Praise Him, Even When It's Tough

Adventist Radio London. Inspiration for the song. The Book of Revelation reveals God's

plans for the future. Revelation clearly gives us light on the road ahead.

There are many people that are confused about the future. They wonder about this

thousand year period mentioned in Revelation the twentieth chapter. Is this a thousand years

of peace on earth? Is this really a thousand years of peace at all?

What about the millennial period? Does anybody exist on earth during the millennium.

We're going to discover some answers in our presentation this day, but let's

pray together. First, Father in Heaven, we need answers, not human

answers, but divine answers. We need answers not based on human opinion,

but answer is based on the Word of God. So come and speak to

us. But as we study this subject of the millennial period in the Bible,

may it not only fill our heads with knowledge so we understand correctly biblical

teachings, but may it change our lives In Christ's name, Amen. My

topic during this telecast is Revelations thousand years of Peace. Margaret was a real

party girl. It's the rowing twenties and parties seem to be everywhere in America.

The finances are good. The stock market has not yet crashed as it

would a few years later in nineteen twenty eight, and Mark goes from party

to party. She's excited about life, but yet there is this aching void

within her heart. She's a girl that loves to go to dances. She's

a girl that whatever the party is, she is the life of the party.

And she's there. But then something happens. She begins losing her strength.

Her energy seems to be gone, and she develops a very strange disease.

She lies on her bed in a catatonic state. She's conscious or semi

conscious, but says nothing her Her eyes are open, and then she settles

into this deep sleep. It's a sleeping sickness, not aware of anything around

her by this time, just lying there on her bed. Heart is beating

normally, lungs are functioning normally, but she cannot respond. Five years go

by, she's lying there. Ten years go by, she's still lying there,

twenty years go by, thirty plus years go by, nearly forty years

go by, and this woman isolated in a hospital. Ward by now some

kind of nursing home retirement center. She becomes case history in America. But

then doctor Oliver Sachs discovers something called Ladupa, which is a drug that he

believes could wake her out of her sleeping sickness. He administers the drugs,

and there is this great awakening. She wakes up. Certainly, her limbs

are stiff. Certainly she is an aged old woman now, but her mind

is sharp. It's clear. But you know what happens when she wakes up.

She goes back to the roaring twenties. She had no idea of that

last thirty five forty years of the passage of time. She simply is stuck

where she was. It's called the great Awakening. There is another, the

great awakening coming when the saints of God wake up, when Jesus Christ comes,

And in that great awakening will have glorious immortal bodies who have sharp minds,

not a great awakening like Margaret experienced. John chapter five, verse twenty

eight and twenty nine says, do not marvel at this, for the hour

is coming, not yet, in which all who are in the graves will

hear his voice, and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection

of life. And those that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.

Now, notice, according to scripture there are two resurrections. How many resurrections

does this Bible passage describe I told you, didn't I? There are what?

How many are there? There are two? What are they called?

The resurrection of what? Life? And the resurrection of damnation? Which resurrection

comes first? Which one comes first? The resurrection of life, then the

resurrection of damnation? When do these resurrections take place? It's very clear when

the resurrection of life takes place. The Bible describes the second coming of Christ,

the return of our Lord. It describes the graves opening, It describes

the righteous coming forth out of their graves. One Thessalonians, Chapter four,

verse sixteen puts it this way, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven

with a shout, the shot of victory, the shot of glory, the

shout of triumph, and with the voice of the archangel, that voice pierces

the two, and with the trump of God, that glorious trumpet of God

that blasts the tubes, and the voice of God that calls the dead fourth

from their tubes. The dead in Christ shall rise when shall rise when rise

first, that is the first resurrection. Then we which are alive and remain,

shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the clouds,

to meet the Lord in the air. Will be caught up with them

in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever

be with the Lord. So the Bible is very clear. The first resurrection

is the resurrection of the righteous. The first resurrection is the resurrection of those

that have been believers in Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Revelation chapter twenty,

verse six, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first

Resurrection. Just think of it. That little child that you've laid in the

grave will come forth to new life. Just think of what it's going to

be like to see that little five year old, six year old come running

to you again. You're putting your arms around them and being caught up in

the sky to meet Jesus in the air together. Just think of what the

joy. Wouldn't it be a tragedy to miss that rendezvous, to miss that

reunion with your child, with your brother, your sister, your father,

your mother, your husband, or your wife. Wouldn't it be a tragedy

to miss all eternity for the cheap pleasures of this world. Yes, the

first resurrection, the resurrection of the righteous, is going to be an incredibly

glorious event. You know, when Jesus comes back the second time, there

is no second chance. There are only two groups, the saved, those

that look up to see Christ coming and say, this is our God.

We have waited for him and he will save us. There will only be

two groups, the saved of the lost. And you remember, for one

group it is a new beginning. For the other group, it's a tragic

ending. For one group, it's the beginning of a new day. For

the other group, it's the ending of a day and the beginning of a

long night. For one group, it's glory and heaven. For the other

group, it is condemnation and lostness and destruction. The Bible describes there are

two groups, and the decisions that we make in this life settle our destiny

for all eternity. This one group, says Revelation six, verse fifteen to

seventeen. The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men,

the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every freemen hid themselves

in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the

mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who

sits on the throne, and from the wrath. That's the judgment of the

lamb. What a tragedy it is. Jesus wants to save all humanity.

His death on the cross has made provision for all to be saved. Not

one man, one woman, one child need be lost. But yet some

run cry for the rocks and mountains to fall on them. God has given

us the freedom of choice. God has given us the capacity to choose.

He influences that choice. He sends his Holy Spirit to touch our hearts.

He sends angels to beat back the forces of hell. But the choice to

serve Him is ours. That's why the Bible says, choose you this day

who you'll serve, and let it be Christ the Lord. So God gives

us the power of choice. He influences and impacts that choice, but the

choice must be ours. If men and women are lost at last, it's

because they turn from his love, rejected his grace, and walked away from

the convictions of his Holy Spirit. Jesus is doing everything he can to save

you. But the choice is yours, and at the end there's no second

chance. Why is it that there is no second chance? Because He's given

us a thousand chances in this life, no ten thousand chances in this life.

Know many more than that, Jesus. Every day we live, every

breath we take is another opportunity. You see this group run and they cry

for the rocks in the mountains, and they say, for the great day

of his wrath has come. Who is able to stand? The answer to

that question is those that have accepted Jesus, those for whom Christ becomes their

lord and their savior forever. But those who run from him are those that

have rejected his love and turned his back, their backs on his mercy.

What does it mean to accept Jesus as king? You see, if we

do not accept Christ as the king of our hearts here, we're not going

to worship him as the king of our hearts in the universe. If we

do not accept Him as the lord of our life here and let him sit

on the throne of our hearts to be the major governing factor in our lives,

then we would want to throw him off the throne in the universe,

and sin would start up all over again. What does it mean to accept

Jesus as king and means to invite him to rule in the throne of your

heart. It is not complicated, it is not difficult. It's simply saying,

Jesus, you come. I don't want to be ruling on the throne

of my heart. I don't want to be governing my life in my own

way, because I know that that's not the way of joy at all.

I know that that's the way of disaster. Lord, your way is best,

not my will, but thy will be done. You know the old

song. Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. You're

the potter and I'm the clay. Mold me and make me. And that's

the prayer of every committed converted Christian. God, make me what you want

me to be. See, Jesus invites you to make him your Lord,

your Savior, your king, the Savior, the one that died for you,

the Lord, the one that lives in your life, and the king,

the one that you're looking forward to come to take you home again.

John chapter fourteen, verse one to three. Jesus says, yes, certainly,

two classes when he comes, but he's coming for you because he does

not want to be separated from you, because he wants as your lover,

to be with you forever. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe

in God, believe also in me, Jesus said, in my father's house

are what many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told

you. Jesus said, I go and prepare place for you. Who's the

place prepared for It's prepared for you, prepared for me. And if I

go and prepare place for you, I will come again to receive you to

myself. That where I am there you may be also. Jesus said,

I'm coming not primarily to destroy the earth. I'm coming not primarily to burn

up the wicked. But I am coming because I can't bear to be without

you any longer. I am coming because I want to be with you through

all eternity, coming to receive you to myself. He loves you that much.

He died for you, and he's going to come back to get that

which he has purchased. He came once as a babe in Bethlehem's manger.

He came once to face the temptations of Satan, head on. He came

once to have victory over sin and the evil one. He hung on the

cross to die, to provide eternal life for you and me. But he

is coming back again in glory to resurrect the dead, to change the dead

into immortality, and to change the living into immortality, and to catch them

up in the sky, to take them with him for all eternity. In

a moment at the last trump the trumpet shall sound, the dead shall be

raised incorruptible, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together

with them in the clouds. Here are the events at Christ's second coming.

What are they? First, believers will be resurrected from the dead to receive

new glorious bodies. They'll receive immortality. The wicked living will be consumed with

the brightness of his coming. Second, Thessalonians Chapter one, verse six to

nine talks about them being destroyed with the brightness of his glorious return. The

wicked dead will remain in their graves, and the believers will ascend to heaven

with Christ. His coming is not a secret coming at all. Revelation one,

verse seven says every eye will see him Psalm fifty verse three and to

five says our God will come and not keep silence. First, Thessalonians four

that we've just read says he comes with the sound of a trumpet, so

every eye sees him. Every year hears that. It's a glorious event.

And these events believers being resurrected, believers receiving immortality, wicked living consumed,

wicked dead who remain in their graves, and the believers that ascend to heaven

with Christ. They take place surrounding the second coming of Christ. But what

happens after he comes? What is the state of the earth after Jesus Christ

returns? What's the condition of the earth. Is there anybody who is left

alive on earth? And what happens to Satan when Jesus Christ comes? When

does God make the new Heaven and the new Earth? When do all those

events occur? And what about this thousand year period the Bible talks about,

do we have living people on earth? Are they alive during this thousand years?

Those are really good questions, and the Bible answers those questions. Here

in the Book of Revelation we have the description of the thousand year period.

Now there are places where the condition of the earth is explained in the Bible

and other places. But it's only Revelation chapter twenty that we read about this

thousand year period. Revelation twenty verse one, Then I saw an angel coming

down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain

in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent of

old, who's the devil and Satan, and bound him for one thousand years.

Now, this is an interesting passage. Here's where we get the word

in the Bible millennium. The word millennium, it's not used in the Bible,

but this is where we get it from. It comes from two Latin

words milli meaning a thousand, and anium meaning a thousand years. So the

word millennium simply means a thousand years. Writers use it. You may have

heard preachers talk about it. It's not used in the Bible, but it's

that term to describe this thousand year period that we have just read about here

in the Book of Revelation twenty and onward. Now, let's take a look

at Revelation twenty verse one a little more carefully. It says that the devil

is chained or bound in a bottomless pit. What is this bottomless pit?

Is it some subterranean cavern in the center of the earth. What is this

bottomless pit? Is it some dark hole down there some place? Well?

The word bottomless pit in the Greek language of Revelation, chapter twenty. And

you remember the New Testament is written in the Greek language is abusis abusis.

What does that word mean. It means abyss. You can see very similarity

between it. So Satan is thrown into this abyss, this cavern of darkness.

It also can apply to darkness, desolation, that whole concept or idea.

In Genesis one, verse two, when the Bible, the Old Testament

Hebrew was translated into the Greek language, this word abyss was used. It

says the earth was without form and void. It was an abyss. In

other words, at creation, before God spoke life into existence, the desolate,

dark earth is termed the abusis or the abyss. So when Jesus comes

the second time, every mountain, every island moved out of its place.

When Jesus comes the second time, the earth, the buildings of the earth

come tumbling down. Darkness over the earth. It is like an abyss.

It's like a place of desolation. It is this abusus that the Bible speaks

about in Genesis one, verse two, when the earth is without form and

void. That's exactly the condition of the earth after the coming of Christ and

glory, after the resurrection of the righteous saints or the believers, and after

they ascend to heaven with Christ, Jesus comes the righteous that caught up to

meet him in the sky. The Earth is left in this dark, desolate

state. It is a destroyed planet. Earth buildings topple down. The earthquake

has shaken the earth. The beauty of Earth is gone. It's a desolate

place. What are these chains that bind Satan? Are they iron chains that

he's just bound with a ball and chain to earth? The scriptures explain very

clearly the meaning of these chains. Two Peter, Chapter two, verse four

says, if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them

down to Hell. Now the word hell there in the original language is tarturus.

It means place of darkness. This word does not imply burning at all.

It's a place of darkness, it says, and delivered them into what

chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment. Keep that in mind. The

devil's cast out of heaven, not cast into some hot spot in the center

of the earth. It says, he's reserved for judgment. But what is

the Bible to say? It talks about chains of darkness? So what are

the chains that Satan is bound with? Chains that Satan are bound with are

chains of darkness? The earth is desolate. Satan cannot leave it. He

is on this earth without the ability to leave. He wanders to and fro

over a desolate earth. And as he wanders to and fro over that desolate

earth, shouting and re echoing in his ears, are these words. The

wages of sin are death. The wages of sin or death. God is

dealing with the controversy between good and evil in a way that sin will never

write up a second time. Why do you have a millennium? Why doesn't

Christ just come and recreate the earth? Because God wants to ensure the security

of the universe. God wants to ensure the safety of the universe forever and

ever and ever, and so the whole universe can see, and Satan can

see the destruction that sin has brought. Withdraw the hand of God, you

withdraw life withdraw the hand of God, and you withdraw everything good and holy

and righteous and pure and true and beautiful, and you just have the ugli

and death. And Satan wanders around seeing the result of his work. Everything

around him is death. He had said that if human beings followed him,

if Adam and Eve followed him, they would have life, they would be

as gods. But during the millennial period, the desolation of the earth proves

that that is a blatant falsehood, in a lie. Everything God does is

to ensure the security of the universe through all eternity. God is love,

He's worthy to be trusted. And during that millennial period, God reveals that

his love brings life and joy, and Satan's way brings death. What is

wrought out on the cross? You remember when Christ dies on Calvary. He

hangs there and we see the worst in human nature in what human beings did

to Christ. We see him of the God of Love, bearing all the

guilt and shame. But now during the millennial period, we see the worst

of what has happened to the human race. Without God, it is only

death, and that echoes in Satan's ears. The wonderful thing is this No

sins so dark, God's love cannot blot it out. You see, God

desires that when he comes again, that you and I are caught up to

meet him in the sky, that we live with this God of love forever,

that the wages of sin, which are death, do not destroy our

lives. Jesus longs to forgive you, my friend. He longs for you

to be in heaven with him during this thousand year period, because you see,

really they're only one of two choices. They're only one of two places

that we would be either in heaven with Christ during the thousand years or still

in our graves, not resurrected when He comes the second time, or destroyed

by the brightness of his coming. That you say, my life is just

not in harmony with God's will, It's not. I know, I'm not

living how he wants me to live. You can make a decision right during

this telecast to give your life to Christ. You can make a decision right

now that settles your destiny, and you can say, Lord, I want

to be with you forever in heaven. I want to live with you.

I do not want to experience sins wage of death and have my body strewn

over the earth in this desolate darkness. Now is there anyone alive on Earth

during the millennium? The Bible is very plain. It describes exactly this desolate

earth, and it points out that there is not one person alive here.

The only ones here is Satan and his evil angels. Here's what the scripture

says. Jeremiah, Chapter four, verse twenty three to twenty seven. Jeremiah

says, I beheld the earth, and it was without form and void.

Wait a minute, is this a creation? Not at all? And the

heavens they had no light. Jeremiah goes on, I beheld the mountains,

and indeed they tremble. When's every mountain and island going to be cast out

of its place when Jesus comes and all the hills move back and forth?

When's that when Jesus comes. I beheld, and indeed there was no man,

and all the birds of the heavens fled. So here nobody lives on

earth during the millennium during this time. There's only Satan and as evil angels

here. Jeremiah goes on, I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was

a what wilderness used to be fruitful? This is not creation. This is

after Christ comes the second time. All the cities were broken down at the

presence of the Lord and his fierce anger, for fierce anger against what,

fierce anger against sin. So here as a desolate Earth city is broken down,

Here is a desolate Earth with only Satan and his evil angels. Nobody

is on Earth during the millennium. Jeremiah chapter four, verse twenty three to

twenty seven goes on. Thus says the Lord, the whole land shall be

what everybody, whole land shall be, what desolate. Yet I will not

make a full end. Why is God not going to make a full end

yet? Because at the end of the thousand years, as we shall see,

the Holy City will descend. And remember what the Bible says in Matthew

five, verse five, the meek shall inherit the earth. And so here

the Bible teaches that the earth will be made over again. Micah says that

the first Dominion, like in Eden, will be restored once again. But

during the thousand years Jeremiah chapter twenty five, verse thirty three. Notice what

scripture says. And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from

one end of earth even to the other end. Of the earth. Isn't

it a very sobering thought that when Christ comes again, you and I are

either caught up to meet him in the sky, or we're destroyed by the

brightness of His coming. Our graves either open and we hear John, come

forth, Mary, come forth, tom come forth. Let' see come forth,

and that graves opens, and there's new life and the goorious immortal body,

and we sin to heaven with Christ. Either that whe we remain in

our graves until the end of that thousand year period, or if we are

alive, we're destroyed by the brightness of His coming. And from one end

of the earth to the other, the slain bodies are there. And the

devil wanders around among all that death and desolation, and he hears echoing in

his ears. The wages of sin are death. The Bible says in Jeremiah

twenty five, verse thirty three. They shall not be lamented nor gathered.

Why not there's nobody to gather them, nobody to lament or sorrow for them,

or buried. They shall become refuse on the ground. The wicked are

destroyed with the brightness of his coming. Body is strewn over the earth.

What a gruesome. What a horrible scene. Sin is horrible, and the

whole universe sees the results of the effects of the consequences of sin. Love

brings life, selfishness brings death. God is the way through Christ of love

and grace and mercy and pardon, and the devil's way is the way of

selfishness. And selfishness is separation from God, who is the source of love,

and that only brings death. Remember what the Bible says in Revelation twenty

verse six, Blessed and holy is he as part in the first resurrection.

Over such the second death is no power. If you die once only in

that physical death, then you will die a second time eternally. If you

die in this life not only once in the physical death, but if you

die to self in this life and let Christ live within you, you will

live eternally. So if you die once in this life, you're going to

die eternally at the end, die once and live a selfish life. If

you die to yourself in this life and then happen to die the physical death,

what consequence is that, because Jesus Christ is going to come again,

I'd rather die to self than die eternally at the end, wouldn't you.

I'd rather accept the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary for me then

to die eternally. The Bible talks about those who are in the First Resurrection.

It says they shall be priests of God and of Christ and reign with

him a thousand years. You've got royal blood in your veins. We are

priests and kings with God. We don't want to surrender our heritage or give

up our destiny. We reign with Christ a thousand years. What are we

doing with Christ? I saw thrones and they that sat on them, and

judgment was committed to them. We reign with Christ. We become witnesses for

Christ. Notice it says judgment was given to them the books were opened.

Now follow me closely during this life right now, since revelations prophecies are being

fulfilled. Since eighteen forty four, we've studied about that. In this series,

we have been living in the Judgment hour. What's that judgment hour?

For it reveals before a waiting world and a watching universe the goodness, the

graciousness, and the majesty of God. God shows before the whole universe,

the fact that He's loving and just, and that anybody that's lost is lost

not because of God's choice, but because of their unfitness for heavenly companionship,

and their loss because of their own choices and their own decisions. Before the

whole universe, God reveals his love and that every human being could have and

should have been saved they were to re responded to that love. During the

millennial period, what does it mean the books are open? What does it

mean that we sit on thrones in judgment? God answers every question in our

minds, so there can be no question going into eternity of his grace and

his love and his goodness During the millennial period, this thousand years, God

answers every question. Why doesn't he come the second time and just do away

with sin forever recreate the earth? Why the thousand years? Here's two great

reasons. One, though universe sees the wages of sin is death as they

look at a desolate earth. Two, we get a chance to look at

the books of record. Have you ever wondered why'd that happen to me in

life? Was God really fair and allowing that to happen? Why is it

that I had this circumstance Why did this son die? Why did I go

through this horrible experience in my life? I tried to live for Christ,

but I experience this. In the millennial period, the books will be open,

and Jesus will sh show you that He has led you in the way

you would have chosen to be led if you could see the end from the

beginning. He will show you during that period that He was working in your

life in every aspect of that life. We will see then questions that we

don't have answer now answered. Then you know what if you were in heaven

and your son or daughter, your husband and wife, a friend, wasn't

there to say, God? Why what? If you had doubts going into

eternity before the new Heaven and the New Earth are created, God himself will

explain that he could not have brought certain people to heaven because if he did,

they would have then exhibited selfishness and greed and envy and lust in heaven.

So what does Jesus do? He explains that all to us ahead of

time. Then he wipes the memory away and we are just filled with his

love and filled with his grace. Every question about his justice, every question

about his love, will be fully answered, you know, we see the

poverty in this earth. We see terrorism in this earth. If we see

bombs drop and children with legs blown off, we see kids in famines starving

to death, we say, why God, Why God? We see terrorist

attacks, and terrorists enter into churches and kill people, or they go into

malls or theaters and kill people, We say, God, this makes no

sense at all. Every question about His justice, every question about His love,

will be fully settled during that thousand years. The Bible says one Corinthians,

Chapter six, verse two and three. Do you not know that the

saints will judge the world? We will participate as believers with Christ in the

final judgment? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? What does

that mean? We'll actually participate in the final judgment of the evil angels who

are lost, because God will reveal to us the fact that they if they

would have been given another chance, they would have been so bent on evil

they would have destroyed the universe and brought this sin, suffering, and heartache

up again. We are going to be participants in that, and that ensures

the security, that ensures the safety of all the universe. When Heaven's books

are open. We then will fully understand. We'll understand every tear, will

understand why the sword pierced our heart, will understand heartache and sorrow and disappointment.

And then Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Then the

memories will only be ones of joy and positiveness. So what are the events

during the millennium? What are the events during this thousand year period? First,

the righteous are in heaven. We've been caught up to meet Christ in

the sky. Dead righteous resurrected, living righteous with immortal, glorious bodies.

Along with the dead righteous, we are caught up to meet Christ in the

sky. Death is but asleep an instant, and the trumpet blasts. We

see Christ coming. The wicked who are dead remain dead. The wicked who

are living are destroyed with the brightness of His coming, and their bodies strewed

over the earth. Satan and his angels are bound on earth. They see

the impact of what they have done. The Earth at this point remains desolate.

Now, what events happen at the end of the millennium? What takes

place at the end of the thousand years? Often truth is stranger than fiction,

And here is the climax of the ages. This is more thrilling,

This is more exciting, This is more dramatic by a million trillion times than

any Hollywood movie. Every Star Wars controversy and trilogy fades into insignificance in comparison

to the divine prophetic insight of what happens at the end. All of this

great controversy between good and evil comes to a glorious climax. All of this

comes to a screeching halt of conclusion. And there we see, at the

end of the millennium, the wicked dead here are resurrected. Now, how

do you know that? Remember what we read at the beginning of our presentation,

It says, marvel not at this, for what all of those in

the grave show here his voice? Those have done good to the resurrection of

life, and those who have done even to the resurrection of what damnation?

So two resurrections. When then, are the rest of the dead, those

not caught up in the first resurrection? When are they resurrected? Here?

The Bible's clear back to revelation Revelation twenty verse five. But the rest of

the dead, who who everybody, the rest of the dead did not live

again until the thousand years were finished. So at the second resurrection takes place

at the end of the thousand years. Now, to be sure that we

have it clear in our minds, let's go back to the chart. At

the coming of Christ, we have the first resurrection, and that is called

the resurrection of what the resurrection of life. During the thousand years, Satan

is bound on earth. The people of God, the saints of God,

the believers are in heaven. At the end of the thousand years, you

have the resurrection of damnation, that is, the unsaved or resurrect. Why

would God bring them back to life at that moment? Why would you have

this resurrection of damnation. Why doesn't God just let the wicked stay in their

graves. Why doesn't He just let the wicked have been destroyed by the brightness

of His coming lie on earth. There's a specific reason in the plan of

God for this. You know, some people are saying, only if we

had a second chance, you know, then we had turned to God.

The second resurrection, the resurrection of damnation, reveals that those who are lost

have made so many decisions against Christ that their brains are fixed. And even

if God would give them another chance. Even if that would take place,

they would never make their decision for Christ. Now the Bible looks out at

this group. In Revelation twenty verse eight, it says, the number is

as the sand of the sea. What a tragedy, what heartache, what

a disappointment to God. Tens of thousands and millions of people who've turned their

back on his love, rejected the promptings of his spirit, turned away from

Calvary. They are the number as the sand of the sea, And the

Bible talks about what happened. The devil gathers them together, he places them

in under his control. He tries to convince them, we can take the

city. Look at our numbers, thousands and tens of thousands. Look at

our numbers. We can take that city. We can overthrow that city.

He sees in that army, vast military generals that have never lost a battle.

He sees in that army the brilliant minds of captains and lieutenants, military

leaders. And he says, he marshals the legions of the lost. They

see that holy city, the Bible says Revelation chapter twenty verse seven to eight.

Now, when the thousand years have expired. What's expired? Me finished,

completed, They're over. Satan will be released from his prison. How's

he released from his prison? He's been chained by a chain of circumstances to

earth. He's wandered around for a thousand years over these dead bodies. There

has been nobody at all to tempt, and so now the chains are unfettered,

They're unloosed. Now he sees the legions of the lost. Now he

sees those wicked men and women who are bent against Christ, and he looks

at them. He's released from his prison. He goes out to do what

deceive the nations? Did the devil deceive a third of the angels in heaven?

Did the devil deceive Adam and Eve? Did the devil deceive men and

women? Down through the centuries? The devil is a deceiver, that is

who he is. John eight, verse forty four says, the devil is

a liar, and he is the father of lies. So down through the

ages, this deceiver, this liar, this one bent on the destruction of

the world. Here he looks at the nations, he deceives them once again.

He says, we can take the city, We can take it.

Let's go and attack that city. The Bible says the scene changes Revelation twenty

one, verse two, that I John saw the Holy City New Jerusalem,

coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her

husband. The Holy City is descending out of heaven. And as the Holy

City descends, you and I are in one of two places. We're either

inside that city with Christ coming down, rejoicing and praise as God is going

to recreate this earth and he denic splendor, or we're outside of that city

battling with Satan against Jesus and the angels. The Bible says that Satan and

the legions of the Loss come up on the city, they attack the city.

You see, Jesus is either going to be the lord of your life

today or not lord at all. You see, there's only one of two

choices. We're either inside that city worshiping him, or outside of that city

battling against him. We're either inside of that city with Christ as our lord.

Christ is our savior, or outside of that city being guided by another

master. See, there are only two masters, only two masters. Somebody

says, well, I don't think I'm gonna decide. I'm kind of on

the fence. That's not possible. That's not possible. You're either going to

be fully for Christ or fully for Satan. Either Jesus is going to be

your Lord and savior, led in guided by him, or you'll turn your

back on that Christ and be guided by the evil one. John says Revelation

twenty one, verse three. I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying,

behold that the Tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with

them, the Tabernacle of God, the dwelling place of God. The City

of God is with men, and they shall be his people. God himself

shall be with them and be their God. Sin, suffering, heartache no

more. God is going to be with his people forever. He is going

to remake this earth. The Holy City descends. The wicked rush up on

that city, the Bible, says Revelation twenty verse nine. They went up

on the breath of the earth, surrounded the camp of the saints and the

beloved city. Satan says, we have the city. We can take the

city. We can overthrow the city. I can be ruler of the world.

I can have dominion over the universe. The city will be mine,

Earth will be my capital. But the Bible says fire came down from God

out of heaven and devoured them. The glorious magnificent presence of God destroys evil.

The glorious magnificent presence of God destroys sin. The Bible describes it.

Out of the ashes of this old world, there is a new world.

Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it,

and from the face, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away.

There was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small

and great, standing before God. The books are open. A panoramic view

comes in the sky there of the lives of the wicked, and they see,

they see clearly every opportunity they could have had to be saved. The

judgment bar is open before them, and they see that they could have made

decisions for Christ. And every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. In another book was open, which

is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged according to their works

by the things that were written in the books. My name, your name,

the name of every believer is written there in the Book of Life.

When we accept Christ, you can live and need not die. The choice

is life or death. The choice is eternity with Christ, or destruction being

gone, consumed, burned up forever. You and I can live in a

new Heaven and a new Earth, and the whole universe say, is just

and righteous? Are thy ways? O Lord? Even the wicked recognize that

they could not be brought into heaven, that they are unfit for heavenly companionship,

that the rebellion would start all over again. God deals with the problem

of evil in a way to ensure that sin will never raise its ugly head

the second time. And John says Revelation twenty one one. Now I saw

a new heaven and a new Earth. The first heaven and the first Earth

were passed away. Also there was no more see think of it, to

be in that city, and to think of being at creation again. Only

God and Jesus and the Spirit and the angels. We're at creation when God

created the world the first time. But when he recreates it an he denic

splendor, we'll be there in that city, and he'll speak, and Earth

will be carpeted with living greed. It'll take his finger and carve babbling brooks

in the earth again, and beautiful lakes. And we'll see him plant flowers

in this earth, and we'll see this earth like it's a denic splendor again,

and we'll marvel and we'll sing. Worthy, Worthy, Worthy is the

lamb to be slain, Who is slain to receive riches and glory and honor

forever. When we see the majesty of his love, the power of the

new creation, and the earth made over again, all we can do is

fall at his feet and worship him. Or are the events at the end

of the millennium Christ, The saints and the city descend, the wicked dead

are raised, Satan is loosed, the last judgment occurs, Satan and sinners

are destroyed, The earth is cleansed, and the earth is renewed again and

again and again. And we live with Christ forever and ever and ever,

there with no more fear, there with no mere anxiety, there with no

more suffering, there with no more heartache. The Bible says two Peter,

chapter three, verse thirteen. Nevertheless, nevertheless, we according to his promise,

to his what promise, look for what a new heavens and a new

earth which righteousness dwells in. One day the flowers will never fade. One

day the heartache will be gone forever. One day cancer will be a thing

of the past. Heart disease will be a thing of the past. One

day tears will be a thing of the past. One day sorrow will be

a thing of the past. One day war will be a thing of the

past. One day terrible a thing of the past. One day Christ will

reign forever and ever, and ever and ever. One day there will be

no more separation with our loved ones. That father that you longed to see,

that mother that you longed to see, that husband that you want to

embrace again, those children whose hands you want to take and race through fields

of waving grain will be there with our families. I long to see dad

again. I longed to see my mom again. Knew my mom died not

long ago with cancer. It was a very, very difficult time for her

family. I was traveling, and before I went on my trip to preach,

I said to my godly father and mother, should I go? Should

I go? I know Mom's really sick. I had been there visiting with

her. I don't want to be gone if she dies, I want to

be here. My father and mother said, Mark, you go preach.

We'll keep you posted on the condition. My sister said, you go preach.

I was preaching traveling in another country, and I call home every day

by the phone. My sisters said, one day, Mark, you betta

come if you want to see Mom alive. She's taken a turn for the

worse. My wife TENI and I got an airplane ride ticket. We flew

back. By the time I got back it was early in the morning,

twelve thirty one o'clock in the morning. We decided that we did not want

my mother to die in the hospital alone. That we're going to bring her

and she would be at home. My sister's got a hospital bed and it

was put in the living room, and there Mom was. We wanted to

be holding her hand when she died. We wanted to be running our fingers

through her hair. We wanted to be telling her how much we loved her

and singing the songs of heaven. It was late at night. I came

into the room. Her bed was in the living room. We tried to

be quiet. I was going to see her in the morning, and as

I opened the door, made a little creak. Mom woke up, and

she looked up and said words that I will never forget. She said,

Son, I knew you would come. Son, I knew you would come.

She knew that I loved her too much. She knew that I cared

for her too much. She knew that I wouldn't let her die alone.

Jesus says to you, I'm gonna come, my child. Calvary speaks about

my love. I love you too much. The nails in my hands show

that. The spear wound in my side shows that. My death on the

cross shows that. Calfrey says love to me, Jesus loves you too much

to leave you alone. Listen, that's day. He sings in compassion and

love. He looked down to earth. Then he sent his son, born

of a vergg in birth. He knew from creation what was to be.

With great love for men, he planned Calvary. Avrey says love to me

like words could never say. The blood he shed was love written in red.

Calvary says love to me. Separated by sin was the whole human race.

Man was destined to die word not for grace across and he name never

held him there, for he willingly chose the cross too bad. Calvary says

love to me like words could never say. The blood he shared was love

written in red. Calvary says love to me. The blood he shared was

love written and read. Calvary says love to me. Calvary says love to

me. What does Calvary say? Calvary says love to you. Are you

wondering about the love of God? Do you look to the future frightened and

fearful as you think about the end of that thousand year millennial period? Are

you concerned, troubled that you may not be saved? Calvary says love to

you. The nails in his hands speak of his love. The spear wound

in his side speaks of his love. Grace and mercy flow from the cross

of Calvary to you. You see. My love for my mother led me

there that night of her death. We sat with her, We told her

of our love. She knew that a son that loved her was going to

be there when she needed him most. The Christ that loves you is there

when you need him most. Mom knew. Adventist Radio London inspiration for the song