Volume 2005/3
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"He
will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner”
(Mat.3: 12)
(From radio broadcast of Bro. Julius Adewumi)
Today, I am going to the book of Revelations 20
which is going to summarize for us the timetable of God concerning the devil
and what will happen to the spirit called Satan that we all have heard about,
called Lucifer.
“I saw
an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great
chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is
the devil, and Satan and bound him a thousand years”.
Let’s stop
right there and look at this first two verses; he said just an angel came down
not even a mighty, powerful angel. So we realize that the Devil called Satan is
nothing before God. He is a nonentity: don’t be afraid of him if you are a
Christian. He didn’t say a mighty angel or an archangel; it just says an angel
came down, so God wrote it that way so that we may be able to look at this and
see our position as Sons of God or the children of the most High God and you
are going to be better than the angels. Then why should you be afraid of Satan,
or the devil, or the serpent, or Lucifer that we say is troubling the world?
Why should you be afraid of him?
He is a nobody if just any angel can bind him
and put him in the bottomless pit like you see here in chapter 20. So be
confident! You are more than conquerors as the bible has said.
Now let’s read on again: it says from
verse 1 that “and I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years”.
Anybody that
God gives the authority, has power over Satan and the satanic forces, and God
has given that authority to you as a believer in Christ because Christ has said
“Behold I give unto you power…”.
That is the same authority this angel has. Think of
a policeman on the street: The policeman may not have the strength to stop your
vehicle but he has the authority of the law behind him. That is what we are
talking about, God’s authority is what the angel is using, not a show of
strength of the angel, it is a show of the authority of the Almighty God, and
that authority can be given to a little baby to command Satan and he has to
obey. Christ said to believers, “Behold,
I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the
power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”. That is the
authority Christ has given to you. You are given authority to act in the name
of God, and that is what the Lord Jesus Christ has given to you so that the
devil, no matter how huge he may be, has to obey you because you are using the
authority of the Almighty God.
Now
let’s see how it will be when the Devil is locked up for a thousand years in
the bottomless pit.
“And
he set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the
thousand years be fulfilled, and after that, he must be loosed a little season”.
Now,
this has baffled many people: why would God loose Satan again? The bible says
it is just a test for it says he would be loosed for a season. He would be allowed
to try the dwellers of the earth one more time to see who is going to obey God.
Now verse 4: this is where the saints of the Lord are going to be glorified.
In
verse 4, it says “and I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in
their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years”.
Remember
the bible said he saw thrones and he saw people upon the thrones, and judgment
was given unto them. Now it said “I saw souls of them that were beheaded”. This
means the people that were dead, the souls in paradise that were crying for
vengeance under the altar, asking God for vengeance upon the earth. It said I
saw souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, meaning
believers and Christians that were slain and killed and those that had not
worshipped the beast or refused to receive the mark at the end of the world,
the mark of the antichrist which will come at the end of the world; and they
refused to take the mark of the trading system that will seal their doom. The
bible said anyone that receives the mark of the antichrist will go into the
lake of fire, but these people that refused it, may be persecuted, they may be
killed, and they will suffer a lot for not bowing down to the antichrist. The
bible said they were allowed to live. Now that is the key thing: “and they
lived”. What does it mean for souls to live. It means they were resurrected
physically on this earth again, because if they were souls, it means they have
died and their bodies are rotten in the grave and they are just being seen in
heaven before the throne of God, but they lived means they were resurrected
again into a body on earth, their bodies resurrected again on earth to live a
physical life.
And they reigned with Christ a thousand years
on this planet earth. That is why Christ demonstrated to us that there will be
resurrection. Christ resurrected His body out of the grave and took it up into
the sky. Now, the dead in Christ will rise also, says the word of God. You can
read it again to make sure that being dead is not the end of it because death
itself will be swallowed up in victory. The bible said the dead in Christ will
resurrect, they will be raised into their body again. God is going to polish
those bones again and they will come back alive and He’ll put new flesh on
them. You can see in the book of Ezekiel where God demonstrated to Ezekiel that
these bones shall live again; He said prophesy unto the dry bones that they
live again, in the vision. (Eze.
37:4-8)
You
also may ask: what about those bones that were cremated or burnt to ashes; God
can make them live again, the ashes will form back into bones. All things are
possible unto the Almighty God and the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated it in
many ways by raising up the dead and then He Himself resurrected alive and took
His body out of the grave, and not only that, the bible said He took some dead
saints out of the grave from Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected.
(Mat. 27:52-53)
They
went out of the grave and witnessed in the city of Jerusalem when Christ
resurrected, and we believe those people were taken away with Christ into
heaven.
Now,
the bible said here in the book of 1 Thessalonians 4 from verse 13; apostle
Paul said “but I will not have you ignorant brethren concerning them which
are asleep”, that is, those who died physically, “that ye sorrow not
even as others which have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and arose
again, …”.
You
see, the Lord Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. This is a demonstration
and a proof to us that there will be resurrection of the dead. In fact, both
the dead in Christ and those who died in their sin will be resurrected one day
to stand before God, but the dead in Christ will resurrect first. This is what
he is talking about here: those who died in Christ have hope. “Even so them
also which sleep in Jesus them also will God bring with Him. For this we say ….
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them that are asleep for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16) with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words” (14:23).
It’s
a word of comfort to see that those who died as Christians will be resurrected
one day and this is what is being told here in chapter 20. Those that were
beheaded, persecuted, killed because of their faith in Christ, they will live
again and they will be given this planet to reign again for 1000 years. Whether they were killed when they were just
30 years, or killed when they were just in their teens, or killed when they
were old people in their 70s for following Christ, God is going to give them
one thousand years to live and reign on this planet earth. What a bargain, my
friend! Don’t trade eternal life with all the few years you want to enjoy on
earth. Come to Christ today because you have a better deal. Those who lay their
lives down for Christ, the Lord says he gives them 1000 years to reign on this
planet earth. Physically, they shall
live again in a body that will live for 1000 years. A body that shall not rot!
A body that shall not be deceased! For those things that are causing diseases,
Satan and all his demons, shall be locked up in the bottomless pit and in the
prison. All those demons shall be
separated from the earth and locked up so that the saints can live peacefully
and reign on the earth for 1000 years.
(Isa.24:21-22). That is what we are reading here in the book of
Revelations chapter 20. What a bargain,
my friend!
Don’t
trade eternal life for a morsel of meat. Don’t trade it for anything at all. I
urge you to come to Jesus and be a partaker of this new heaven and new earth
that is coming, or the 1000 years of the saints’ reign upon the earth. Don’t
lose it my friend, Don’t miss this opportunity.
Now let’s go on. Verse 5 of
Revelations chapter 20 says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again,
until the thousand years were finished.” That means the dead in Christ
shall be the first ones to rise and they live on the earth for one thousand
years, reigning on the earth with those that were allowed to escape. There will
be some remnants of human beings that didn’t go to meet the Lord Jesus Christ
in the air, but they escaped the world war, they escaped the destruction of the
world and they will be the people that will be gathered from all over the world
to start a new generation and they will be allowed to multiply and populate the
world again. These are the people that the saints of God will be ruling over
and training them to fear God and to follow God for 1000 years.
Revelations
chapter 20, verse 6 says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection. On such the second death has no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years”.
We
saints, we believers, are going to live and reign with Christ for a thousand
years and we shall be priests of God and second death has no power over us. For
those who died in Christ, there shall be no more death for them, they will be
resurrected and shall live again on this earth. We Christians that are alive
and remain, shall never die, because when we are caught up to meet Jesus in the
air, that is it. We shall never die. The time is coming that this will take
place. Run to Jesus right now so that you can be a partaker of it.
Now this is the test that God
has written here in verse 7, for those that are allowed to escape the world
destruction to come. They multiply and live on this planet for one thousand
years. At the end of the one thousand years there is going to be a test for
them.
Verse 7: “And when the thousand
years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison”.
I
didn’t write this! God wrote it in the book of Revelations that this is what is
going to happen. God will lock up Satan
for 1000 years and release Satan for some few years, to test the people that
have been living and were taught the word of God, to see whether they are going
to stand with the word they have been taught or whether they are going to rebel
with the Devil and revolt against the saints. That is the test. Are they going
to be satisfied with the saints’ ruling over them or are they going to revolt
and want to change the law? They may say, “we want democracy, we want election,
we want to be king also”. God will say,
No way! This is no longer democracy. This is theocracy, God rules through the
saints of God. That is an example of what the devil may use to make them revolt
against the reign of the saints. They don’t want to listen to the bible or
gospel anymore. Think about it! Many people would like to rebel now also. They would like to rebel against their
parents that have been teaching them the word of God: “I have had enough of
religion from you guys”. God is still to be worshipped. God is the one ruling
through the saints.
Verse 7 “And when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and he shall go out to deceive
the nations, which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to
gather them together to battle. The number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
Now
he mentioned Gog and Magog here, which is also mentioned in the book of
Ezekiel (Eze.38). Scholars believe that
the Russians are the descendants of Gog and Magog. Northeastern Europeans may
be the descendants of Gog and Magog. In short it looks like the people in that
part of the world will be the first group of people that the devil will be able
to deceive and bring them into this rebellion. They are going to be as the sand
of the sea because there will be multitudes coming to rebel against the God of
heaven and earth at that time.
Verse
9: “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them”.
When
he says compassed the camp of the saints, this means the saints of God have
gathered into a camp so that the devil can go and tempt all of the people that
have been living for one thousand years to see whether they would rebel against
the saints who are under Jesus. They
have come to a camp waiting for this final conflict. This is the final
conflict, because after this there will be no more conflict. The beloved city
mentioned in verse 9 is the city of Jerusalem, where the saints of God will be
camping. That is where the Lord will reign from. The bible says Jerusalem shall
be the capital of the world when the Lord Jesus Christ shall reign on the earth. This is where the saints
will be camping like during a feast. The bible has said there will be the feast
of tabernacles, where all the people will come to Jerusalem to worship the
King. (Zech. 14:16,17). One of those
times, the Lord will call the saints together and the world dwellers will be tempted
by Satan. Satan is able to deceive them and they followed him. However, fire comes down from heaven and
devours them. There is not going to be a war. Fire will come and destroy them
that gathered against the saints of God. This is no longer democracy, or United
Nations, etc. This is going to be theocracy! God’s reign on the earth. Fear
God. Be on God’s side. Come to Jesus today so that you will be one of those who
will be on his side when these things are taking place. If you are on the other
side there is no hope. The bible says fire came down and destroyed them all. No
one left.
After this conflict, there will be a
silence and verse 11 takes place: The great judgment. .
Verse
11-12: “ And I saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works.”
Now we need to remember that the Christians are the
only people that were resurrected first in the beginning of the 1000 years.
Only the Christians that were dead in Christ were resurrected to live and reign
with Christ for 1000 years. After Satan has deceived many and they have been
destroyed, now comes the white throne judgment for the whole human race. The
dead will be resurrected from the beginning to the end of the world. All the
dead! Not the dead in Christ because the dead in Christ have already been
resurrected. They will sit with Christ to judge the world of unbelievers. The
books that were opened are the books of what you do on earth. Many religions
tell you to do good so that you can be saved. It is not your righteousness or
goodness that will save you. Christ has made this clear. What you have done is
being written down. Yes! But it is not what you’ve done that will save you.
Your sins have overweighed your goodness already because all have sinned and
have come short of the glory of God. Only Jesus Christ’s blood will save you.
So you better accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior right now. That is your hope and chance. If you are
saved, you are not going to be in this judgment that we are talking about. We
will be the ones that are going to judge them on that day. If you accept Jesus
as your savior you will be one of them to reign with Jesus for 1000 years and
if you are alive by the time Jesus Christ comes, you will be one of them that
will meet Jesus in the air. If you don’t accept Jesus now, you will be one of
them that will have to face the books that will be opened. The books are not
telling any good news for you. The only book that will tell you good news is
the book of the Lamb of God: The book of life. Your works is written in all the
books. But there is another book called the Book of Life.
Verse 13: “And the sea gave up the dead which
were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and
they were judged every man according to their works.” Whether someone died
and were thrown into the sea, they will be raised up. Some people say they will
cremate their body, and have their ashes blown over the sea. The sea will give
up their ashes. Death is like a prison
yard. Hell is like a jailhouse where the souls of men are kept. Those places
will give up the dead.
Verse 14: “And death and hell were cast into the
lake of fire. This is the second death”. That means death and hell were
locations. They are like cities. But they are movable. They are spiritual
locations that can be moved and thrown away. Death is a location. There is an
angel of death that takes people to a place called death. That place is a
prison yard. Hell is a prison yard. Those prison yards will be thrown into the
lake of fire. They are not physical locations. They are spiritual locations.
When these things are thrown into the lake of fire that is the second death.
There is no coming back.
Verse 15: “And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” You see this, my friend? That is the only way you can be saved. By having your name in the book of life of the Lamb of God. That book is where the names of the saints of God, the Christians are written. For your name to be in the book of life, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. Ask him to come into your life and make you a new person in Christ Jesus. Let him wash you with his blood. That is the only way you can get your name in the book of life. Not by your works! All your righteousness is like filthy rag before God. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. That is the calling of Jesus to you. Won’t you accept this calling today? If you are a Christian seek the Lord and lift up your eyes unto him and follow him steadfastly. Jesus loves you!
Bro. Julius Adewumi
Gospel Distribution Ministry
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Internet homepage:
Email: webmaster@gospeldistribution.org
We are
back on Missionary Radio Broadcast.
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Africa – Saturdays 6-6:30 PM
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I want to thank those
that have been sending offering to this ministry. Your investment and mine send the literature to believers and
send the word on radio. That is one
sure way we can send our money ahead of us to heaven. The Lord said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal: But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also." (Mat. 6: 19-21).
"For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry
nothing out." (1Tim. 6: 7).