The Return Of Jesus Christ
The Return of Jesus Christ
Outline
1. The Promise of Christ’s Coming.
2. The First Coming of Jesus Christ.
3. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is in Two Stages.
4. The Rapture of the Saints.
5. The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
6. Between the Rapture and the Revelation.
7. The Judgment Seat of Christ.
8. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
9. Daniel’s 70th Week.
10. The Millennium.
The Return of Jesus Christ
One of the most interesting areas of Bible studies is the subject of Bible Prophecies and things to come. It is such a large subject and so detailed that this particular study is only of an introductory nature. As you grow in your Christian life, you will learn many things from the Bible about your future. The aim of this lesson is to give you a basic framework to build upon.
The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Word of God. For each believer, the second coming of Christ is referred to in Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
This return is referred to as the BLESSED HOPE.
1. The Promise of Christ’s coming.
A. Read John 14: 1- 4
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
B. Read Acts 1:11 (the two angles said to the disciples)
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
C. Read Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
D. Read 1 John 2:28
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
E. Read 1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
F. Read Revelation 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
2. The First Coming of Jesus Christ.
The first coming of Jesus Christ to the Earth (sometimes called the “first advent”) is now a fact of history. Yet before His coming to the world – first as a babe in Bethlehem, then as the crucified, buried, and risen again Savior – all the wonderful events were themselves Bible prophecies.
There were hundreds of Old Testament prophecies relating to the first coming of Christ. Each was fulfilled exactly to the letter! There are even more prophecies relating to his second coming, and they will be literally fulfilled.
Below are some of the major first coming of Christ prophecies and their actual fulfillment:
Outline
1. The Promise of Christ’s Coming.
2. The First Coming of Jesus Christ.
3. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is in Two Stages.
4. The Rapture of the Saints.
5. The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
6. Between the Rapture and the Revelation.
7. The Judgment Seat of Christ.
8. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
9. Daniel’s 70th Week.
10. The Millennium.
The Return of Jesus Christ
One of the most interesting areas of Bible studies is the subject of Bible Prophecies and things to come. It is such a large subject and so detailed that this particular study is only of an introductory nature. As you grow in your Christian life, you will learn many things from the Bible about your future. The aim of this lesson is to give you a basic framework to build upon.
The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Word of God. For each believer, the second coming of Christ is referred to in Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
This return is referred to as the BLESSED HOPE.
1. The Promise of Christ’s coming.
A. Read John 14: 1- 4
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
B. Read Acts 1:11 (the two angles said to the disciples)
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
C. Read Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
D. Read 1 John 2:28
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
E. Read 1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
F. Read Revelation 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
2. The First Coming of Jesus Christ.
The first coming of Jesus Christ to the Earth (sometimes called the “first advent”) is now a fact of history. Yet before His coming to the world – first as a babe in Bethlehem, then as the crucified, buried, and risen again Savior – all the wonderful events were themselves Bible prophecies.
There were hundreds of Old Testament prophecies relating to the first coming of Christ. Each was fulfilled exactly to the letter! There are even more prophecies relating to his second coming, and they will be literally fulfilled.
Below are some of the major first coming of Christ prophecies and their actual fulfillment:
3. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is in Two Stages.
A. IN A SENSE, the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was in two stages:
• The Cradle, which was a private event and largely unnoticed by the world at large. Only a few got to share the joy of the moment – primarily those who were looking and waiting for his coming.
(1) Luke 2:25
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
(2) Luke 2:36-38
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
(3) Matthew 2:1-2 [the wise men]
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
B. SO TO, THE SECOND COMING will be in two distinct stages:
• The Rapture (Christ is coming for His saints) – a private affair!
The after 7 years
• Revelation (Christ is coming with His saints) – a public affair!
4. The Rapture of the Saints. (the next event for us on God’s prophetic calendar)
A. The term rapture is NOT found in the Bible but its meaning (“caught up”) is!
B. Read the following key scripture about the Rapture:
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
• Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
• Matthew 24:36-42 (All Chapter 24 – Jesus speaking about the End Times)
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
• 2 Peter 3:3-9
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
C. Note: The Rapture:
• Is an instantaneous event.
• The dead first shall rise then those alive (remaining) Christians shall be caught up in the air with Christ.
• All Christians will receive a glorified, resurrected body.
• No one will know the time of the Rapture
5. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. (the 2nd phase of the return of Jesus Christ)
A. Read Revelation 19:11-16.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [the Word of God], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here the Lord Jesus Christ is called:
• Faithful and true
• The Word of God
• King of Kings and Lord of Lords
B. According to the scripture below, the Lord Jesus Christ will return with 10,000 saints:
• Revelation 19:14
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
• Jude 14-15
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
C. Read Zechariah 14: 1 - 4
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
When Jesus Christ returns in glory, He will set His feet down on the Mount of Olives.
D. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
The revelation of Jesus Christ will be time of divine vengeance and destruction.
6. Between the Rapture and the Revelation.
A. The Old Testament prophetic Book of Daniel teaches there will be a seven-year period between the two phases of the Second Coming of Christ. From Daniel 9:24-27
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [the act of making an offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
• Daniel 9:24 speaks of a time period of 70 weeks
• Daniel 9:25 shows these weeks are in fact “heptads” or seven year periods of time.
From the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah (Christ) being cut off would be 69 weeks.
From 445 BC to 30 AD is 69 X 7 = 483
Jewish years = 475 solar years. This prophecy has been accurately fulfilled.
• Daniel 9:27 speaks of the 70th week yet to begin. The present “Day of Grace” began and God’s prophetic clock stopped at the end of the 69th week when the Messiah (Christ) was cut off [crucified].
• The final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy will begin with the Rapture. Christians will be caught up and will not be involved in any of events which transpire on the Earth during this time period.
B. The Diagram below shows how the main events will occur during this time period.
A. IN A SENSE, the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was in two stages:
• The Cradle, which was a private event and largely unnoticed by the world at large. Only a few got to share the joy of the moment – primarily those who were looking and waiting for his coming.
(1) Luke 2:25
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
(2) Luke 2:36-38
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
(3) Matthew 2:1-2 [the wise men]
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
B. SO TO, THE SECOND COMING will be in two distinct stages:
• The Rapture (Christ is coming for His saints) – a private affair!
The after 7 years
• Revelation (Christ is coming with His saints) – a public affair!
4. The Rapture of the Saints. (the next event for us on God’s prophetic calendar)
A. The term rapture is NOT found in the Bible but its meaning (“caught up”) is!
B. Read the following key scripture about the Rapture:
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
• Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
• Matthew 24:36-42 (All Chapter 24 – Jesus speaking about the End Times)
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
• 2 Peter 3:3-9
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
C. Note: The Rapture:
• Is an instantaneous event.
• The dead first shall rise then those alive (remaining) Christians shall be caught up in the air with Christ.
• All Christians will receive a glorified, resurrected body.
• No one will know the time of the Rapture
5. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. (the 2nd phase of the return of Jesus Christ)
A. Read Revelation 19:11-16.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [the Word of God], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here the Lord Jesus Christ is called:
• Faithful and true
• The Word of God
• King of Kings and Lord of Lords
B. According to the scripture below, the Lord Jesus Christ will return with 10,000 saints:
• Revelation 19:14
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
• Jude 14-15
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
C. Read Zechariah 14: 1 - 4
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
When Jesus Christ returns in glory, He will set His feet down on the Mount of Olives.
D. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
The revelation of Jesus Christ will be time of divine vengeance and destruction.
6. Between the Rapture and the Revelation.
A. The Old Testament prophetic Book of Daniel teaches there will be a seven-year period between the two phases of the Second Coming of Christ. From Daniel 9:24-27
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [the act of making an offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
• Daniel 9:24 speaks of a time period of 70 weeks
• Daniel 9:25 shows these weeks are in fact “heptads” or seven year periods of time.
From the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah (Christ) being cut off would be 69 weeks.
From 445 BC to 30 AD is 69 X 7 = 483
Jewish years = 475 solar years. This prophecy has been accurately fulfilled.
• Daniel 9:27 speaks of the 70th week yet to begin. The present “Day of Grace” began and God’s prophetic clock stopped at the end of the 69th week when the Messiah (Christ) was cut off [crucified].
• The final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy will begin with the Rapture. Christians will be caught up and will not be involved in any of events which transpire on the Earth during this time period.
B. The Diagram below shows how the main events will occur during this time period.
7. The Judgment Seat of Christ.
Read 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.,
This solemn event will occur at the time when the “Lord comes” – immediately after the Rapture.
A. According to Romans 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Christians will take part in this judgment.
B. According to Romans 14:12
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ,
We will have to give an account of our Christian life.
C. According to 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
All things (in the body) will be judged.
D. Read Carefully 1 Corinthians 3:9-15
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
• In Verse 9 and 11, the church at Corinth is called God’s husbandry, the foundation of which is Jesus Christ.
• In verse 12, The Lord is very interested in how we build upon this foundation.
• In verse 12, these works are likened to: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble
• The fire of Christ’s judgment will try the works of the Christian.
• According to verse 15, is it possible that a Christian who has never acceptable served the Lord be lost and cast into Hell?
NO… His works may be burnt up but he himself shall be saved.
• According to verse 14, what will the Christian who has acceptable served the Lord receive? … a reward.
E. The Bible Speaks of these rewards as “crowns.” There are five crowns we can receive as a reward for our life as a Christian:
• 1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? The Crown of Salvation – the soul winner’s crown.
• James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
The Crown of everlasting life [not death – Hell] – the faithful Christians crown.
• 2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. The crown of righteousness which is given to those who live and look for Christ’s return.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
This incorruptible crown is the crown for the victorius Christian.
• Peter speaking of pastors in 1 Peter 5:4
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The Crown of glory which is for the faithful pastor.
8. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
A. The relationship between Jesus and His churches is likened to that between a husband and wife. Ephesians 5:22-32
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
B. 2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
The church at Corinth was espoused (engaged) to one husband – Christ.
C. The Bride of Christ references:
• Said by John the Baptist: John 3:29
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
• Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
D. The Union of the Bride and Bridegroom occurs at the rapture and the wedding celebration is referred to in Revelation 19:7-9 as the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
9. Daniel’s 70th Week.
While the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb are taking place in heaven, an entirely different scenario unfolds upon the earth.
A. The Book of Revelation gives the details of the events of this seven year period prophesied by Daniel (read chapter 6 through 18 in particular).
• The Day of the Lord in Isaiah 2:2-12
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
… and more through verse 22
• Tribulation in
(1) Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
(2) Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• The Great Day of Wrath in Revelation 6:17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
B. Christians will NOT pass through ANY of this period. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE:
• We are saved from Jacob’s Trouble. Read Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
• The Lord’s promise to His faithful church at Philadelphia was that He would keep them from temptation coming upon the entire world. Revelation 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
• Our salvation through Christ assures us that we are not appointed to wrath: 1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
• According to Luke 21: 34-36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [overindulgence in food or drink.], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Christians are to be ready at all times, for the rapture is (and always has been) imminent!
C. There will be the revealing of the Man of Sin at the commencement of this seven year period. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:
• Verse 3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
• Verse 8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
• The Anti-Christ, read 1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
D. According to Revelation 12, Satan will be cast down to the earth at the mid-point of this seven year period.
• Verse 9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
• Verse 12
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the in habiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
E. Time of Trouble. According to Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
F. Read Matthew 24:15-24. Jesus speaking:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
G. According to Matthew 24:29 – 30
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
10. The Millennium.
A. Following the return of Christ in glory, He will judge the nations. Matthew 25:31-32
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
B. This great judgment will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat: Read Joel 3:12-16
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
C. Satan will be bound for 1000 years. Read Revelation 20:2-3
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
D. Christ will reign on the earth for 1000 years. Read Revelation 20:4
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.
E. The Millennium will be a time of peace. According to Isaiah 2:4
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
F. The Millennium will be a time of righteousness and knowledge of the Lord. Read Isaiah 11:1-10
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
G. Jesus will be worshiped. Read Zechariah 14:16-17
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Remember Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Read 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.,
This solemn event will occur at the time when the “Lord comes” – immediately after the Rapture.
A. According to Romans 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Christians will take part in this judgment.
B. According to Romans 14:12
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ,
We will have to give an account of our Christian life.
C. According to 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
All things (in the body) will be judged.
D. Read Carefully 1 Corinthians 3:9-15
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
• In Verse 9 and 11, the church at Corinth is called God’s husbandry, the foundation of which is Jesus Christ.
• In verse 12, The Lord is very interested in how we build upon this foundation.
• In verse 12, these works are likened to: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble
• The fire of Christ’s judgment will try the works of the Christian.
• According to verse 15, is it possible that a Christian who has never acceptable served the Lord be lost and cast into Hell?
NO… His works may be burnt up but he himself shall be saved.
• According to verse 14, what will the Christian who has acceptable served the Lord receive? … a reward.
E. The Bible Speaks of these rewards as “crowns.” There are five crowns we can receive as a reward for our life as a Christian:
• 1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? The Crown of Salvation – the soul winner’s crown.
• James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
The Crown of everlasting life [not death – Hell] – the faithful Christians crown.
• 2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. The crown of righteousness which is given to those who live and look for Christ’s return.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
This incorruptible crown is the crown for the victorius Christian.
• Peter speaking of pastors in 1 Peter 5:4
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The Crown of glory which is for the faithful pastor.
8. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
A. The relationship between Jesus and His churches is likened to that between a husband and wife. Ephesians 5:22-32
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
B. 2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
The church at Corinth was espoused (engaged) to one husband – Christ.
C. The Bride of Christ references:
• Said by John the Baptist: John 3:29
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
• Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
D. The Union of the Bride and Bridegroom occurs at the rapture and the wedding celebration is referred to in Revelation 19:7-9 as the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
9. Daniel’s 70th Week.
While the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb are taking place in heaven, an entirely different scenario unfolds upon the earth.
A. The Book of Revelation gives the details of the events of this seven year period prophesied by Daniel (read chapter 6 through 18 in particular).
• The Day of the Lord in Isaiah 2:2-12
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
… and more through verse 22
• Tribulation in
(1) Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
(2) Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• The Great Day of Wrath in Revelation 6:17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
B. Christians will NOT pass through ANY of this period. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE:
• We are saved from Jacob’s Trouble. Read Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
• The Lord’s promise to His faithful church at Philadelphia was that He would keep them from temptation coming upon the entire world. Revelation 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
• Our salvation through Christ assures us that we are not appointed to wrath: 1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
• According to Luke 21: 34-36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [overindulgence in food or drink.], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Christians are to be ready at all times, for the rapture is (and always has been) imminent!
C. There will be the revealing of the Man of Sin at the commencement of this seven year period. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:
• Verse 3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
• Verse 8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
• The Anti-Christ, read 1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
D. According to Revelation 12, Satan will be cast down to the earth at the mid-point of this seven year period.
• Verse 9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
• Verse 12
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the in habiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
E. Time of Trouble. According to Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
F. Read Matthew 24:15-24. Jesus speaking:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
G. According to Matthew 24:29 – 30
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
10. The Millennium.
A. Following the return of Christ in glory, He will judge the nations. Matthew 25:31-32
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
B. This great judgment will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat: Read Joel 3:12-16
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
C. Satan will be bound for 1000 years. Read Revelation 20:2-3
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
D. Christ will reign on the earth for 1000 years. Read Revelation 20:4
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.
E. The Millennium will be a time of peace. According to Isaiah 2:4
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
F. The Millennium will be a time of righteousness and knowledge of the Lord. Read Isaiah 11:1-10
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
G. Jesus will be worshiped. Read Zechariah 14:16-17
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Remember Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;