This is the second death. And whoso ever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14-15). May God make this prophecy of judgment so real to us that we can not rest until we have done our ut most to rescue as many unsaved ones as possible from the lake of fire! Last we come to the day of God. The Lord will bring the new heaven and the new earth which He prom ised long ago. “And I saw a new earth : for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea . . . and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and he their God” (Rev. 21:1- 3). In the last two chapters of the Revelation we behold the magnificent objective of the divine program of redemption. The sorrows and sins of earth will vanish. God will dwell with men, for He has great love for them. The beautiful city which God Himself planned and built will come down from heaven so that all may be blessed by this new Jerusalem. He has revealed wonderful things about this new earth and new heaven: Sin, pain, tears, death will be no more (Rev. 21:4). All nations will serve and worship God. Their names will be in the book of life (Rev. 21:26-27). This is the sublime program which the Lord is going to accomplish. I t is a marvelous plan, and the only right plan for settling all the problems in the world. It is the plan which brings the richest blessing to men and the highest glory to God. Just think! God purposes that He and men will live together in love, harmony, and joyous activities for all eternity. Only God has the authority, the pow er, and especially the wisdom, the love, and the holiness to bring to pass such a program for the world.
divideth his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:32, see 25:31-46). During the thousand years, the nations enjoy the many benefits of His righteous government. Through Israel, which then is a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, the knowl edge of the Lord spreads to the Gen tile nations. These travel to Jerusa lem to worship the Lord Jesus Christ in the temple and to learn His laws. Many nations become His true dis ciples (Isa. 60:1-3; 2:2-4; Zech. 2: 11; 14:16-18). After the thousand years have ended, there will come “a little sear son” when Satan, released from his prison, is permitted to go among the nations once more. Some nations be lieve his deceptions and unite for an attack upon the land and the city of the Lord. God swiftly punishes this revolt. “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and com passed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:9-10). The Lord then will raise all the remaining dead for His judgment. The righteous dead, as we have seen, were raised just before the thousand years. They are in the first resur rection, the resurrection of life. The resurrection of the remaining dead will come after the thousand years; it is called the resurrection of dam nation (John 5:29). “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” (Rev. 20: 12 ) . The outcome of this most solemn judgment is stated: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
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