Covenant Presbyterian Church

God's Positioning System (GPS)

Sunday morning Foundations Classes

Angels/Demons & the End Times -- Lesson #20

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(Lessons are posted once a week on Friday afternoon) 

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

It all begins here, Genesis 1:1. Scripture doesn’t tell us when God created the angels, but it’s clear they were created first, before He created Adam and Eve (Rev. 12:7-9). And the end will be a “New Heaven and New Earth”…

I started out intending this to be our last lesson, but with a potential of four videos and a growing number of slides, it compelled me to add yet another lesson so as not to overload this one. We can look at this and the next lesson as a wrap-up of loose ends. For me it has been an interesting 20 weeks of research and study. I hope it was for you as well. I would like to hear your opinion of our study, via an email. 

Our study began 20 weeks ago with “Who are We, Where are We Going?” (03/22-03/29 in Blog Achieve) leading us here to the End Times. For those interested I have two links for the “Book of Revelation” study, which I will share with anyone who may be interested—one from the Amillennial perspective and one from the Premillennial perspective. Both are fairly long studies. If interested, let me know via email. 

After Adam sinned, God could have written off the entire human race and rejected everyone who had sinned, and rightfully so, which of course would have included us. But He chose not to and sent His Son to make restitution for and pay the full penalty for our sins, at enormous cost and suffering to Him, including taking on humanity for eternity so He could fellowship with us on a personal basis. God even gave mankind another 1,000 years in a perfect environment to accept Jesus Christ and worship Him—with Satan bound in the Abyss for the 1,000-year Millennium. Nevertheless, some, like Adam, willfully sinned. A personal lesson we will remember for all eternity—that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Thank You, Lord Jesus! 

… That’s why God intervenes to change us and save us—being born again by the Holy Spirit! 

As we finish our study think about the significance of the words in John 3:16: “God so loved the world”! He created everything in it with great care, every plant and every living creature on land, sea and air. And last, but not least, He created man in His own image (Gen. 1:27). All of which was corrupted by just one sin. One sin was enough to bring it all crashing down, including death, and shows why God can’t allow any sin into heaven. Being “born again” and washed clean is the only way to coexist with a perfectly Holy God. God’s justice is as much an integral part of His nature as His love and mercy are. God, being omnipotent, knew that man would sin, but created us anyway, even at the cost of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. 

Early in our study we looked at angels in Lesson #1, their types and ranks (05/31-06/07 Blog Archive). Who could ever have imagined that angels in heaven, who were in the very presence of God, could or would rebel against God? (Rev. 12:4, 7-9). Angelic sin serves as an example why sin is possible during the Millennium. What led Satan to sin? Maybe he felt slighted that God create man? Perhaps he was motivated by pride in his own splendor and position of authority as a high-ranking angel, perhaps the highest ranking of the angels (Ezekiel 28:13-16). What could he have promised the other angels to get them to join him? They were cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-9) and are still in rebellion against God and wreaking havoc on man (Eph. 6:12). 

Who could ask for anything more? Perfect people in a perfect place, yet, they wanted more, which has been the history of man right up until the End Times. Through it all, God had a plan, even for Israel whom Christ would be born as one of Abraham’s descendants, and for the Church collectively and individually!

God’s plan for each of us is an eternal union with a perfect and holy God for all eternity, earned on our behalf by Jesus Christ; being “born again” by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23). 

 

God wasn’t finished with man after the Fall. He had a plan then and His plan is steadfast and unchanging. He doesn’t act based on our whims; He doesn’t cause or condone our sins, but even uses them to accomplish His purpose, such as Judas' betrayal of Christ. All of time is laid out before Him, he knows every act and every thought of every human being over the entire course of human history. And His plan includes us, with each of our names being written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 20:12, 21:27). As Jesus tells us in John 11:25, even the curse of death is a doorway to eternal life for His children. 

Just as Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, Jesus will call all His people from the grave. Lazarus was in the tomb for four days (John 11:17) yet in response to Jesus’ call, he rose with a body totally free of decay. One small example of what God has in store for His people. Lazarus didn’t decide to get up on his own; he responded to Jesus’ call to come forth. Being saved by grace alone through faith alone, is similar, in that being spiritually dead in sin, we respond to His call to eternal life. 

All those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ during the Church Age, and have died before Jesus returns, will be resurrected at the rapture, all of whom will be given immortal bodies (1 Thess. 4:14-17). Ultimately, everyone who ever lived will be resurrected with immortal bodies, both the saved and unsaved. The unsaved after the Millennium to face judgment. 

After the 7-year Tribulation, comes the 1,000-year Millennium, which is followed by a New Heaven and New Earth (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1) that will be greater than anything we can imagine. John MacArthur’s sermons at the end of this lesson look at the final generation, those who live during the Tribulation.

Points supporting Pre-Millennialism, which includes a literal 1,000-year Millennium, downloaded from one of the “Book of Revelation” studies I participated in. It shows the pastor’s reasons for supporting Premillennialism vs. Amillennialism and Postmillennialism (a view that is said to have lost most adherents following WWI and WWII, seeing it as Pollyannaish and unrealistic to believe that the world was or would become increasingly good by man’s efforts). We can add the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, and Afghanistan to the opinion of it being unrealistic. The pastor also makes reference to 1 Cor. 15:25-26, shown on the slide. 

1 Cor. 15 tells us that only Christ can make things right, not well-meaning Christians’ efforts to make a perfect world, as per the Postmillennial view. The perfect end doesn’t come by man’s efforts, but only when Jesus Christ’s returns to establish His kingdom on earth—i.e., His Second Coming. When He reigns noted in v.25 points to the Millennium’s 1,000-year reign of Christ—a literal not a symbolic reign. 

At the end of the Tribulation comes the Millennium, when God will create a 1,000-year period of peace with Jesus Christ reigning in Jerusalem as King. Born again Christians and O.T. Saints will be resurrected with immortal bodies and reign with Christ during the Millennium (Rev. 20:4-6). People who survive the Tribulation will marry and have children during the Millennium. Every human is born with Adam’s DNA, and consequently some by their own free will, will not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but will put self first, just as did Lucifer, the fallen angels, and Adam and Eve. 

The environment of the Millennium removes any and all excuses for sinning—e.g., "the devil made me do it"—except Satan will be chained and locked away in the Abyss; "being born in a poor neighborhood and denied the essentials of life"—except the earth, under the reign of Jesus Christ will be fair, just and bountiful. For some existing benefits just aren’t enough, both then and now all the way back to Adam and Eve in the Garden, people will find a reason to put self first.  

After the Millennium comes the White Throne Judgment; when sinners with all their excuses, account to a Holy God and a fair and just trial, where every excuse lacks credibility.  

At the end of the 1,000-year Millennium comes the final Judgment, the White Throne Judgment, discussed in lesson #18 (dated 09/27-10/04 in blog archive)

Someone may be asking: How can we reconcile “predestination and election” (Romans 8:29-30) with the Millennium? Why am I even raising this question? Because it is something I would ask. A question that precedes it, is the Millennium symbolic or literal? A symbolic millennium is consistent with Amillennialism, which is the view of many Reformed theologians and pastors, but not all; e.g. John MacArthur; but he’s not alone. So predestination and the Millennial would never even overlap for discussion. Nor can one just search the commentaries—which I did—and find an answer.

I can only conclude that Eph. 1:4-6 and Rom. 8:28-30 apply equally to the Millennium. Based on everything I read and researched, no one naturally puts God ahead of their own desires (just think of the terrible twos). If He didn’t rescue some, all would perish by their own choices. God in being merciful to some, is not being unjust to others. Being rescued by God is a vivid example of His unbounded grace that will stick with us in gratitude for all eternity. Nevertheless, people who reject Jesus Christ do so of their own free will, even rejecting the Gospel as irrelevant, just like today. God is perfectly merciful, but His nature is also perfectly just—they cannot be separated, or one ignored over the other. 

Eph 1:3-4 – 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Rom 8:28-30 – 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 

After three studies of the “Book of Revelation”—one for each view (Amillennial, premillennial, semi-postmillennial)—studying and comparing all three, I came to the conclusion that there is a literal Millennium, a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Also, not everyone believes in predestination and election—it took me an intense study on the topic, consequently, I don’t know how else to understand Rom. 8:20-30, 11:2; Eph. 1:5; 1 Peter 1:1-2. I did a web search for that question of predestination and election during the Millennium and could not find any references. Many, perhaps most, Reformed theologians and pastors lean toward Amillennialism and believe in a symbolic not a literal Millennium; with the exception of a couple I’m aware of. Most Premillennialists do not accept predestination and election and believe that salvation is strictly man’s choosing and not God’s. Consequently there is no common ground for that question. Nevertheless, I did want to address it for those who wondered about it.

I read many definitions of predestination and election, some I found appealing and others I did not agree with. I do not believe God makes an arbitrary decision who He will send to hell. Those who reject Christ made that decision of their own free will. Our nature is such that everyone would easily fit into that category, putting self before God. But God decided He would not let everyone perish. So, based on His wisdom, mercy and justice, He decided who He would save, it was His sovereign choice. How or why He chooses some and not others, Scripture doesn’t tell us—but we do see examples of who He chose: the Apostle Paul (persecuted “the Way”); the Apostle Peter (denied Christ), neither of whom were perfect, but He chose them anyway. 

Nevertheless, the Gospel message of salvation is not kept a secret; it is broadcast 24/7 across the airwaves. People reject it of their own free will because it doesn’t appeal to them or fit their lifestyle or lust for power and personal gain—just look at today’s congress. The same will be true in the Millennium. So, God is perfectly merciful and at the same time perfectly just. Perfectly merciful in choosing the elect; and perfectly just in allowing those who reject Christ to perish. 

Many Bible scholars believe Isaiah 65:17-20 is referring to the Millennium, where a person’s longevity will be as its was before the Noahic flood. 

Gen 5:3-5 – 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. 

Because “years” define the extent of one’s life, Isaiah can’t be referring to the New Heaven and New Year in Rev. 21:1-4, which will be without death, because we will have immortal bodies that live on the New Earth forever. We can conclude, because extent of life is noted (v.20), Isaiah is referring to the Millennium. 

I refer to this as the end of the story, but actually, it’s only the beginning of what God has in store for us. Heaven and earth are two separate places, but God will combine the two and we can only imagine what that will be like. As we are told in Rev. 21:1, the Millennium is followed by a New Heaven and New Earth, which takes us full circle back to lesson #1 (03/22-03/29 in Blog Archive).

John MacArthur’s two-part sermon provides insight into the very end of the end-of-the-age! 

John MacArthur’s 56-minute sermon is Part 1 of the “The Final Generation” (Mark 13:28-37). Don't forget the End Times is the consequence of man’s sinful heart and actions. But a ray of hope is the church being snatched away by Jesus Christ before the time of Tribulation and the Antichrist’s rule of the world-system. Pastor MacArthur’s sermon is an appropriate wrap-up of the sermons associated and posted with our study of the End Times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To_sAVeDG5U

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This 53 minute sermon is Part 2 or John’s message (2012) on “The Final Generation”. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYPWoM5A7ug  

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Pray for our President and First Lady, especially with them recovering from COVID-19, and members of the President’s administration and their families. They certainly need prayer… Some media folks stated that they wished he died from COVID. It demonstrates the level of evil that has infected our Nation with a dark spiritual sickness. And pray that the Lord will put a shield of protection from COVID-19 around V.P. Pence.

If you already haven’t done so, please let me know via email or phone. 

END OF LESSON #20