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THE NEW JERUSALEM

19/12/2022 08:19:00 Editor

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Sir,

For a period of 1 000 years the righteous will reign with Christ in heaven, the wicked are dead and satan will be in a prison of circumstances because there will be no one to tempt during the millennium. “And when the thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Revelation 20:7. This losing of satan is easy to understand when we read verse five again, “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” All the lost of the ages will be raised out of their graves at the end of the millennium. This second resurrection releases the devil to begin his work of deception once more. The Bible says, “And (he) shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,” Revelation 20:8. Thereafter we are told, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2.

Prophets

This is the event described by the prophets of old, when the saints will return to this earth from Paradise. According to Zechariah, Christ’s feet will touch the earth, and some spectacular things take place. “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 north, and half of it toward the south… and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” Zechariah 14:4, 5. Please notice that Jesus will make contact with the earth when He returns with the saints. When He came for the saints at the beginning of the millennium, His feet did not touch the ground. All were caught up to meet Him. But now as the great, heavenly space city approaches this planet, the Mount of Olives splits under the touch of the Son of God. A mighty plain is created for a landing spot, and the New Jerusalem settles to earth. At the same time that the city descends, the wicked are raised, and this releases satan to deceive them into attacking. Again he has someone to work on.

Deceived

The word says, ‘‘And (he) shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,” Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: The number of whom is as the sand of the sea. ‘‘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.” Revelation 20:8,9. After the wicked are resurrected at the end of the millennium, satan leads them in an attack against the New Jerusalem. He deceives them into thinking they can actually capture the dwelling place of God and the immortalised saints. That Holy City descends from heaven, following the thousand years. There could be a countdown at which time they plan to blast away at the Holy City.

Doomed

From all earthly viewpoints, it seems that the saints are doomed. The explosive, destructive weapons will be able to shatter the walls into smithereens. But then, suddenly, God intervenes. He turns His own fiery power loose upon that assembled army of the wicked. Read it in verse 9 of Revelation 20: “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.” And that is the end of the wicked. There it is. Right here on this earth the fire of God descends. The wicked people are burned up as they launch a final, desperate attack against God. This is the hell fire of the Bible.