What great event will
take place at the coming of Christ?
"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." 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
Where will the saints
then be taken?
"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."
John 14:2, 3.
In what condition will
the earth be after the coming of Christ?
"I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the
heavens and they had no light." "I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place
was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of
the Lord, and by His fierce anger." Jer. 4:23, 26 (Isa. 24:1-3).
Will any man be living on
the earth at that time?
"I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens
were fled." Jer. 4:25 (Zeph. 1:3).
What is to become of
those who are not caught up to heaven with the Lord?
"The Lord hath a controversy with the nations; He will plead with all
flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the
Lord." Jer. 25:31 (2 Thess. 1:7, 8).
How long will these
resurrected saints reign with Christ in heaven?
"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 worshiped 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." Rev. 20:4.
When were these made to
live?
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on
such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Rev. 20:6.
How long will the wicked
remain in their graves?
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thou- sand years
were finished." Rev. 20:5.
What will be Satan's
condition during the thousand years?
"And He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,
and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." Rev. 20:2.
Where will he be kept?
"And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set
a seal upon him." Rev 20:3.
Where is the bottomless
pit?
"And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the
pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by
reason of the smoke of the pit." Rev. 9:2.
What is Satan's
occupation up to the time of his binding?
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
In what sense are we to
understand the binding of Satan?
The saints are taken to heaven at the coming of Christ, and the wicked fall
dead at His presence, to remain thus during the thousand years. Satan's
occupation is gone; there is nothing left for him to do but to wander over the
desolate earth, and view the terrible work of which he is the author. There is
now no one for him to tempt, and he is therefore bound in his operations.
What will release Satan
from this condition?
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished." "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan
shall be loosed out of his prison." Rev. 20:5, 7.
For how long a period
will he be loosed?
"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."
Rev. 20:3.
In what work will he
immediately engage?
"And 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." Rev. 20:8.
What will be the result
of their effort to take the city?
"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." Rev. 20:9.
What statement will thus
be fulfilled?
"Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit
the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." Ps.
37:34.
How many will escape this
second death?
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on
such the second death hath no power." Rev. 20:6.
What will be the effect
of the fire?
"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven, and all the
proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither
root nor branch." Mal. 4:1.
What, besides the wicked,
will feel the effect of this fire?
"But the heavens [atmosphere 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." 2 Peter 3:7.
What will be the result?
"And the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also; and the
works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10.
Then what will come?
"Never the less we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13.
Who will inherit the new
earth?
"For evil doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord,
they shall inherit the earth." Ps. 37:9.
What will be their
condition there?
"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in
the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11.
How will every
intelligent creature in the universe then show his appreciation of the gift of
eternal life?
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing,
and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5:13.
