The Great Judgment Day, Part 3

THE GREAT JUDGMENT DAY

Part 3, “The Last Day”

Chapter 1, Part 3 Preview: (Back to Part 1) Most Messiahians believe that Judgment Day occurs for you the moment that you die. But no Messiahian “has ascended into heaven” (John 3:13). A minority believes that Judgment Day occurs after “the millennium” for the “firstfruits” (Revelation 14:4) but these “one hundred forty-four thousand” are flesh and blood survivors of the Great Tribulation—with a mission!Revelation 7:14). So when is Judgment Day?

Actually, the Eighth Day, the Day following the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates this Judgment Day. It is the final Jubilee year which ends this millennium as explained in Israel’s Holy Days, part 5, beginning about 1/3 of the way thru the segment.

Isaiah 4 describes the time period immediately after of the Day of the Lord. It’s about Israel finding “her” way back to the Promised Land. “Her” being the operative word since women, after all of the fighting, will apparently outnumber men by seven to one! (Imagine how many men must die even if not one women died!

Isaiah 4:1-4 Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing: only let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach.” 2 In that day, [Yehovah’s] branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel. 3 It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. WEB

He will “by the spirit of judgment” separate those worthy to live on from those who should die. “And by the spirit of burning” He will purge the earth of it’s “filth”.

Revelation 22:11-12 He who is unjust, [knowingly not willing to obey all ten of the commandments] let him be unjust still; he who is filthy [the thoroughly wicked who has no desire to love his neighbor], let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, [keeping six commandments] let him be righteous still; he who is holy, Saints [off site] let him be holy still.’ ‘And behold, I am coming quickly....

The meaning of the Seventh Day of the Feast of Tabernacles could not have been understood until Jesus (actually Yeshua, off site) explained it on the very occasion of the Last Day of the Feast. His discourse on that feast Day solved the mystery of the significance of the day! This is the announcement of a new beginning. There is some duality here. Yeshua spoke of the Holy Spirit being given, yet is was “not yet given” to His Assembly—in fact there was no Assembly (or “Church” off site) until the Pentecost after He died. In a similar way, when the announcement to the rest of the world comes that Satan is being removed and that salvation is near, the universal presence of the Holy Spirit will still “not yet” be extant.

The Last (7th) Great Day portrays the time when the people of the earth will all begin to seek to please God—particularly when people see how many unbelievers will die when they oppose God! There is very good news accompanying these end time events, it concerns “ANYONE” and “EVERYONE” who is willing to change. When is the Last Great Day?

John 7:37-38 On THE LAST DAY, THAT GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST, [clue] [Yeshua] stood and cried out, saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

This next verse is for the Saints who have already died:

John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will RAISE him UP ON THE LAST DAY.

“The Last Day” is also the time period when God will raise US up!

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up AT THE LAST DAY.

The word “day” as used here is the Greek word “hemera”, Strong’s , and one of it’s usages is defined by the Online Bible Greek Lexicon as: “of the last day of this present age, the day [the Messiah] will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom”. Metaphorically, in Greek as in English, “day” can mean a period of time, as our expression: “In my day”, meaning in my younger days, “I did such and such”.

John 6:54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Hopefully this includes you!

Yeshua taught “meat in due season”, but these times are also “opportunities” for failure:

John 12:48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My words has that which judges him—the word I have spoken will judge him in the last day....

Eternal Judgment also will occur on this same Last (Great) Day, for those who have rejected the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah spoke about the future Day of Salvation.

Isaiah 49:8 In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages.

Yet Paul quoted this verse and insisted that:

2 Corinthians 6:2 Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

If you are drawing breath then “now” is your “time”.

During Yeshua’s Last Great Day discourse He explained what that annual Holy Day was intended to portray:

John 7:39 But he said this about the [Holy] Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua wasnt yet glorified.

Being begotten of God became much more prevalent beginning with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. During the fifth and sixth Millennium, beginning on Pentecost of 31 AD, and continuing until the Everlasting Kingdom comes, is our opportunity to qualify to be leaders in the Kingdom of God. In the Seventh millennium, the Saints will have their Day of ultimate Salvation. This is not to imply that this particular “Millennium” is the end of anything other than the first “millennial week”. In Yeshua’s Last Great Day dialogue He stated:

John 7:37 If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of LIVING water.

This Last Great Day promise of eternal life is applicable to anyone when it is his or her Day of Salvation. However, Yeshua was comparing our “day of salvation” to the time of the restoration of all things by using the living river reference of Ezekiel, which says:

Ezekiel 47:9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.

Timing? The near future when God will “restore the earth.”

The Great Judgment Day that I have compiled these many scriptures on is often referred to as “The Great White Throne Judgment”, adapted from Revelation 20:11. I use the term “Great Judgment Day” to avoid confusion with possible preconceived notions that you may be accustomed to when “White Throne” is mentioned. The timing of this event can be determined by closely comparing the 21st century events which occur in Revelation 20:11 thru 21:8, to other references concerning the same scriptural events, found elsewhere, which are exactly “dated” by their context, as I’ll explain.

1 Corinthians 15 is known as the “Resurrection Chapter”, and for good reason:

1 Corinthians 15:22-25 For as in Adam all die, even so in [the Messiah] shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: [the Messiah is] the firstfruits [Pentecost], afterward those who are [the Messiah’s] at His coming” [Trumpets]. Then comes the END, [the Eighth Day], when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He puts all things under His feet.

Daniel elaborated about the exact time when “He puts all things under His feet”. Every trace of opposition to God will be crushed within one year! It wont take God a thousand years to conquer the earth but opposition will occasionally try to creep back in:

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these [beast power] kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and [God’s kingdom] shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Daniel 7:13-14 I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven! He [Yeshua] came to the Ancient of Days, [the Father] and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. His dominion is an everlasting dominion....

Did you notice that both Yeshua and the Ancient of Days are present after the Kingdoms of this earth are destroyed and the Everlasting Kingdom is “set up”?

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

The monumental concept of death being destroyed is repeated later in the same chapter.

1 Corinthians 15:50-55 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood can not enter the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, [Saints, at the Feast of Trumpets!] THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death [for the Saints!] is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?

Bear in mind that there is another Life or Death Judgment for “the rest of the dead” after the first thousand years of the Everlasting Kingdom. That Judgment is for the people who lived and died during the thousand years.

1 Corinthians 15:20-27, 54 But now [the Messiah] has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in [the Messiah] all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: [the Messiah is] the first fruits, [Pentecost] then those who are [the Messiah’s], at His coming [Trumpets]. 24 Then the end comes [The Eighth Day], when He will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For, “He put all things in subjection under His feet” [Presently all things are under the feet of mankind: Psalms 8:6]. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” [as in Psalms 18:7-9] it is evident that He is excepted who subjected all things to Him.... 54 But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, THEN what is written will happen: Death is swallowed up in victory. WEB

This is the most convincing statement concerning when “death is swallowed up”. Death being swallowed up only pertains to those of us as we are made immortal. Also notice that “the end” in this resurrection chapter is the end of this present age. This age ends, and the Everlasting Kingdom begins for those who themselves have become everlasting! Death is swallowed up in victory, not for all people or for all time, but death is ended for those who have exchanged their “corruptible”“corruptible” bodies for incorruptible ones (v.54)! There are still going to be humans for a thousand more years, if not a literal “thousand generations”, as in Psalms 105:8-10. In a sense, Yeshua has already “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel....” (2 Timothy 1:10). Again, this only pertains to those who have already qualified for “immortality”.

At the Feast of Trumpets we will experience “immortality”. “At the last trumpet ... Death [strictly for Saints] is swallowed up in victory!” (1 Corinthians 15:52-54) The end of death only pertains to those with a “holy calling”. Actually, from God’s perspective, death is already abolished!

His saints are already “saved” and “called”:

2 Timothy 1:9-11who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in [our Messiah Yeshua] BEFORE TIMES ETERNAL, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior [and Messiah Yeshua], WHO ABOLISHED DEATH AND BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY to light the Good News. 11 For this, I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. WEB

There is apparently a distinction made between commandment keeping Saints who were serving God prior to the end time events, who will meet up with God in the clouds of the earth and those “new” Messiahians who are in the process of being brought to their senses during the Great Tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 For if we believe that [Yeshua] died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Yeshua. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

In the near future, millions of other people will be choosing life and not death!

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live....

God’s plan began before He created time, however He did not predestine our fates individually. Paul was still ... “in HOPE of eternal life, which God, who cant lie, promised BEFORE TIME BEGAN.” (Titus 1:2)(Also see Philemon 3:12-16)

Living in the Everlasting Kingdom will not a free ticket to eternal life, it is a “free sample” of life. The entire subject of Isaiah 25 is about the end of human rule. God is going to “destroy ... the veil that is spread over all nations”—the obstacle blocking their view of the Kingdom!” (v.7). It is in this context that [1] “He will swallow up death forever [2] and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces”. (v.8) Yet Moab shall be trampled down under Him! (v.10) The elimination of all tears is a new thing and this prophecy’s meaning is fulfilled during the Feast of Tabernacles. The previous verse declares: “The Lord of Hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees.” (v.6) This is the beginning of the Everlasting Kingdom. “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him and He will save us.’” (v.9) Isaiah 30:19-21 also firmly establishes that the total cessation of tears is associated with our new beginning, when we will be saying: “This is the way, walk in it.” (v.21) We have now established the twenty-first century time sequences of two prophesied events, namely, the elimination of death and consequently, no more reason for us to cry tears of sorrow. Again, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth.... And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.” (Revelation 21:4.) Mortal humans, however will not be immune from death yet, but a righteous man who dies at the age of one hundred will be thought of as having died a “child”! (Isaiah 65:20)

I want to return to the only chapter concerning The Judgment Day, with reference to a “white throne”. The only totally unique information in Revelation 20:11-15 is that we learn that God’s throne is white! There is however another clue to the timing of The Judgment Day. “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God....” (v.12) Compare the phrase “small and great” to the other places where it is used in the Bible.

Revelation describes the Seventh Trumpet:

Revelation 11:15-18 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Messiah’... and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.

Timing: Day of the Lord.

Revelation 13:11-16 describes “another beast coming up out of the earth.... He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to receive a mark on their right hand and on their foreheads...”

Timing: Great Tribulation.

Revelation also describes when God will judge the harlot:

Revelation 19:2-5,18 “the great harlot who corrupted the earth....Then a voice came from the throne, saying ‘Praise our God for, all you His servants and those who fear Him small and great’”

Timing: Day of the Lord. Association alone, concerning these “small and great” statements, should indicate the timing of the “white throne” judgment.

The best news about the Kingdom of God is that we will not have to wait any longer for the “good news”. The Great Judgment Day will initiate the Everlasting Kingdom. Within the lifetime of many of us, both God the Father and the Son will be ruling a “New” Earth (Greek: “renewed”). The “New” (renewed) Jerusalem will descend out of a Renewed Heaven. Yeshua’s followers will have conquered Death, and many of our uninformed ancestors will be “excused” (pardoned) and made “equal to the angels” having already proved their willingness to obey the “golden rule”. For the time being, I believe that on Judgment Day the wicked will be resurrected in a physical state, just long enough to face their maker and then receive their punishment. Destiny is determined in part upon what you know. Verse 48 summarizes a primary principle about what you “know”: “to whom much is given, from him much will be required!” If everyone who was a transgressor of the law received the death sentence, then why would some receive just a few stripes? There is absolutely no doubt that Yeshua was teaching about the Judgment Day in the following passages! Some are greatly rewarded, some die, some are severely punished, and some are lightly punished as they begin their lives again in the Kingdom.

Luke 12:42-48 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes. 44 Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, 46 then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isnt expecting him, and in an hour that he doesnt know, and will cut him in two, [death sentence] and place his portion with the unfaithful. 47 That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didnt prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, [but not death] 48 but he who didnt KNOW, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked. WEB

The wicked will be purged out and no longer exist. (Ezekiel 20:38) Any rebellious new troublemakers will be terminated promptly. Immediately after the “thousand years”, following the resurrection of “the rest of the dead” who live and die within that period, God will award eternal life to another group of people who hungered and thirsted for righteousness.

These people will live into the one thousand year long Sabbath (the first such week of many).

Suppose that there were a judge who only offered two possible outcomes to people who were brought to him for judgment. It didnt matter if the crime was a traffic ticket or murder, he only offered two outcomes. Those receiving verdict number one would be awarded a large cash settlement ranging from one to ten million dollars. Those receiving verdict number two would be burned at the stake! Such a judge would be insanely unfair most of the time, regardless of which outcome he chose. This is of course ludicrous and would never happen in any country in the world, yet this is the exact form of “righteous judgment” that we are told that Yeshua will pronounce upon anyone whom He has called during these last 6000 years! This is true whether you buy into the Heaven/Hell doctrines or if you have partial understanding about either being placed in the very top positions of leadership in God’s family structure and receiving one to ten cities to rule over, in at least the first thousand years of the Everlasting Kingdom, as opposed to being burned to a crisp! Those whom God has called are not people who have all righteous character or no character. However, there is every shade of intermediate character imaginable. I tend to believe that most of those who truly have God’s Holy Spirit are about as black as they are white, you seldom see the “extremes”, so there are a lot of borderline cases—much to good to burn, but not good enough to become the Kings and Priests that God would place in the highest ruling positions of His Kingdom.

John 15:6 If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

This prevents contamination.

Every Messiahian professing organization that I am aware of promises either the millions of dollars or the fiery stake.

If you wonder whether Heaven or Earth is the reward of the saved, you should check out Scripture List 1 . If you wonder where God the Father will spend the next 1,000 years, then you should read Scripture The Lord and His Messiah.

Former WCG?

Many of the people who write to me concerning information found on this site were once a part of the late Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God. The following comments address some of the inconsistencies of his explanations of end time prophecy.

TIMING: Why did the Worldwide Church of God mistakenly determine that “the Great White Throne Judgment” (Revelation 20:11), as they termed it, should follow “the Millennium”? How did the church determine that New Jerusalem, and God the Father Himself, were also put on hold for 1000 years? Why had they taught the idea that the New Heavens and New Earth were part of the distant future? Indeed, why did they describe a fiery ending of the world, when the relevant scriptures actually all describe the devastation of the Day of the Lord? Would the destruction of the earth following the restoration of all things, and “the millennium”, be a sane thing to do?

All of these “postponements” and errors were based on a series of assumptions—all of which were wrong!

Assumption #1:

Herbert Armstrong always assumed that anyone whom God had not called within the six thousand years to be king and priests in the Kingdom of God must at some future time be physically resurrected as humans and judged similarly to the way that we were, over the course of a lifetime. He taught that they would be given a better opportunity to please God. This was based entirely upon wishful thinking centering on Ezekiel 37’s dry bones! For a brief recap of the Book of Ezekiel, the first 36 chapters describe the ancient demise of Israel and contrast it to the time when the nation of Israel will be metaphorically brought back from the dead! Ezekiel 36, the very context of which the “dry bones” refer, perfectly and succinctly illustrates the purpose of the book of Ezekiel. Notice below the context immediately preceding “dem” dry bones is about the restoration of the “lost Ten Tribes”! Judah is included beginning in verse 15 in an analogy about healing a broken stick. (No, the stick is not literally resurrected either.)

Ezekiel 36:6-36 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations…8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.... 10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 12 Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of children ... [situation rectified!]. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds ... [preparatory to the metaphoric “resurrection” of Israel] 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 33 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.

Ironically, the WCG did understand the coming restoration of the nation of Israel, and yet still tried to force the figurative language of the dry bones into meaning a physical resurrection of all of mankind. The confusion was further compounded by their teaching that this so called “resurrection” would take place 1000 years after all of the specific prophecies contained within the book of Revelation—a book entirely devoted to envisioning the end of this age and the restoration of Israel—were completed!

The prophecies of the Bible will soon be history, including the message itself about the restoration of Israel. There will be no urgency to respond to a prophetic message! The trials encountered while being a Saint will not be relevant to the people living within the Kingdom. Peer pressure will put people into “the Assembly”! There will be no special callings then; no Assembly of called out ones, the entire world will then be “called”. No jobs or heads will be lost while struggling to please our God. Nothing will be the same for the people living in the Everlasting Kingdom. Satan will be gone and even the wicked people who lived among us will be removed. Their circumstances wont remotely resemble ours!

Assumption #2:

WCG hierarchy always assumed that God could not determine, from observing people’s lives in this age, their fitness for eternal life. Yet no scripture in the Bible indicates that God has any trouble determining who the truly wicked are! One reason why the WCG moved the Great White Throne Judgment ahead in time by 1000 years was because it couldnt accept the fact that God will judge much of humanity in the way that most of Yeshua’s parables so clearly describe: “when the son of man returns....” The wicked have no excuse for being wicked!

Romans 2:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [suppression of the truth will end during this present age, yet ignorance is not an excuse to be evil!] 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Assumption #3:

Herbert Armstrong taught that the New Heavens and the New Earth would arrive after “the millennium” because the account describing it immediately follows the Great White Throne Judgment, beginning in the next chapter. They assumed that it followed “the millennium” because they already assumed that The Great White Throne Judgment followed “the millennium”! Many of the accounts in the book of Revelation describe events that happen simultaneously. The last chapters fall within the Day of the Lord. In fact, the entire book of Revelation concerns what John “saw” and “heard” (Revelation 22:8) during the Day of the Lord!

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice....

Assumption #4:

WCG then had to have a reason to postpone these wonderful events, so they further assumed that God the Father wouldnt touch us with a zillion mile pole, until we were perfect!

Assumption #5:

The book of Revelation is a book concerning primarily the amazing events of the first third of the 21st century. Even the information about the Seven “Churches” (Revelation 2-3), in hindsight, predominantly deals with seven different groups of latter day commandment keeping people–amid much doctrinal chaos. God told Thyatira to “hold fast what you have till I come”, (Revelation 2:25) which approximates what He told the following three Assemblies. These are not “Church eras”—the seven Assemblies all coexist in the end time! All of the major occurrences in the book of Revelation are described as end-of-this-present-evil-age-events in the Hebrew Scriptures. The verses that confused the WCG about timing are found in Revelation 20:1-10, the text contains three events that would have been in the form of footnotes had Revelation been written today. These three things all deal strictly with Satan’s brief future return, judgment and second death, as well as the judgment of “the rest of the dead”. Aside from these clearly labeled, “post millennial” events, we know absolutely nothing specific about developments that take place beyond the thousand years. Here are the comments that tend to lose the casual reader: “But after these things [Satan] must be released for a little while” (v.3). Then the context returns to the beast during the end time. Then there is a second “footnote”. “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” (v.5) After this we return again to the end time, specifically the “first resurrection”, and our reigning for the 1,000 years. Then in verses 7-10, the final footnote again takes us “back to the future”, to Satan and the Beast and the False Prophet’s demise. (See Satan’s Second Death) If you can temporarily overlook these three footnotes, then there is no problem understanding the story flow that moves from the destruction of the Beast power, then to the White Throne Judgment and straight to the New Heavens, the New Earth and the New Jerusalem! Assumption #5 is that the footnotes, mostly concerning Satan, move all of the rest of the information in the book of Revelation ahead by 1,000 years! I’ve read the end of the book and we win—right away!

Assumption #6:

The primary “reason” offered as to why it would require 1,000 years of peace to prepare for the Great White Throne Judgment, a presumed human resurrection, is the fact that there have been “an estimated 50,000,000,000 people” who have lived and died since Adam and Eve were created. Hence, the Judgment period of these people was thought to include too many humans for God to be able to cope with in the aftermath of the Day of the Lord. The theory was that billions of people would be simultaneously resurrected and in need of food, clothing and shelter at the same time. The solution is that the White Throne Judgment results in a vast number of people actually becoming spirit beings who are “equal to the angels”. WCG spoke of three resurrections and none of them had to do with anyone becoming equal to the angels!

Timeless Quote: All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

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