The Ultimate Conclusion

Isaiah 66:15-24

“For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.” (Isaiah 66:15-16)

Prior to the Millennium, God will repeatedly use fire to punish mankind and try to convince them to turn to him.   Revelations 9:18 describes one such instance during the tribulation period.  “By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.”  At the end of the tribulation, because the followers of the Antichrist refuse to turn to Christ, even attacking him with the intent of destroying him, Christ will destroy the world government and set up the millennial kingdom.  Revelation 19:11-15 describes Him using the sword of his word to break the Antichrist’s and Satan’s power. 

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:11-15)

At the end of the Millennium, Revelation 20:7-9m describes the armies of the world being destroyed by fire.  “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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.  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.”

“They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.  For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.” (Isaiah 66:17-18)

Those who are worshipping in their own way, establishing their own standards of righteousness, practicing what God has forbidden and dabbling with other religions will be destroyed.  The messages to Pergamos and Thyatira in Revelation 2 carry the same warning that those who get caught up in this will be destroyed.  In Revelation 2:22-23, God warns those who have accepted the teachings of Jezebel; “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

“And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.  And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.  And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 66:19-21)

The survivors of the battle with the Lord will escape to other nations that have not been involved in the Antichrist’s plot, telling those nations about God’s power and victory.  As a result, they will enable the Jews to return to Jerusalem by whatever means is available in an effort to procure God’s favor.  Some of those who return will be given positions as priests and Levites. 

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.  And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:22-24)

Revelation 21 describes the new heavens and the new earth that God will make.  They will remain throughout eternity, and here god makes the same promise to Israel.  They will keep the covenants that they made with God, offering the sacrifices at the beginning of every month and every seventh day, but it won’t just be Israel, but every person worldwide, during the Millennial reign.  After the destruction of the Antichrist’s army, it will take seven months to bury all the bodies, and the bodies and graves will be a powerful reminder of God’s power.  Ezekiel 39:11-14 describes the period. 

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.   And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.  Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.”

Those who have attacked Christ, as well as all who have rejected his authority will be cast into the lake of fire, as described in Revelation 20:10-15)

“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.  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

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.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

Mark 9:43-48 describes what eh lake of fire is like.  “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mr 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

It would be better to go through life maimed or handicapped in some terrible way than to be cast into the lake of fire. Those handicaps or other injuries are temporary, only lasting until we die, whereas the judgment in Hell is forever and will never end.