*** 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.