On Sunday, the 25th of June, four young men from Liverpool, England known as the Beatles, did something which had never been done.  Through a satellite link, 400 million people on five continents, heard Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Star sing the catchy anthem, “All You Need Is Love.” Written on cardboard placards in an assortment of languages, flowers, streamers and balloons were added to give the sense of celebration and hope to a global community. If there was just love, peace and harmony on earth could be realized. This message was significant in that the world around them was not at peace, at all. The performers had grown up in a country scarred by war, where even great stretches of their native city, Liverpool, had been levelled by German bombs. Just three weeks before the broadcast, The Six Day War had broken out in Israel. Egyptian and Syrian planes littered landscapes that had been traveled by the biblical patriarchs. Through this conflict the Jewish people miraculously routed an Arab alliance in six days, taking back their holy city of Jerusalem.  In Vietnam hatred seemed to be burning out of control like the firebombs being dropped on the country’s jungles. Most terrifying of all were the tensions between the world’s two nuclear superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. The world lived under the shadow of nuclear war as each country pointed their missiles at each other. As the historian Tom Holland writes, “Humanity had arrogated to itself what had always previously been viewed as a divine prerogative: the power to end the world.  Never had the world been in such a place of apocalyptic danger.”  

Yet, on that very same Sunday, approximately 650 million people across the globe, attended services of Christian worship under the most internationally recognized symbol: the cross.  The meaning behind this symbol had done more over the preceding centuries to usher in love in the areas of compassion for the weak, dignity for people, and care within relationships. It was not just an idea but a transformative power. In a world where dominance and power were seen as the controlling rule of life, the cross proclaimed that the very lowest of the low can become the highest. It is the meek who “will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) The victims of the world can become victors. The poor and marginalized are endowed with a dignity seen and validated by the Almighty. It was a message, beginning 2000 years earlier, which turned the values of the world upside down.  The cross has become the standard by which we understand and measure what the meaning of love is which the Beatles referenced.

In this article, we will see three ways that the gospel of Jesus Christ transformed the very fabric of culture making the world a much greater place for human flourishing.

The Revolutionary Message of the Cross

To the first century audience, the cross and its values appeared painfully absurd. The apostle Paul expressed the folly of the cross as follows:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 

Paul, who wrote half of the books in the New Testament, was obsessed with this message. He presented the crucifixion of Jesus as a stark dividing line in the values of humanity, with some deriding it and some devoted to it. At the time, the “God on a cross” was an obnoxious folly. Crucifixion was the most barbarous and cruel form of capital punishment used by the Romans to display the terror of the state for those who opposed it. Yet, over time, for millions it was this proclamation which made sense of their lives and the world around them.

Charity 

Let’s go back to the time before Jesus entered into the world.  The ethic of the ancient world was one that was ruled by the strong who had unrestricted rule over the weak, and there was never any question of it.  The greatest philosophers and thinkers would have scoffed at the idea that “all men are created equal.”

“…that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule.”

Aristotle, 384–322 BC

The gods and heroes of the ancient myths were predatory and scorned the weak. The starving deserved no sympathy. Beggars were best deported. Pity risked undermining a wise man’s self-control. On the sides of roads or on garbage heaps, babies abandoned by their parents were a common sight to those travelling. Few had ever questioned this practice. In Sparta, for example, condemning deformed infants for the good of the state was a virtuous practice. Neglect, disdain and abandonment of the poor and less fortunate had always been taken for granted until the emergence of a Christian people. It was Christians who were the first to ever organize widespread care for the poor, abandoned and sick.  Emperor Julian, who hated Christianity, complained to a pagan priest: 

“when it came about that the poor were neglected and overlooked by the [pagan] priests, then I think the impious Galilaeans [i.e., Christians] observed this fact and devoted themselves to philanthropy.” “[They] support not only their poor, but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us.”

The roots of Christian charity ran deep. Jesus had stated that our judgement in heaven will be based on how we cared for the poor and needy. In fact, Jesus identified his very life with the hurting of the world.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.“

Matthew 25:35-36

For generations, Christians had taken weekly collections for orphans, widows, the imprisoned, and the sick. As Christianity grew in numbers so did its funding for those in need. Because of this entire system of social security had begun to emerge. This was an entirely new reality brought about by the message of the cross.

Consent 

This new way of living came to redefine the relationship of men to women. Roman law defined marriage as a monogamous institution, but that had not meant that it required men to display life-long fidelity. Men could legally divorce at will and sexually force themselves on their inferiors as they pleased. Christianity stood in strong opposition to this exploitative behavior. A sacred understanding of marriage was introduced into the world. The husband and wife were joined as Christ and his church, “one flesh” in a pledge of strict love and faithfulness to each other. By the standards of the day, this commitment and respect given to marriage was heroic. Over time, as Tom Holland informs:

The assumption that marriage existed to cement alliances between two families—an assumption as universal as it was primordial—had not easily been undermined. No couple could be forced into a betrothal, nor into wedlock, nor into a physical coupling… It was consent, not coercion, that constituted the only proper foundation of a marriage…Opening up before the Christian people was the path to a radical new conception of marriage: one founded on mutual attraction, on love.

So strange was the Christian conception of marriage that it had always raised eyebrows in the lands beyond where Christianity flourished. Indeed the message of the cross brought something entirely new.

Compassion  

It is no surprise that the Jesus movement made a priority of caring for the sick, which was the beginning of hospitals. The Greeks had their physicians to care for the wealthy who could afford it. The Romans had their “sick bays” for slaves and soldiers. But these existed to return the injured to economic and military usefulness. Christians, following the lead of teachings like the Good Samaritan, developed something altogether new: healthcare for all. David Bentley Hart gives a sketch of the early development:

“St. Ephraim the Syrian (A.D. c. 306-373), when the city of Edessa was ravaged by plague, established hospitals open to all who were afflicted. St. Basil the Great (A.D. 329-379) founded a hospital in Cappadocia with a ward set aside for the care of lepers, whom he did not disdain to nurse with his own hands. St. Benedict of Nursia (A.D. c. 480 – c. 547) opened a free infirmary at Monte Cassino and made care of the sick a paramount duty of his monks. In Rome, the Christian noblewoman and scholar St. Fabiola (d. A.D. c. 399) established the first public hospital in Western Europe and—despite her wealth and position—often ventured out into the streets personally to seek out those who needed care. St. John Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407), while patriarch of Constantinople, used his influence to fund several such institutions in the city.”

This care for the poor and sick was headed up by church leaders. From the 5th century there was, a “cascade of hospitals”. These movements were thoroughly and particularly Christian.

Today, if you need first aid, look for a white cross on a green background—the internationally recognized sign. If you’re in a crisis, it’s the “Red Cross” which millions turn. The Good Samaritan lives because of a revolution of love offered by the crucified Christ.

Is Love All You Need?

What are the lessons that can be taken from the message of the cross in relation to hope for our world?

The message of the cross must continue to inform culture.

The ideas of compassion, charity and consent that we take for granted today were once considered weird. Compassion and care for the undeserving was considered a weakness; now we consider it a virtue. Once powerful men could possess the bodies of whomever they pleased; now we name this as the abuse that it is. Once, it was assumed that certain classes of people could be enslaved; now we consider that idea a kind of “blasphemy.” This change occurred because our culture became shaped by God crucified on the cross. These ideas will always lose their meaning unless they are anchored to the message of the gospel.

The message of the cross will continue to transform culture.

It was a year before the Beatle’s transmitted their performance by satellites that John Lennon in an interview declared, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I know I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.” Yet, four years later, on April 10th, 1970, the band announced they were finished. A year later, embarking on a solo career, John Lennon wrote his hymn to atheistic secularism, Imagine.

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too

Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
You

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Far from having “no possessions,” Lennon lived safely inside a gated community away from the sufferings of the world, on a seventy-two acre Berkshire estate, complete with a Rolls-Royce and swimming pool. In a decade his life would be no more.

Though the Beatles and their revolution of secular love abruptly ended, it would be in the 1970’s that global Christianity experienced an unprecedented growth. Far from seeing a world in which there was “no religion,” the world became more oriented to it. A pivot event was the opening of China to the rest of the world in the mid-1970’s, when Mao’s Cultural Revolution ended. China can now boast of the fastest growing church in the world, with an estimated 16,500 new Christians every day. Between 1900 and 2000, the number of Christians in Africa grew from 10 million to over 360 million, from 10 percent of the population to 46 percent. The World Christian Encyclopedia recorded that more Anglican Christians worship in Nigeria in any given week than all the Episcopal and Anglican churches of Europe and North America combined. The message of the cross is now transforming the Global South (countries south of the Equator) in the way it once did in Europe and North America. As Jesus prophesied,

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations…

Matthew 24:14

Where the gospel is established, cultures reflect more love than they do power.

You’ve probably heard it said multiple times that sin has broken down this world to a twisted form of the perfection in which God originally created it. At first, the world was a paradise, free from evil, dysfunction, and every manner of suffering. Then, sin entered the equation, and the rest, as they say, is history.

However, there are almost certainly aspects of this earth that you enjoy—that you find beautiful or worthwhile or enjoyable. Maybe you love taking early morning walks and savoring the crisp, fresh air. Maybe sitting out at a quiet dock and fishing is more your speed. Maybe you dearly treasure your relationships with friends and family.

Even as I write this, I think about the simple pleasure of running my hands through my dog’s fur as she barks at me to play fetch. The point is, there are many things about this earth that are still inherently good and lovely, despite it being warped by the curse of sin. God has richly blessed us with fulfilling, enjoyable lives.

Because of this, many of us are skeptical of the idea of a new heaven and new earth, which scripture tells us we will live in when God comes to dwell with his children forever. We might find ourselves thinking “hey, I know this world has some problems, but do we really have to get rid of it completely? I kind of like it here.”

It’s a compelling question: what can we expect from the new heaven and new earth? Will it do away with everything we loved about our lives here in place of an eternity spent sitting on a cloud, strumming a harp? The answer is a resounding no.

What Will It Be Like?

Renewed World

The setting in which it takes place…that will be something special. The new heaven and new earth will be everything we loved about our life here, but better. Like an earth 2.0! The pleasures and joys of your life here on earth won’t simply dissipate into nothing. I quoted Anthony in my prior article, and I will do it again here: “[In the new heaven and new earth] creation’s beauties will be heightened, its pleasures strengthened, our limitations lifted.”

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Revelation 21:1-2

Consider its very name—new heaven and new earth. You will notice it is not called the different heaven and the different earth. John explicitly describes a new heaven and earth. There are two words for “new” in Greek. Neos means “brand new” and kainos means “remade.” Kainos is the word John used in this instance.

Think of it this way. Let’s say a mechanic told you he picked up an old Corvette from a junkyard and remade it. When he shows off his handiwork, you are not expecting to see a completely different object. Instead, you expect to see a new, souped-up version of the Corvette. That’s a similar situation to what happens with this earth and the new earth.

It will not be this floating, misty, colorless, ethereal realm. It will come down to earth where we are as a complete renovation of the current order. We will tend abundant gardens without overgrowths of thorns. We will hike through lush, sprawling forests without encountering dead wildlife. We will ascend mountains without worry of falling to our death.

Renewed Bodies

Also of note are the vessels in which we experience all of this, namely our new and glorious bodies. These may sound familiar to you, as we have talked about them at length numerous times on this blog.

Study this passage from Paul and see how Jesus’ resurrected body is a harbinger of the joy that is to come for us.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:20

What does it mean that Christ is the “firstfruit?” Consider this! He was the first of the resurrection harvest, the first in a long line of believers who would be resurrected into a heavenly body. When he rose from the dead into a new and glorious form, that was a glimpse into our future and the world’s future.

He still had a physical body, people could recognize his features, and he was able to eat food. However, his body was also renewed. It was the same…but better. It transcended death. He was able to walk through walls. At one point, he even teleported into a room. This is a sampling of the renewed body we will one day enjoy in the new heaven and new earth.

Reunion

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Revelation 21:3

Heaven’s greatest joy is reunion. We will be reunited with all our loved ones who died in Christ. One of God’s purposes in salvation was to create an eternal family united by a love that never fades, and we will one day see this come to fruition.

The greatest reunion, though, is with God himself. We will enjoy his loving and powerful companionship for all eternity, and our hearts will be filled with so much delight and love for him that we will not know how to contain it. It will be our honor to enjoy and glorify him forever.

Release

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

This is a huge thing separating the new heaven and earth from the here and now. There will be no more pain, suffering, death, decay, and dysfunction. “No pain” means no more chronic illness. No more aching joints. No more emergency rooms, or children’s hospitals, or cancer centers, or pharmacies. All of that will have passed away with the rest of the horrors from this world.

“No tears” means no more depression. No more fear, misunderstanding, grief counselors, therapy appointments, psychological torture and existential dread. Can you even imagine a world without all of this? Probably not. It will be indescribably good. Better than we could ever dream of or hope for.

This suffering-free world is made possible through the cross of Christ, which saved us from the penalty of sin—the suffocating hold sin had on our lives and the eternity of anguish it was ultimately leading us to.

Reassignment

Think we’re just going to be sitting around on a comfy bed all day in heaven? Think again.

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

Revelation 22:3

Who do you think those “servants” will be? If you guessed “us,” then you are right. And what do servants do? They serve! They aren’t bored; they are busy. Work was part of God’s original creation. It was not added because of the curse that came with Original Sin. We worked while in paradise. This means, when God restores the earth, work will be part of the new creation, too.

With that said, it will not be how it is here, filled with anxiety and struggle and miserable toil. God knows how he created you—how he uniquely wired you, so he knows what you love to do. We don’t know what we will be doing for certain, but we do know it will be fulfilling.

The only jobs we know won’t be there are doctors (because no one is sick) and preachers/evangelists (because everyone is saved already).

Reign

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:5

There have been some questions over what exactly we will be reigning over. Some thinks this means we will reign with God over the angels. Some say it will be over all of creation. Others, such as C.S. Lewis, have proposed we will reign over other planets and galaxies.

I do not claim to know precisely what this passage is talking about, but I do know it means we will be reigning with God for eternity, so we can be rest assured it will be wonderful beyond belief.

You see, Revelation does not end with an ending. It ends with a beginning. The new heaven and new earth is a fresh and never-ending adventure. Even after the first, say, one million years, you will never get to the point of saying “gee, I’m bored.” Instead, you will be saying “this is amazing, what’s next?”

What Now?

Look to What Is Better

No matter what manner of evil, suffering, and contempt this life throws at us, we can always take joy in our knowledge of what is to come. Let this sustain you in times of hardship. Things might be bad right now, but they are going to get better. Immeasurably better.

Furthermore, whenever you find yourself feeling empty and purposeless, just cling to what scripture says. There is a reason you have that gaping desire for purpose. We do not have a need unless there is something to fill that need. If we feel hungry, we know there is food to satisfy us. If we have sexual desire, we know sex can satisfy us. If we desire for something larger than us, something more than this life has to offer, we know that one day this need will be met in the new heaven and new earth.

Look to Build a Bridge

Thoroughly consider this question: what is something good we can do here that we will not be able to do in the next life? The answer is we can only make disciples of Jesus Christ while we are here.

Instead of following a bucket list of fifty crazy things you want to do before you die and dedicating your life towards crossing them off, why don’t you cross out everything on that list and replace them with “winning hearts for Jesus” written in big, bold letters? This is our mission here on earth. If we feel empty and purposelessness right now, it is likely because we are not utilizing the unique gifting with which God has equipped us to win hearts for the Kingdom.

So consider what it is you are skilled at. How can you use those talents to serve God and make disciples? Ponder over the relationships God has placed in your life. Which of them have spiritual potential? Be in prayer over what you can do to live for God, and watch your life become transformed as God transforms others through you.

Do not despair. One day you will stand in the presence of God, free from the burden of death and disease with an eternity of memories to make with Jesus and other believers. That will be reality one day.

In the meantime, do not keep from praying and working for the saving of souls.

Something I frequently say is that this life is simply a temporary stop on the bus ride to eternity. Nobody on this earth gets out of here alive. If you are reading this, you have a one hundred percent chance of dying someday.

Now, I know the above statement is not what most would consider pleasant. That’s not a saying you would put on a coffee mug or a motto you would repeat when in need of inspiration. It is, however, the truth. Ignoring it will do no better at preventing it than ignoring April 15 will at keeping you from paying your taxes. One way or another, the government is getting its money, and one way or another, everyone will die.

Furthermore, after death, everyone will move on to their eternal judgement, whether it is good or bad. We have all heard the term “judgement day” before, so much so that perhaps it can feel like a myth or start to lose its meaning. With that said, eternal judgement is very real. Some of the book of Revelation’s final chapters explain in-depth what will happen on this day of eternal judgement. Let’s learn more about it.  

Great White Throne Judgement

Revelation is a book written by John the Apostle, in which God shares with him various details about what will happen in the end-times. It culminates in John learning what will happen to both those who are and are not in Christ.

The people whose names are not written in the Book of Life must stand before the great white throne to be judged.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Revelation 20:11-12

There is a key detail here that is important to point out before continuing. It is right there in the second half of verse eleven. Read it over again.

The earth and the heavens try to flee from God’s presence…but there is no place to go. No place to hide. There is no escaping the judgement to come. The guilty, all throughout biblical history, have attempted to flee from God. Adam hid behind a bush. Jonah stowed away on a boat. Well, this time there will be no hiding. Everything will be brought to light. Every deed of the unbeliever will be weighed against God’s perfect law, and the blood of Jesus will not be there to cover them—they rejected it.

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 

Revelation 20:13

This passage grows more sobering the more we read. You may find yourself wondering what “death and hades” are. It is the place those who are not in Christ go to after they die in order to await final judgement. It is not hell, although there do appear some similarities (you may remember the story of the rich man in Luke 16:14-31 who goes there and desperately yearns for a single drop of water on his tongue).

As for the sea that gave up its dead, this could refer to those who rebelled against Christ during his thousand-year-reign. At any rate, we see here everyone who rejected Christ’s free gift of salvation, whether alive or dead, here to receive eternal judgement for their sins.

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14-15

The entirety of those who rebelled, after they stand before the great white throne to be judged, is now thrown into the lake of fire, where they will remain for eternity. The lake of fire, or the second death, is what we call “hell.” It is the place of eternal separation from God, the fitting punishment for sinning against our holy and just Creator.

This is just one of two possible eternal destinies. We will now explore the other one.

Judgement Seat of Christ

In these passages, the apostle Paul is telling the Church about the experience of the believer on the day of judgement, which differs wildly from that of the unbeliever.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹ for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” ¹² So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:10-12

When believers stand before the judgement seat of Christ, they are not judged for every individual sin they committed, and the wrath of God will not be upon them. This is solely due to the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who took the punishment we deserved and reconciled us to God.

Rather, believers will be judged on how well they lived their life in service to Christ and expanding the Kingdom of God. Did we make the most of our discipling opportunities? Did we model Christ effectively to those around us? Did we support others in the body of Christ? Did we utilize our gifting the way God commanded us to?

After appearing before the judgement seat of Christ, it will be time to enjoy our glorious inheritance. Just read!

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4

There are no words that can describe the joy of the believer’s eternal destiny accurately. The new heaven and new earth are the inheritance of every follower of Christ, and they are eternal community with God.

Have you ever worried if it’s going to be boring in heaven? Perhaps you picture sitting on a cloud all day singing boring hymns for billions upon billions of years, with everything you loved about your old life gone? Worry no longer! The new heaven and the new earth are not like that. They are everything you loved about the old heaven and earth but better! They offer renewal, not an unrecognizable change.

Heaven won’t be this misty, ethereal realm. It will come down to earth. It will be all that we held dear minus the curse of sin. As Pastor Anthony says: “creation’s beauties will be heightened, its pleasures strengthened, and our limitations lifted.”

We will walk in our new and glorious bodies, free from sorrow and disease and sin, and we will serve!

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

Revelation 22:1-3

His “servants will serve him.” That’s us. Work was part of God’s original creation. Adam and Eve worked in the garden even before the Original Sin. It will be part of the new creation, too. We don’t know exactly what it will be, but we can be assured it will be work each individual can thrive in and find fulfilling—tailored to our unique gifting and abilities.

In short, we will spend eternity abundantly serving, glorifying, and enjoying God in the beautiful new heaven and new earth, free from death and sin forever.

⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. ⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:7-8

What Now?

Choose and Teach Life

A famous and powerful passage from Deuteronomy 30:15-20 is brought to mind. In this book, God has reminded the Israelites of all he has commanded them and retold them the story of how he delivered them from captivity. After this, almost as if to summarize everything he has talked about, he tells them that he has set before them blessing and curse…life and death. Therefore, they should choose life! Our situation is much the same today. Upon reading the whole Bible and ending with Revelation, we can come to the conclusion that God has set before us life and death, blessing and curse. Which are we going to choose? Furthermore, which pathway are we going to lead others down? We know what happens to those who reject Christ. There is not utility in telling somebody their shoes look nice while they are on their way to walking off a cliff.

We have been given a sphere of influence—people we may invest in and disciple. Pray about these people and pray for opportunities to develop a spiritual relationship with them.

Look to What Is Better

In the midst of life’s pain and dysfunction, and in the midst of our struggle with sin, we can sometimes forget what it is we are working for. It is interesting how quick we are to forget our purpose and the glorious inheritance that awaits us as believers. As you walk through your darkest valleys, never forget the eternity of joy and fulfillment at the other end of the tunnel. We have a hope that never dies from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who saw fit to die for us that we might have life with Him forever. There is no greater joy than this.

World Peace. When you see the term, what comes to mind?  My wife said a Miss America pageant with one of the contestants expressing her greatest hopes. All kidding aside, many social, political and scientific movements have dreamed and envisioned an earth without war and conflict.

• Woodrow Wilson started the League of Nations in hopes of building a world without war.
• Lyndon Johnson tried to stamp out poverty with an enhanced welfare system.  
• Biosphere 2 was created to be a self-sustained Garden of Eden where vegetation could be grown apart from the outside world.  
• Seastead, an island off of California, is seeking to reinvent a life apart from government intrusion.  
• Communism had the goal of establishing a world of peace and harmony with no poverty.

All of these efforts have failed, some at disastrous levels. We will see why these experiments have always failed and where the true source of world peace will come. It is in the earth’s future golden age known as the Millennium.

The Abyss: Satan in Lockup

The Bible tells us that when Christ returns to earth he will fight the battle of Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16) You’ve probably heard of Armageddon, the popular Bruce Willis movie. But what is the biblical Armageddon? It is a hill on the plain of Megiddo, located in the northwestern region of Israel.  The plain is seven miles wide and twenty miles long. Thirty-four historic battles have been fought there.  Napoleon, when seeing this plain, exclaimed that it was the most perfect and natural battlefield in which armies could meet.  It is there that Christ will rapidly overthrow the forces of evil. He will then take the architect of all evil–Satan–and lock him up.

Here is how it is described.  

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.

Revelation 20:1

Notice that this angel which does this is not named. It is not an archangel but appears to be an ordinary–rank and file-angel.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him…

Revelation 20:2-3

What is the abyss?  It is like a holding tank or jail which currently holds the worst of the worst demonic powers. The John Gottis, Al Capones, and Osama Bin Ladens of the spiritual underworld go there. 

Why is Satan placed in the abyss?       

…to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

Revelation 20:3^a

But at the end of v.3 we encounter something very troubling.

After that, he must be set free for a short time.

Revelation 20;3^b

Shockingly, he will be set free for a short period of time. Why?  It would be like us catching a terrorist and then letting him out–why not just keep him there? Hold that question.  

What Happens in the Millennium?

Picture this: Christ has returned and is ruling. Satan is behind bars, so to speak. What will we do? Some of you may say, “I don’t know about this heaven and eternity jazz. I don’t get too excited about floating on clouds and strumming polished golden harps. Look at what the key activity during this time will be.

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.

Revelation 20:4

The key activity is to judge, which means to rule and reign. This will involve leadership, setting direction, achieving goals, coordinating activity. The Bible teaches that we will have a central place in God’s governmental structure on the earth and rebuilding this broken world.  Let’s look at some scriptures:

But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever–yes, for ever and ever….Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.

Daniel 7:18 , 27 

What is this reign?  Revelation does not say what the reign of Christ will be like.  It has already been elaborated in great detail in the Old Testament.  The social and political peace that the Jewish people were expecting in a Messiah at the time of Jesus is what he will bring at his return.  The verses we are going to look at were the ones they were hanging on to at the first coming of Christ.

Here are some of the characteristics:   

Characteristic # 1: Nature will not cause misery. 

How many of you have ever suffered from Poison Oak or Poison Ivy? No more.  How many of you pick blackberries?  You job will be a lot easier.  Thorn free. 

Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.

Isaiah 55:13

The curse that plagues nature will be gone. Along with this there will be a regular production of crops and food.  No more years of a poor harvests. The seasons and weather will work in a beautiful harmony.   

Characteristic # 2: The life span of people will increase.

Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

Isaiah 65:20

There is death but no more miscarriages, and the tragic loss of loved ones due to illness will be greatly reduced. But notice it says there is still death.

 Characteristic # 3: Human life and animal life will be in sync. 

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

Isaiah 11:6-8

There will be no dog bites, bee stings, or shark attacks. Further, animals will not prey on each other.

 Characteristic # 4: There will be no physical infirmities.

Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  

Isaiah 35:4-6

Characteristic # 5: Strong social distinctions will be removed.

Revelation talked about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer will become more pronounced. It is amazing today that the ability for social stratification has increased to levels never known before. Bill Gates or Elon Musk is worth more money than the poorest 160 million people in the world’s population.  It would take more than 2,000 years for the average teacher to make what the highest paid professional athlete makes with a seven year contract.  In the thousand year reign of Christ those types of strong social distinctions will be no more.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,‍ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—                                                            

Isaiah 61:1-3 (See Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-5, 42:1-4)   

Characteristic # 6: Christ will be the center of worship and rulership of the entire earth.  (Isaiah 14:1-2, Jeremiah 33:15-17)                                                                          

He will be in Jerusalem.  His lordship will be supreme. And he will be in high command.  Every day will be a day of intense discovery and adventure.  Every day will offer a new reason to worship.  This will be life lived to the max.   

Let me throw you a curve ball.  What I am describing here is not the new heaven and the new earth where time will be no more, and eternal perfection will be permanently sealed. That is described in chapters 21-22.   We saw moments ago that there will be a rebellion.                  

Satan Unchained    

When Christ comes to the earth, and those who come with him, will have new bodies that will never die and be free of sin.  There will be people who have endured through the tribulation and remained faithful to Christ. They, unlike the returning saints, will not have new and glorified bodies. Those people will carry on and have human decedents.  They will have children, and their children will have children.  They will repopulate and rebuild this devastated earth.  These children will be born in sin and will have to make a decision to follow Christ–receive his salvation and be born of the Holy Spirit.  Just as people did not bow the knee at his first coming, so there will be people who do not bow at this second period of time.                                         

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth…to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.                            

Revelation 20:7-10

In this rebellion, they were smoked right away. 

Why this rebellion?        

It will be decisively shown that the great human need is a spiritual heart transplant.  

 After this rebellion it will show that you can take the boy out of the gutter, but you can’t take the gutter out of the boy.   No matter how good our circumstances are we are still motivated toward evil unless the Holy Spirit changes our heart.  The solution to the problem of the human condition is not a change of environment.  This is why Jesus stated that we must be born again. We need inward change. It is interesting that the majority of people who win a lottery go bankrupt. More money made their financial problems worse. This is the reason why grand experiments to bring paradise to earth will always fail. Our main problems are not surrounding us but in us.

It will be decisively shown that hell is eternal because those who go there have an incurable wickedness. 

Satan is unleashed.  After a thousand years what does he do?  The same old stuff.  With a thousand years to think and reflect and change he does not.  He has an incurable wickedness.  Given the perfect conditions and perfect knowledge of Christ, people still choose against him and follow Satan. It will show that hell is not a place of torture. Torture is against your will. People will go there because they made the choice to reject Christ. 

Pastor Tony Evans tells this story, “In 1929, a man named George Wilson robbed a mail carrier and killed him. He was sentenced to die but received a presidential pardon. To the shock of the Oval Office, he rejected the pardon. The president of the United States had set him free. George Wilson said no. The case went to the Supreme Court and the issue was simply this: If the president of the United States gives you a pardon, aren’t you pardoned? Can you reject a pardon given by a sovereign? Chief Justice Marshall rendered the decision. It simply read: ‘A pardon rejected is no pardon at all. Unless the recipient of the pardon accepts the pardon, then the pardon cannot be applied.’”

Those who reject the pardon of Christ do so completely and totally. God will give people over to their wills.