Pre-Trib says Magog is Russia. It is not, so let's look closer. Understanding Gog and Magog is vitally important if we are going to study other Bible prophecies about the End of Time and the Millennium. If we properly identify Gog and Magog, our views on the Rapture, the Second Coming, the Millennial Kingdom, and all other End-Time events will fit together perfectly with no Un-Answered or Un-Answerable Questions, and we'll need not Ponder as to why Jesus and Paul said there'll be no mortals, no sinners, no marrying, and no dying after Christ's Second Coming. If Pre-Trib's version of the Millennium is correct, then we obviously have completely misunderstood Jesus and Paul.
If the Reader is a Pre-Trib Pastor, or a well studied Pre-Trib layman, you know that Pre-Trib stands firm on the belief that Magog is Russia. You also know that Pre-Trib says Russia will be the prime Nation in the Battle of Armageddon just before Christ's Second Coming, and also in Satan's battle against Jerusalem at the end of the Millennium. Thus, Pre-Trib says Russia will be involved in two battles on both sides of the Millennial Kingdom. Pastor, we promise that, after examining what we present here, you will be relieved at how this Pondered Question is completely solved.
Pre-Trib's Dilemma
In this Blogsite we'll show Bible proof that Gog represents Satan and that Magog, as well as Meshach, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Lybya, Gomer, and Togarmah actually represent every lost sinner that ever lived on planet Earth. But first we will show directly from Pre-Trib's doctrines that Russia cannot be the leading nation in Battles before and after the Millennial.
Pre-Trib's Two Views
Pre-Trib is divided as to how wicked people will enter the Kingdom of God. If the Reader is a Pastor or well studied Pre-Trib Layman, you know about these two views. Both views are taken from Christ's Parable/Prophecy of the Sheep and Goats found in Matthew 25. In the Parable/Prophecy, Jesus said the Sheep represent the people going into the Millennial Kingdom, and the Goats represent those lost and sent to Hell. The two Pre-Trib views are as follows, and both make it impossible for Russia to be Magog. All Pre-Trib promoters say that the Sheep represent primarily the Jews, as well as Gentiles that were kind to the Jews and protected them from Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. It is here that Pre-Trib divides into two views. It has to do whether the Goats are judged as individuals or as nations.
1- Individual Goats
Pre-Trib promoters claiming that individuals rather than nations, make up the Goats say that every person treating the Jews badly during the Tribulation, and even those who ignored the Jew being persecuted, will be the Goats and will be killed at the beginning of the Millennium, but the Gentiles treating the Jews kindly and protecting them during the Tribulation will be allowed into the Millennium along with the Jews.
2- Goats as Nations
These Pre-Trib promoters claim that whole nations will be judged based on how the leaders of that nation treated the Jews during the Tribulation. In other words, all nations persecuting the Jews during the Tribulation would be classed as Goats and everyone in that nation will be cast into Hell at the beginning of the Millennium. This view falls apart from the very concept, and we'll show why in a moment, but, this view completely eliminates Russia from being even a small part of Satan's Gog and Magog army at the end of the Millennium. If Russia is the leading nation attacking the Jews just before Jesus comes and sets up His Kingdom, certainly Russia would be the first "going away into everlasting punishment" (Matt.25:46). So, if Russia has been completely destroyed at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, it will not exist at the end of the Millennium. Also this "Goats as a Nation" view falls apart on every level. Such a method of determining the Goats would mean that good people in Russia and all other nations attacking Israel just before Jesus comes, will be punished in Hell, while, evil people from nations with leaders treating the Jews kindly would be allowed into God's Kingdom. Also, when Jesus separates the Sheep from the Goats, He says the following; "And these (the Goats) shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous (the Sheep) into life eternal" (Matt.25:46). Pre-Trib promoters holding this view must deal with the fact that Jesus gives "Life Eternal" to everyone entering His Millennial Kingdom, so, the idea that some evil people will enter the Millennial Kingdom must be rejected because we all know that Jesus will not grant "Life Eternal" to unrepentant sinners.
But, Pre-Trib promoters claiming that the Goats are made up from "Individuals" rather than "Nations" also create a "No Russia" situation. In their view, all Russians supporting Russia's persecuting of the Jews will be killed. So, according to Pre-Trib, the only Russians entering the Millennial Kingdom will be those who protected the Jews from Russian persecution during the Tribulation. Why would these same Russians, or their children, join Satan at the end of the Millennium and make war against the Jews?
Dear Reader, if all of this is frustrating; if it creates Un-Answered and Un-Answerable Questions and you are Pondering answers, let's look at some Bible Answers:
What if the Bible clearly says that, instead of earth becoming a Millennial Kingdom, the entire earth will be completely uninhabitable at that time? (See Satan's Millennial Pit). What if the Bible says earth will be frozen solid during the Millennium, and will be Satan's Bottomless Pit? And most of all, what if the Bible says all of the lost wicked will be dead throughout the Millennium, and what if it says there'l be no sinners, mortals, or marriages? What if the Bible says every Redeemed person from all time will be in Heaven during the Millennium? (See Christ's Millennial Kingdom). If all of this is true, and we show from Scripture that it is all true, then where will Satan get a massive army, "the number of whom are as the sands of the sea" (Rev. 20:8)? The Bible Answers, and when we accept the Answer, there'll be no Un-Answerable Questions to Ponder.
The Bible says Satan will have at his disposal a ready made army that could consist of over a hundred billion people. We will show now from Scripture that every unsaved wicked person that has ever lived and died since Creation will be Satan's army! Every person who's name was not written in the Book of Life will make up his entire army!! Satan's Army CANNOT Come From a Millennial Kingdom!
The Bible says the Kingdom of God will have no Mortals and no Sinners. Jesus and Paul said sinners and mortals CANNOT inherit, enter, or even see the Kingdom of God. Following is Bible proof:
All who enter the next age do not marry or die (Lk.20:35-36; Matt.25:46).
Only righteous persons in the Kingdom—no sinners (Matt. 5:20; 18:3).
Only born again people can even see the Kingdom of God (Jn.3:3).
Paul said no wicked person enters the Kingdom (1Cor.6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21).
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (ICor.15:50).
All mortals must put on immortality in the Kingdom (1Cor.15:54).
Pre-Trib Unwittingly Agrees
Pre-Trib says that the separating of the Sheep and Goats in Mathew 25 describes the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. So, let's look at what Jesus said He will say to the Sheep and Goats: "And these (the Goats - the lost wicked - those on His left) shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt.25:46). Concerning these same people, those on His right hand, Jesus said He will say to them, "Come ye Blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World" (Vs.34). So, if Pre-Trib contends that all of this occurs at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, then they have no choice but to accept that all of the lost wicked will be killed and all of those entering the Millennial Kingdom will be given, "Life Eternal." If they have Eternal Life, they will be in their glorious new bodies, thus no sinners, no mortals, no marrying, and no bearing children. Even though Pre-Trib agrees with these words of Jesus, they still maintain that sinners will be in God's Kingdom during the Millennium. Let's look at what the Bible says:
1 - Satan's Army of Gog - Rev.20:7-9
"And when the thousand years are expired (ended), 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 seas. 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."
Possible Explanation
Just prior to this, John wrote:"But the rest of the dead (all the wicked from creation till the Second Coming) lived not again until the thousand years were finished" (Vs.5).
Obviously John says the wicked dead will be resurrected at the end of the thousand years. Did John just identify Gog and Magog? John also says Satan's army comes from all over the world, not just the nation of Magog.
John says Satan is loosed, then he goes out to deceive the, "nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog" (Rev.20:8). Our Reader may be thinking, "The Army comes from all over the world, but Russia supplies more than any other Nation." This is a reasonable response, but, as we showed above, Pre-Trib says the persecutors of Israel will all be cast into the lake of fire at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. This would mean, according to Pre-Trib, that the only Russians that enter the Millennial Kingdom will be Russian citizens that defied their Government and, instead of treating the Jews badly during the Tribulation, they risked their lives by being kind to the Jews.
Old Jerusalem or New Jerusalem
If the Bible says there'll be no Mortals, Sinners, or Births in God's Kingdom, we'll need to look at what, "Beloved City" Satan and his army, "compass about." In our Website, Satan's Bottomless Pit, we show from Scripture that, instead of Earth being Paradise during the Millennium, it will be frozen because the Sun's light is gone (Matt.24:29; Isa.13:10; 24:23; Jer.4:23). For a thousand years planet earth will have been a massive, frozen, garbage dump. The final events on earth just before the 1000 years will be the 7 Last Plagues reducing it to a condition worse than before creation when it was "without form and void." Old Jerusalem, along with every other city on earth, will have been reduced to uninhabitable rubble. But, John saw another Jerusalem. He wrote, "And I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven" (Rev. 21:2). John saw Satan’s army surround the "Beloved City" (Vs.20:9). Satan's only real goal is taking over HEAVEN, New Jerusalem, and it has been his goal from the time sin entered his heart. So, if we try to fit Old Jerusalem into John's Prophecy, nothing fits. If we accept that it is New Jerusalem, everything fits perfectly, without us having to disagree with Jesus and Paul, and John.
New Jerusalem is Encompassed! Let The Battle Begin!!
Satan and his army encompass New Jerusalem, but the Bible is clear that there'll be no battle! Even if Satan's army is a trillion times larger than, "the sands of the sea," he's no match for the Almighty! "Fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them" (Rev. 20:9).
But, just before fire devours them, while they are conveniently gathered all around New Jerusalem, and having come there of their own free will, John sees something else happen. He saw the, Great White Throne Judgment set and, "the books are opened" (See Rev.20:11-12). The wicked can not plead innocent because they're caught in the very act of attempting war against the Almighty, and they came to the Judgment by their own choice!
Outside the City
Our Readers probably still have some doubts and may be thinking, "The Bible does not say anything about a wicked army surrounding New Jerusalem at that time." Perhaps it does. Let's look at what John saw: "Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through gates into the City. For without (outside the City) are dogs,, and sorcerers, and whore-mongers and murders, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Rev.22:14-15). Nowhere in Revelation does the word "Jerusalem" appear without the word "New" proceeding it. Again, could we not stop here because there is more than enough evidence that Satan's Gog and Magog Army will be the resurrected wicked? But for those who want more proof, let's continue.
Old Testament - Gog and Magog
The names "Gog and Magog" appear together only twice in Scripture. In John's account it is undeniably the end of the Millennium. In Ezekiel's account, there appears to be a possibility of a duel meaning. Some of his terminology indicates it could concern Israel of his day. However, Ezekiel's terminology also corresponds very closely with John's, and from this we know that we are safe placing most everything after the Millennium. It's a battle in which Gog and his evil forces attempt to attack Jerusalem. Let’s look at Ezekiel's account:
2 - Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethoiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah
"And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him [thus Gog is a him, not a nation], and say, Thus saith the lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn thee back and put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and ALL thine army" (Ezek 38:1-4).
Notice that Ezekiel saw Gog with, "ALL his army." John saw Satan’s army numbered like the, "sands of the sea." Can we agree that, in light of John's and Ezekiel's account, Gog is Satan? If Satan/Gog has, "ALL his army," wouldn't it seem he will have every person who ever served him from every age? If every unrepentant person that ever served Satan was gathered in an army, would it indeed seem as if the number of them would be, "as the sand of the seas?" Such an army might exceed a hundred billion. It should be clear that John's reference is NOT Old Jerusalem. It should be clear also that Ezekiel's Jerusalem is New Jerusalem. It will also be clear that Ezekiel actually tells where New Jerusalem will set when it, "Comes down from God out of Heaven."
In John's vision, "Gog and Magog" are the only names mentioned, but, Ezekiel saw Gog as ruler over eight nations: Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah. By comparing Ezekiel and John, it appears, underscore APPEARS, that these will be the nations attacking Jerusalem at the end of the 1000 years, but John said Satan’s army comes from EVERY nation on earth! His exact words are, "Satan shall be loosed out of his prison (Bottomless Pit), and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the FOUR QUARTERS of the earth" (Rev. 20:7-8)!
Why does Ezekiel name only 8 nations, but John indicates the army will come from all nations? There is a very good reason! John saw Satan gather his army from the "Four quarters of the earth?" The United Nations shows Earth has 192 Nations!!! But Ezekiel only mentioned 8. If we look at a map of these 8 nations during the time of Ezekiel, we'll discover something very INTERESTING and VERY Informative!
Size and Location of NEW JERUSALEM!!
We have a complete Website showing the Size and location of New Jerusalem, so we'll not give all of the details here. We'll just say that John said New Jerusalem is 1364 miles square. "And the City lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth… twelve thousand furlongs" (Rev.21:16). 12000 furlongs is 1364 miles! If you have a Bible Map showing the countries surrounding Israel and Jerusalem in the days of Ezekiel, and make a square representing 1364 miles using the little scale provided on the map, then place the square on the map with the center setting over Jerusalem, you'll see the borders of the square pass through 8 countries; Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Togarmah, Gomar, Ethiopia, Persia, and Libya, the same 8 Countries mentioned by Ezekiel. This is a strong indication that New Jerusalem will be centered directly over the spot Old Jerusalem is located now. Again, see Size and Location of New Jerusalem. John wrote, "And I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven" (Rev.21:2). Now let's get back to Satan, Gog, and Magog:
3 - The Lord Speaking Directly to Gog/Satan, Said:
"Be thou prepared and prepare for thyself, thou, and ALL Thy COMPANY that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. After many days [a 1000 years] thou shalt be visited; in the latter years [end of 1000 years] thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many peoples, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste [laid waste a 1000 years]; but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely, all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm; thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands (troops), and many peoples [every unsaved person since creation] with thee" (Ez.38:7-9).
Notice we see once again that word, "All" used two more times. There is only one way for Satan to have, "ALL of his Army, All of his COMPANY, and all of his Bands assembled." So, at the end of the 1000 years, Satan has ALL of his army, from ALL the, "nations which are in the four quarters of the earth (Rev.20:8), assembled together."
4 - Isaiah Said Satan/Lucifer Gets His Army from "The Dead"
"Hell (Sheol)(the Grave) from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the DEAD for thee, even ALL the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou become as weak as we? Art thou become like us? Thy pomp is brought down to hell (Sheol), and the noise of thy viols; the worm (maggot) is spread over thee and the worms (maggots) cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer" (Isa.14:9-12).
Notice, "Hell (Sheol) stirreth up the dead for thee." Pastor, is this proof that Satan's army comes from "the dead?" Satan's army assembles when the "Dead are stirred up." Pastor, as you know, the word Hell, in the Old Testament, is from the Hebrew word "Sheol." Sheol is also translated "Grave" 30 times in the Old Testament. Whether those "dead" people are dead in the grave, or alive in a burning Hell, either way, Satan's army comes from Dead People. The wicked dead will be resurrected at the same time Satan prepares to attack New Jerusalem. It appears John and Isaiah saw the same event. Isaiah saw "Hell stirring up the dead for Lucifer," and John saw "Death and Hell deliver up the dead" (Rev.20:14). John also saw, "The sea give up the dead that were in it, and death and Hell (Sheol) delivered up the dead that were in them" (Rev.20:13). Can two people record visions this similar and the visions not be the same event? John almost quotes Isaiah when he tells where Satan gets his army.
"Put HOOKS in Thy JAWS"
Ezekiel adds a point. "And I (the Lord) will turn thee (Gog/Satan) back, and PUT HOOKS in THY JAWS, and will bring thee forth, and ALL thine army" (Ezk.38:4)! Of course Satan knows full well he cannot defeat Almighty in a physical battle! Of course Satan knows that he is assembling the lost wicked for the Great White Judgment!! But, he thinks there's a way he can defeat God! Even though he enthusiastically brings himself, his demons, and all of the lost wicked to surround New Jerusalem, it is not altogether his choice. Ezekiel used the analogy of, "Putting Hooks in his jaws" to show that God is giving Satan no choice. But, Satan has a plan, so he actually comes willingly!! He has an "Evil Thought." Satan actually thinks that if he brings all of the lost wicked to the Great White Throne Judgment Scene, he can win his case, and in so doing, he thinks he'll have the right to replace God! We'll look closer at this in a moment!
John, Ezekiel, and Isaiah saw Satan with ALL his army. What next? Ezekiel said Satan has an "evil thought." Isaiah and Ezekiel reveal exactly that evil thought.
5 - All of Satan's Troops
"Thou (Gog)(Satan) shalt ascend and come like a storm; thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and ALL thy bands (troops), and many peoples with thee [Satan has an army plus many peoples with him]. Thus saith the Lord God: It shall also come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought" (Ezek.38:9-10).
Notice, "ALL thy troops and MANY PEOPLES with thee?" Now let's look at what Isaiah says Satan's "evil thought" will be.
6 - Satan's Evil Thought"
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart [following is his evil thought], 'I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds [New Jerusalem is 1364 miles high—WELL ABOVE THE CLOUDS], I will be like the Most High.' Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell, to the sides of the pit [Bottomless Pit]. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who did shake kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness, and destroyed its cities, who opened not the house of his prisoners" (Isa.14:12-17)?
Note how Satan wants the "sides of the north," but he gets the "sides of the pit."The "Sides of the Pit" clearly refers to Satan's "Bottomless Pit." Earth is round. Satan and his demons are confined to the "sides of the pit," meaning they're confined to the surface of earth. But what is meant by "Sides of the North?" The Psalmist says the "sides of the north" is New Jerusalem. Let's look:
7 - "Mount of Congregation" "Sides of the North"
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the Mountain of His Holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the SIDES of the NORTH, the City of the Great King" (Ps.48:1-2).
Satan has his eyes on the "sides of the north," the "City of the Great King." The "Mountain of His Holiness"—Mount Zion—City of our God—City of the Great King. That would be,"New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven" (Rev.21:2). Heaven descends to Earth, and Satan wants it! (See Rev.21:3,22,23)
8 - Ezekiel's Recording of Satan’s "Evil Thought"
"And thou (Gog) shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations."
Notice no "walls, gates, or bars" (Ezk.38:11-12). The homes in New Jerusalem, need no walls, gates, or bars. If yards are fenced, it’ll be for decoration only. The gates and walls around New Jerusalem are for beauty, not protection. Actually, the 12 gates are memorials with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The walls are on twelve foundations containing the names of the 12 Apostles (See Rev.21:12-14). Security isn't necessary.
Satan sees New Jerusalem and has a burning desire to take it!! But, "Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell (Sheol), to the SIDES of the (Bottomless) PIT" (Isa.14:15).
9 - Wicked Encompass Beloved 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. 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 forever and ever" (Rev.20:9-10). Pre-Trib says the "Beloved City" John referred to is Old Jerusalem, and, insists that there is no Bible record of New Jerusalem being surrounded by the wicked. However, John records this: "Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City. For without (Outside the City)(Surrounding the City) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murders, and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Rev.22:14-15).
10 - Great White Throne Judgment
Writers often tell their story, then go back and fill in details. We see this very often with Bible Prophets. John did this when he added a detail about Satan and his army surrounding Jerusalem. When the Wicked "Compass the camp of the Saints about" they are surrounding NEW JERUSALEM. Instead of a battle, the wicked find themselves face to face with God Almighty!! Suddenly it is the Great White Throne Judgment!! The wicked cannot plead innocent for they’re caught in the very act of attempting to overthrow God Himself. Even though they are deceived by Satan, they assembled around New Jerusalem by their own choice, and for a very wicked reason! They’re actually assembled around God’s Throne, and God stops them in their tracks and makes them account for the evil they’re attempting to do, as well as their evil deeds done in their lifetimes on earth. Scriptural evidence that the Great White Throne Judgment takes place at this time is too overwhelming. When the Judgment is finished, the wicked are still surrounding the City. Scripture records that there'll be a time when, "EVERY KNEE Shall Bow, and EVERY TONGUE Shall Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Isa.45:23; Rom.14:11; Phil.2:10-11). When Judgement is over, the wicked feel they have nothing to lose, so they pick up where they were before Judgment. They attempt to attack New Jerusalem and, "fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (Rev.20:9-10). John said, "death and hell cast into the lake of fire (Rev.20:14).
Peter adds more detail: "But the 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 (destruction) of ungodly men" (2Pt.3:7). He continues. "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are in it, shall be burned up" (Vs.10). Pastor! Did Peter just tell us exactly when and where Hell will occur?
During the White Throne Judgment, the wicked are shown how God did EVERYTHING in His power to save them. They know their eternal death sentence is deserved. Satan, his evil angels, and all the wicked also confess that God is fair in what He has done, and, what He is preparing to do. "Every knee bows and every tongue confesses" (Isa.45:23; Rom.14:11; Phil.2:10-11). But, a real repentant heart doesn't accompany their confession—it’s forever too late! They’re not truly sorry for being evil, but are sorry they didn't get away with it. They are also sorry they got caught and were unsuccessful in taking New Jerusalem. And so immediately after the Great White Throne Judgment, God does what He has dreaded since sin reared its ugly head centuries before. He forever cleanses His Universe from sin and sinners. "Fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (Rev.20:9-10). "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Vs.14). If ever there is a time that God cries, this is that time!
Fire Purifies the Earth.
"The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are in it, shall be BURNED UP" (2Pet.3:10). "For behold the day cometh that shall burn like 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).
Planet earth will then be clean and pure. The Redeemed witness an awesome and magnificent scene. Jesus brings order out of chaos. Taking the charred remains of this old planet that is again without form and void, He creates Paradise on top of the ashes of Satan, his demons, and the wicked (see Mal.4:3; Ezk.28:18; Isa.35:7).
New Heaven and New Earth
"And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away" (Rev. 21:1). "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4). "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1Cor.2:9).
Final Proof
All of the above Scripture proof should show who Satan's Gog and Magog army will be. However, there is one last piece of evidence. It has to do with where to place the Great White Judgment. Pre-Trib's, and pretty much the majority of Christian Denomination's, view of Satan's last Gog and Magog battle is that Satan will recruit mortals and attempt to attack Old Jerusalem. The Bible is clear that whatever City Satan's army "encompasses," "Fire comes down from God and devours them." When Studying Scripture, a good guide is, "If it makes NO sense, it's probably WRONG." Old Jerusalem makes no sense here! Pastor, a few Pre-Trib Preachers attempt to say that our present Earth will never be destroyed. However, as we've seen here, the Bible clearly and emphatically says it will be, at the end of the Millennium. Now if God brings fire down from heaven and destroys Satan's army, and then "Casts Satan into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone," what would have be the very next event? This happens at the end of the thousand years (Millennium). This would mean that God would bring fire down from heaven and devour Satan's army, and cast Satan in the Lake of Fire, only to immediately resurrect Satan's army to face Judgment Day, and immediately withdraw Satan form the Lake of Fire for him to also face Judgment Day, and then, when Judgment is over, throw them all back into the Lake of Fire. Pastor, does this explanation seem complicated and confusing? The best way to understand what will happen at the end of the Millennium, is to look at all of the events John describes, place them in an order that makes sense, and all Un-Answered and Un-Answerable Questions will be gone.
We often insert pictures in our Blogsites for illustration purposes, but, as Paul said, "Eye hath not seen," and he is right! Let's be sure we are inside New Jerusalem at Judgment Day so our eyes will see Jesus as He creates our EARTH MADE NEW!!!
Thank you Dear Reader, for your time. Let's agree to at least pray about this matter. May God send His Spirit as we prepare to meet Jesus at His Soon Coming!!
Your Brother in Christ
Walter C. Martin Jr.
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