Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

/// Revelation 19:11-21 & 20:1-3 (NKJV)

Today we are going to wrap up our series “The Return of the King”. We have looked at events like the Rapture of the church, the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast. Now finally, we’ll learn about the Second Coming of Christ.

After seven years of tribulation on the earth which include the reign of the Antichrist and judgments of God upon his kingdom and an unbelieving world, Jesus returns to the earth to set up a reign that will last a thousand years. The Antichrist and False Prophet are cast into the lake of fire. Satan is cast into the bottomless pit for a season. Humanity will be absent from the influence of Satan in this period. Yippee!!!! So who will be on earth after the Second Coming?

Okay, let’s back up to the Rapture and move forward to the answer. It is highly possible (likely) that the church will be gone during the Tribulation. During that time in heaven, we will experience the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Judgment Seat of Christ. When Christ returns at the Second Coming, heaven’s believers will return with Him. We will be given responsibilities in governing – probably according to how you lived your life on earth. It appears according to Scripture that few will be alive at the Second Coming.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. /// Matthew 24:22

Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up year to year to worship the King. /// Zechariah 14:16

People alive at the Second Coming will include people saved during the Tribulation that did not die. Those included in the first Resurrection: believers saved during the Tribulation who were killed will be resurrected to reign with Christ. Jesus stated that people with resurrected bodies do not marry (Matt. 22:30) but children will be born during the Millennial Reign. Matthew 19:28 describes it as a “regeneration”. Here’s some scripture describing life during that time: 

“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days. For the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them, they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat, for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble, for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. 

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord. /// Isaiah 65:20-25 (NKJV)

Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ /// Zechariah 8:3-5 (NKJV)

All resurrected and raptured people alive during the Millennial Reign cannot sin but those born during that period, while not under the influence of Satan who is locked away, still are in natural bodies. Scripture tells us that they have the ability to sin. Look at these words from Zechariah: 

And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. /// Zechariah 14:17-19 (NKJV)

At the end of the 1000 years of Christ’s reign from Jerusalem, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit. The population of the earth will be much greater than at the Second Coming. Satan will go to the nations in the four corners of the earth, God and Magog, and gather them to battle against Jesus and the saints of God at Jerusalem. But, fire comes down from heaven and devours them. Let’s finish the story of the Second Coming with these verses:

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who 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, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. /// Revelation 20:10-15 (NKJV)

Enter the period of the New Jerusalem.

Today’s Scriptures:

•   Revelation 19:11-21 & 20:1-3 (NKJV)
•   Matthew 24:22
•   Zechariah 14:16
•   Isaiah 65:20-25 (NKJV)
•   Zechariah 8:3-5 (NKJV)
•   Zechariah 14:17-19 (NKJV)
•   Revelation 20:10-15 (NKJV)

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