Second Coming – Larus Press

Satan Bound

“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” (Revelation 20:1-2)

A close reading/re-reading of Revelation 20 gives me the notion of the following:

The 1000 year binding has already been, I believe, from approximately 500 to 1500 AD. Since then, the devil has been free to deceive the nations.

After the Romans made Christianity the state religion, there was much that went wrong within the Church of Jesus Christ. But the nation states — of the West at least — were all kingdoms ruled by God-fearing kings.

The Reformation, which made available the Word of GOD to non-clergy, gave a freedom not experienced previously and a Truth hitherto hidden from the time of Christendom. The truth could be studied, digested, practised, no longer necessarily under the interpretation or influence of scholars in power. It was a time of revelation, enlightenment, study and truth.

Satan Loosed

But as the Word of GOD became available to the common man, so too did Satan become free to confuse and confound.

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 20:7)

Although there has always been war, it is since 1500 that war has become more sophisticated: nation state against nation state, conflict arising across vast distances and with increased levels of violence and destruction. War culminated in World War I (the Great War to end all wars — such a major deception) and World War II (the epitome of anti-Semitism with the most sophisticated attempt to exterminate the Jews). To this day, Satan continues to confuse, divert, oppress and destroy humanity, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

End of the Church Age

And so, I believe we are now at the end of the Church Age. Faith has dwindled. Man is waiting, whether he knows it or not, for the final war: the fire that destroys.

“And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 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.” (Revelation 20:9b-10)

Once Satan is cast out forevermore, a new heaven and a new earth will be instated. I consider they are not necessarily new physical places, but our heaven and earth refreshed, free of evil, and with one king in the character of Jesus. He rules and reigns, and Satan, the beast and false prophet are no more.

Judgment

“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.” (Revelation 20:12)

There will be a judgment toward those who have never accepted Jesus. It will, I believe, include those who attest to know him but whom he does not recognise (Matthew 7:23). There are wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24); there are ones who have heard the Word but who’s “soil” fell on shallow or rocky ground (Mark 4:3-8).

Reigning with Jesus

And yet, “Hallelujah,” there will be those who have already been ruling and reigning with him for a thousand years. These are they who are the first resurrection, who were once martyred for Jesus’ name and who have been raised from the dead: “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4b)

And there are also those who’s names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, who have known Jesus but who either died naturally, not as martyrs. This is the Second Resurrection.

And what of those who are alive at the Second Coming of Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah? I believe those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will join the host. There will be no more grief or evil in the new Age as, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

And all who live will attest to the name of the Prince of Peace. Hallelujah and Amen.

There’s SO MUCH More!

It’s 2020. It’s a new decade. Let’s live it with full vision….

Recently, I was sitting in a Bible School session which my hubby runs. We were investigating Ephesians Chapter 3 (after two previous sessions looked at Ephesians Chapters 1, 2).

The session ran for 80 minutes so I won’t capture it all here. And anyway, it was exploratory and interactive, so the dynamics would be lost. But here in a nutshell is the point Alan led the group to…

We are not tapping into the fullness — in any way, shape or form — of what GOD has for us.

The Powerful Sun

The Jewish/Hebrew people have characteristically given so much innovation, creativity, technology, scientific discover to the world. Some has been for good, some destructive, but all based on genius. Their contribution and award is disproportionate to their relatively tiny population, and yet, they keep investigating, exploring, inventing, creating and giving. That is part of the covenanted promise of GOD to His people of Israel, both historically and currently.

And we too, as followers of Jesus, have that same inheritance, albeit only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We aren’t even scraping the surface of the ingenuity and blessing GOD has given to us. And we need to acquire it, now, for these end days and times.

…. “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of GOD…” (Ephesians 3:19)

The Father has given to us and yet we are not acquiring the fullness. It comes through the Holy Spirit and yet many of us reject the move of the Holy Spirit in these days because they do not see it.

Yet, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

In Genesis, the Father promises to Abraham as many heirs as the stars in the sky. And in Genesis 27, Isaac passes on all the blessing of Abraham and Isaac to Jacob.

We have inherited the blessings of GOD’s people the Jews. We are a part of the heirs of Abraham. We have received the Holy Spirit as we confessed our sins and committed our lives to Jesus. He is our helper, our comforter. Without him, we are not saved. But with him, we can do so much more, discover so much more, understand so much more, invent so much more, contribute so much more than we are currently.

At the end of the study of Ephesians Chapter 3, I suddenly had an “ah ha” moment. It isn’t provable but it is profound, if it is correct….

Jesus, the head of the church, is waiting for his bride, the church. We are nowhere near ready. What if, he is simply waiting for us… some of us, any of us, to be ready: Clothed in the Spirit and living and working in his power, might, authority, wisdom and gifting… before he can return.

It isn’t by power or might that we learn, grown and give, but by his Spirit. Let us put on the Spirit of Christ then, let us be his bride, clothed in his righteousness but fully surrendered, fully serving, living in the total and complete fullness of GOD.

Hallelujah, come LORD Jesus.

But first, there is so much more we need to receive. Let us be willing to lay down our lives totally and completely, to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, to walk in his way, and to “be filled with all the fullness of GOD.”

Amen