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The Seven-Year Period Of Judgment
What Happens after the Tribulation?
Dr. David Jeremiah
Turning Point
We hear a lot about the Tribulation on earth,
but what happens after the seven-year period of judgment?
Here are answers to three questions about
post-Tribulation events.
What is the Battle of Armageddon?
The Battle of Armageddon marks the
triumphant ending of the Tribulation period. It is the final battle between the
forces of evil and good, with Jesus as the victor.
Six major powers are involved in the
final campaign: the revived Roman Empire, the northern confederation (Russia and
her allies), the kings of the East (Asia), the kings of the South (Africa), the
Lord and His armies, and the nation of Israel.
Israel will be at the center of the
conflict.
The
Bible tells us that when the nations that are gathered together against Jerusalem
see the Lord’s armies coming (the angels and believers who were raptured into
heaven), they will forget about each other and band together to fight against
the Lord.
They will, of course, be of no
opposition. The Lord Jesus comes to battle in all His power and majesty as the
King of the universe.
Revelation 19 describes His appearance when He
returns to earth: “His eyes were like a
flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns…. Now out of His mouth goes a
sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations…. He has on His robe and
on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:12-16).
He slays the nations with the sword
as His armies stand together watching.
In
one dramatic moment, He throws the
Antichrist and the False Prophet into the lake of fire and the Battle
of Armageddon is complete.
The final resulting bloodshed,
according to Revelation 14:20, will spread over a 200-mile area (approximately
the size of Israel) and reach a depth of four feet (the height of a horse’s
bridle).
“All the
birds” will be “filled” with the flesh of the battlefield (Revelation 19:21) and it will take seven months to bury the dead and seven
years to rid the earth of all the weapons which gathered by the nations (Ezekiel 39:8-16).
The Battle of Armageddon is really
not much of a battle but a last stand against evil. Good will win.
Jesus
will conquer without sustaining any losses. The nations and all powers of evil
will be no opposition for His strength. The bloody battlefields will be the
remains of all those who rejected Him.
Will believers today be on earth for the Millennial Kingdom?
Not only will believers today be on
earth for the Millennial Kingdom — they will rule with Jesus!
After
the Tribulation, believers who were raptured will join the angels as the armies
of Jesus and return with Him to earth: “The
armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine
linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14,
NIV).
Jesus
will gain victory at Armageddon and believers will be given authority to reign
with Him for 1,000 years.
There
are several passages throughout Scripture that point to the believer’s role in
the kingdom, including 1 Corinthians 6:2: “Do
you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be
judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
Believers today are rulers in the
making.
God
is preparing them not only for heaven but for administrating a thousand years
of peace on this earth.
During
this time, God will establish the first truly righteous leadership we can
trust. He will never make one mistake. He will always make the right decision.
He will be the righteous King.
What happens at the Great White Throne Judgment?
The Great White Throne Judgment
happens 1000 years after the Battle of Armageddon. It is the final judgment of
all those who have rejected Christ.
Jesus will sit on His great white
throne and every unsaved person — the spiritually “dead” who have rejected Him —
will stand before Him. Their bodies will be summoned from the grave and from
the sea to accept their final judgment.
Jesus will read from the “books” of
judgment which hold record of each one’s life.
Scripture
tells us that every person’s words, actions, and thoughts, no matter how secret
or insignificant they appear in the moment, will be exposed and brought to
account.
Those
who placed their trust in Jesus and accepted Him as Savior will not be present.
The righteousness of Jesus has cleansed them and justified them before God.
People
“small and great” will be represented
(Revelation 20:11-15).
Many
people who did seemingly good things on earth and were admired by their peers
will be there — even many who held offices in the church and were thought to be
Christians.
The
Bible says that “by the deeds of the law
no flesh will be justified in His sight” and the Great White Throne
Judgment is the final assurance of that.
Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your
name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness!’”
After each one stands trial, and
their name is not found in the Book of Life, they will be cast into the lake of
fire, the final and forever hell.
Is your name written in the Book of
Life? Have you placed your trust in Jesus and accepted the eternal salvation He
openly offers to you?
If
you haven’t, I urge you to make the decision today!
Dr. David Jeremiah is one of America’s most trusted
Bible teachers. For more than 36 years he has helped millions deepen their
understanding of the Bible through 8,761 daily Turning
Point Radio releases and a weekly Turning Point
Television program that
reaches millions of people weekly.
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