When Jesus comes to pick up His righteous people at His Second Coming, which is at the beginning of the 1000 years, all the wicked people, who are alive at that time, will be killed by the brightness of His coming. So, during the thousand years following the second coming, there will be no one left alive on the earth.

8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10. and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thess 2:8-10.

I like how NIV puts it:

10. and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thess 2:8-10 NIV.

See who it is that perish; It is those who refuse to love the truth! They are the ones who are deceived by Satan.

In Revelation 19 we also see that all the wicked will be killed when Jesus comes:

17. 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,
18. "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."
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:17-21.

When Jesus comes again, we see that the beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. We also see that the kings of the earth, its army and also all the wicked people of the earth will be slain by Jesus who sits on the horse having his sword proceeding out of His mouth. All the wicked are destroyed!

In Revelation 6 we see that all the wicked people, including the human army that said they were going to make war against God (as described in Revelation 19 above), are actually hiding in the caves and rocks as God approaches asking for the mountains and rocks to fall on them.

15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:15-17.

They cannot stand to even look at the face of God the Father nor can they look into the face of Jesus, the Lamb of God. They are asking to be killed before they are forced to see God!

In addition to the army, we can see that every bondman and every free man are calling for the rocks to fall on them. This includes all people!

29. . . . Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
30. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:29-33.

At the second coming of Jesus, He will kill the wicked. At that time, the slain of the LORD will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth and there will be no one left to lament over them. No one will be left to bury them and they will be left to lay on the ground. All will be dead. There will be no one left!

So, what does Jesus say will happen to the wicked when He comes?

26. "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27. "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28. "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29. "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30. "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Luke 17:26-30.

Jesus said to look at Noah's day. Noah and his family went into the ark and the door was shut; Then the flood came and killed everyone who had not gone into the ark. All the people in the world were killed in the flood except for Noah and his family.

Jesus also said to remember lot. The same day that Lot left Sodom, fire came out of heaven and destroyed everyone who was in the city.

Jesus says that this is exactly how it will be when the Son of Man is revealed, at His second coming.

Some people believe that when Jesus comes that all the people of the world who are not saved, that they will get another chance.

But this idea is not found in Scripture. As we are seeing, the Bible says that the wicked will all die when Jesus comes. There will be no one left alive because the wicked are all killed and the righteous are all taken to heaven.

Jeremiah also helps to show that there will be no one left on the earth after Jesus comes. It is interesting that he uses the same words used in the book of Genesis to describe the Earth. The Earth was without form and void.

33. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:33.

23. I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
24. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.
25. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:23-26.

All that is left on the world are broken down cities, and dead people are also left to lay on the ground from one end of the earth to the other. The ground is extremely unstable and trembles. Even the hills move back and forth. There is no man left! This is the result of God's fierce anger, and at the presence of the Lord, all this was done to the earth!

When Jesus comes, we saw that the righteous will be taken to Heaven to be with Him. We also saw that all the wicked will be killed by the brightness of His coming, and we saw that the earth will be destroyed to the extent that Jeremiah said the Earth "was without form and void". No man will be left alive on the earth. In fact, the dead bodies of the wicked will be found over the whole surface of the earth. Of course there will be no one to bury them because no one is left alive.

Now, we see that Satan is put into a bottomless pit and is bound for a thousand years.

1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:1-3.

6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6

Some believe that the righteous people will reign with Jesus on earth during this time, so they think Satan must be somewhere else. However, it is very clear from the Bible that no one will be left alive on the earth during the thousand year period. In fact, the whole earth will be strewn with the dead bodies of the wicked. There is no one that Satan could deceive or tempt because they are all dead. So the earth could very well be the pit that Satan is placed in. It would be a fitting place for Satan to view the destruction of cities and man and think what he has done. This will also help Satan to think about his own lack of a future!

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. Revelation 20:5 (first part).

Since the wicked experience the second death, they will be killed by the judgement of God. However the righteous will never again experience death. Only those who are raised in the first resurrection of the righteous will the second death have no power!

11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11.

The second death is only for the wicked. Those who overcometh will not be hurt at all.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.

Also, if we look at verse 6, above, we see that all those who were taken by Jesus, all those who were raised by Jesus in the first resurrection, would never experience death again. They will not experience the second death. Only the wicked who were either killed by the brightness of Jesus' coming or who were already dead (they did not experience the first resurrection) will eventually experience the second death.

The following verses describe the wicked being raised to life, those that are still in the grave, and they are thrown into the lake of fire once they are judged.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-15

Notice that the second death is connected with the wicked being put in the lake of fire. The wicked cannot be tormented day and night for ever and ever if it is suppose to be when they die the second death.

In the following verses, we see the future of both the righteous and the wicked are described:

20. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
21. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:7-8.

The righteous inherit all things but the wicked will burn with fire and brimstone. Again notice that the second death is connected with the wicked being put in the fire. The wicked cannot be tormented day and night for ever and ever if it is suppose to be when they die the second death.

Since the wicked will experience the second death it makes very good sense when we see that Jude 13 reminds us that the death of the wicked is permanent!

13. raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15. "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16. These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. Jude 1:13-16

It says that there is reserved for the wicked the blackness of darkness forever! So, it is clear that Jude is speaking of eternal death! A death where blackness and darkness lasts forever! This is the final judgment of the wicked and it is the second death from which there is no return.

Now to give you a better overview of the final destruction of the wicked, lets expand our look in Scripture. Below, I have placed four parallel accounts of what will happen when the wicked are judged.

We already know that he wicked will experience the second death; But there are other parts of these verses that seem to suggest that the wicked will suffer in the flames forever. So lets look into this to see if there is an answer that will harmonize these Scripture.

These parallel accounts are color-coordinated to help you see how the four accounts relate to each other. By looking at the same colored text in the different columns, you might be able to piece together more of the ideas presented in these verses.

The above selection of Scripture, that is organized into parallel accounts, is a lot to read. Lets concentrate on the specific parts where the controversy is found.

Notice that some parts of Revelation say that the wicked will suffer torment for ever and ever while other portions of Revelation say that the wicked experience the second death.

This is a problem! How can these Scripture fit with each other so that they will agree? We can't ignore one group of Scripture and only use the group that support our beliefs. Not if we believe that the Bible is the word of God! I am not satisfied with majority rule. I want to understand these verses better so that I can see that they do indeed harmonize like I know the Bible actually does.

Some people become confused about these verses because it says that the wicked will be tormented forever and ever. But, the Bible does indeed say that the wicked will be destroyed and the Scriptures are consistant in saying it. Jesus Himself says we should fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, when the wicked are destroyed!

28. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Over and over again, The Bible says that the wicked are destroyed. They will perish. They will be burned up until they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. They will be no more. They will cease to exist, etc.

So, does Scripture disagree with itself? No, Scripture does not disagree with itself.

So, which is it? Are the wicked destroyed or will they burn for ever and ever?

The answer to the problem lies in our understanding of the word forever. "Forever and ever" actually does not always have to mean "forever", but it can also mean as long as a person lasts. Forever can be "as long as you live".

This page is already too long to have a complete study on "forever and ever". So click on the icon to the right to see more: Do the wicked get tormented day and night for ever and ever? To see the Bible evidence click on the link to the right (A new window will appear).

The next link is a more general study of Hell fire. It looks at the proponderance of evidence all throughout the Bible saying that the Wicked will not burn forever in the flames.

Hell Fire, does it last forever? To see the Bible evidence that the wicked will be destroyed click on the link to the right (A new window will appear).

In the day of the Lord's vengeance, the fire will not be quenched. Thus, no one will pass through it. They will all die.

8. For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
9. Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.
10. It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever. Is 34:8-10

What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of what will happen to the wicked when they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

7. as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7

Sodom and Gomorrah are not yet burning, but they were destroyed into ashes. The ungodly will suffer the same experience. They will be brought to ashes!

6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 2 Peter 2:6

The earth will be burning like an oven burning up the wicked. Thus, the wicked will be stubble and there will be left neither root nor branch. Satan is the root and the wicked followers of Satan are the branches. Both will be fully destroyed.

1. "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1

When the wicked spring up like grass; This is when God raises the wicked to life again, the wicked will forever be destroyed.

7. When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever. Psalm 92:7

There is no picture of the wicked suffering in the flames forever. It simply says they will be destroyed forever.

There are many Bible texts which show that the wicked will be completely destroyed and burned to ashes. The simple Bible verse that we started with on this page is a good verse to begin with:

16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

This simple verse agrees with each one of the following verses by saying that our options are either the everlasting life of the righteous or to perish with the wicked.

20. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalm 145:20.

The LORD preserves all who love Him by giving them everlasting life, but all the wicked He will destroy and they will perish.

9. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
10. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
11. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

20. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. Psalm 37: 9-11, 20.

38. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37: 9-11, 20, 38.

All the enemies of the LORD will vanish into smoke. They will be destroyed all together and they will be no more. They will disappear off the face of the earth. But of course, the righteous, who are meek and wait on the LORD, they will inherit the earth.

35. May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! Psalm 104:35.

14. Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Isaiah 47:14.

1. For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, Says the LORD of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3.

So the wicked will be fully consumed and be no more. They will be as stubble or ash and even the warmth of the fire will go away. So the wicked will literally be ashes under the soles of the righteous' feet!

We already saw that the righteous will be in the New Jerusalem when the wicked are destroyed. But in addition, the New Jerusalem will also be part of the new world once sin is fully destroyed.

Once the wicked are destroyed, God makes new heavens and a new earth and all weeping will be no more.

17. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isaiah 65:17

Now we will see the reward of the righteous!

9. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

22. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. Psalm 37:9,11,22.

It is the righteous who will inherit the Earth and they will be delighted with the peace that has finally come to them. now that all evil has been destroyed!

2. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. Malachi 4:2.

17. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Isaiah 65:17-19

With descriptions like being calves growing fat and having Jesus with healing in His wings, it is no wonder that there will no longer be a reason to weep for any cause. The old things will not be remembered anymore.

13. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

The very last part of the book of Revelation speaks of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven to the New Earth:

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:1-5.

With everything being new with the things that the God of Heaven can provide, it is no wonder that the following verse is a true description of the wonders planned for us!

9. But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

If you want to look further into what the new world will be like then you might want to read Revelation 21:1-27; 22:1-5. It speaks of everything being made new and all tears being wiped away. It also describes the New Jerusalem and the river of life that will be in the world made new.

There is a lot to encourage us when we read about the new world. Revelation 21:6-8; 22:6-20 specifically encourages us to look forward to this time. It encourages us to make every effort to be part of the blessed at that time!

Let's look at the verse:

22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.

It does seem like the verse says that Jesus shall raise all people! However, let's look at more of the surrounding verses:

20. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
24. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.

If we look at verse 23, we see that it tells who the "all" are. All will be made alive, first Jesus, who is the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming. It is only those who belong to Jesus, they alone will be raised to life and be made immortal.

So, all sons of Adam will die, but all those who are Christ's at His coming will be made alive!

Before I answer your question I wanted to comment about your remark on Hitler and Stalin.

I believe that there may indeed be questions among the righteous concerning the punishment of the wicked. Is what God does in destroying the wicked too harsh? Or maybe; Is the punishment of the wicked insufficient to pay for their crimes?

What could God do to answer these kinds of questions?

God will do something very special for the righteous. He will treat the righteous in a way that we might not automatically think that God would do. From looking at Scripture, it looks like God will open Himself up to the judgement of the Righteous! This is an amazing thing to say, but lets start looking at Scripture for some clues.

Below in Romans 8 and II Timothy 2, we see that the righteous will become sons of God. They are actually adopted into God's Family! They receive a gift from God that would never be theirs if Jesus didn't give it to them. Through Jesus, the righteous become joint-heirs with Christ! Jesus inherits the kingdom, so the righteous will also inherit the kingdom along with Him! The righteous will then be glorified together with Jesus! And so, Jesus actually gives the judgement to the saints!

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:14-17.

10. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Timothy 2:10-12.

I am not sure what all this means, but the righteous become the children of God by adoption and they actually become joint-heirs with Christ?! And to be glorified together with Jesus?! I do not think it is possible to imagine the degree in which God and Jesus will honor the righteous. It will be that they will be able to call God their father or their daddy because they have become adopted into the family of God!

In this amazing description of the righteous' experience, the righteous will actually reign with Christ! Not only do they become joint heirs with Jesus and glorified together, but they are also allowed to reign with Him as well. In 1 Corinthians, we see that the righteous will even act as judges:

2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

The righteous judge not only the wicked but also the wicked angels.

In Revelation 20:4-6 below, we see that the righteous live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. They judge the wicked and they will be priests of God and of Christ. They are blessed and holy because they were raised in the first resurrection. This is the resurrection of the righteous when Jesus came. The wicked will not be resurrected until the 1000 years are finished. That is when the wicked will be judged and they will experience the second death from which they will never live again. They will cease to exist.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.

Yes, it is true that God knows who is righteous and who is wicked; He has already separated the righteous from the wicked. But remember, it says in Revelation 20:4 that "judgment was given unto them:" Remember, God is allowing the righteous to be joint-heirs with Christ! He is allowing them to be glorified together with Christ! So, God is giving this special privilege to the righteous, to judge the wicked.

Lets not forget that it is after the 1000 years that the wicked will be raised to life again. This is when they will be judged.

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. . . .

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:5(first part), 13-15

So, just as soon as the 1000 years are finished and the righteous are finished with their judgement, then the wicked are raised to life, only to be destroyed by the fire according to their judgement. They will be judged according to the judgement of the righteous at that time.

So, there is a special judgment that occurs to the wicked. Since the wicked are judged according to their works at this time, it looks like the righteous themselves will determine the amount of suffering that is metered out when the wicked are placed in the lake of fire which is their second death.

The following verses help confirm the fact that the actual judgement will be given into to His people, the righteous:

25. "But hold fast what you have till I come.
26. "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--
27. 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' --as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:25-27.

God will give His people power over the nations and they will rule the wicked with a rod of iron! Then the wicked will be destroyed like potter's vessels. This means that this ruling with a rod of iron is connected with the destruction of the wicked! The righeous will determine the amount of suffering that is to be metered out when the wicked are placed in the fire, which results in the second death.

OK, The point is this: While you may presently wonder whether Hitler and Stalin will sufficiently pay for their crimes; At that time, you will personally be able to look into their judgement to check for yourself whether it is sufficient and just. You may personally take part in the judgement of them yourself. Obviously we don't know the specifics of how it will be done.

But this process does suggest that God will be opening Himself to us in such a way so that we will more fully understand the reasons why God has done what He has done. I think it possibly that this whole process will be a way to help us become healed. Lets face it, we are all sick and damaged individuals. In addition, we might have friends and family who are among the wicked. How will we be able to face the reality of the situation and know that God was always fair?

But God will help us take a 1000 years to consider all these things so that when all the wicked are raised up again to receive their final punishment; The righteous will be able to say with a much fuller understanding and knowledge: "Just and true are your ways oh LORD"!

The fact that God actually takes 1000 years to allow the righteous to see and judge everything for themselves, shows the value that God places upon the righteous and their understanding of God and the whole process of judging the wicked.

How could the righteous ever be happy if they were to watch the wicked being destroyed while still having serious moral questions about their destruction? Could they truly say with honesty: "Just and true are your ways oh LORD"?

The righteous will not be forced to say things in heaven. Force is what happens in today's world where satanic powers try to force conscience against their will. No, But rather, the righteous will be able to talk about God from their personal experience.

I believe that this is the time, when the wicked are fully destroyed, that the real fulfillment of the New Covenant that Jeremiah spoke about in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (See also Hebrews 8:7-13) will take place. This is the time when God will be able to write His law in the hearts of the righteous!

31. "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
32. "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34. "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:31-34

When the righteous go to heaven, the Lord will have forgiven their sins and He will remember their sin no more. At that time no one will teach his neighbor and brother to "know the LORD"; Because, God's law will be fully in their minds and written in their hearts. They will be the children of God!

God will write His law on the righteous' hearts and minds because their God opens to them the reality of who He is and what He has done for them. They will know the LORD. Not one of the righteous will be left out.

So, with their complete trust in God, having seen how God has conducted the whole proceedings, they are able to praise God for His victory and for the destruction of the wicked. And now, God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and the former things will not be remembered nor come to mind any longer. They are completely healed of the heartache they went through.

2. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. Malachi 4:2.

The phrase "Their work does not die, and the fire is not quenched" is repeated several times. Also it is mentioned that the fire will never be quenched:

43. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--
44. "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
45. "And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--
46. "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
47. "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--
48. "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'
49. "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
50. "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." Mark 9:43-50

The "hell" is translated from the Greek word "gehenna." This is identified as the valley of Hinnom which is just outside the walls of Jerusalem. Garbage was thrown into the fire and what was not destroyed by the fire was eaten by maggots (worms). So gehenna symbolizes hell which is a place of total destruction.

In this verse, Jesus is saying that the fires of hell cannot be quenched or put out by anyone. The phrase "Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'" obviously comes from Isaiah 66:24 which says:

23. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD.
24. "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." Isaiah 66:23-24

If they are looking at the dead corpses of the wicked, then the wicked are actually dead! They are looking at the dead bodies of men! This means that the worm that does not die, must NOT refer to the wicked themselves. The wicked cannot both be dead and continually alive!

So it must be that the worm, that does not die, refers to the actual worms that eat the bodies. The two activities that destroy the trash in gehenna, which are the fire and worms, they do not stop until the trash and bodies are completely destroyed. Historically, since the trash is continually added to gehenna outside of Jerusalem, the process never ends. So the worms do not die and the fire is not quenched.

However when the wicked are fully destroyed at the end, they will be destroyed all together in one place, all at the same time:

38. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37: 38.

So the worm will not stop doing its eating and the fire will not stop consuming until everything is completely destroyed.

Here is another verse that refers to the wicked as being eaten by both moths and worms:

7. "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults.
8. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation." Isaiah 51:7-8

I think this relates to what Isaiah said:

14. Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Isaiah 47:14.

The wicked will NOT be able to deliver themselves from the fire that destroys them. However, then Isaiah is quick to say that there will not be a coal to be warmed at nor a fire to sit before. So, the fire will not be quenched while the wicked are yet burning but it will go out only when there is nothing left to consume.

It is a fire that is not quenched. I am also reminded that Jeremiah said Jerusalem will be burned with a fire that will not be quenched:

7. "But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."'" Jeremiah 17:27

Yet we know that the city was totally destroyed just as Jeremiah said it would:

19. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
20. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21. to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. 2 Chronicles 36:19-21.

That fire was not stopped. It was not quenched. So, the fire was allowed to finish its job. Only then did the fire go out on its own. So, the fire was never quenched by anyone or put out; But rather it was allowed to naturally go out when all the fuel was consumed. Thus the city was fully burned with fire.

So when Jesus says that the fire will never be quenched He means just that. The fire will not be put out, so the wicked will be fully destroyed. It is only when there is nothing left to burn will the fire go out. Then the fire will go out naturally. But the fire will never be quenched before it does its job.

This issue reminds me of another text of Scripture that relates to what "forever" can mean:

11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:11

"The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever", from Revelation 14:11 obviously comes from Isaiah 34:10. It is the description of the destruction and desolation of Edom. Most of the book Revelation actually is connected with the Old Testament.

10. It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever. Isaiah 34:10

It is clear that Isaiah was not saying that the smoke would be ascending forever since he also says in the very next few verses that the land would then become a waste for generations. He says that it would be a place that only wild animals would inhabit. The animals would take over the land:

11. But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.
12. They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing.
13. And thorns shall come up in its palaces, Nettles and brambles in its fortresses; It shall be a habitation of jackals, A courtyard for ostriches.
14. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the jackals, And the wild goat shall bleat to its companion; Also the night creature shall rest there, And find for herself a place of rest.
15. There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs And hatch, and gather them under her shadow; There also shall the hawks be gathered, Every one with her mate. Isaiah 34:11-15

The description of the smoke, is only a temporary action. Once the smoke is gone, then the animals take over. So, this text really speaks of complete destruction, not that the smoke would be forever rising, but that it would become a wasteland. The fire would do its job and then nothing would be left. If the area would be forever burning and smokey, the wild animals would never inhabit the area. Animals run away from smoke and fire.

The destruction of Edom matches the destruction of the wicked at the end. They will also vanish away once the fire does its job of destroying the wicked.

11. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. Psalm 37: 20.

The fire will not be quenched and everything is burned up into smoke which vanishes away.

I have another web page that looks at this very problem in more detail. Click to see: Are we tormented day and night for ever and ever? Do the wicked get tormented day and night for ever and ever? To see the Bible evidence click on the link to the right (A new window will appear).

If we just look at verses 19 to 21, it would seem that you are right. However if we include verses 17 & 18 to our study, we will see right away that the remnant is the flesh of all people:

17. 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,
18. "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."
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:17-21.

It says in verse 18: "the flesh of all people". Thus the remnant that is slain includes the flesh of all people, both "free and slave, both small and great".

In verses 17 and 18, the birds are told to come and eat. They are to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, then the flesh of all people is included, free and slave, both small and great. So, the birds are promised the flesh of all people!

Now in verses 19 - 21, God provides the flesh to the birds. The beast, the kings, and their armies are all captured. Once the beast and false prophet are thrown into the fire, all the rest, which are the remnant, were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse.

Now, in verse 21, we see that all the fowls are filled with their flesh. So, since the birds are promised the flesh of all people in verse 18, "the remnant" has to include the flesh of all people.

Everyone on the earth is killed except the righteous. Since the birds are promised the flesh of all the people on the earth, it makes sense that the righteous are already being taken up into the sky to be with the Lord. So the righteous are no longer on the earth at this time. They are with Jesus from this point on and are taken to heaven as many verses indicate.

Here is another verse of Scripture that describe the destruction of the wicked:

8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming.
9. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
10. and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thess 2:8-10 NIV.

Those who are deceived by Satan will perish. See who it is who is perishing; It is those who refuse to love the truth! Again we see that it is the wicked who are destroyed.

So, when Jesus comes again all the wicked are destroyed!

15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:15-17.

In Revelation 6 we see all the wicked were reduced to the same level. Not only were every bondman and free man hiding but also the human army that said they were going to make war against God (as described in Revelation 19 above). Now they are all hiding in the caves and rocks as God approaches asking for the mountains and rocks to fall on them. They cannot stand even to look at the face of God, the Father nor can they look into the face of Jesus, the Lamb of God. They are asking to be killed before they are forced to see God!

We need to look at all of Scripture in order to find the truth of what is to happen. We cannot use a few texts of Scripture in a way that makes it go against other very prominent verses. We must work to understand what Scripture says until we find that it is true; All Scripture does indeed agree with each other.

Lets review a few major points about the 1000 years.

1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:1-3.

We find that Satan is bound for the 1000 years. But after the 1000 years he will be released so he can tempt the wicked who will be raised at the end of the 1000 years:

17. 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,
18. "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."
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:17-21.

Revelation 19 describes the second coming of Jesus in terms of the destruction of the wicked. We find that all the wicked are killed by the brightness of His coming at the second coming of Jesus. A sword proceeds out of Jesus' mouth and the remnant were slain. So, the flesh of all people were given to the fowls in the midst of heaven.

33. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:33.

Jeremiah describes what the condition of the wicked will be during the 1000 years. Their dead bodies will be laying from one end of the earth to the other and there will be no one to bury them at all.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.

We know the wicked are dead during the 1000 years because it says that the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the wicked!

Much of Revelation 20:4-6 is really talking about the righteous. They are the ones who experience the first resurrection at the beginning of the 1000 years! They are risen up when Jesus comes as we saw in 1 Thessalonians 4.

16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The righteous meet the Lord in the air, in the clouds to go to heaven with Jesus:

33. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

36. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 13:33,36;14:2-3

20. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

In Revelation 20:6 we find that the second death will have no power over the righteous.

6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.

It is only the wicked that will experience the second death.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-15

When the wicked are raised up in the second resurrection following the 1000 years as is described in Revelation 20:13-15, we see that they are judged and then thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. the death for which they will never awake again.

So, how can the righteous people judge people who are already dead? And why would the righteous judge the dead who are already deemed wicked by God?

Lets begin by looking how God treats the righteous so we can understand what is happening. It will help answer your question.

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:14-17.

The righteous become sons of God. They are adopted! They receive a gift from God that would never be theirs if Jesus didn't give it to them. Through Jesus, the righteous become joint-heirs with Christ! and they will be glorified together with Jesus! And so, Jesus gives judgement to the saints.

2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

The righteous judge not only the wicked but also the wicked angels.

Yes, it is true that God knows who is righteous and who is wicked. But remember, it says in Revelation 20:4 that "judgment was given unto them:" Remember, God is allowing the righteous to be joint-heirs with Christ! He is allowing them to be glorified together with Christ! So, God is giving this special privilege to the righteous, to judge the wicked.

Lets not forget that it is after the 1000 years that the wicked will be raised to life again. This is when they will be judged.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-15

Just as soon as the 1000 years are finished and the righteous are finished with their judgement, then the wicked are raised to life, only to be destroyed by the fire according to their judgement.

So there is a special judgment that occurs to the wicked. Since the wicked are judged according to their works at this time, it looks like the righteous will determine the amount of suffering that is metered out when the wicked are placed in the lake of fire which is their second death.

No, the wicked do not have a second chance to live. The wicked have already rejected God and God brought them up in the second resurrection. The righteous have already judged these people and there is no second chance. The Bible says nothing about a second chance, only that all who are raised in the first resurrection will not experience the second death. That means the wicked are the ones who will experience the second death. That means all who are raised in the second resurrection, who are outside the city are thrown into the lake of fire.

They have already rejected God and they have no real love for God. They might know that all is lost. So, when they are tempted by Satan, one last time, to try to attack God; They might reason that there really is no alternative.

But another possibility is that Satan will not identify himself as Satan. He might claim to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully taken from him. Satan might even tell the wicked that it was he who raised them to life so that they could be victorious in their attack against the city.

At this point the wicked are Satan's captives. they have already rejected Christ and they no longer have a conscience. The Holy Spirit is no longer working on their soul and there is no good angel telling them to do what is right. Also the close of probation has already happened. Jesus has already stood up and made this very solumn speach:

11. "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11

There will no longer be any conversions. So, there is a time when probation actually closes. This is when everyone will have decided what they want to do; Either to follow God and be righteous and holy; Or to follow Satan and be unjust and filthy.

Now, they only have Satan and all the evil angels to tell them, in their mind, what they are to do. Look at these texts:

11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-15

7. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
8. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:7-8.

There is no second chance. These are the wicked who are cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. Even now, they choose to attack God! They have become enemies against God just as Satan is an enemy of God There is nothing in common with God on the outside of the city!

So, who is the righteous going to rule over if the wicked are all dead during the 1000 years?

How are Jesus and His saints going to rule over the wicked. Lets study into it a little bit.

When we see the word "rule", we somehow pickup the idea that He will rule over the wicked, meaning that the wicked will be alive and they will be governed by Him. This is what many think of when they think of Jesus as ruling over the wicked, or even the righteous people of God as ruling over the wicked. However, Scripture says that Jesus will strike the nations and He will rule over the nations of the world with a rod of iron. Why would He use an iron rod if it wasn't for some violent act?

The rod of iron actually means He will destroy the wicked! look at the next part of that verse: It says: He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The wicked will receive the wrath of God in that they will be utterly destroyed. That is how He will rule the wicked.

Sure enough, if we continue reading in Revelaton 19 we find that all the wicked are destroyed in verse 21:

Now, let's look at the next verse which refer to God's righteous people who will rule with Jesus:

Again we find that they will also rule with a rod of iron, and the wicked will be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels.

So, to rule over the wicked with a rod of iron means to utterly destroy the wicked! This is definitely NOT depicting a quiet rule where the wicked are living under the rule of the righteous.

This rod of iron idea matches with other verses that we have already seen, such as 1 Corinthians, where the righteous will act as judges:

2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

In Revelation 20, we also saw that during the 1000 years that judgment is given into the hands of the righteous. So, it is at this time that they will judge both the wicked angels and people:

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4.

So, the righteous live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. They judge the wicked with an ion rod and they will be priests of God and of Christ. So, when the wicked will be judged, at the end of the 1000 years, they will experience the second death from which they will never live again. They will cease to exist.

The wicked dead, which we know from the previous questions, are resurrected after the 1000 years. So they are no longer dead. They are alive for a short time but they are outside the city. They are tempted to attack the city so they surround the saints and the city.

7. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8. 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.
9. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Revelation 20:7-9

Only the righteous had the right to "enter through the gates into the city."

14. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Revelation 22:14-15

It is after they surround the saints and the city that the wicked are destroyed:

9. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Revelation 20:9

If we look at Revelation 22, we see that the first five verses is a continuation of the discussion of the New Jerusalem and the river of life. This is a description of the new world!

But starting with verse 7, we have a recap of warnings. Jesus starts repeating the important warnings that we need to hear.

7 Behold, I am coming quickly! . . .
11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still . . . he who is holy, let him be holy still
12 And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me . . .
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments. . . .
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and . . .

So we can see that these are general statements of warning. The wicked will not always be outside the walls of the city. As we saw before; The wicked, that are outside the city, are destroyed and they experience the second death.

It is only after all sin is destroyed that the whole earth is made new. It is then that the righteous will inherit the earth!

I am a firm believer in studying all of the Bible to know what the Bible says on a particular topic. We need to look at all of Scripture in order to find the truth of what is to happen.

Also, we cannot use a few texts of Scripture in a way that makes it go against other very prominent verses of the Bible! We must work to understand what Scripture says until we find that all the Scripture does indeed agree with each other.

I have tried to do that on this web page. However there are some people who use a very different set of Scripture and they use it in such a way that make it go against very plain Biblical statements such as is found in Daniel and Revelation which are devoted to the last days!

I have not used many of these other text of Scripture because I did not think they were as clear as the ones I have already used. However, I do think we now should look at these other Scripture since there is such a following that believe these say something very different.

Can we find a way for all these Scripture to agree with each other or are we doomed with the idea that the Bible does not even agree with itself?

If the Bible actually disagreed with itself, then we would always disagree with each other because we use a different part of Scripture!

But I believe we can find an answer! I believe that all Scripture does agree with itself!

Here is the list of verses we will look at:

Lets tackle one verse at a time:

It is true that Jesus is coming back in a similar manner: Jesus was taken up into Heaven and He was taken up through a cloud.

9. And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. Acts 1:9.

When Jesus comes back He will be coming with clouds:

7. Behold, He is coming with clouds. . . Revelation 1:7 First Part.

But there is other Scripture that tells us that it will not be exactly the same. When Jesus comes back, instead of being by Himself, He will be surrounded by His angels and He will have all the glory of His Father. Also, instead of having a small group see Him go up, the whole world will see Him come the next time. When He left, only a small group even knew that He was leaving; However, when Jesus comes back every eye will see Him!

7. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7.

Another thing to consider is that none of the second coming descriptions describe Jesus as actually touching the earth at the second coming. Only that He will be coming down through the clouds.

29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31.

The next verse show that God's people actually meet in the air with the clouds, not on the ground:

15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

These verses show us that the angels will gather together God's people from the four winds, from all over the earth and they will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

So, instead of having Jesus touch down on earth to stay, the righteous actually come up to meet the Lord in the air. Nothing is said about Jesus being on the ground nor staying on the ground.

Not only does Jesus not touch the ground and all the righteous meet the Lord in the air, but the Bible also teaches that Jesus is taking all His people all back to Heaven with Him:

14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

By connecting verse 14 to verses 15-17, we can really see that Jesus will be taking His people back to heaven with Him. Paul did not mean that Jesus would be bringing the dead people down from heaven because Jesus comes at His second coming in order to wake up the dead so He can bring them with Him back to heaven. So clearly, verse 14 is saying that even those who sleep in Jesus will God take back with Him to heaven.

The dead in Christ are still sleeping when Jesus comes down, so they can't come down with Him at all. It is only when Jesus wakes them up at His second coming can they be with Him and to go with Him into Heaven.

Also, verse 15 says that those who are living will not prevent those who are asleep, and verse 17 says they will be together; So, Paul is saying these things he is indicating that both those who were dead and those who are yet alive will all be together (verses 15-17) when they rise to meet Jesus. So, both those who were asleep and those who are yet alive will Jesus take back with Him to Heaven at that time!

All this shows that Acts 1:11 cannot be used to stipulate that Jesus' return will be exactly like when He left the earth. While some things are the same, such as the clouds; Acts 1:11 cannot be used to say that Jesus will also return to touch the ground.

Acts 1:11 does not even mention that Jesus actually touches the ground, but we do have 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 which specifically says that the righteous will be meeting Jesus in the air and also that Jesus will take them back to heaven with Him.

Let's look at the next verse from the question:

When we look at a lone verse of Scripture, we must not make it say something that would go against the rest of Scripture. Instead, what works best is when we look at all the verses on a subject and then we can put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

It is true that God did not create the earth in vain, He formed our world to be inhabited. However, This verse does NOT say that the earth has to be inhabited during the thousand years. It only says that the world was made to be inhabited and that it was not created in vain.

God definitely did not create the earth in vain! Mankind will inherit the earth for all of eternity, but the Bible is clear in saying that it is only after God makes all things new will the earth be inhabited again.

17. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isaiah 65:17

It will be after the wicked are fully destroyed for the last time that man will inhabit the world.

1. For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, Says the LORD of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3.

Thus the wicked will be ashes under the soles of the saint's feet when they inherit the earth.

Lets look at a simple outline that takes into account all the verses on this subject. This outline shows where God's people will be and what they will be doing during the 1000 years, as discussed on this web page.

1. God's people, who are the saints, will be taken to heaven when Jesus comes. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 The wicked, on the other hand, are destroyed by the brightness of His coming. Revelation 19:16-21
2. The Saints will live and rule, under Christ, in God's kingdom in heaven for 1000 years. During this time they will judge the wicked dead for their final punishment that will occur at the end of the 1000 years. 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; Revelation 20:4.
3. The wicked are all dead during this time. Jeremiah 25:33; Jeremiah 4:23-26.
4. Then after the 1000 years, Jesus and the righteous come back down to the Earth. The wicked are now brought back to life in the second resurrection to face their final judgement. In the mean time, the wicked are tempted to attack the city, so they surround the city. But almost immediately they are destroyed in judgement. This is when they face the white judgement throne. Once they are destroyed for the last time, the earth will be made new. Jude 1:14-16.
5. Then the righteous will inherit the earth. The righteous will rule under Christ and live on the earth for the rest of eternity. Isaiah 65:17; Malachi 4:1-3.

One point to realize when we look at this outline; The righteous will not stay in heaven forever because God will "make all things new" Revelation 21:5. They will inherit the Earth but only after the thousand years are finished. This is when all sin will be done away with. So, the righteous will live in heaven for the thousand years, then they will inherit a new earth.

1. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

In our world made new, the righteous people will live with Christ on the earth. This is after the thousand years and after the wicked are fully destroyed (The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalm 145:20. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:3).

So, what Isaiah 45:18 says agrees with the rest of Scripture! God did not create our world in vain. He formed it to be inhabited and it is the righteous who will inherit the earth and inhabit it.

Now, lets look at Revelation 2:25-27:

To figure out what it means to rule with a rod of ion lets look at Revelation 19:15. In fact, let's look at verses 15 to 21. Revelation 19 describes the second coming of Jesus, but instead of describing how Jesus saves His own people; It describes how He will come to destroy the wicked. The beast and false prophet are burned and all the rest of the wicked are killed.

15. 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.
16. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17. 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,
18. "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."
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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. Revelation 19:15-21.

When we see the word "rule", we somehow pickup the idea that Jesus will rule over the wicked that are alive, or that the righteous people of God will also rule over the wicked who are still alive.

However, Revelation 19:15 says that Jesus will rule over the nations of the world with a rod of iron. Why would He use an iron rod if it wasn't for some violent act?

The rod of iron means He will actually destroy the wicked! look at the next part of that verse: It says: He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The wicked will receive the wrath of God in that they will be killed when He comes. That is how He will rule the wicked.

This point can clearly be seen in the rest of the text: The supper of the great God will include "the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great"! The beast and false prophet are thrown into the fire and the rest were killed outright.

So, Instead of ruling over a living wicked, we find from the text itself, that Jesus is exercising the wrath of God against the wicked. When Jesus comes, He will kill all the wicked!

Now, let's go back to our text in question. Revelation 2 refers to God's righteous people who will rule with Jesus:

25. "But hold fast what you have till I come.
26. "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--
27. 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' --as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:25-27.

Jesus now promises that all who overcome, keeping Christ's works until the end, Jesus will give power over the nations.

So, now it is the righteous person who shall rule the wicked with a rod of iron! Then the wicked will be destroyed like potter's vessels. Again, ruling with a rod of iron is connected with the destruction of the wicked!

Jesus gives us an additional clue of what is to happen. He says that in the same way that He has received from His Father, the righteous will also have power over the wicked to destroy them. This is amazing!

So, how will the righteous have power to destroy the wicked? Let's look at 1 Corinthians 6:

2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

The righteous will act as judges to determine how the wicked will be destroyed. Jesus has given judgement into the righteous' hands!

We are now ready to look at Revelation 20:6:

I want to add verse four to help give us a better perspective:

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

6. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4,6

Earlier, we saw in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, that the righteous will judge the wicked. Now in Revelation 20:4 we have the description of the righteous sitting on thrones and having the power of judgment given to them.

So, the righteous will reign with Jesus a thousand years. Their reign is that of judgment. Judgement is given into their hand and they will sit on thrones and pronounce judgment on the wicked. They judge the wicked with an ion rod and they will be priests of God and of Christ and their reign will result in the complete destruction of the wicked and they will indeed judge with a rod of iron.

At the end of the 1000 years the wicked will be raised to life to receive their judgement. When the wicked do receive their judgement, they will then experience the second death from which they will never live again. They will cease to exist.

Revelation 20:6 talks about the fact that the wicked who are part of the second resurrection will experience the second death. They will never live again. But Blessed and holy is he who is raised in the first resurrection. He will never experience the second death and they will reign with Jesus for a thousand years. As we have learned from the other verses, they will take part in the judgement of the wicked.

Lets look at Isaiah 11.

This Scripture is said to say that the Saints will rule the earth under Christ during the 1000 years. However nothing is said about the 1000 years at all. Instead, we see that Jesus who is from the stem of Jesse and also called a Branch, is called a Rod. In verse 4, Jesus is described as destroying the wicked. From the other verses we have already looked at we know that He will rule with a rod of iron!

After the wicked and all wickedness is destroyed it is then that the wolf and lamb will live together and all the other descriptions that describe the new world. These descriptions are in Isaiah 11:6-8. From all the other verses that we have seen, the wicked and all wickedness will not be destroyed until the 1000 years are done.

So Isaiah 11 is a description of Jesus who fully destroys the wicked so that the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the young goat and all the others can all live harmoniously together. Jesus says that there will be none that hurt nor destroy because the whole earth will be full in the knowledge of the Lord. This could only be true once the wicked are destroyed. Then and only then will all live harmoniously together because the world will be made new and it is only the righteous that can live harmoniously!

Now we are ready to look at Isaiah 24:6

It is said that Isaiah 24:6 cannot be used to "prove" that all the wicked will be destroyed on the earth when Jesus comes, and that the earth will be desolate during the millennium.

Sure enough, after saying that the earth is cursed and the inhabitants of the earth are burned, the Scriptures say that few men are left. This is different from saying that no man was left as we see in Jeremiah 4:25:

23. I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
24. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.
25. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:23-26.

Also, in Jeremiah 25 we again see that the wicked are fully destroyed:

29. . . . Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
30. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:29-33.

Jeremiah 25:31 says that He will kill the wicked with the sword and in verse 33 we find that the slain of the Lord is all over the earth. And there is no one to lament over them nor bury them. This is during the 1000 years. So both Jeremiah 4 and 25 are very definite that all the wicked are completely destroyed

So, why would one or more texts say no one was left and other one say few men are left?

The answer is that Jeremiah 4:23-26 looks at the earth after God has kills the wicked. No man is left since the righteous are all in heaven at that time. But Isaiah 24 describes the actual destruction of the wicked:

Lets look at Isaiah 24:6 more closely: we can see that the wicked are not really mentioned, only that the inhabitants of the earth are burned:

6. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. Isaiah 24:6

It does not say that a few of the wicked are left; But rather, it says that a few of the men are left. This is different from saying that a few of the wicked are left.

Since the righteous are just a few when compared to the wicked. The saving of the righteous could easily be equated with a few men being left.

Lets look at the whole chapter of Isaiah 24. I know its a lot to look at. Please note the parts highlighted in Red, showing that God destroys the wicked utterly; Orange, showing a few men are left possibly the righteous; Green, Fear, the pit and the snare are to destroy the wicked.; and Blue, in the world made new God will reign on the earth.

1. Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.
2. And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the LORD has spoken this word.
4. The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.
5. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant.
6. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.
7. The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh.
8. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases.
9. They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10. The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in.
11. There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone.
12. In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction.
13. ¦ When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the LORD They shall cry aloud from the sea.
15. Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, The name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
16. From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: "Glory to the righteous!" But I said, "I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously."
17. Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
18. And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit, And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, And the foundations of the earth are shaken.
19. The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly.
20. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again.
21. It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth.
22. They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished.
23. Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously. Isaiah 24:1-23.

In verse 1, 3, and 6 we see that God makes the earth empty and makes it a waste. The land will be entirely emptied and utterly plundered and the inhabitants of the earth are burned. these follow the descriptions of the other Scripture that we have just looked at.

But we also have the earth split open and shaken like a drunkard. In verse 21, it says that God will punish the exalted ones and also the kings of the earth. This could be where the wicked leaders and possibly evil angels are punished.

Verse 22 says they will be gathered together and put in the pit to be shut up in prison. It is after some time that they will be punished.

This matches what we saw described in Revelation where Satan is put in the pit for 1000 years before he and all those who follow him will be destroyed.

It is only following the description of the final punishment is the description that God will reign in Jerusalem. It is placed following the destruction of the wicked!

Now, if we were to say that verse 6 said that not all the wicked were to be burned, then we would make verse 6 go against even the chapter it is in. Verses 1, 3, the first part of 6, and 19-23 all describe the utter destruction of the wicked.

So, Isaiah 24 does indeed agree with the other Scripture we have looked at on this web page. Because the few men that are left are actually the righteous! Because of what verse 1, 3, 6, 22, etc. says, it is clear that all the wicked will be destroyed. So verse 6 must be referring to the righteous who are saved.

Now lets look at Revelation 5:10.

If we read this verse alone we may get the idea that the righteous will rule on earth for the thousand years. However, this verse is not talking about the thousand years at all. Nor is it talking about the righteous who inherit the earth.

This verse is talking about another group that is in the throne room of heaven. Let's look at a few more verses to get a better understanding of what is happening.

The colors will help us identify what we need to find. Red - refers to Jesus Christ Green - refers to the 24 elders Orange - helps identify who the 24 elders are, in the throne room in heaven.

6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10. And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:10

In the throne room Jesus the lamb takes the scroll out of the right hand of the Father. At this point the four living creatures and the 24 elders start exclaiming that Jesus is worthy.

Within the speech, the elders say something that helps us know who this group is. "You have redeemed us . . out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation". These 24 elders seem to be special representatives from the earth, they are human.

Now something very interesting, they say that they have been made kings and priests to God and that at some future date they will reign on the earth.

This could easily be referring to the time after the 1000 years, not the 1000 years itself. They are already kings and priests but they are not yet reigning on the earth.

The 24 elders are not "all the righteous of God", as the other Scripture text that we have looked at. This is a special group. It is possible that since these 24 have represented us in heaven, they may become kings and leaders over God's people on earth, but under Christ.

Isaiah 2:2-4 will be studied in the seventh question and Zechariah 14 will be studied in the eighth question. Zechariah 14 has been addressed by at least four people (Question 5, 6, 7 and 8). It is definitely an important text to look at, probably the most important of all the text. Make sure you look at both the seventh and eighth questions below:

Let's look at the promise in John 14 to see what Jesus' promise is about.

1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

This promise centers on the fact that Jesus will come again and take God's people with Him to the place of His Fathers House where there are mansions just waiting for them. So, Jesus says that He will keep His promise when He comes, not before. Because He says that when He comes, He will receive us unto Himself.

So, when does Jesus come for His people? Is is when His people die? Or is it at the Second Coming, at the end of the world, the last day? Let's look more closely at the verses which clearly show when Jesus will raise His righteous ones from the grave:

39. "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
40. "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

43. Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.
44. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

53. Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54. "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:39-40, 43-44, 53-54.

Many times Jesus has said that He will raise his people up on the last day. So it should not be surprising to see that Martha repeats what Jesus says when Jesus says to her: "your brother will rise again."

23. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24. Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:23-24.

The righteous will rise in the resurrection at the last day and it will be Jesus who raises them.

In the book of John, there is a discussion that Jesus had with His disciples about His leaving them. In that discussion, Jesus told them that they could not go with Him then, but that they would be able to follow Him later. Jesus specifically tells them that He will personally come back to take them back with Him to His Father's house:

33. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

36. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
38. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 13:33,36-14:3

Jesus was going to heaven. So He told them that they could not go with Him at that time, but that they would follow Him at a later time. Finally in verse 3 of John 14 He says that He will come again to receive them unto Himself.

This promise centers on the fact that Jesus will come again and take God's people with Him to the place of His Fathers House where there are mansions just waiting for them. So, Jesus tells us that He will keep His promise when He comes, not before. Because He says that when He comes, He will receive us unto Himself.

Let's look more closely at other verses which clearly show when Jesus will raise His righteous ones from the grave:

20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.

In verses 21 and 23 we see that Jesus is the firstfruits of those who slept in the grave. Jesus rose from the dead. Now in verse 23 we see that the righteous will be made alive at his coming.

Now, lets look at Thessalonians 4 where Paul describes with more detail how Jesus will wake up His people when He comes:

15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

In verse 16 we see that Jesus descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. The very first thing that now happens is that all those who were dead in Christ are brought to life.

If everyone wakes up from the dead when they die, they would all wake up at different times since people die at different times. But that is NOT how it happens in verse 16. All the dead wake up at the same time! So it is when Jesus descends from heaven with a shout that the dead rise, not when they die.

Then in verse 17 the very next thing that happens is that all the rest of the righteous, the ones still living at that time, they are brought up together into the clouds. So all those who are dead in Christ and also all those who are yet alive, they are all brought up together in the air at the same time and in the same event, when Jesus comes!

The rising of the dead in Christ does not happen when God's people die. It happens only at the end of the world when Jesus comes to pick up all His people at the same time, both the dead and those who are yet alive.

This was wonderful news to those in the Thessalonian church because they were crying for the dead as if they had no hope of the future!

Now, lets look at the verse that many people think says that Jesus will bring the dead in Christ back with Him from Heaven to the earth when He comes:

13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Clearly, verse 14 is saying that even those who sleep in Jesus will God take back with Him to heaven. Paul did not mean that Jesus would be bringing the dead people from heaven because Jesus comes at His second coming in order to wake up the dead and bring them with Him back to heaven. We have just looked at these things in verses 16 and 17 above.

Near the beginning of this page we also saw that Jesus preached that the Saints will enter the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is part of our reward. Here is a quick list of the verse that we covered:

. . ."My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:33-36

. . .unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Matthew 7:21

. . . Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3

. . . Truly I say to you that a rich man will with great difficulty enter into the kingdom of Heaven.. . . It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:23-24

. . . many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 8:11

. . . your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12

. . . lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:20

So, Scripture clearly shows that the righteous will enter heaven. Also, Scripture clearly shows that at the end of the world, the second coming of Christ; That Jesus will come with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then God's people that are alive will be taken up into the clouds to be with the Lord in the air with those who had died.

We are not being gathered on the earth but rather in the air to be taken to heaven where Jesus says: In my Father's house are many mansions. Jesus has prepared a place for us so that He could take us with Him.

So, Scripture shows us that we go to heaven when Jesus comes again, not when we die. Everyone is taken to heaven at the same time to receive their reward.

To answer your question: God cannot start an earthly kingdom and take us all to heaven at the same time. Jesus spoke of heaven as being our reward over and over again. He did not speak of an earthly kingdom.

These points of Scripture add up to one important point: Zechariah 14 must be talking about another time, not during the 1000 years after Jesus comes because the Bible is clear that Jesus takes His chosen people to heaven when He comes.

On the other hand, the Bible is also clear that God's people will inherit the earth after the 1000 years. So, Zechariah 14 could be referring to the time following the 1000 years.

In the eighth question we will look into Zechariah 14 in more detail.

But let's look at the other verse that you mentioned. You also said that Jude 14 said Jesus would be bringing the dead back from Heaven!

14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15. "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16. These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. Jude 1:14-16

I have seen people say that Jude 14 is the second coming of Jesus but that the word "saints" should really be translated as "angels". However, in Jude 6, Jude uses the actual word "angel". So, Jude must have meant "saints" and not "angels" for Jude 14, because he used both words easily.

I believe that Jude 14 is actually describing the return of Christ at His third coming, which is following the 1000 year millennium.

The reason is related to verse 15 and 16. It really is the third coming when Jesus will come down with His saints to execute judgment on all the wicked. The wicked will receive their judgment and be destroyed.

However, there is something very interesting to note in the 15th verse:

15. "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." Jude 1:15

When it says the ungodly will be convicted, does it mean that the wicked will be convicted and sentenced as in a court setting? We can see this happening at this time:

11. 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.

13. 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.
14. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:11,13-14

However, when it says the ungodly will be convicted, could it also mean that the wicked will also be convinced of their own wickedness?

This is interesting. Why would the wicked need to be convicted of all their ungodly deeds if they will just be destroyed? Is there any reason for it?

I don't know why. Maybe the righteous will need to see that the wicked themselves actually acknowledge their own sins. But, we do have this verse that says: "Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

9. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

It says those under the earth; That must be the wicked. The wicked will bow down to Jesus and they will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, as part of the judgement process of the wicked, sometime before they are destroyed, the wicked will praise God and bow the knee. They will know that it was their failure that they did not become saved for eternity.

14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15. "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16. These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. Jude 1:14-16

Now, verse 16 reminds us when this happens and who it is that we are talking about:

14. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Revelation 22:14-15

The wicked are the ones who are confirmed sinners. They do not want to change. Thus, they are found outside the city, the New Jerusalem, where they will be destroyed.

So, it is clear that Jude 14 is not having the Saints come back with Jesus at His second coming to live on the earth for a thousand years; But instead, Jude 14 is speaking of Christ's third coming. It is actually talking about the destruction of the wicked when the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven at the end of the 1000 year millennium. Jesus comes down with His saints to inhabit the city. But the wicked are destroyed outside the city.

Because there are some interesting simularities that Zechariah 14 has with Isaiah 35 and Joel 3, we will first study these other verses in question 7 before Zechariah 14 is studied in question 8.

Here is the list of verses we will look at:

Let's begin by looking at Isaiah 2:2-4. (We will expand our study to include Micah 4:1-7.)

It sounds peaceful doesn't it? It sounds too good to be true that there could be a time when there will be no war. When the Lord's house will be established in the top of the mountains and all nations will flow to it. It also says that people will destroy their tools of war making them into tools that will help them live in peace and their will be no more war.

This Scripture fits very nicely with the idea of an earthly millennium of peace and many people see it that way; However, is that really what it is teaching? We need to remind ourselves that Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and wicked will be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels:

15. 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. Revelation 19:15-21.

27. 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' --as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:25-27.

Somehow these verses agree with each other. We can not have a millennium of peace when they are ruled with a rod of iron!

So, let's study Isaiah 2 more closely. Now, it may surprise some but Micah also wrote almost the same words. These two prophets, Isaiah and Micah, were contemporaries because they served under the same kings.

We need to look at both Isaiah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-3 together so we can see that they are virtually identical. It really is the same prophecy! In addition, we will see that the added detail found in Micah will help us determine what this prophecy is really describing.

Let's first compare these three verses together side-by-side:

What makes Micah more interesting than Isaiah is that Micah presents more detail in this prophecy.

Verses four and five add to the idea of peace:

4. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5. For all people walk each in the name of his god, But we will walk in the name of the LORD our God Forever and ever.
6. "In that day," says the LORD, "I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast And those whom I have afflicted;
7. I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever. Micah 4:4-7

So, is Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 describing a future time when the great multitudes of the world will say to each other: Come, let's go to the mountain of the Lord and the house of the God of Jacob?

Will there be a time when the Lord's house will be established for all the people of the world, so that all people and nations will flow to it? Will people destroy their tools for war and turn them into tools for peace and farming? Will everyone sit under his vine and fig tree; An act that says they all want to live in peace and harmony? Will nations no longer war against other nations and will they no longer learn war any more?

These descriptions obviously fit with the earthly millennium of peace that many people expect to come on the earth; However, there are indications, within the prophecy itself, that peace is not what the prophecy is depicting.

1. It is the last days before Jesus comes, not the 1000 year millennium.

Neither Micah nor Isaiah identify this prophecy as occurring during the 1000 year millennium. Rather, they say "it shall come to pass in the last days" The last days are the days just before Jesus comes not after He comes.