Rev 20:7-10  "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

At the end of the thousand year reign, which we have shown indicates an indefinitely large period of time, in which Christ reigns with his disciples on earth in a spiritual kingdom of God, Satan is loosed out of his prison. His goal has not changed from that set forth in Rev. 12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Once more, he goes out to deceive the nations into forming the seventh head of the beast. (See Rev. 17:10 "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.")

The phrase, "Gog and Magog," is our key to understanding this passage of scripture. Gog and Magog are found only in Ezek. chapters 38 and 39. Those chapters speak of Gog and Magog with a great army coming against Israel and God himself taking vengeance on Gog and Magog and their armies. Similarly, the nations in the four quarters of the earth and their armies, numbered as the sand of the sea, compass the camp of the saints about and the beloved city. At this time, fire (God's wrathful judgment) comes down out of heaven and devours them.

The term, camp of the saints, refers to the disciples of the Lord as an army. This army is not engaged in natural warfare, but spiritual warfare. This is the Lord's militant church. Remember the dragon went to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, the phrase, the beloved city, also has reference to the church. It can no longer have reference to natural Jerusalem for she is declared to be "Sodom and Egypt." The church, also known as New Jerusalem and Holy Jerusalem is now the beloved city.

We are not given the details about how all this will come to pass, only that it will happen. I make the following observations:

1. Whether the United Nations is this seventh head, I do not know, although it is working toward the formation and has as a goal to form a one-world government.

2. When the seventh head is formed she will continue only a "short space." This will only be a short-lived kingdom.

3. When the beast surrounds the camp of the saints and the beloved city, God takes matters into his own hands and pours out his wrathful judgment on the armies of the beast.

4. It appears to be a complete victory over the beast and her armies.

5. I would much rather be in the camp of the saints than in the camp of the beast. I would much rather have God fighting for me than against me.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." The lake of fire is defined as the second death or God's eternal judgment of sin meted out upon the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and the non-elect. Ultimately, the Lord has the complete victory over all evil.


Rev 20:11-15  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 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."

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it." White is the color associated with righteousness. This is God's judgment throne in which he judges in righteousness:

1. Ps. 9:8 "And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness."

2. Ps. 72:2 "He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment."

3. Ps. 97:2 "Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."

4. Ps. 103:6 "The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed."

5. Is. 1:27 "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness."

6. Is. 16:5 "And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness."

7. Is. 28:17 "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place."

8. Is. 33:5 "The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness."

9. Rom. 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

God's judgment is a righteous judgment and he metes out judgment according to truth. "From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." Sometimes the use of the term "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the natural world in which we live and sometimes it is used to indicate God's people under the law covenant and then God's people under the covenant of grace. In this instance the wording is somewhat different in that it says, "the earth and the heaven." In every occurrence of the phrase, "the earth and the heaven," the natural earth and heaven are indicated:

1. 1 Chr. 21:16 "And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces."

2. Ezek. 8:3 "And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy which provoketh to jealousy."

3. Zec. 5:9 "Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven."

4. Rev. 20:11 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

Thus Rev. 20:11 is speaking of a time when the literal natural heaven and earth are fled away. Those who stand before God's great white throne judgment seat will have no foundation on which to lean or fall back upon.

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." Please note that it is the "dead" who "stand" before God. It is not talking about those who were dead, but they are identified as the "dead" as they stand before God. The bible teaches a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. In the resurrection, all natural bodies will be raised to life. Yet some will be called "dead" and some will be called "living." Recall that in verse 5 we are told "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." We conclude that at one time all of mankind was said to be dead. However, some (the elect) had part in the first resurrection and therefore were no longer dead. Those who did not have part in the first resurrection were "the rest of the dead" and they lived not again until the thousand years were finished. Even though they lived again in the resurrection from the grave, they are still called "the dead." They are still dead in trespasses and sins and subject to God's wrathful eternal judgment. These who are dead stand before God to hear their judgment sentence given.

"And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." First there were a set of books opened, and then there was a single book opened. The set of books were God's law, whereas the single book was the Lamb's book of life.

The dead were judged out of the things that were written in God's law and they were judged according to their works. God's law is perfect and his judgment is perfect. Since the dead have only the nature of the flesh, their works are the works of the flesh. We read in Gal. 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Please notice that all the works of the flesh are sinful. According to the scriptures, "every sin and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward." The wages of sin is death.  1 Tim. 5:24 "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after." The sins of the elect went before to judgment and were judged at the cross of Jesus Christ where he was "made to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." The sins of the non-elect follow after them and go to the great white throne judgment where they are judged according to their works.

"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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." When the Lord comes again in the morning of the resurrection there will be a large sea of humanity that lives upon the earth. Currently there are approximately seven billion people who live upon the earth. Out of those who are still living their natural lives the sea will give up the "dead" which are in it. The dead will be separated from those who are alive in Christ Jesus. Similarly the dead bodies of those non-elect will likewise be raised to stand before the great white throne. Likewise their souls that went into hell at their death will be reunited with their bodies and they will stand before the great white throne judgment seat of God.

After being judged according to their works there is but one sentence possible for the non-elect and that is that they be cast into the lake of fire in eternal judgment. This is the second death.

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." God's judgment of sin is perfectly vindicated as the elect whose names were written in the lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world were judged in God's wrathful judgment poured out upon the "Lamb of God" who suffered in their room and stead for all of their sins. Those whose names were not found written in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire. Therefore all sins are brought to judgment and God's justice is vindicated.