Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 60
ISAIAH 2:2 – PART 2
Okay, we’re just an informal Bible study, and we just simply look at what the Book says, and if it’s not scriptural and I have an idea, hopefully, I always put it that way; that this is the way I think, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily 100%. So, I always try to show everything from what the Scripture says.
I hope I never fail to thank our television audience for the response that keeps us on the air. You know, a lot of people would look at this humble background, without a lot of flowers and a lot of fluff and pomp and circumstance, and wonder how in the world do you stay on television? In fact, they do ask. Well, maybe this is what people want so we do it, we keep it plain and simple, and I think I’ve gained my trademark – short-sleeved shirt and this old chalkboard
All right, enough of that, let’s go right back. I was going to continue on in Isaiah, but while taking our break between lessons, I changed my mind. I just can’t do it yet. Come back with me to Revelation, again. We’re still going to be looking at this Kingdom concept, because when there is so much opposition to it, then I guess it’s worth four programs to try to refute the opposition.
Okay, Revelation, chapter 20 starting at verse 1. Now, this is at the ending hours of the Tribulation and the battle of Armageddon has just been fought, Christ against the anti-Christ and his armies.
Revelation 20:1
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand” Now, it’s not necessarily an iron chain, but it’s a chain of something that will confine an angelic being, such as Satan.
Revelation 20:2
“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him (how long?) a thousand years.” All right, now, let’s just see how often Scripture repeats this number – 1000 years. All right, come on down to verse 3.
Revelation 20:3
“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until (that’s a time word) the thousand years are fulfilled: (Now, there’s twice in two verses that it’s a thousand years.) and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Now, a lot of people wonder, and a lot of people write, after we got that rascal tied up and he’s off the scene, he’s not hurting anybody, why does God bring him back?
Well, you see, it’s a dispensational thing. Every dispensation God gave mankind; let’s just start with Adam and Eve in the Garden, the simplest of the dispensations. A dispensation is a time during which God lays a responsibility upon the human race, and then they fail it. Judgment falls and then something else brings about a new dispensation.
All right, let’s start with Adam and Eve. It was a dispensation. They were in the Garden of Eden, and they only had one responsibility – not to eat of that one tree. That was the only thing. Everything else was theirs to enjoy. But, along comes old Satan, the deceiver and what does he say? “Hath God really said?” Well, what’s he doing? He’s planting doubt. All right, then he comes along and says, “Well it’s all well and good that you’ve got this glorious environment. You’re in a special place, but instead of being under God, wouldn’t you rather be like Him or above Him?” Now, do you get that? That is the lie of Scripture, when Satan convinces the human race that they can become something better and above God.
All right, Eve fell for it because it sounded so good. Well, yeah, we’ve got it good, but to have it even better, why not? All right, now it’s going to be the same thing at the end of these thousand years. They’ve had it just as good for a thousand years as Adam and Eve had it in the Garden for however long they were there. So, what does God have to prove? That after 7000 years the human makeup has not changed. You want to remember that you’re starting the thousand years with just a small percentage of true believers, flesh and blood from Gentile parents and Jewish parents.
All right, now all these new generations have come over a period of a thousand years. Now, that’s a lot of people. From Israel and from the world in general, and they’re still flesh and blood just like we are today. They’re still born with the Adamic nature, just like we are today. They’ve enjoyed all these good things for a thousand years, but it’s a dispensation. They have to be tested. Well, how do you test someone? Give them an alternative. So, who alone can give an alternative to what God has blessed them with? Satan, so God lets him come back to test these new generations of people. Will they hold true to the King after all His goodness toward them, or are they going to fall for the lie that they can be like God or above Him? Well, now let’s just see what happens. All right, so he must be loosed a little season to give these new generations of human beings a choice between Satan’s lie or God’s goodness.
Revelation 20:4-6a
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment (or rule) was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, (that is, back during the Tribulation) neither his image, neither 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 (Now, that’s the unbelieving element of humanity) they lived not until the thousand years are finished (and this bringing out the lost of the ages before the Great White Throne and then consigning them to their doom. That is the second death for the lost. But this, which the believers have enjoyed…) This is the first resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection:…” Those are all believers. The first great group of believers will be the Church Age, and I think you’ve got those who came out of the tombs in Matthew 27, which I call the first fruits, but the major resurrection day is what we call the Rapture of the Church. That’s when all the believers in the Church Age are resurrected. That’s us!
Then, Daniel chapter 12 brings in the resurrection of the Old Testament believers, which will be 75 days after the Kingdom starts. So now, you’ve got all the believers, Old Testament, New Testament, Tribulation; they’ve all been resurrected into heavenly bodies fit for eternity.
But the lost, you see, are still where? They’re waiting down in Hell as we call it. Now, I’ve got to take you back, and I didn’t intend to do this, this is free for nothing. John’s Gospel chapter 5, and drop down to verse 28. This is during Christ’s earthly ministry. So, if you have a red-letter edition, it’s in red. Jesus is speaking. Now, we’ve come here to establish who is in that second resurrection, or the second death.
John 5:28-29
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves (every human being who has ever lived and died) will hear His voice. 29. And they shall come forth; (Now, here’s where we separate them.) they who have done good, (or the people of faith) unto the resurrection of life; (eternal life) and they who have done evil, (they’ve remained in their unbelief) to the resurrection of damnation.”(Or condemnation to their doom.)
All right, now let’s come back to Revelation chapter 20, again, because you’ve got unbelievers who have died ever since the beginning. I usually go back to Cain, who I think, was the first lost person through everybody that’s rejected God’s salvation all the way up through human history until we get to this Great White Throne Judgment after the Kingdom Age of 1000 years has run its course. All right, so jump back in with me again at Revelation 20, where the believing element, who have been resurrected, will live and reign with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5-6
“But the rest of the dead (the lost, who are not yet resurrected) they live not again until the thousand years are finished. (Now, this next statement jumps back up into verse 4.) This is the first resurrection. (Consequently, verse 6 can say.) 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such (these are the true believers) the second death (which is the consignment to the eternal doom) hath no power (because they’re believers) and they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him (here it is again) a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:7a
“When the thousand years are expired,…” They’ve run their course in time, as we know it. This same planet is rejuvenated, remodeled, regenerated, reconstituted, but it’s still going to have the sun rising in the morning and setting at night. It’s still going to be an earth of production of food and fruit and so forth.
Revelation 20:7b-8
“…Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. 8. And shall go to out to deceive (see there’s the word) 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.” Now, why? Well, he’s going to convince them that if they follow him they can be like God. Satan convinces them they’re going to defeat Christ Jesus. Basically he says, “We’ll just declare war on Him, and we’ll throw him out.” You know, I always have to wonder about Satan. Don’t you?How ignorant he must be and yet so powerful?
But to always think, from day one, that he could defeat God. He never seems to get over it, so, again, he will convince these multitudes to follow him and they actually do – now evidently this will be a fairly long period of time. They’re going to be able to put together military equipment.
Revelation 20:9-10
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; (which is Jerusalem. But God doesn’t fight them with tanks and guns, He comes supernaturally, and just simply consumes them) 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.” That’s what the Book says. It’s not my idea. I know it’s a horrible thing to think of, but the Scripture teaches it.
Now, in verse 11, here comes the Great White Throne, and here come the lost of all the ages who will be resurrected out of their waiting place in Hell where they go now. God will resurrect them out. He will give them a body fit for the Lake of Fire, and He brings them up before the Great White Throne where Christ is now sitting as the judge, not the Savior.
Revelation 20:11-12
“And I (John) 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, (of the lost) stand before God; and the books, (the record books) were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead (the lost) were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” That’s why Hell will have degrees of punishment. Every detail of a lost person’s life will be brought up before him, and God is keeping a record.
Revelation 20:13a
“And the sea gives up the dead which were in it,…” In other words, all the lost of all the ages will be brought up to the Great White Throne, and they are judged every man according to their works. Now, verse 14.
Revelation 20:14a
“And death and hell (from which these people have been resurrected) were cast into the lake of fire….” Now, people don’t like that, and I don’t either, but it’s true. I don’t know how else to put it. We have all become so blasé – well, they’re lost. They’re going to Hell.
You know, I read an analogy years ago, and it has always stuck. If you were driving down the street of your hometown or your own neighborhood and you saw a person’s house on fire that you knew intimately and you knew they had three or four kids sleeping in the upstairs bedroom. If you were to drive by about midnight and you saw the flames coming out of the upstairs window, what would you do? Would you just drive on home and go to bed? Why, no human being could. We would do whatever we could to get the fire department or to go and knock the door down and wake them up and get them out. Every one of us would. But, when it comes to the eternal, they’re going to an eternal Lake of Fire, and we don’t even blink an eye. Well, I don’t know what to do about it. But that’s the sad story of the human race, and it’s not going to be an instant annihilation like a lot of people like to think. The Scripture is adamant it’s going to be forever and ever and ever. And the worst part of it will not be the flame.
Now, you know some of the liberals referred to Reagan, after his funeral, about four or five days, that he was already a ‘toasty brown.’ What a horrible way to refer – you read it. Unbelievable. But see that’s just the way they are. But the Lake of Fire is real. It’s coming for lost humanity and then it says in verse 15, well 14 and 15.
Revelation 20:14
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Because the first death was when they died physically. This is a spiritual separation from God.
Revelation 20:15
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire.” Well, it means what it says and it says what it means. But we don’t like to think of that. I can’t blame you. I don’t. But, nevertheless, it’s the teaching of Scripture that the lost will be consigned to the Lake of Fire for all of eternity, as we will be consigned to eternal life for all eternity.
All right, now then, since I have established the thousand-year reign of Christ’s earthly kingdom, let’s come back to the book of Hosea. I kind of tantalized you with it back in the first program, but now we’ll look at it. Come back with me to Hosea, right after the book of Daniel. Jump in with me at chapter 5. Here we have a couple of interesting verses. Not many people are aware of them; a few are, but not many.
Hosea 5:15a
“I will go and return to my place,…” Now, whom does that sound like? The Lord Jesus Christ and when He says, I will go — where’s He speaking from? Heaven. Where’s He going? To the earth. Then what’s he going to do? He’s going to return at the ascension.
Hosea 5:15a
“I will go and return to my place (How long is He going to stay there seated at the Father’s right hand?) until they (Who are the they? Israel) acknowledge their offence, (What was their offence? The crucifixion, the rejection, and they will finally recognize it.) and they will seek my face: in their affliction…” Now, what’s the affliction He’s talking about? The Tribulation. The whole purpose of it is God’s wrath upon Christ-rejecting Israel and the world in general. We’re not going to put the Jews in the solitary place of that. But it’s primarily God dealing with His covenant people.
Hosea 5:15b
“…in their affliction they (the nation of Israel) will seek me early.”
Hosea 6:1a
“Come let us return unto the LORD:…” Now, what does that sound like – who’s speaking? Israel. Israel is now speaking, come let us return to the Lord. My, they’ve got something to return from.
Hosea 6:1b
“…for he hath torn, and he will heal us;…” Now, in our present day, “He hath torn.” You know what I immediately think of? The bus bombings in Israel. My, after one of those horrendous suicide bombings, special people volunteer to go down and scrape up the body parts. It is beyond human comprehension. It happens all the time. Scraping up the body parts that have been blown asunder. Well, that’s what I have to feel here. Oh, they’re being torn asunder.
Hosea 6:1c-2a
“…he will heal us; (who will? Israel’s Messiah) he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Now, here comes the interesting part.) 2. After two days, he will revive us:…”
Now, I’m not going to take you back but what does I Peter say, “a thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years.” I hope I’m not being loose with Scripture, and I’m not saying this in concrete, as I say so often, but this is just to tantalize your thinking. This is something to just mull over. “After two thousand years he will revive us.” Has He? Yes, the nation of Israel is coming back. They’re back in Jerusalem. Oh, they’re not spiritual yet, by any stretch, but they’re physically back in the land. All right, so that’s after about 2000 years, but now look at the next one.
Hosea 6:2b
“…in the third day (or the third thousand years) he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” What’s that referring to? The Kingdom! Now, that’s the way I look at these verses. You may not agree with me or you out in television may not agree with me, but I think this is the one inkling in Scripture that gives us a timeframe. And it’s another reason I think we are so close. We are so close to these 2000 years, since Christ’s first advent, being over, and we’re ready to be ushered into the next 1000 years, which will be the Kingdom.
All right, we’ve only got a few minutes left. Let’s just stay with it as we’ve been on it. You’re in Hosea, just go on to your next little book in the Old Testament. Joel chapter 3, here, again, we’re going to have the horrors of the Tribulation and then the glories of the Kingdom. That’s the process all through prophecy. First, comes Israel’s demise. Then, comes their punishment; invading armies. Then, come the blessings. It’s just a roller coaster. All right, Joel chapter 3 is looking all the way to the end time, to the end of these 2000 years. Look at verse 2. Where God says:
Joel 3:2
“I will also gather all nations, (and it is going to be a coalition like George W. can’t even dream about. It’s going to be every nation involved) and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they (these Gentile nations) have scattered and parted my land.” Sound familiar? What’s the big problem in the Middle East? The West Bank. Gaza. Jericho. They’ve parted the land. That’s why I’d sometimes just like to scream – don’t give up one acre! It’s Israel’s. It’s theirs. The whole Book cries that it is. But, you see, that’s what they’ve done. They’ve divided God’s land.
Joel 3:3
“And they have cast lots for my people: and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.” That’s how Israel has been treated these last 2000 years. Well, let’s go all the way down to the glories of the Kingdom. Verse 17. So after all of their heartache and their sorrow and their murdering, now comes the Kingdom.
Joel 3:17-18a
“So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD,…” Now, just drop over, I hope we’ve got time, we’ve got a couple of minutes. The next book is Amos. Amos chapter 9, and then they try to tell us that all of this has been thrown out? How can they? God’s Word is sure. It’s going to happen.
Amos 9:13-15
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes will overtake him that soweth seed; and the mountain shall dropsweet wine, the hills shall melt. 14. I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15. And I will plant them upon their land, and they (Israel) shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”
All right, now I’ve got to get one more verse before we quit today, and I think we can do it in one minute. Keep turning to Zechariah chapter 14, and again the first three verses are a picture of the final days of the Tribulation, the horrors of it. Then, in verse 4, we have Christ returning to the Mount of Olives as He left in Acts chapter 1. But now, you come all the way down to verse 8:
Zechariah 14:8
“And it shall be in that day (when Christ sets up His Kingdom) that living water shall go out from Jerusalem; and half to the former sea, and half to the hinder sea (that is the Mediterranean out to the Dead Sea) in summer and in winter it shall be.” Now, look at verse 9. Why, this is as plain as any third-grader can understand.
Zechariah 14:9a
“And the LORD (Jesus of Nazareth) shall be King over all the earth;…”