May 13, Wednesday

ACT SEVEN – The Final Showdown

SCENE 1 – Confrontation

Then the heavens opened like a stage curtain and a magnificent white horse stood before me. The One who sat upon the horse was breathtaking:

• He is called Faithful and True — His every act of judgment is flawless; every act of war, justified.
• His eyes are flames of fire.
• His head is covered in jeweled crowns.
• There is a Name written on Him which only He knows.
• His robe is dipped in blood.
• He is called the Word of God.
• Out of His mouth extends a sharp sword to strike the nations. As it is written, “He will rule them with a rod of iron.”
• Singlehandedly He will tread the winepress of the furious wrath of God Almighty.
• Emblazoned across His robe and on His thigh is the title King of kings and Lord of lords.
• The armies of Heaven follow Him, riding on white horses and dressed in spotless, white linen.

I saw another angel standing right in the blazing light of the sun. He called out to all the vultures, saying, “Come! Gather together at God’s great feast! Enjoy a banquet of rich meat as you feast on the flesh of kings and generals, warriors, horses and their riders, slaves and free, small and great!”

Meanwhile, on earth, I could see the beast along with the kings of the earth and their armies all converging in the valley of Armageddon. The next thing I knew, the beast and his false prophet, who, by his miracles, had deceived the world into taking the mark and worshipping the statue, were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulphur. The remaining armies of the earth were wiped out by the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the white horse. The birds of prey had the feast of their lives!

Next, I noticed an angel descending from Heaven, carrying a key and a huge chain. He grabbed the dragon, the serpent of ancient days who is also called the devil and Satan, and bound him with the chain. Then he hurled the devil into the pit and locked it shut for one thousand years so that he could have no access to the nations until the thousand years were over. Only then would he be temporarily released.

SCENE 2 – The First Resurrection

After that, thrones were set up; and all the saints who had been martyred for proclaiming God’s Message and the story of Jesus (these were the ones who had refused to worship the statue and had not accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands) were resurrected and set on the thrones to reign with Christ for one thousand years. Uniquely blessed are those who get in on the first resurrection. They can never be touched by the second death. Instead, they get to serve God and Christ personally and reign alongside Christ for the thousand years. The rest of the dead won’t come to life until after the thousand years.

SCENE 3 – The Last Battle

At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be given one last chance to deceive the nations. He will gather them, numerous as the sand of the seashore, from all corners of the earth and rally them to surround the Beloved City. But fire will come down from the sky and consume them completely. Then the devil who deceived them will himself be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulphur to join the beast and the false prophet. There they will face never-ending torture with no possibility of escape.

SCENE 4 – The Great White Throne

Then I saw a great white throne. The One seated upon it was so terrifyingly glorious it made you want to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go from His presence. The sea gave up its dead. Death and the grave released the dead who were in them. A sea of humanity, great and small, stood before the throne.

Books were opened. Most were books containing the life history of each person. People were judged according to all that they had done. Also the Book of Life was opened.

Death itself was the first to be thrown into the lake of fire. No more death! Any whose names were not found written in the Book of Life were thrown into the lake of fire.