Who are the Nations?

Who the Nations are is an important question for the times we are living in.

The Nations will be gathered before Christ at his Second Coming, they will be on Earth during the Millennium and they will surround the New Jerusalem in Eternity.

The Greek word for the Nations in the Bible is ‘ethnos’.  Ethnos is also translated as ‘pagan’ and ‘gentile’ in the New testament.  All these words ‘Nations’ ‘pagans’ and ‘gentiles’ refer to people who are not God’s people.

Matt 28:19 says: ‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations’

Luke 24:47 says: ‘Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations.’

The nations then are the unconverted.   They are those that we need to preach to.

Col 1:13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

When people in the nations are converted, they become part of God’s kingdom

Rev 2:26 says ‘to him who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the Nations.

Those who are victorious are God’s people and they are different to the Nations.

God’s people will not be the nations in the Millennium or Eternity.  God’s people will be given authority over them.

In Rev 20:7-9 Satan deceives the nations at the end of the millennium.  The Nations number like the sand of the sea and march across the breadth of the Earth to surround the camp of God’s people.

This shows that the Nations will be present during the Millennium and they are separate from God’s people.

Rev 21:4 says that in Eternity, the Nations will walk by the light of the New Jerusalem

God’s people will be with God in the New Jerusalem.

Who then are these nations who are outside the New Jerusalem?

Rev 22:2 says that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations.

The nations in Eternity still need healing.  Just who are they?

The Nations are here now, they will be standing before Christ when he returns and they will be on Earth during the Millennium and in Eternity.

Matthew 24 is all about the signs that will precede the second coming of Christ.

Christ will appear in the clouds and His angels will gather God’s elect from the four ends of the Earth.

Chapter 25 follows on from this and begins with the Parable of the 10 Virgins which tells us how God will deal with the Church.  The foolish virgins miss out on the wedding feast because they forgot to take enough oil with them and their lamps went out.

The parable of the Sheep and the Goats is also in this chapter but this parable is concerned with how God will judge the Nations.

It says that when the Son of Man comes in all his glory and all the angels with Him, he will sit on his glorious throne.   All the nations will be gathered before Him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the Sheep and the Goats.  He will put the Sheep on his right and the Goats on his left.

God tells them, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.   In other words, God will judge the Nations according to how they treated God’s people.  This is a judgment according to works.

God’s people in contrast are judged according to faith which is by grace.

The Sheep Nations who were kind to God’s people – (these brothers and sisters of mine) are rewarded and do not go to hell where one might expect a non Christian to go

Those who failed to show kindness to God’s people – The Goat Nations, are sent to hell

Thus we see that in the parable of the 10 virgins, not all those who are waiting for the Bridegroom go to heaven

And in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, not all who are in the Nations go to hell

This explains where the nations in Eternity and in the Millennium come from.

The New Jerusalem is composed of believers from old and new testament times.  The old testament believers symbolized by the 12 gates and the new testament believers by the 12 foundations.

Rev 3:12 says The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

Outside are the Nations who were not thrown into the lake of fire.  These nations must therefore be in the Lamb’s book of life.  Yet they are not God’s people

New and Old Covenant Believers will be combined into one New Jerusalem where God will live with His people for Eternity.

 

 

http://www.truthinlove.com/References/eternity.htm

 

http://www.truthinlove.com/Parables/parable_prodigal_lost_son.html

 

 

New and Old Covenant Believers (Both Wheat) will be combined into one New Jerusalem where God will live with His people for Eternity.

 

The Sheep and the Goat Judgment is the Battle of Armageddon which occurs on the Day of the Lord

When Christ comes again at the End of the Great Tribulation

Only Born Again Believers (Wheat) go to Heaven.

They will become the New Jerusalem in Eternity.
The weeds go to Hell.
Then Nations who are left behind will be divided into the Sheep and the Goats.

The Battle of Armageddon is on the Day of the Lord when Christ comes with His Army of  Redeemed Believers to defeat the Beast and the False Prophet and separate the Nations into the Sheep and the Goats according to how they treated God’s People (who are with him in the clouds).

 

http://www.truthinlove.com/References/armageddon.htm

How can the Parable of the Prodigal Son Help us understand God’s plan for Eternity

How can the prodigal son help us understand Eternity? Who will be in the New Jerusalem? Who will be the Nations? Who will be on earth during the Millennium? Who will go to Heaven?

The prophetic meaning of the Parable of the Two Sons – (The parable of sons and servants)

This is a story that Jesus told to illustrate how God treats His Children.
God is like the father in this story. His sons represent born again believers.
The Father has servants who are not sons.
The far away places represent the world and the people who live there have no fellowship with the Father and do not serve the Father.
There are many layers in this parable.
The Younger Son is contrasted with the Older Son.
Sons are also contrasted with Servants.
On the surface, this parable illustrates God’s love mercy and forgiveness towards His children. It illustrates how we as God’s children can become proud and think we are better than others whom God has forgiven and made His children by giving them His Spirit (The inheritance that would become theirs when Christ died).
The story was relevant to the sinners and tax collectors (who were like the younger son) and the self righteous Pharisees (who were like the older son) to whom Jesus told it.
It is just as relevant to us today as it was to the Pharisees and Tax collectors in Jesus’ time.
On a deeper level, the Older son and the Younger son could equally represent Israel and the Church respectively. Who then are the Servants who serve the Father and who are the people in far off lands?
In order to understand this parable prophetically, one needs to understand the difference between servants and sons and also have a good understanding of end times revelation.
In Jesus’ time, people could become children of God under the Old or the New Covenant.
It is possible to serve God without becoming a Child of God by serving God’s people. God distinguishes between non Christians who serve God and those who persecute Him. (eg The parable of the Sheep and the Goats.)
Those who become Children of God by faith will become the New Jerusalem in Eternity. Those who only serve the father without becoming sons will become the Nations in Eternity. Those who rebel against the father and have no fellowship with Him will be thrown into the Lake of Fire in Eternity regardless of whether they became sons or not.
If the Older son represents Israel, He like Israel will be part of the New Jerusalem and rejoice with the Father that the younger son the Church returned to the Father.
Both the Church and Israel will be part of the New Jerusalem in Eternity. During the Millennium, however, the Church will be in Heaven and Israel will be on Earth. The Nations who were kind to God’s people will help the 144000 Jews to repopulate the Earth during the Millennium. Providing they do not take part in the final rebellion at the end of the Millennium, they will be the Nations outside the New Jerusalem in Eternity (if they are in the Lamb’s Book of Life when they are Judged at the Great White Throne).
If you become a child of God by repenting and turning to Him and asking for forgiveness, you will receive an inheritance. God will put his Spirit in you now and you will be part of the New Jerusalem in Eternity. When Christ returns, he will redeem you from the Earth and you will reign with him in Heaven for the Millennium and in the New Jerusalem for all Eternity.

http://www.truthinlove.com/Parables/parable_prodigal_lost_son.html

The Parable of the Net helps us understand who will be in the New Jerusalem and the Nations in Eternity

The Parable of the Net helps us understand who will be in the New Jerusalem and the Nations in Eternity

 

http://www.truthinlove.com/Parables/net.htm

The Big Picture in Revelation in the Bible

The overall structure of Revelations is Chronological although the rapture of the Church (the Great Multitude) is mention several times.

Where will you be spending Eternity?

 

 

 

Where will you be spending Eternity?

 

The Millennium refers to a 1000 year period during which Christ Reigns with All Born Again Believers in Heaven over the Purified Nations on the Earth (Pagans who were kind to God’s people during the Great Tribulation ie the sheep) and a select 144000 Jews (God’s People) who repopulate the Earth during the Millennium.   The Millennium fulfills many Old Testament and New Testament prophesies and promises before all of God’s people are brought together for Eternity in the New Jerusalem.   The Millennium follows the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ.   After the Millennium is over, the devil is thrown into the lake of fire, the Kingdom is handed back to the Father and God makes all things new.   All believers who were Born Again under the Old and the New Covenant (Circumcised or Baptized) will be combined into one New Jerusalem after the Millennium (where God will dwell with them for Eternity and they will be able to freely partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life).   The Bible does not reveal many details about the Millennium or it’s function.   All those who have been saved over the ages will be resurrected and called up to be with Christ after their death (the First Resurrection).   They will be joined by Christians who are redeemed (raptured/Harvested) from the Earth during the Great Tribulation (144000 + The Great Multitude).  When Jesus returns, ALL believers (Resurrected from the Dead or raptured from the Earth) will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ where they will be judged for the things that they have done whilst in the body.   ALL believers will reign with Christ for a thousand years (The Millennium) and during this period will be rewarded for their service in the body.   Those who have been more faithful will be given more responsibility. (For example, some will reign over ten cities on the Earth, others five.)   Only Born Again Believers will go to Heaven to reign with Christ.  They will be the Wife of the Lamb (The Bride of Christ).  They are destined to become the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and Earth.  All those who have been Born Again over the Ages will take part in this First Ressurrection or will be raptured from the Earth during the Great Tribulation at the second coming of Christ before the Millennium starts.  Those who are not Born Again will be ressurected at the End of the Millennium (a second ressurrection) and will stand before the Great White Throne where the pagans (also call nations, gentiles, non-believers) are judged.  Born again believers are, therefore, raptured or resurrected to be judged before the Millennium at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The pagans (unbelieving nations/gentiles) are not resurrected for judgment until after the Millennium.   Those who are alive when Christ returns on the Day of the Lord will be divided into the Sheep and the Goats.  Each of us will be Judged according to what we have done.  Whether we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne depends on whether we are a Child of God; Saved by Faith (which is by Grace and not by Works). After God redeems His people at the end of the Great Tribulation, He will pour out his Wrath upon the Pagan Nations who are left on Earth. Those who survive God’s Wrath will go on into the Millennium as the Purified Nations who surround God’s people (the 144000 Jews who are sealed and protected from God’s Wrath) and go up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles.  (Blessed are those who reach the end of the 1335 days)   Christ will separate the Nations into the ‘Sheep’ (who were kind to God’s People) and the ‘Goats’ (who persecuted God’s People) when he comes on the Great and Awsome Day of the Lord. (The Battle of Armageddon) The ‘Goats’ will go to Hades and the ‘Sheep’ will receive a reward prepared for them since the beginning of time. Their reward will be to continue as the Nations during the Millennium and into Eternity.   All whose Names are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Those who worship the Beast and receive his Mark will not be in the Lambs book of Life. There will be people from the Nations who do not receive the Mark of the Beast. (Like the Born Again Believers, some of the pagan will refuse to worship the Beast too).  If their names are in the Lambs book of life when they are raised for Judgment at the Great White throne after the Millennium is over, they will not be thrown into the Lake of Fire but will continue as the Nations in Eternity. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be set loose for a brief period to try and deceive the Nations who are living on the Earth. (Satan’s Final Rebellion) He will cause many of the Nations to march against the Camp of God’s people (the descendants of the 144000 Jews who were sealed by God and protected from God’s wrath and became God’s people during the Millennium). This is the Battle of Gog and Magog at the End of the Millennium. God intervenes before the devil can hurt God’s People on the Earth and the devil is eventually thrown into the Lake of Fire (where the Beast and the False Prophet were thrown at the Battle of Armageddon before the Millennium Started). When Christ returns at the end of the Great tribulation, only believers, dead and alive are called up to be with Him. This is the First Resurrection and the Rapture of the Great Multitude. Those who did not take part in the first resurrection will resurrected at the end of the Millennium to be judged at the Great White Throne. Those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be sent to hell. Those who persecuted the Church and/or Worshipped the Beast and received his mark will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Death itself will also be thrown into the Lake of Fire. ALL believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and will reign with Christ for a 1000 years in Heaven. They are the Priests of God who came to Life and Reigned with Christ for the 1000 years. After the Millennium, they will descend from Heaven as the Bride of Christ to become the New Jerusalem on a New Earth where God lives with them for Eternity. All authority will be given back to the Father once everything is made subject to Christ. God and the Lamb will continue to reign over the New Heavens and New Earth for ever on one throne! Those who are not condemned at the Great White Throne will become the Nations in Eternity. The Nations do not come out of Heaven. They are not God’s people. They were not Born Again believers. The Nations in the New Earth must be in the Lamb’s book of life as they have not been thrown into the Lake of Fire. Therefore, they must not have worshipped the Beast. (In other words, some pagans who rejected the Gospel will not worship the Beast and will be kind to God’s People. They will be the Sheep (as opposed to the Goats) on the day of the Lord and will survive God’s Wrath to become the Nations on Earth during the Millennium. Only Born Again believers will go to Heaven and reign with Christ during the Millennium. They will be the Wife of the Lamb which is the New Jerusalem in Eternity. The Nations will be outside the New Jerusalem but will be allowed to enter the City of the New Jerusalem and have access to the Leaves of the Tree of Life only. The Nations in Eternity are not as privileged as the people in the New Jerusalem who are continually in God’s presence and get to eat freely of the Fruit of the Tree of Life. The Leaves of the Tree will be given to the Nations for Healing.

http://truthinlove.com/References/millennium.htm

The New Jerusalem is made up of all Old and New Testament Believers

The New Jerusalem will contain Old and New Testament Believers

What will happen to the Church

Biblical End Time Prophesy (part 1 – the Church)

This video describes what will happen to the Church and the Nations in the End Times as prophesied in the Bible

The Church will be persecuted by the Beast for times time and time and a half but will be saved by the return of Christ when he comes unexpectedly at the end of the Great Tribulation. A small number of Christians who have kept themselves pure will be spared from the hour of trial – they are said to number 144000. The rest of the Church will be persecuted by the Beast for 1260 days. After this the Church will be harvested by an angel like the son of man and by another angel who is in charge of the fire. The true believers with meet with Christ in the clouds along with the ‘sleeping’ believers who will be raised from the dead (This is the First Resurrection). False Christians will go to hell. All believers will reign with Christ during the Millennium in Heaven where they will be rewarded for the things that they have done in the Body. After the Millennium is over, those who took part in the first resurrection will decend from Heaven as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband to become the New Jerusalem where God will dwell with Man for all eternity.

http://truthinlove.com/analogies/last_days.htm