Recently, 10/08/25, the wife and I watched one of the assistant pastors at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, take the microphone and preach a sermon called The Millennium of the Messiah, I suspect because Pastor Jack was not there as this young man is the High School Pastor and does not usually preach to a middle-aged crowd.
As I listened, I believe there were at least three times I said, that is NOT in the Bible. Only one now stands out distinctly in my mind, the day after, and it goes something like this.
“The sheep and the goats will be among those judged by Jesus shortly after the end of the seven-years of God's wrath. The sheep, being found righteous, will gain entrance into the millennial kingdom, while the goats will go off directly to hell.”
I am not going into a conversation about the sheep, but I am going to talk about judgment.
I, immediately, said to my wife, that is NOT in the Bible. Furthermore, I could not check to see if there was a transcript, and so I am having to go slowly through the playback of the video.
The young pastor's introduction continued with these statements.
“We must understand something, He is coming to judge and make war.”
Is this an appropriate statement?
The answer is yes, but… The Revelation is a Revealing of Jesus, therefore, the seven-years is Jesus pouring out the Father's wrath, or in other words, judgment. In the chronology of events, since Jesus just came riding back to earth on the white horse, then we must understand that He is not quite finished with the seven-years.
He is only going to kill those who have come to fight with Him.
No doubt, He is coming to judge and make war, but this is NOT the final judgment
Judge(s) is the Greek word krínō; and means “to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case.”
For some reason, we seem to relish the idea that God will bring about some horrific punishment at the drop of a hat; and yet we don't see that. I picture King Solomon, who listened to the legal proceedings from two harlots about whom a baby belonged (one woman had unknowingly suffocated her baby during the night and chose to swap her dead baby for the other ladies live one.) Solomon, after considering the particulars of the case, gave an opinion, and returned the baby to the correct woman because she had compassion and could not allow for the baby to be cut in half just to satisfy the selfish and foolish desires of the other woman. (Read about this in 1 Kings 3:16-28)
The young pastor continued to imply that He judges: “against all of His enemies and slays them.”
If you are going to say something that implies an obliteration of a class of people that you deem unworthy of God's salvation, then you need to back your false and confusing teaching with scripture. The young pastor could not do that.
A statement I made in a post from April 19, 2022.
“Indicating that Jesus only kills those who come to do battle seems logical, however, some will actively fight with me about how Jesus kills off everyone but the Christians prior to the millennial reign. If that was the case, why would there be a need for judges seated on thrones during the millennial reign?”
Back to Revelation, where we see a definition of those who are about to cease to breathe. I say it like that because that is what will happen.
The passage below only shows us two beings thrown into the lake of fire, although we know that Satan is also thrown there for a thousand years. So the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet are the only humans that are there. The rest of the dead – non air-breathers, lie in a state of inactivity awaiting the judgment that only happens at the final throne, which Revelation 20 describes as a great white throne.
Revelation 19:19-21 NASB (19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Who is seated upon the horse in Revelation 19?
Jesus.
Who is assembled to make war?
While the armies are NOT defined, it is easy to assume that they are primarily Islamic nations that are currently rising up against Israel.
So, if you noticed, we have the beast, the false prophet, the kings of the earth, and their armies, which were assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His armies. If the Islamic male, head of household follows their leader and comes to fight against Jesus, are those that he left at home supporters of Jesus?
It is probably safe to say, NOT A CHANCE.
So, it is clear that NOT everyone is killed and denied entrance into the 1000-year reign. If, as some would say, only “Christians” go into the millennial kingdom, then why would God see a need to point this next passage out?
Revelation 22:14-15 NASB (14) Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. (15) Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
With Satan put away for 1000 years, there is nothing spiritual to influence people to sin. Lacking a death that would kill the body, and therefore, the sin that lives within the human body, through Adam, these people are still carriers of this sin disease.
Revelation 21:7-8 defines who will eventually end up in the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:7-8 NASB "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. (8) "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
This branch off his notes focused upon Revelation 20:4.
Revelation 20:4 BSB Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
He centered, for a moment, on these words.
“I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge.”
Some translations will say “they” instead of those. It seems to me that we need to find the context of who is being referred to when it says those or they. Further evidence as to whom will be seated on those thrones with Jesus can be extracted from Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:11-14 NASB (11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. (12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. (13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
So, we see the saints in Revelation 19:14, and we see the martyred saints in Revelation 20:4.
“And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
This young pastor said, they won't simply be laying back in a recliner, they will be given a job to do; and this is where he took us to 1 Corinthians 6:2.
1 Corinthians 6:2(a) “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”
The young pastor added, with Christ – that is.
Daniel's words seem to say it all.
Daniel 7:27 NKJV “Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”
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