We need to have an enthusiasm for the rapture. Scriptures to back up a pre- tribulation rapture.

 This, like so many things I write, began with a conversation. In this case, it turned out to be one-sided. It ended with the other person telling me that discussions about the rapture are filled with fallacies, and comparable to eating a cupcake, nutritionally pointless. So much for our morning get-together with some of the guys from church.

Fast forward about 10 years, and I recently found myself in Costco trying to get a prescription for a new pair of glasses. As I stood outside the office talking with my wife, a man walked by wearing a Christian warrior T-shirt. Moments later, a man seated near me had a humorous conversation with his wife that gave him away as a Christian. I assumed that this was the Holy Spirit's nudge to walk through this open door in which I might be able to say something encouraging about Jesus and His soon return to catch us away.

Immediately after I said, Wouldn't it be something if the five of us just suddenly disappeared in the rapture? The seated man immediately scoots forward, turns slightly left so as if to be facing me, clears his throat, and proceeds to rebuke me by saying, “There is NOTHING in scripture that convinces me that we can expect a rapture of the church, and therefore I do not believe we should be talking so openly and boldly about such things.”

To be honest, any passages that might have come into mind flushed right out of my head, and that man was immediately called into the optometrist's office.

At that moment, I made a mental commitment to study up on the rapture.

I want to begin with an obvious argument, one used by those who are unwilling to read/study for themselves.

The term rapture is non-existent in the English translations that the majority of us use!

Ah, then why are we discussing the rapture?

Because our understanding of rapture has some of its origins in the early Latin texts.
It is found as rapio or rapturo, depending on who you listen to, but its meaning is the same as the Greek word we are familiar with, harpazo, and it means to be caught or snatched up, almost as if violently.

In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he writes,

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 NKJV “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, (10) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

• These people turned to God;

• They wait anxiously for His Son;

• And, they know that He, Jesus, is the one who will deliver us from the wrath to come.

Paul's purpose in writing was to strengthen their faith and provide them with assurance of Christ's return for His bride.

If you read Paul's letters to the church in Thessalonica, you will gain insight that supports the need for enthusiasm about the “rapture”.

Let's just say, for giggles, that you refuse to accept that we, the church, will be caught up in time to deliver us from God's wrath that is coming upon the earth – a time that is effectively pointed at the Jews that would not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and the nations (the Gentiles).

If God's wrath is what you long for, then it is your hope and dream; and you will suffer at least some of what we see when we read Revelation 6 and beyond – God's wrath beginning to be poured out.

To wet your whistle, I present to you Revelation 6:4 – the second event.

Revelation 6:4 NKJV Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

This is God using humanity to kill humanity.

Consider what is happening in Iran right now. BTW, Wikipedia shows that “On 17 January, The Sunday Times reported that at least 16,500 to 18,000 people had been killed and 330,000 were injured.”

In light of the wrath that is to come, these numbers are meaningless.

Revelation 6:8 NASB: I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

A fourth of the earth's population is killed by various methods, and this is just the beginning of God's wrath.

The catching or snatching away of the church is intended to remove us before the wrath.

Since Paul is the primary articulator of the church's catching away, let's focus on him for a moment.

“While preaching Jesus as Messiah (the Jewish king) in Thessalonica, Paul had been accused of preaching another king besides Caesar (Act_17:7). The very young Thessalonian church continued to experience persecution after Paul’s departure, but he encourages them with the promise of a future hope, which applies even to those who have already died” (1Th_4:13-18). (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener)

Paul’s entrance and exit from Thessalonica are recorded in Acts chapter 17. It did not go well for him there, and noble men escorted Paul and Silas to safety. From this point,  they traveled on to Berea. The Bereans were the ones who studied the scriptures to validate or disprove Paul's message.

Because of the nature of the letter to the church in Thessalonica and the soundness of the biblical doctrines, I can easily make several assumptions.

• First, I presumed that Paul had a reasonable amount of time with them.

  Obviously, that was not the case. Paul had no idea how much of an uproar the Jews would have brought against him.

  If Paul had known he would only be speaking there for 3 weeks, he surely would have stuck to the basics of Christian doctrine; at least that is what the religious zealots who are entrenched in every church I have had anything to do with would have said. Perhaps, knowing that he would be under attack on short notice, he then chose to preach things that most of you have never heard in your church, the Revelation.

• Secondly, I assumed he had established some elders in this church, and that may have happened.

  When would he have done that, besides the fact that this was an established synagogue, and not looking for someone to bring about a different way of thinking?

• The third thing that dominates my thinking is the depth of his conversations with them about the things of God.

  Most people will struggle for months with the concept of eternal salvation, and yet in Christ, it is well-defined. A simple example of this is found in:

  John 10:28 NASB and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Paul reasoned with them for three Sabbaths.

I cannot imagine him taking non-Sabbath days off. Three weeks might not have been enough time for him to set up his tent-making operations, let alone make a couple of dollars to buy groceries. But apparently, you can make a huge impact on receptive ears in three weeks. Nonetheless, in three weeks, he gave them a solid foundation and a bit more.

What I constantly remind myself is that Paul’s first stops were always to the Synagogues. Here, you should find people who are well established in the law and the prophets due to oral tradition.

The truth the Holy Spirit gave to Paul was based on the Law and the Prophets, so he does have common ground.

In recovery, I have found that the greatest testimony of Christ’s work in me has everything to do with what I personally know and have experienced - freedom and hope. This is what Paul found, and the message he spread.

Jewish ways and traditions run deep, but then history proves that, but so does Israel's affinity for idolatry; we will ignore that for the moment, seeing as we all struggle with that one.

However, within three weeks, many of these “church” goers were ready to kill Paul, or at a minimum run him out of town. It may have been a free city and not under the heavy hand of Rome, but insurrections were put down swiftly. Regardless, Paul and Silas are now gone, and therefore Paul writes,

1 Thessalonians 4:13 NASB (13) “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”

I think it is brilliant how the Holy Spirit opens so much truth to the Thessalonian church in just one sentence.

Paul used the word we translated as "uninformed," not because he had left out valuable information in his three-week crash course on eschatology, but because someone had come back later and muddied the waters of truth, probably by bringing external circumstances into the picture.

You know how some people are so good at pointing out the obvious to you, for the express purpose of keeping you founded in sound doctrine. I suspect they mean well, but their delivery has no intent other than to point out your fallacies and how undisciplined you are at exegeting the Word (which may mean you have not illustrated or explained the Word well enough for their liking), all the while trying to make themselves look better.

Another aspect of this verse is the ramifications of being asleep.
No, I am not talking about falling asleep in church; I do it all the time. Besides, the setting is perfect for sleeping.

Asleep should mean physically dead. If it were not for the fact that our souls never die, I would think that some are spiritually dead already. So Paul is referring to those who had only recently died.

Why would Paul have to have a conversation about them grieving over those who have died?

No one is saying that it is not okay to grieve the loss of a loved one. However, if I have hope, another aspect of Paul’s conversation, then I should understand that because they too had a relationship with Jesus Christ, I would see them again. This one verse is an allusion to our being with Jesus, as the rapture is written all over it.

The same guy who shut down our morning conversation because he alone felt that the mention of the rapture deserved the brunt of his displeasure feels strongly that we should focus only on the church's doctrines. Really, what does that mean, because those can be different depending on what denomination you are in?

Doctrines, in general, are the basics that establish our relationship with God.

An example might be found in the Apostle's Creed:

I believe -

• In God the Father - Maker of heaven and earth;

• And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

• Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.

• He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;

• He descended into Hades, and on the third day, He rose from the dead;

• I believe in the Holy Ghost;

• The holy catholic Church; the communion of saints;

• The forgiveness of sins;

• The resurrection of the body;

• In the life everlasting.

There are at least five other versions of the creed, none wholly in agreement with the other. While there are only four words in here that give me grief, the overall impact is YES, this is what I believe. These statements are Biblical and validate our hope.

Moreover, if my argumentative friend were to read them again, he might realize that they include the concept of the rapture. It is clear that Paul believed wholeheartedly in the harpazo, or snatching away, of the church.

My friend had to let me know that “the rapture did not exist until the 1800’s.” Moments like this make me wish my brain worked better. How dare you accuse me of dispensing fallacies when you make an uneducated statement like that? While it may be true that the term “rapture” did not become popular until the 1800s, that does not make it meaningless or nonexistent. The word rapture is derived from the Latin rapiemur and appears in the Latin Vulgate. It effectively means a snatching away.

From Wikipedia:

The Latin Vulgate translates the Greek ἁρπαγησόμεθα as rapiemur,[21] from the verb rapio meaning "to catch up" or "take away".[22]

1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Let us get something straight. Jesus only guaranteed us a few things:

1. In this world, you will have tribulation.

   What does that mean?

   It means that the potential of things becoming extremely hard and you being killed is a harsh reality. Tribulation does not equal Wrath. Tribulation is a way of life, and NO, God is not terribly interested in whether you drive the newest Mercedes-Benz.

2. You, as a follower of Christ, will be hated by all men.

   That includes religious folk.

3. Jesus said, I will not leave you, nor forsake you. I will come back for you.

4. There is a valid hope, and it includes a life with the Father in a land of peace.

Some of the questions you have to ask yourself, if you are trying to make a decision as to whether the rapture is relevant or not, is: Who spoke about it, and can we trust them?

Jesus spoke about it.

John’s gospel is one of the largest collections of references to the concept.

John 14:3 ASV And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:18 KJV I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

• Is it possible that other terms are being used and I am missing them?

Absolutely! It is called:

(His coming)

2 Peter 3:3-4 KJV Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

(Our gathering together)

2 Thessalonians 2:1 KJV (1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

(His coming in the clouds)

Mark 14:62 KJV And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

(The day of the Lord Jesus)

2 Corinthians 1:14 MKJV (14) even as you have recognized us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul never left the subject untouched, whether he called it our hope or our gathering to Him.

1 Thessalonians 4 may answer any questions we have, if we give it a chance.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 MKJV (14) “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.” This is one of those things that define us; it is essential, doctrinal, and foundational truth for every believer. “..even so God will also bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.”I can apply this statement to two things. First, since the dead in Christ will rise first, they will be with him and possibly be considered to be brought with Him. The second is at the end of the seven years, the time of God’s wrath upon the earth.”

Zechariah 14:5 KJV “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”

Here is the passage that tends to trouble me.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 KJV (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.”

If Paul has to reestablish where his inspiration comes from, that tends to tell me these people have really had their boat rocked.

Speaking from experience, I came to the Lord at perhaps age 12. I tend to cling to that age as a reference point. In reality, evangelistic preachers would come about every six months. I, like so many others, would go down front to repent and be born again; why? because I never had an assurance of my salvation. Mom did not help much with that, as she would emphasize that some minor stupidity we pulled as kids needed to be repented of, or God just might bypass us, and we would end up in hell. Needless to say, most of my childhood was filled with fear.

Paul rehearsed with them.

“that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

This tells me that one of two things has affected them. Someone has come after Paul left and preached a message that confuses or contradicts what Paul taught; that, or they focused on “the tribulation”, as a perceived evidence of the seven years after the rapture, has come to their minds.

I don't know when this started, but we have done this to ourselves. 

The seven years are called the time of God’s wrath upon the earth. Jesus indicated that it would be a time of such great tribulation that, or they told them that no one would survive unless God shortened time. It is a time of judgment. If I were Paul and I had only three weeks to bring you up to speed, establishing that you are no longer under condemnation for your sins would be high on my list of priorities. Just because we are forgiven, purchased out from under the debt we owed, does not give us that full access we see; acceptance of Jesus Christ as the one who paid that price does.

I do not understand, for the life of me, why God needs these old bodies, but he seems to want them attached to the souls they belong to.

This next verse is the snatching away for which we long. We, out of habit, call it the rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

For me, the key argument about why I should understand, believe, and preach the coming of Jesus Christ, something I happen to believe is imminent, comes in the next verse. It also happens to be the last verse of chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 KJV (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Since Paul had already encouraged and admonished the church, it makes sense to say, "Use these words to comfort one another." If he had placed this sentence elsewhere in the text, then I would have to wonder what kind of documents they have to refer to to gain this encouragement. You do realize that all they had was the Holy Spirit and their memories to hold them together.

I believe, especially now, that we were meant to understand and preach this message. I believe it is even more relevant today because many around us have seen these prophecies happen before their eyes. Israel's becoming a nation is one of them.

If, as some will say, the Church must endure the Tribulation… why does Scripture repeatedly promise our removal from wrath?

The pre-tribulation rapture is not built on one verse. It is a cumulative argument in which aspects of our faith, such as doctrine, timing, language, and biblical patterns, converge.

Start with Christ’s promise:

“My Father’s house has many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you… I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:2–3

This is not Christ descending to rule; this is Christ receiving His people and taking them to the Father’s house.

Paul describes the same event:

“…we who are still alive… will be caught up together… to meet the Lord in the air.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17

“Listen, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye…”
1 Corinthians 15:51–52

The word changed, in verse 51, also means: caught up or received.
This is comfort language, not judgment language, and Paul frames this as a rescue from divine wrath:

“…Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”
1 Thessalonians 1:10

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath…”
1 Thessalonians 5:9

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”
Romans 5:9

The Tribulation is repeatedly described as heaven’s (God's) judicial wrath
(Revelation 6:16–17).

If the Church is exempt from wrath, removal before that period is the instinctive reading.

And what a surprise, even the Old Testament points to the same pattern.

“Go, my people, enter your rooms… hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.”
Isaiah 26:20

God shelters His people while His wrath sweeps the earth.

Jesus confirmed this removal-before-judgment template.

“But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down… It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”
Luke 17:29–30

You can find the full narrative of Lot and the angels sent to bring the wrath in Genesis 19. They were restrained from bringing the destruction until Lot and his family were safe.

While there was no urgency or destruction seen with Enoch, what is important is the method and swiftness. We should not assume there were no safety reasons for extracting Enoch from the earth, because Genesis 6 tells us about the depravity of humankind. We should not assume that the decline in moral standards began only after Enoch's removal.

“Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Genesis 5:24

The writer of Hebrews tells us,

“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death…” Hebrews 11:5

As with Enoch, there was no urgency due to violence; it was merely time for the old prophet Elijah's time to leave the earth. 2 Kings describes the event like this,

“After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind. As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two. Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.”
2 Kings 2:9-14 BSB

Jesus also had something to say about Noah's deliverance from the coming wrath.

“Just as it was in the days of Noah… the flood came and destroyed them all.”
Luke 17:26–27

It is logical to assume that judgment waits until the righteous are secured, and this pattern echoes throughout Scripture:

Much like we saw with Enoch

“And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and [Philip] baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [suddenly] caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the good news (Gospel) to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”
Acts 8:38-40 AMP

God repeatedly demonstrated His ability to remove His servants before catastrophic judgment. The Tribulation (as we unwisely call it) is expressly named,

“For, note well, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will release from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it. And these are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: Thus says the Lord: We have heard a voice of trembling and panic--of terror, and not peace. Ask now and see whether a man can give birth to a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why are all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day will be great, so that none will be like it; it will be the time of Jacob's [unequaled] trouble, but he will be saved out of it.” [Matt. 24:29, 30; Rev. 7:14.]
Jeremiah 30:3-7 AMP

Jacob = Israel. It is not the Church. Revelation reflects this shift. The word “church” saturates chapters 1–3, then disappears from the seals, trumpets, and bowls; and we see the evidence of this when it says,

After these things I looked, and behold, a door was opened in Heaven. And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you what must occur after these things.” Revelation 4:1 MKJV

Those things are the end of the church age.

In the Revelation, the focus soon returns to Israel and the nations. It has been explained to me, by smarter men than I, that these elders, crowned, enthroned, and rewarded, are the church already in heaven. We see this in Revelation 4:4.

“…around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.”
Revelation 4:4

Now comes one of the strongest images in the New Testament: the Restrainer.

“…the one who now restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed.”
2 Thessalonians 2:7–8

If you study scriptures enough, you will come to realize that the arrival of the Antichrist is that thing that unleashes God's wrath upon the earth.

If restraint is the Spirit’s work through the Church, the sequence is clear: removal of the saints, the revelation of the Antichrist, and the onslaught of God's wrath. the Tribulation.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
Revelation 3:10 NKJV

The word translated as "kept" or "keep" is the Greek tērēsō. It means to watch, observe, or keep your eyes on. It also means to guard as a prisoner, and to keep (held) back or in store.

The Church is told to expect Christ as the next event.

“…we wait for the blessed hope…” Titus 2:13

“You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:40

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42

“The Judge is standing at the door!” James 5:9

Someone I know wrote to me asking if I could contrast and compare the rapture to the cross. To be honest, it did not seem like there is a comparison. I have discovered a depth I did not know.

If I am trying to compare the rapture and the crucifixion, then I have to point out that our focus is on one person, Jesus Christ, and why He went to the cross.

Let's start this one off with a post that my wife recently found on Facebook.

Tracy Moss Philp posted this.

No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteering, no financial gifts, and no church clothes. He couldn't even bend his knees to pray. He didn't say the sinner's prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn't take way his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray. The man on the middle cross said I could come! Not all will go. Not all will choose Him as Lord and Savior.

If someone were to challenge the salvation of the thief on the cross, the only adequate reply he could give is, “the Man on the middle cross said I could come!” That man was Jesus, and His mission was just beginning.

In both events, the rapture and the cross, there is a catching away. In Acts 1:9 we are told that Jesus was caught up into the clouds.

“And having said these things he was taken up, they beholding him , and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9 Darby

Paul also talked about Jesus being caught up.

“He that descended is the same who has also ascended up above all the heavens, that he might fill all things;” Ephesians 4:10 Darby

And finally, we the church, will be caught up.

“then *we*, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall be always with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Darby

Jesus' actions, that include the cross, ONLY happened because He also went into the heavenly temple and poured out His blood as a sacrifice for us, just as the high priests on earth were instructed to do, specifically to meet the demands of the law.

Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again.
Hebrews 9:24-25 ERV

An interesting thought, which we talked about it in the previous post, how that “the law” was God's moral standard.

All this horror associated with the cross was done to bring about salvation, an act in which He purchased humanity back from Satan (This process of buying us back is what the Apostle Paul labeled redemption.)

It was also the thing that brought forgiveness to all humanity.

As a side note, today's date is 03/11/25 and there is a wanton slaughter of Alawite Muslims and Christians in Syria, not to mention the killings that are going on in Sudan, Nigeria, and many of the other Northern African nations.

So, even though there is a slaughter going on, they will not be judged at a “great white throne” for the murder of innocent people, no one will; they will, however, be judged during the seven years of God's wrath for the blood they spilled.

So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 ERV

After Jesus goes through all the torture that surrounds the cross He bestows righteousness upon all who accept this salvation.

I spent a year driving around Southern California as I attempted to fix appliances. There is no way to avoid frequently being stuck in traffic, so I listened to the “Christian” radio station for encouragement. In doing that, I was reminded of the teaching “from the Cross to the Throne” associated with the faith movement and E.W. Kenyon. As the radio preacher talked about the “journey” that Jesus made during those three days my thoughts would flash back to scriptures I had become familiar with that validated this message. The message about the cross to the throne built my faith and understanding.

One of the speakers on the radio was Hank Hannegraf, “The Bible Answer Man”, and all he seemed to do was to berate the message about the cross to the throne; those that talked about it, and people like me who agreed with that message. I choose to believe that Hank started this radio program, all those years ago, with an honest heart, but he now spent most of his time criticizing those that listen to the message about what happened from the cross to the throne. He used to express how that merely teaching that Jesus went to hell was heresy. Not to worry, he is long since gone.

An aspect of your comparison and perhaps contrast was this statement. “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits and graves opened.”

My response: I have no doubt that Jesus went into hell; I can know this because of passages like Revelation 1:18, where Jesus took the keys to death, hell, and the grave; that sounds like an overwhelming victory to me.

“I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 ERV

My wife's father served his military duty in Europe during WW2. This calm, reserved man brought home a souvenir, a German trench knife. For the most part, the enemy did not simply hand over a weapon like this, it was typically taken by force. Now apply this understanding to Jesus obtaining the keys to death, hell, and the grave (as an alternate translation proclaims.) I cannot see Satan putting up an aggressive fight, however, the idea cannot be excluded and we gain our understanding of this from a recollection given by Daniel, the prophet. (Read Daniel 9,10, and you will see the angel Gabriel, as he came to give Daniel a message from God, had been hindered by a fallen angel that tried to prevent him from delivering this message. The angel Michael came to supplant Gabriel in the fight. So, it is possible that Jesus pulled the keys out of Satan's hand.)

The following is a passage from the Torah, long before Jesus was born, that speaks of Jesus ascending and then leading former captives from the depths.

“You have ascended on high, You have taken captivity captive,...”
Psalms 68:18 LSV 

Though we tend to give it no thought, Jesus' death on the cross marked a dramatic shift in the chronology of God's timeline. Our understanding comes from the parable that Jesus told about the beggar and the rich man; both of which were Jews, and both died about the same time. The Jewish audience must have gasped when Jesus described the rich man being in torment, as tradition taught that the rich man would have comfortable conditions in “paradise.” (The IVPBBC tells us that “Some details about the afterlife here are standard features of Jewish tradition;”)

Since Jesus was fulfilling a prophetic part of His actions by spending three days in the belly of the earth. (Here is another piece of Jewish understanding. Three days is a full 24-hour period, and any portion of two other days. Consider that the Sabbath begins at 3 o'clock pm. on the eve prior and ends at 3 o'clock pm on the day after. Jesus told the Pharisees that the only sign they were to get would be the Prophet Jonah, who spent 3 days in the belly of the great fish. That would mean that Jonah did not necessarily spend a full 72 hours in the belly of the fish.)

If Jesus did not go into Hades, then how could He make this statement?

“Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let Your Holy One see decay.” Acts 2:26-27 TLV

The reference to “You” is directed to God, therefore, the writer is saying that God would NOT leave Jesus soul in Sheol. (Sheol is also known as Hades or hell.) If Jesus did not go to hell then such an assertion would be ludicrous.

The Apostle Paul validated Psalm 68:18 when he referenced this very passage in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

”...When He ascended on high, He led captives away,” Ephesians 4:8 BSB

Let's consider this statement: “he led captivity captive.”

Dake's commentary states that “the captives that were taken to heaven with Christ were the saints who had died from Abel to Christ, and who were held captive by Satan in paradise under the earth until Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave liberating them” (Heb_2:14-15.)

Here is a statement that you should have grasped. Becoming flesh and blood made Him vulnerable, at least momentarily, to hell.

Is that true?

There is a passage that tells us that God cannot be tempted with sin, but our understanding of Jesus informs us that He, too, is God.

Then what happened?

“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 NKJV 

Part of the answer lies in this statement.

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, ....”
Hebrews 2:17a NKJV

Made like His brethren?

That would be the Jews first and then us, with an exception. We were born into sin; it was passed down through Adam and Eve. Along with the drive to sin is the attached penalty of death. Jesus, as a fertilized egg from God, was implanted into the willing Mary, and she was merely the surrogate mother. Jesus was not born with the drive to sin nor the attached death penalty.

Then why did He have to die?

A payment for man's treasonous actions against God had to be paid for with blood and the death of God. Jesus was God, but He set aside His majesty to be a common man, minus the human frailties associated with sin. And, since He came from God, He was God in the flesh.

“I and My Father are one." John 10:30 NKJV

Did you ever notice that Jesus intentionally made a whip and drove the money changers and sellers out of the temple courts?

“And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.” John 2:14-15 NKJV

He did all this, and scripture tells us that He never once sinned. Fascinating.

“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15 BSB

I was asked, “Was catching up the unredeemed spirits the only reason He went there?”

Hardly, but then you should have known that. 

Ephesians 4:8-10 NKJV “Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9) (Now this, “HE ASCENDED”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10) He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”

If I may speak freely, this wording, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE,” makes no sense. It implies that Jesus took these captives from one captivity to another, which He did NOT. Several versions read just like this, but that does not make it correct. The Good News Bible tells us, “When He went up to the very heights, He took many captives with Him.” In a sense, these alternate translations are more explainable. The usage of the word many indicates that some were not entitled or chose not to go.

What kind of foolishness would motivate a response like that?

Because, even in “hell,” people still have the free will to choose. Consider this: Every righteous person who died prior to the cross waited for their redemption in the region of hades called paradise. Yes, that is a tremendous amount of people.

What of those who were not so righteous?

Ecclesiastes tells us that the dead know nothing, so as yet, they are not in the lake of fire.

“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5a TLV

This doesn't really explain why there was some cognition of their surroundings when Jesus relayed the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus.

Look at what Hebrews tells us. 

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 NKJV

While we must all taste death, the fear is supposed to be gone. If you are having fears about death, I must tell you that fear is a demon working off of a known weakness in you, and fear is a big problem for most of us.

Where did (they) go to suffer death? 

Hell/Hades. The book of Revelation shows us that Jesus took the keys from Satan. I am sure that most perceive Jesus as struggling with Satan, but having God stand before you, would you fight?

“I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” 
Revelation 1:18 NKJV

Note how the NKJV translation uses the terms Hades and Death.

Death is the Greek word thanatos and means death both literally and figuratively.

Since we never really die, is it possible that death implies something else, like an eternal separation from God.?

It is possible. 

While there are certainly souls lying in Hades, I contend that there is NO ONE in hell as yet. Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us that the dead lie in silence until the final judgment, but we already talked about that. The final judgment only happens at the great white throne; and NO, not everyone before that throne goes to hell. (Read about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.)

Hades, on the other hand, is “the place (state) of departed souls: - grave.” Strong’s

Some will sharply argue that there is a separation even today. In an effort to respond to this aggressiveness about the usage of the word hell, I give you Matthew 5:22, which says, “Whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The CEV translation says, “And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.” 

Doesn’t this smell of road rage? 

And if it is a crime in God’s eyes, then we are all guilty. So the word you did not see here in the Revelation, and a relatively common word that the Bible translators used, is hell. 

Hell, is the Greek word geenna, pronounced gehenna. 

“Gehenna, the basis for the word hell, was a place just outside the walls of Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom. “This is the valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch, 2Ki_16:3; 2Ch_28:3. In that worship, the ancient Jewish writers inform us, the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended as if to embrace anyone. When they offered children to him, they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot, they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.) 

The place became a trash dump, burning constantly and smelled horrible.

The name Gehenna or the word hell are both indicative of everlasting punishment, and everlasting punishment is also understood to be eternal separation from God, which we see when people are finally cast into the lake of fire, which burns forever.

However, since one event changed everything - Jesus and the cross, “hell” also changed. 

What changed in hades that day?

Remember the rich man and Lazarus, the poor Jewish beggar. Both died, and we find that the rich man is now in torment, and Lazarus, the former beggar, is being described as being comforted in Abraham’s bosom. 

This parable is important because it, like the others, was bathed in Jewish tradition and in their understanding would have put the rich man in Abraham’s bosom merely because he was presumed to be righteous and was a devout Jew. To those hearing this parable, righteousness and riches went together. 

Jesus, by His words and actions, undid that tradition.  

I can say, by His words, because He told them that the system they expected to find in Hades was in opposition to what they believed. His actions were that He took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. In so doing, He removed Satan’s control and effectively removed the fear of death, and He eliminated this split system that we see in the Lazarus narrative. 

Why did that happen? 

Jesus became the serpent upon the pole that we are to look upon and live. 

“And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6)  So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live.” 9) So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
Numbers 21:5-9 NKJV

Another way to convey what Jesus did was to become sin.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

The benefit for the follower of Christ is that when someone dies now, having already looked upon Jesus, they are effectively into the arms of Jesus. Those who refuse to look upon Jesus, and this applies to those in captivity that day, are merely lying there asleep; they know nothing. They will be awakened and brought to judgment at the great white throne or, as many who are so entrenched in religious tradition will refuse to consider, the sheep and goat judgment of Matthew 25. 

At the cross, all time changed, and the potential for all to have life in Him became available that day. Death is no longer to be feared.

So, these levels or separations that people see in hell were removed. Mind you, much of this so-called perception about hell came from the author Dante Alighieri and his book The Inferno, where he, as the author, created stages, levels, and varied punishments in hell, where he put corrupt politicians of his day, alongside corrupt leaders from the Catholic church.

The person who asked me these questions stated, “Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits...” 

I am sure you mean to say descended, but that is irrelevant. Since Jesus preached to the captives, one might assume that everyone there was a captive, but we cannot yet assume that anyone there was redeemed. 

I came to this understanding because there was no one in Christ. This, too, is an assumption, seeing as He had not gone up to the Father yet, and the Holy Spirit had not come.

“Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " John 20:16-17 NKJV

Once Jesus did this, offered His blood on the heavenly altar for the remission of our sins and those He bore on His own body, then He could be touched.

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Hebrews 9:13-14 NKJV

The Apostle Paul spoke of this very thing.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

And we have been sanctified through His blood.

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:10 NKJV

And though it seems too simplistic, I will say it, there was no church to make converts.

So, does the rich man, who was now in torment, fall under the category of unredeemed? 

The answer to this question must have driven the Jewish audience crazy. I suspect that was a part of Jesus’ intent. If someone fell under the category of redeemed, I would imagine the beggar Lazarus was your man. 

But what about King David? 

You should not be able to give him the righteous award as he was quite the scoundrel when it came to Bathsheba. 

How about King Saul? 

This man had the Spirit of God on him and lost not only it but his mind as well. 

I suppose the point here is our inability to determine who is righteous and deserving of God’s redeeming grace and who should remain under punishment; this is precisely why the forgiveness of sin is extended to everyone, including Saul and Judas (Yes, I said Judas. I threw him into the mix because I do see repentance in his words and actions toward the end.

Now, to say that someone has unforgivably condemned themselves to hell,

1. prematurely judges that person and

2. moves us into the category of being a judge, and that is NOT our job, as all judgment has been given unto the Son, NOT YOU. Read John 5:22.) 

Imagine what Jesus must have preached to these “captives.” 

Could there have been some who turned Him down? 

Any answers we have to this question are pure conjecture on our part, seeing as we have no definitive answer.

“People previously dead were alive and walking among the living.”

“The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.” 

Matthew 27:52-53 BSB

Who were these people?

Perhaps the answer as to who these people, coming out of their entombments, is this: 

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” 
John 11:25 NKJV

We do NOT know who these people were except that they were called saints by the Apostle John. Perhaps John made a broad assumption. The question you should be asking is, what did Jesus preach to these “captives” who were lying in silence? 

Your best guess would be to say that He preached the good news, which is defined as life, freedom, hope, and eternity with the Father is now available, and you can have all that if you follow me. If the message was merely life, it would appear that many believed and, therefore, emerged from their grave sites.

The first thing we deal with when we look at Matthew 27:52-53 is the number of people who emerged from their tombs. This narrative is one of the major events that solidifies our apologetic as we defend our belief that Jesus is real and His word is credible. This is NOT the only piece of evidence, and books like “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell are filled with validations of God's word.

The Greek word translated as many is polys, which means great in magnitude or quantity. 

It is difficult to even imagine, as Jerusalem suddenly became inundated by people who had previously been dead. (I also assume it was a localized event, but we have NOTHING to tell us that it only happened in Jerusalem.) 

To make this a bit more interesting, let’s discuss Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who died. (Read John chapter 11.) So many struggle to explain why Jesus waited four days to come and raise him up. The reason lies in the Jewish tradition that says the soul leaves the body after three days. Jesus waited that long to ensure that these religious zealots could not say that what Jesus did was easy or a cheat because Lazarus’ soul was still in his body. Add to this argument the fact that Jesus used the Prophet Jonah to describe what He would do. Jonah, too, was detailed as having been in the belly of the fish for three days. The time frame here is physiologically beyond the 4,305 minutes in which Jonah would have scientifically been declared dead. And yet, traditional church beliefs want to argue that Jonah was alive through the entire process.

“Recently..., hearing that the (“dead in Christ will rise first “), I immediately thought we who are born again are not dead in Christ even after we die in flesh.”

“Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 NKJV

Born. gennao. Meaning: to be begotten. Metaphorically of God making Christ the center of your life. Regenerated. 

Again,  It is the Greek word anōthen and means from above, anew. A second time, once more.

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, discusses this transition that we, as corruptible mortals, must undergo. We don’t talk about this transition that we have to make to cross over to heaven because it is death, and death makes people squirm because they fear death. As I have pointed out, we no longer have to fear death, so let’s dive in. 

Becoming “born again” does NOT kill the flesh or make sin disappear. It is like pushing the reset button on your spirit, but you cannot eliminate that one flawed processing chip. If you could go and buy another, you would find that they all used that one faulty chip; therefore, the machine will eventually fail in a similar manner.

So, assuming that you realize that you were born from above and are made in the image of the Father, then you know that this all happens independently of death. 

Look at 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, and you will see things like flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 NKJV

Well, guess what? 

If you are reading this, you are flesh and blood. It would seem that these air-breathing bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

So, what’s the workaround? 

These bodies have to die, and No, that is NOT your job; it is God’s, and this is part of the MYSTERY that Paul speaks of. As you can see above, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.

Surprise, you will most likely shed this corrupted, mortal body as you migrate upward. Those dead people, believers, will have already gone through this and will pass us by momentarily as we put on our immortality. 

I keep thinking about the guy who died but came back to life. One of the dominant things he could remember was that he felt a good site better while he was in heaven.

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."
1 Corinthians 15:54 NKJV

Our being in Christ Jesus is a product of our simplistic faith in Jesus Christ, and we will never become separated from this life that we have in Christ, even if it involves death. 

Here are a few verses to help strengthen your knowledge of Him.

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28

Put something like the Blue Letter Bible app on your phone and then do a search for “in Christ Jesus,” you will find a vast number of passages that may help to assist you in your understanding, and that will help you hold on to the truth that you, because of your belief are in Christ, and never to be separated.

A part of your challenge was “… Who might qualify as dead in Christ?” 

Anyone who has come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and died. 

Before the cross, no one could come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, two people in the New Testament challenge my understanding of how we know Jesus Christ: 

Simeon – the old but devout and holy man that the Spirit led to come to the temple at the exact moment that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus for His bris - circumcision.

The other person was Anna – the elderly prophetess.

These two spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Now, consider that Jesus lived for 33 more years. 

Did Simeon and Anna die and go to the Father or Hades, the place of departed souls? 

Because of their age, it is a safe assumption that they soon died. As I just mentioned, Jesus lived on for 33 more years, so Simeon and Anna, both of which appear to be righteous, would have rested in Abraham's proverbial bosom until Jesus came and took the keys from Satan. Hades may have been the holding place for both of them, not to mention a few others that God pronounced as righteous in the Old Testament. On the day Jesus showed up in Hades, their location changed as He offered them a one-way ticket into the Father’s arms by preaching to the captives. 

Consider, if they were righteous, as Jesus was, then Satan holding them there in Hades would have been an illegal move on his part. If Satan held them, they were captives until Jesus set them free. At that moment in time, they became the dead in Christ.

In the statements above, I focused on qualifications. Now, let’s define what it is to be “dead in Christ.”

Search for the term dead in Christ; it only comes up once, 1 Thessalonians 4:16. 

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV

Dead is the Greek word nekros, which means corpse (literally dead). The Word Study Dictionary defines it as a deceased person. 

Although I am not dead now, it is apparent that death is required. Seeing as life is vital for the work of God. (I am scratching my head as I say that.) I suspect that even God sees a purpose for our being born, as it allows for our gifts and free choice to Worship the creator – God. But flesh carries with it a problem, as the Apostle Paul told us that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God. 

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV 

This air-breathing body is corrupted because it carries a broken genome that drives our selfish impulses – the impulse to sin. (I say it this way because it is the only thing that makes any sense.) and Heaven has no corruption in it, which is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, we, in these bodies, cannot enter into heaven. Obviously, something will have to change, and we will shed these earth suits. But until then, Jesus gives us the right to consider ourselves dead to sin. I get to practice that one daily. 

“I surmise that those pre-crucifixion believers had not been redeemed until that day.”

It is often difficult to see some of these characters as righteous. Samson is called righteous, but he did many things outside of what we are told was God’s will. Strangely, it turns out it was God’s will, but we could barely see it until the last page of the narrative.

Lot was willing to give his daughters to the rabble pounding on his door, and then the angels had to drag Lot and his family out of town to safety. You, of course, noticed that the young men who had been engaged to Lot's daughters did not come with them and died in the fires.

And what about the guy I consider the biker of the Bible, Jephthah? God called them all righteous. 

When we use the word redeemed, there is a mountain of religious rules and regulations attached to it, and there is the assumption that we will walk away from the situation with a bright, shiny face. I can tell you that I walked away from a few things while dragging my exhausted behind out of there, and my face was NOT shining. I can look back now and see how God called me righteous, but few may have picked up on God’s plan and hope for me. 

“They were the dead in Christ that rose first.” 

As I pointed out above, it would seem that the people God called righteous were illegally held captive against their will. Since Christ preached to the captives, He changed their status to being in Christ. Thank God they were already dead because they got to rise first. I have nothing more than what I have proposed here to prove that, but what a great story. 

“Where does that leave us? ...”

If your life is hidden in Christ, then, at the moment, you are ALIVE in Christ and living inside an earth suit, and you get to deal with a thousand different feelings, most of which were a gift from God. Obviously, Satan managed to corrupt those feelings, but soon, we will shed those suits, put on our new robes, and spend eternity with the Father. 

“The end will see a battle in which God destroys all his enemies...”

Revelation 19 shows us one of the last great battles, where Jesus comes riding back on a white horse, and He will have a sword coming out of His mouth. He is followed by the saints of heaven. This sword is the Word of God but notice something; you never see Him swing it, nor do you see the armies of heaven engaged in battle. That Word does all the killing and kills all who choose to fight against Him in seconds.

If He kills all infidels, who would be left to rule over? 

Think about this: After killing the combatants, we are told that He will rule over the nations for a thousand years. I have used words like chose and combatants. I did so because not everybody chooses to fight and, therefore, lives on in the 1000 years.

“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Revelation 21:24 NKJV)

The New Testament has the Old as its foundation, so here is a passage from the Old.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.”
Isaiah 2:2-5 NKJV)

He and those slaughtered saints from the seven years will sit on thrones in judgment during the 1000 years. How appropriate. 

“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4 NLT)

Okay, that battle is over. Who is thrown into the lake of fire? 

Satan – for 1000 years, and the only two humans there, the antichrist and the false prophet; that’s it. 

“And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Revelation 19:20 NLT)

“and binds them a thousand years.”

No one human is bound by God.

Remember, all sins were forgiven on the cross, so NO ONE is being judged for sin. Now, there will be a time of judgment, but that judgment is based upon what you did with Jesus, and that happens at the great white throne (Which is the same judgment seat that we see when He judges between the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25. This is the only place and time this will happen. 

Fast forward a thousand years. What happens next?

Satan is released and once again deceives the nations. Those poor fools, many of them, will attempt to surround the Holy City (The 1500-mile square city where all the righteous live) with the hope of killing us, Jesus, and God. God, on the other hand, kills all who join in this stunt with a quick fire bath. Those dead people join all the other dead from the beginning of time who have not gone up in the rapture (this is where Matthew 25 kicks in), and some are shown mercy (This group receiving mercy is probably not among those that Satan deceived at the end of the 1000 years.) Those not afforded mercy are then judged and thrown into the lake of fire, where they are forgotten and permanently separated from God.

Notice that I am NOT taking the time to explain how the nations would then enter the eternal kingdom. Keep in mind that they DO NOT get to bring their broken earth suits into God's kingdom. Hint, there are those trees that provide healing for the nations, that line the river that comes from under the throne of God.

After the dust settles, all the rest of us join Jesus and the Father in eternity, never to be troubled again.