The Great Conclusion

THE GREAT

CONCLUSION

ALL THINGS NEW

REVELATION 20:7–22:5

“Behold, I make all things new.” REVELATION 21:5

WHERE BIBLE PROPHECY FINALLY TAKES US

• Satan defeated

• Final judgment completed

• Death ended

• The curse removed

• God dwelling with His people forever

THE END OF PROPHECY IS NOT DESTRUCTION. IT IS RESTORATION.

INTRO. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY

• We have walked through the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, and the Millennial Reign.

• But the Millennium is not the final page. Revelation carries us beyond the thousand years to the last rebellion, final judgment, and then eternity.

AND THAT IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF.

A. BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD — THE BEMA A brief clarification about the Judgment Seat of Christ

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”

• The Greek word bēma described an elevated platform where decisions and awards were given.

• In the pretribulational-premillennial framework, the Bema is generally placed after the Rapture and before Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom. We have already passed it chronologically in this series.

• This is a judgment of believers — not to determine salvation, but to evaluate faithfulness, service, motives, opportunities, and stewardship.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:13–15  Each one’s work will be tested. There may be reward or loss, “but he himself will be saved.”

THE BEMA IS NOT ABOUT SALVATION. IT IS ABOUT FAITHFULNESS AND REWARD.

• We do not serve Jesus to get saved. We serve Jesus because we are saved.

• The Bema and the Great White Throne are not the same judgment.

NOW WE PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF: THE THOUSAND YEARS HAVE ENDED.

1. SATAN’S LAST REBELLION Revelation 20:7–10

REVELATION 20:7–10  When the thousand years are finished, Satan is released, deceives the nations, and leads one final rebellion.

• Even after a thousand years of Christ’s righteous reign, Satan is able to deceive those who choose rebellion.

• The deepest human problem is not environment, government, economics, or circumstances. Humanity needs a Savior and a new heart.

• God ends the rebellion decisively. Fire comes down, and Satan is cast into the lake of fire.

THE SERPENT DOES NOT MAKE IT INTO ETERNITY.

• No more accuser. No more tempter. No more deception. No more spiritual warfare.

2. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT Revelation 20:11–15

REVELATION 20:11  “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…”

• This is not the Bema. This is God’s final judgment before the eternal state begins.

• It comes after the Millennium, after the final rebellion, and after Satan is cast into the lake of fire — immediately before the New Heaven and New Earth.

• GREAT speaks of the majesty and authority of the One seated there.

• WHITE speaks of the absolute purity and righteousness of God’s judgment.

• THRONE speaks of sovereign authority. God is not gathering facts; He already knows perfectly.

• Revelation says the dead, “small and great,” stand before God. In the premillennial understanding, this is the resurrection and final judgment of the unbelieving dead.

• The books are opened. Works do not save, but they demonstrate the perfect justice of God’s judgment.

• Then the Book of Life is opened. The decisive question is not status, success, or reputation — but whether we belong to Jesus Christ.

REVELATION 20:15  “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE IS FINAL JUDGMENT — NOT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR SALVATION.

3. EVEN DEATH COMES TO AN END Revelation 20:14

REVELATION 20:14  “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

• Death has followed humanity from Genesis onward. Every generation has known graves, funerals, loss, and separation.

DEATH HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE.

• Death does not make it past Revelation 20. Satan is gone. Rebellion is gone. Judgment is complete. Death and Hades are gone.

• The old order has reached its end — and Revelation 21 opens with something entirely new.

4. A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH Revelation 21:1–5

REVELATION 21:1  “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

THIS IS WHERE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN HEADING.

• The destination of Bible prophecy is not the Tribulation, the Antichrist, Armageddon, or even the Millennium. The destination is God making all things new.

• John sees the New Jerusalem coming down from God. God does not merely rescue us FROM something; He brings us INTO something.

• Genesis begins with creation. Revelation ends with new creation.

REVELATION 21:5  “Behold, I make all things new.”

SIN DOES NOT WRITE THE ENDING. SATAN DOES NOT WRITE THE ENDING. DEATH DOES NOT WRITE THE ENDING. GOD DOES.

5. GOD COMES TO DWELL WITH US Revelation 21:2–3

REVELATION 21:3  “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them…”

• We often describe eternity as us going to heaven. Revelation’s final picture is even greater: God dwelling with His people in the renewed creation.

• The Bible moves from Eden, to separation by sin, to Tabernacle, to Temple, to Jesus dwelling among us, to the Spirit within believers — and finally to no veil, no distance, no separation.

THE GREATEST THING ABOUT ETERNITY IS GOD HIMSELF.

6. GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR Revelation 21:4

REVELATION 21:4  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…”

• NO MORE DEATH — no funerals, cemeteries, final breaths, death notices, or gravesides.

• NO MORE SORROW — no broken hearts, grief, betrayal, or loneliness.

• NO MORE CRYING — every hidden tear and every public tear of sorrow reaches its final day.

TEARS HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE TOO.

• NO MORE PAIN — no sickness, disease, hospitals, chronic pain, aging, or bodies and minds wearing down.

• The former things have passed away. Everything sin damaged, Satan corrupted, and death stole is gone.

7. THE CURSE IS FINALLY GONE Revelation 22:1–3

REVELATION 22:3  “And there shall be no more curse…”

• The final chapter sounds like Eden again: a river, the Tree of Life, God, and His people.

• Genesis 3 introduced the curse. Revelation 22 announces its end.

• No serpent. No fall. No rebellion. No separation. Paradise is never lost again.

THIS TIME IT IS FOREVER.

8. WE WILL SEE HIS FACE Revelation 22:4–5

REVELATION 22:4  “They shall see His face…”

• Moses and the prophets longed for the presence of God. Today we pray, worship, trust, and follow without physically seeing Him.

FAITH BECOMES SIGHT.

REVELATION 22:5  “And they shall reign forever and ever.”

• The Millennial Reign lasts a thousand years. Eternity has no ending.

END. HOW DOES IT ALL END?

• The Bema — OUR LIVES MATTER.

• After the Tribulation — JESUS RETURNS.

• In the Millennium — THE KING REIGNS.

• After Satan’s final rebellion — SATAN LOSES.

• At the Great White Throne — FINAL JUDGMENT TAKES PLACE.

• When Death and Hades are cast away — DEATH LOSES.

• In the New Heaven and New Earth — THE CURSE LOSES.

• When God dwells with His people — SEPARATION LOSES.

• When He wipes every tear — SORROW LOSES.

• When pain is gone — SUFFERING LOSES.

THE FINAL MESSAGE OF REVELATION IS NOT “LOOK WHAT SATAN DID.” IT IS “BEHOLD WHAT GOD HAS DONE.”

REVELATION 21:5  “Behold, I make all things new.”

APPLY. SO WHAT DO WE DO UNTIL THEN?

CONCLUSION — FROM CREATION TO ETERNITY

The Bible begins:“ In the beginning God created…”

God created everything good. Then sin entered, bringing the curse, death, pain, and separation.

But God had a plan.

Jesus came.

Jesus died.

Jesus rose.

Jesus will return.

Satan will be defeated.

Judgment will be complete.

Even death will come to an end.

And then God says:“Behold, I make all things new.” — Revelation 21:5

Notice how perfectly the Bible ends:

Genesis: Creation → Revelation: New Creation

Genesis: Tree of Life → Revelation: Tree of Life

Genesis: God with humanity → Revelation: God with humanity

But this time—

NO SERPENT.

NO CURSE.

NO DEATH.

NO SEPARATION.

CREATION → FALL → REDEMPTION → RESTORATION → ETERNITY

From creation to eternity, God had a plan.

And the Great Conclusion is:

ALL THINGS NEW.

REVELATION 22:20  “Surely I am coming quickly.”

AMEN. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS!