This Immediately Precedes the New Heavens and New Earth

Malachi 4:1

        For behold the day comes that shall burn as an oven ^{[Luke 12:49]} And all the proud yes and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that comes shall burn them up declares YHVH of Armies that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 

Comments: ^{[RR] Malachi 4:1} This speaks to the fiery purge that will take place at the end of the first one thousand years of Christ’s kingdom. There will be roots and branches left of the wicked after the Battle of Armageddon and after the Judgement of the Nations. These roots will be permitted to survive, to eventually germinate, and to grow and expose themselves once again. This is according to God’s revealed plan to defeat his enemies (by extension the enemies of all humanity) once and for all—both terrestrial and celestial enemies. They will be dealt with one final time at the end of the thousand years when the satan and his lackies, Gog and Magog, advance on Jerusalem, now located in a society that has known nothing but peace and safety for one thousand years ^{[Ezekiel 38, Revelation 20]}.

Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2: And he laid hold on the dragon the original serpent which is diabolos and satan and bound him a thousand years 3: And cast him into the abys and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season ^{[Ezekiel 38:8-12]}

^{Revelation 20:1-3} Even without the deceiving influence of the adversary, there will be mortals who rebel against the Creator during the first 1000 years of His Kingdom. This proves that absolute free will is an inalienable and God-given right—as is the right to choose blessing or consequence.

Ezekiel 38:8-12 is a prophecy of what happens when the adversary is loosed for a season to foment the final rebellion which will precede the final fiery purge ^{[2 Peter 3:10]}, which will precede the creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Jocelyn Andersen is the author of several non-fiction books, including, Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, a Study of HOPE.

She will be releasing e-book and print commentaries on every book of the Bible she features in this column. Click HERE to subscribe to book release and event announcements, along with personal news and updates via her newsletter (and for links to all her Substack columns!). Connect with Jocelyn on Goodreads and LinkedIn.

Note from the editor: I read my Bible every day, always picking up today where I left off yesterday. I have been doing this for over 44 years. The posts on this column are usually notes on whatever passage I happen to be reading on any particular day during what I call my “on-track” Bible reading.

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