Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 10, 1999 at 14:55:17 {AAJB0ph6mYf9UnUPxURUslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: *****To Flee or not to Flee posted by Antique on November 10, 1999 at 13:41:08:
You ask very good questions!
So what happens DURING the thousand years. I think I remember you mentioning that after the first thousand years were up that Satan would be released for the final testing.
What happens is Jesus and the 144,000 in the flesh create a world of theocracy and teach and assist the survivors of Armageddon to get to the point of knowledge and understanding of Jehovah and establish a theocratic society. Ultimately, to resist Satan when he is released again. So we will learn precisely what effect Satan has on a perfect world and a theocratic society with a god-appointed government and where everyone worships Jehovah. Still many fall away. So that is a special test.
Then after that, those who resist Satan will be JUDGED and will go to the trees of life. And then after THAT is the second, general resurrection. This chronology is very deliberate in scripture.
But then how are the ones brought back
from the last resurrection taught and then tested if they aren't even here yet? Most will come back with no knowledge of what has happened the past 2000 years and have to be taught don't they?
Good question! But no they DON'T. Read Revelation. Many have already been judged! Many are already written in the book of life. And they are judged. On what? Rev 20:12 says: "And they were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds." So they are judged by what they did during their lives. And this is without many of them knowing God. Some of course, did know Jehovah from the nation of Israel. So the idea that they will be judged only after they learn about God is a false JW misconception. But it is non-Biblical. And frankly, people can be judged by character without specifically knowing God. But after they past that test based upon what they did in their previous life, then they go to the trees of life and then they learn about the way of Jehovah. So it works out perfectly.
And then after that then they each have to make a decision which I thought was the test from Satan. So how do you explain that?
No. As noted before, they are judged from what they did during their lives. They are already resurrected as "righteous and unrighteous." Note many of them are already written in the book of life. Note that some are already condemned to Gehenna, like the ones who rejected Jesus during this day.
But the judgment will be based upon 6,000 years of man's imperfect experience unders Satan and what that effect was, and 1000 years of theocratic world under Christ with the assistance of the king-priests to show who would learn to know Jehovah, etc. So they are like the test group.
So what that total 7,000 year experience will do is determine just how much would be forgiven, how much was due to imperfection or circumstance, how much was due to Satan. And all those factors will be subtracted out and the Ransom Sacrifice applied. But if it works out that someone was just bent on destroying his fellow man even though he knew better, then they won't get life.
So in my mind, many who are already judged to be righteous and are already written in the book of life for having lived "descent, good" lives when they were here, don't need to be judged. And those who are clearly wicked. But some who are borderline will be carefully analyzed to see if the maximum amount of mercy can be applied. And then after that they will go to the trees of life and learn specifically about Jehovah.
Jehovah can judge the heart. So if you read carefully, you'll see that people are judged for what they do during their one life. In fact one scripture says it perfectly: "And as it is reserved for me to die once for all time, but after this a judgment." Heb. 9:27.
Actually, Jehovah is big on love of fellowman. So no matter what sins someone might have committed during their lives, if they were basically nice to their fellow men they will probably be allowed to live. If, however, they were big on abuse of their fellowman, they will not likely get in. But the idea will be to minimize as much as possible the effect of Satan's rebellion. And it may work out that way.
We must remember that the angels in Heaven all knew Jehovah and his laws and his wonders and 1/3 of them still rebelled!!!!! I suspect the percentages of the Earth's population to be close to that as well. Perhaps that is just a statement about free moral agency.
So it all works out perfectly. But one must pay close attention to the scriptural details. People rising from the second resurrection basically are already judged a "righteous and unrighteous." I think Judgment Day will address the borderliners and those who are judged will know before they die forever what their poor choices cost them.
Good questions.
Cheers,
Bibleman