The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Royal Priesthood, #24

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is The second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

However, if we put the sheep and goat judgment at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, then the sheep and goat judgment becomes the judgment of the White Throne, which is the Judgment Seat of Christ. We see no problem arising from such a placement.

The future, then, would look something like this.

Because of persecution, and also the abundance of sin, the present Christian churches will be divided into nominal believers and a holy, faithful remnant. The nominal believers will join with the great Babylon, the huge religious institution of the last days, while the remnant are driven from the cities of the earth and made ready for the Lord by the things they suffer.

When the Lord returns He will call up to Himself His holy remnant, consisting of both Gentiles and Jews who have fled from the face of Antichrist.

This is the first resurrection, the resurrection of the royal priesthood.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such The second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

Here is the royal priesthood. The invitation to membership in the royal priesthood must be grasped by giving one's life completely to the Lord.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ. (Philippians 3:12)

Christ and His remnant, His army, His priesthood, will return to the earth in glorified bodies. They will deliver Jerusalem from Antichrist and drive Satan and all his followers from the earth. The nations that are left after the Battle of Armageddon will be governed with a rod of iron. The nations will go up to Jerusalem to learn the righteous ways of the Lord. The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

To be continued.