186    The Bible and the Future of the World 

words, where one word is a subset of the other word. The names Gog and 

Magog mean that both many men and many women will go astray at that 

time and will fight against the Church. 

    At the end of the Millennium, the devil is allowed to again deceive and 

tempt people, but it will not be this time as it was before. When huge 

numbers of soldiers come up against the holy land of Israel, they shall be 

quickly defeated by God. Because of the holiness of God's people, this evil 

army is promptly destroyed by God. The prophet Ezekiel describes the battle 

of Gog and Magog (Ezek 38   39). God destroys them with fire from Heaven 

(Rev 20:9; Ezek 39:6). 

    The devil is then thrown into Hell forever, where Antichrist and the false 

prophet were thrown (Rev 20:10). After this, there may be a space of time 

before the end of the world. The prophet Ezekiel indicates that after the 

defeat of Gog and Magog, it will take seven months to bury the dead who 

were defeated (Ezek 39:12). And the people of God will spend seven years 

to burn and destroy all the weapons of Gog and Magog (Ezek 39:9). This 

passage from Ezekiel may refer to this period of time at the end of the 

Millennium. 

Judgment Day (Rev 20:11 15) 

     And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and 

books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of 

life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what 

they had done.... and if any one's name was not found written in the book of 

life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  (Rev 20:12, 15). 

    This is the  general Resurrection, when the dead come to life and are 

judged by God. And everyone is judged by what they have done. When a 

person dies, God judges that individual immediately, and sends them to 

Heaven, or to Hell, or to Heaven by way of Purgatory. But at the general 

Resurrection, all the dead are given their bodies to join their souls, whether 

their souls came from Heaven or Purgatory or Hell. Those from Heaven and 

Purgatory  will rejoice anew to have their glorified bodies along with their 

souls. Those from Hell will suffer anew when their bodies join their souls in 

torment. 

     For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, 

with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the 

dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be 

caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and 

so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with 

these words.  (1 Thess 4:16 18).