Revelation 16:17: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

Here we see the last of the vial (or bowl) judgment. As before, we see that it results in “voices, and thunders, and lightnings” and an earthquake. This time, however, the earthquake is particularly severe: in fact, it is said to be the worst earthquake that has ever happened. This earthquake will level “the cities of the nations”, and it will cause Jerusalem to be divided into three parts. On top of that, it will also make the islands vanish and will level the mountains.

Just think of how terrible this will be! God has already struck men with boils, He has turned the Earth’s water supply into blood, and He has turned up the heat of the Sun. Now God levels the world’s cities, destroys the world’s islands, and flattens the world’s mountains. This is destruction on a scale that the world has never seen. This is truly an apocalyptic judgment.

As if all of that was not bad enough, God also sends a terrible hailstorm that is so great that each hailstone weighed about 70 pounds. This would be particularly devastating. Anything that survived the earthquake (and the earthquake will surely kill millions, if not hundreds of millions) would almost certainly be killed by the hail.

I have no idea how many people will die as a result of this catastrophic earthquake (which will level cities all over the world!), or as a result of the hail, but I have a feeling the death toll will be very high.

One of the common questions that people ask is this: what happens to people who never heard the gospel? There is a common belief that God only holds people responsible for their sins if they have heard the gospel and understood it. If someone has never heard the gospel then God would never judge them. But is that actually what the Bible says?

First of all, it’s important to realize that there is only one way to be saved. No one can be saved apart from Jesus Christ:

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 10:9: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Jesus is the only way to be saved. There are not multiple paths to God; there is only one, and His name is Jesus. All other paths and all other religions lead straight to Hell. You cannot be saved apart from Jesus Christ.

The reason for this is because Jesus is the only acceptable payment for our sins. You see, God cannot forgive us until our sins have been paid. Since God is just, He cannot simply brush our sins under the rug and pretend that they never happened. Our sins must be paid for; someone must pay the debt that we owe. That is why Jesus came to Earth, became a man, and died on the cross. Since He was sinless, He had no sins of His own to pay for and therefore He could die in our place. His death – and His death alone – is sufficient payment for our sins. Our good works can never pay for them. The only payment for our sins is the blood of Jesus Christ.

In order to be made right with God, our sins must be paid for. In order to enter Heaven our sins must be paid for. In order to escape Hell our sins must be paid for. No other religion can pay for our sins; only the blood of Jesus can do that. Jesus is the only way to God and the only way to forgiveness. There simply is no other way.

So what about those who never heard the gospel? Does God just overlook their sins just because they don’t know the truth? The Bible says that the answer is no:

Romans 2:12: “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

As you can see, God does not say “Well, I’m only going to judge those who knew the truth. Everyone else is off the hook.” Instead God says something very different: all those who sinned will be judged. If they never knew the truth then they will perish without it; if they did know the truth then they will be judged by it.

You see, the reason God has something against us is because we have sinned against Him. When you are in a court of law, you cannot tell the judge “You should let me go because I didn’t know what I was doing was illegal”. Ignorance is no defense! In fact, in the Old Testament there was actually a special sacrifice that people had to offer if they sinned in ignorance:

Leviticus 5:15: “If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.”

Notice that God did not say “Well, you sinned in ignorance so that doesn’t count.” Even though the person sinned in ignorance, God still required a sacrifice as payment. Our sins are no different! God still requires a payment for our sins, regardless of how much we know about the truth. If we knew about God’s law then we will be judged by it, and if we didn’t then we will perish without it. But either way we will still be held accountable.

That is why Jesus commanded His disciples to spread the gospel to every creature:

Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

If God ignores the sins of those who don’t know any better, then the best thing we could ever do for mankind would be to burn every copy of the gospel and make sure that no one ever heard it. That way everyone in the world would be ignorant, so God would let all of mankind off the hook! Instead of sending out missionaries we should track down and burn all Bibles, we should silence all preachers, and we should close all of our Bible collages. After all, those things are putting men’s souls in eternal peril by telling them the truth of God’s Word.

Do you see how utterly ridiculous that is? It means that God could have saved all of mankind if He had just never told anyone the gospel. That is madness! No, the reason God told us the gospel is because we cannot be saved without it. The reason God commanded His people to preach the gospel to every creature is because if they never hear the gospel then they cannot be saved at all.

You may say “But it’s not fair for God to judge those who didn’t know any better!” Tell me: is that line of reasoning going to persuade a federal judge to let you go? Is there any court that will say “Well, as long as you didn’t know that what you did was wrong then it doesn’t really matter. You’re free to go.” Of course not!

This is why it is so important to send out missionaries. We should all feel a burden for reaching the lost with the gospel, and we should all be doing whatever we can to spread the Word far and wide. There is simply no other way to be saved.

Revelation 16:12: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

This vial (#6) is a bit different from the others. Instead of a direct judgment, God dries up the Euphrates river so that the armies of the “kings of the east” can come. Verse 16 tells us why: God is preparing the way for the great battle of Armageddon. It is almost time for the antichrist’s final push against Israel. The evil’s one hour of judgment is approaching. When the antichrist does come against the hidden enclave of the Jews (who many think will be hiding out in what is now Jordan), Jesus will return and defeat the armies of the antichrist.

It appears that the kings of the Earth will need some persuasion to come and fight, so Satan will send out evil spirits in order to deceive the nations. As a result of this deception the kings will gather for a massive battle against Jerusalem. (This is not the last time Jerusalem will see war; after the thousand years of the Millennial Kingdom have expired the devil will try to come against the city one more time. That, however, is a discussion for another time.)

Verse 15 is interesting. Since we are currently living in the Church Age, our salvation is assured. We are dressed in Christ’s righteousness and have the Holy Spirit sealed within us; no matter what happens, we cannot lose the Spirit or commit a sin that is unforgivable. However, those who are saved after the Church is gone are faced with a very different situation. Verse 15 warns the Tribulation saints to be careful how they live lest they lose their righteousness. This is not saying that they must try to earn their salvation, but it does say that they have to maintain their faith. If they ever decide to turn away from God and worship the antichrist then they will be lost. There will be a massive and constant temptation to commit the unforgivable sin and take the Mark. If they ever do that then they will be damned. Needless to say, it will be a very difficult time to be alive.

How He Became King: After the death of his father Jehoshaphat
When He Began Reigning: 32 years old
Reign Length: 8 years
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Evil
Prophet: Elijah
Death: God cursed him and his bowels fell out
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem, but not in the tomb of the kings

Jehoram became king after his father Jehoshaphat died. Jehoshaphat had many sons, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn:

2 Chronicles 21:1: “Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
2 And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.”

Jehoram began reigning when he was 32 years old and he reigned over Judah for 8 years. He was a wicked ruler. His wife was Ahab’s daughter:

2 Kings 8:17: “Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

He was so evil that he murdered all of his brothers:

2 Chronicles 21:4: “Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.”

Because of his great wickedness, God sent Elijah to tell him that God was going to curse him and he would die:

2 Chronicles 21:12: “And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:
14 Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.”

The Lord also stirred up the Philistines and the Arabians against him. They broke into the king’s palace and stole everything that he had – including his wives and children:

2 Chronicles 21:16: “Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.”

The only son they left behind was Jehoahaz, his youngest.

While Jehoram was king the Edomites revolted. Jehoram fought against them but was unable to end the revolt:

2 Kings 8:20: “In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.”

After Edom revolted, Libnah revolted as well – but Jehoram was unable to bring them back under his control. Nor was that the end of his problems. God kept his promise and smote the king with a terrible disease. After Jehoram had been sick for two years, his bowels fell out and he died. He was a wicked man who departed without ever having been desired. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the tomb of the kings:

2 Chronicles 21:20: “Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.”

After he died, Ahaziah his son ruled in his stead.

Revelation 16:10: “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”

This judgment is a bit harder to understand than the others. It appears that God strikes the lands of the antichrist with darkness, just as He did back in ancient Egypt. However, there is more to it than this, as people “gnawed their tongues for pain”. This darkness appears to involve pains and sores (v11) – as if the people were also struck by some sort of plague. The pain appears to be horrifying.

Once again we see that this judgment is aimed at those who are lost, since verse 11 says that they “repented not of their deeds”. This is ancient Egypt all over again: God sent plagues against the land, but the Egyptians would not let His people go. God struck the Egyptians with plagues and spared the Israelites, but the Egyptians would still not let His people go. Here God sends horrible, painful judgments upon the wicked, and still they will not repent. All they do is curse God that much more.

Revelation 16:8: “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”

In this judgment God makes the sun burn a great deal hotter. The heat scorches men, and they cry out in agony and blaspheme God.

This is a common refrain throughout the book of Revelation. Even though the power of God is made clear to everyone, and even though the source of the plagues is also made quite clear, men still refuse to repent of what they have done. Instead of crying out for forgiveness and mercy they just blaspheme God all the more. These judgments do not lead men to repent; instead men harden their hearts and sin even more.

How He Became King: After the death of his father Asa
When He Began Reigning: 35 years old
Reign Length: 25 years
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Good
Prophet: Jehu, Eliezer
Death: Uncertain
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem

Jehoshaphat became king after his father Asa died. He began reigning when he was 35 years old and he reigned over Judah for 25 years. Jehoshaphat did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and served God the same way his father had:

1 Kings 22:42: “Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.”

Like his father, he was also zealous to cleanse the land of sodomites:

1 Kings 22:46: “And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.”

Because Jehoshaphat sought the Lord, God was with him and gave him great riches and honor:

2 Chronicles 17:3: “And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;
4 But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
5 Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.”

The king even sent men throughout the land to teach the people the law of the Lord (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). However, although Jehoshaphat meant well and sought the Lord, he made many poor decisions in his life. Time and time again the king teamed up with wicked rulers in order to help them, and time and time again God rebuked him for it. God tried to teach Jehoshaphat that the righteous should not join forces with the wicked, but Jehoshaphat never learned.

For example, during his reign Jehoshaphat agreed to help wicked king Ahab attack Ramothgilead. The prophet Micaiah warned that God had arranged the battle in order to kill Ahab, but Jehoshaphat refused to listen. After the battle was over and Jehoshaphat had returned home, God sent the prophet Jehu to rebuke him for helping the ungodly:

2 Chronicles 19:1: “And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.”

After this Jehoshaphat sent judges throughout the land of Judah and told them to make godly decisions and serve the Lord faithfully. Despite Jehoshaphat’s failings, he did have a heart after God and he did trust in Him. When Moab and Ammon came against him, the king proclaimed a fast and urged the people to seek the Lord:

2 Chronicles 20:1: “It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”

Because they sought the Lord and trusted in Him, the Lord fought for Judah. God ambushed the invaders and they fought each other:

2 Chronicles 20:22: “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.”

God gave Jehoshaphat a great victory because he trusted in the Lord. However, Jehoshaphat continued to make alliances with wicked kings. After Ahab was killed in battle, his son Jehoram became king over Israel. (Interestingly enough, both Ahab and Jehoshaphat had sons named Jehoram. Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram even married Ahab’s daughter – a fact that led to tragic consequences.) When Jehoram asked Jehoshaphat to help him attack Moab (the very people that had just attacked Jehoshaphat), the king agreed:

2 Kings 3:6: “And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.”

At this point in history Jehu the prophet had already rebuked Jehoshaphat for helping the wicked king Ahab, yet here he was helping Ahab’s wicked son Jehoram. Jehoshaphat had learned nothing at all from Jehu’s rebuke. It is true that the Moabites were a common enemy between the two kings, but God had already told Jehoshaphat that He did not want him helping the wicked.

As it turned out, the joint venture did not go well. The kings ran out of water and nearly died:

2 Kings 3:9: “So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”

Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of the Lord who could help them, and they called Elisha. The prophet was not happy about helping these wicked kings, but since Jehoshaphat was there he agreed to seek the Lord for help:

2 Kings 3:13: “And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.”

Elisha’s word came to pass. The country was filled with water, and God deliver the Moabites into their hand. The kings did indeed destroy the Moabite cities, just as Elisha had said.

Nor is that the last time that Jehoshaphat committed this sin. Later in life Jehoshaphat teamed up with the wicked king Ahaziah to send ships to Tarshish. However, God sent Eliezer to rebuke him for helping the wicked king:

2 Chronicles 20:36: “And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.”

As you can see, God destroyed the ships that the two kings had made. God told Jehoshaphat time and time again that it was a sin for the righteous to team up with the wicked, even if they had a common enemy and common goals, but Jehoshaphat never learned.

When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried in Jerusalem:

2 Chronicles 21:1: “Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.”

His son Jehoram then reigned over Judah.

Revelation 16:4: “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.”

In the previous judgment God turned the oceans into blood and wiped out every living thing in the sea. Now things are about to get much worse, as God turns the world’s freshwater supply into blood. All of the water in the seas, in the lakes, and in the rivers is all blood. This certainly results in the death of all the creatures that live in the water, to say nothing of its affect on people. Freshwater is now extremely hard to get. Mankind is going to find it very difficult to survive in a world that has no freshwater supply.

An angel explains why God has done this:

Revelation 16:5: “And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.”

Since the people on Earth have proven to be bloodthirsty monsters who killed God’s children by the millions, God has supernaturally turned all of these sources of water into blood. Since they shed the blood of His saints, God has given them blood to drink.

But there are still more judgments to come! Things are going to continue to get worse.

Revelation 16:3: “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”

Earlier, in one of the trumpet judgments, we saw that 1/3rd of all sea life was killed. Now that God has turned the sea to “the blood of a dead man”, the rest of the sea life has been wiped out as well.

When God did this in ancient Egypt the Nile did not just look like blood, but it actually turned into blood. Here we see the same thing – only this time it is the sea itself that turns into blood, and not just the Nile. After this judgment there is no sea life left. Every living thing in every ocean is dead.

How He Became King: After the death of his father Abijam
When He Began Reigning: Uncertain
Reign Length: 41 years
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Started out good, but went bad in the end
Prophet: Oded, Hanani
Death: Disease
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem

After Abijam died, Asa his son became king over Judah. He was a good king and did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. His father had been a wicked king and allowed a lot of evil to enter the land. Asa cleaned up the nation by removing the sodomites and the idols:

1 Kings 15:9: “And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.
12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”

Asa commanded the people to serve the Lord (2 Chronicles 14:4). Because of this God brought peace to Judah. Asa used that time to strengthen the land and defend it:

1 Kings 15:6: “And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.
7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8 And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.”

However, this time of peace did not last forever. One day an army of a million Ethiopians came against him. When this happened Asa cried out to God for deliverance:

2 Chronicles 14:9: “And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.
12 So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.”

God delivered the Ethiopians into his hand, and Judah utterly defeated them and carried away a great deal of spoil. After this the spirit of God came upon Azariah and he challenged the nation to serve God:

2 Chronicles 15:1: “And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

When Asa heard this, he gathered the nation together and made a covenant with them to serve God. The entire nation swore with all their hearts to serve the Lord:

2 Chronicles 15:8: “And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.”

Because Judah sought the Lord with all of their desire, God blessed them and gave them rest. Asa’s zeal was so great that he even removed his own mother from power because she had made an idol:

1 Kings 15:13: “And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the Lord all his days.”

However, there came a time when God tested Asa. In the 36th year of his reign, Baasha king of Israel came against him:

2 Chronicles 16:1: “In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.”

When the Ethiopian army had come against him, Asa cried out to God and the Lord delivered the nation. However, this time Asa didn’t do that. Instead of trusting in God, he took money from the palace and from the Temple and used it to hire the Syrians to attack Baasha. The Syrians listened to Asa and attacked several cities in Israel. When Baasha found out about this, he left Judah. Asa then brought all of Judah to Ramah and they carried away its stones and timber.

However, the Lord was not pleased. God sent Hanani the prophet to rebuke the king for what he had done:

2 Chronicles 16:7: “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

When Asa heard this, he became extremely angry and had Hanani thrown in prison. The king refused to repent and refused to allow anyone to correct him.

Asa’s reign only lasted five more years. When the king was old he became diseased in his feet, but he refused to go to God for help no matter how severe the disease became:

2 Chronicles 16:12: “And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.”

When he died, he was buried in Jerusalem in a tomb he had created for himself:

2 Chronicles 16:14: “And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.”

His son Jehoshaphat then reigned in his stead.

Revelation 16:2: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”

If you will notice, this judgment is directed solely against those who have taken the Mark. These people cannot be saved, because once a person takes the Mark they are lost forever. That sin cannot be forgiven.

This judgment is very direct: those who took the Mark are afflicted with “a noisome and grievous sore”. This judgment from God is personal and painful. Since this only afflicts those who took the Mark, God is drawing a line between those who are His and those who are not.

Revelation 16:1: “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”

Now we are getting to the end! These judgments are poured out in the second half of the Tribulation. I’ve heard them referred to as the bowl judgments, but the King James Bible uses the word “vial”.

Basically, these judgments consist of God pouring out His wrath on the Earth, as it says right there in verse 1. By this point in history a tremendous number of Christians will have been martyred for their faith. On top of that, Satan has been cast down to Earth and is causing tremendous problems. The antichrist is ruling over the world and is fiercely persecuting all those who will not worship him.

It is very likely that the overwhelming majority of those that inhabit the Earth at this point are people who have taken the Mark of the Beast. Those people are about to face the wrath of an angry God.

How He Became King: After the death of his father Rehoboam
When He Began Reigning: Uncertain
Reign Length: 3 years
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Evil
Prophet: Uncertain
Death: Uncertain
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem

Abijam (who was also known as Abijah) became king after the death of his father Rehoboam. One of the things that makes this person confusing is the fact that the Bible lists him under two different names: he is called both Abijam and Abijah. This is not the only king in the Old Testament who is referred to by two different names; there are a number of others. This is something to keep in mind when studying the Bible. Sometimes there is more information about the person listed under a different name.

On top of that, there is also some confusion about his ancestry. As you can see, his mother is listed as two different people:

2 Chronicles 13:1: “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.”

1 Kings 15:1: “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.”

So what’s going on here? Well, first of all, Michaiah and Maachah are the same person. Just as Abijam is also called Abijah, Michaiah is also called Maachah. The names are different but the person is the same.

How is it possible that Michaiah can be the daughter of Uriel and the daughter of Abishalom? Well, according to Josephus (Ant. VIII, 10.1), Uriel was the husband of Abishalom’s daughter Tamar. Tamar, in turn, is the mother of Michaiah. In other words, Uriel was Michaiah’s father, and Abishalom was Michaiah’s grandmother. The Bible often referred to an ancestor as that person’s father or mother even if there were several generations between them (just as people sometimes refer to women as “daughters of Eve”).

Abijam reigned over Judah for three years, and did evil:

I Kings 15:1: “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father.”

During his reign, Jeroboam king of Israel attacked him. Abijam rebuked him for attacking Judah and for serving idols:

2 Chronicles 13:8: “And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:
11 And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him.
12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.”

Abijam was right: Jeroboam had evicted God’s priests from the land and had fallen deep into idolatry. However, Abijam’s hands were not clean either. The Temple may have been operating and the Levites may have been working, but Abijam’s heart was not right with God. The king walked in the sins of his fathers and did not have a perfect heart.

When Jeroboam attacked, he ambushed Abijam’s forces. Abijam then cried out to God for help. The Lord heard his cry and delivered Jeroboam’s army into his hand. During the battle 500,000 men of Israel were killed:

II Chronicles 13:16: “And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.”

After this battle Jeroboam’s power was broken, and Abijam became a mighty king (2 Chronicles 13:20-21). Abijam married 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters. Even though he once trusted in the Lord for victory, he remained an evil king. When he died, he was buried in Jerusalem:

2 Chronicles 14:1: “So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.”

Asa his son then reigned in his stead.

Revelation 15:5: “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:”

I think that this amazing fact tends to gets overlooked: there is a temple in Heaven. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about this, but it clearly exists.

Interestingly, there won’t be a temple in the New Jerusalem in the Eternal State, but there is one in Heaven and there will be one in Jerusalem during the Millennial Kingdom. It’s just something to keep in mind.

One of the most well-known facts about end-times theology is that when people are resurrected they will no longer get married. Marriage is for this life only; it does not apply to the next life. In all my years of study I never heard anyone argue against this point. The view was unanimous.

The reason it is unanimous is because the evidence to support it is pretty clear. This is what Jesus had to say when He was asked about it:

Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

That statement is pretty direct – in fact, it is so direct that there is universal agreement on this point. There is no marriage after the Resurrection.

I was therefore very surprised to come across someone who argued that there actually was marriage after the resurrection. Since their argument was interesting I thought it would be worth discussing. It is possible that there is more going on in Matthew 22:30 than it seems.

It’s worth noting that in the entire Bible, the subject of marriage in the Resurrection is only addressed on one occasion. The only time it is ever mentioned is when Jesus was approached by the Sadducees, who wanted to trap Him with a clever question. This exchange is present in three of the four gospels; it can be found in Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, and Luke 20:27-38. This is the only time the subject of marriage in the Resurrection is addressed.

It’s also worth noting that the question the Sadducees posed was not a sincere question. Since they did not believe in a resurrection at all, they were trying to trap Jesus by posing a conundrum that could not be answered:

Matthew 22:23: “The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,”

Mark 12:18: “Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,”

Luke 20:27: “Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,”

As we can see, the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection. Their question about the resurrection was not sincere; instead it was designed to make Jesus look foolish. They were not looking for an actual answer.

Whenever Jesus was asked an insincere question that was designed to trap Him, He never responded with a simple or unambiguous answer. Instead He gave an answer that was designed to entrap the questioners and bring up even more questions. A good example of this can be seen in the occasion the Pharisees asked Jesus about taxes. Look at how Jesus handled the situation:

Matthew 22:15: “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”

The reason the Pharisees asked Jesus this question was to “entangle him in his talk”. They didn’t actually want an answer; they just wanted to put Jesus in a bad situation. However, instead of falling for it, Jesus turned the situation on its head. Jesus did not say “Yes, it is lawful”, or “No, it is not”. He did not get into a discussion involving tax policy, the limits of imperial power, or the legitimacy of the Roman government. Instead He simply said “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and give to God the things that are God’s”. Jesus did not explain what things were Caesar’s, or what things were God’s. Instead He skirted the entire issue and left the Pharisees with a difficult problem. Since the Pharisees didn’t actually want an answer, Jesus didn’t really give them one. Instead He avoided the trap that had been set for Him and used it to ensnare the Pharisees.

Immediately after Jesus confounded the Pharisees, the Sadducees spoke up and asked Him about the resurrection. This is the question that they posed:

Matthew 22:24: “Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died also.
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.”

And this is the answer that Jesus gave:

Matthew 22:29: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

We see that Jesus rebukes them for not believing in the resurrection. He then points out that in the Old Testament, God said “I am the God of Abraham” instead of “I was the God of Abraham”. God acted as if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive – and since they were still alive, there must be a resurrection.

The answer that Jesus gave seems pretty clear-cut. The Sadducees asked whose wife she would be in the Resurrection, and Jesus said that in the Resurrection people do not marry one another. However, there is an important fact that gets overlooked: what resurrection was Jesus talking about?

You see, when people read this passage they commonly assume that the Sadducees were talking about the Rapture. However, that is not the case. The very existence of the Rapture was not revealed until after the death and resurrection of Christ. The apostle Paul was the first person to ever speak of it, and when he revealed it he called it a mystery:

1 Corinthians 15:51: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

In the Bible the term “mystery” has a special meaning; it refers to something new that had never been revealed before. The existence of the Rapture was an entirely new doctrine; it was never hinted at in the Old Testament. The Sadducees had no idea there would be a Rapture. When they asked Jesus about the resurrection they were thinking about something very different.

You see, the Rapture is not the only resurrection from the dead that the Bible speaks about. The Old Testament speaks of another one. We can find it in the book of Daniel:

Daniel 12:2: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

This verse is clearly talking about a resurrection, but it’s not talking about the Rapture. At the Rapture the only people who will be raised from the dead are the saints of the Church; no wicked people will be raised at that time. There is only one resurrection that includes both the righteous and the wicked, and that is the one that occurs just before the Great White Throne judgment:

Revelation 20:11: “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.
12 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.”
13 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.

As you can see, all of the dead (even those in Hell) are raised so that they can stand before the Lord and be judged. If you read Revelation 20, you will see that this judgment happens after the thousand-year reign of Christ. As we can see, some of these people will go on to everlasting life, while others will face everlasting torment in the Lake of Fire. This is the resurrection that Daniel is describing, and this is the resurrection that the Sadducees were asking about. After all, no other resurrection had been revealed yet.

When Jesus said that in the resurrection people will not marry or be given in marriage, He was referring to this resurrection. He was not talking about the Rapture! He also had no intention of giving an in-depth lecture on the different resurrections or their characteristics. After all, the question was not a serious question.

So, we can see that those who are resurrected after the Millennial Kingdom is over will not marry or be given in marriage. But what about those who are resurrected at the Rapture? Is the same thing true for them?

That brings us to a question that Peter once asked Christ:

Matthew 19:27: “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?”

The answer that Jesus gives to this question is recorded in three of the gospels – and each answer is a little different. I think this is important; taken together, the answers paint an interesting picture.

The book of Luke records this answer:

Luke 18:29: “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

Here Jesus says that those who sacrifice for the kingdom of God will receive more in this present time. It does not say that they will get back what they sacrificed, but that they will receive more than what they gave (although not necessarily the same thing that they gave). However, look at what Jesus says in Mark:

Mark 10:29: “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

Here Jesus says that those who sacrifice for the kingdom of God will receive in this life a hundred times what they sacrificed, but it will be accompanied by persecution. If they gave up houses then they will receive houses; if they gave up children then they will receive children.

I think these answers are different because they are addressing different situations. Some people really do sacrifice for God and then receive back what they sacrificed (just look at Job, for example). Others sacrifice and receive back something completely different. Both situations happen to different people.

However, there is a third class of people – those who sacrifice for Christ and never get anything back at all. Those people are discussed in Matthew:

Matthew 19:28: “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

Here Jesus says that those who sacrificed for Jesus will, in the Millennial Kingdom, receive a hundredfold return on what they sacrificed. These people are rewarded at that time. Interestingly, Matthew 19:29 says that those who sacrificed a wife will receive “a hundredfold” during the Millennial Kingdom.

Now, no one is suggesting that people are going to receive a hundred wives during the Millennium. However, is it possible that those who sacrifice a wife for the sake of Christ will receive a wife during the Millennium? Will they receive again what they lost?

We do know that children will be born in the Millennium. The Bible speaks of this in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”

Isaiah 65:20: “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Now, no one doubts that there will be children born during the Millennium. Many people will survive the Tribulation and will enter the Millennial Kingdom alive, and they will reproduce and have families. However, what about the resurrected saints? Will we have families as well?

It is true that the book of I John tells us that the things of this life are passing away:

I John 2:15: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

However, during the Millennial Kingdom the idea of having families, wives, and children has definitely not passed away, since all of those things will still exist. The question is this: will the resurrected Church partake of those things as well, or are they reserved solely for those who survived the Tribulation?

By now we can see that this question is more complex than it first appeared. It is not good enough to simply say “Well, Jesus said there would be no marriage after the Resurrection, so that is that.” Jesus was not addressing the Rapture; instead He was talking about the resurrection that would occur just before the final Judgment Day. The world He spoke of was not the world of the Millennial Kingdom, but the New Heaven and Earth that would be created after all men are judged. In other words, the only verse in the Bible that prohibits marriage after the Resurrection was actually talking about a completely different situation.

So where does that leave us? The Bible is clear that when a person dies, the marriage bond is broken:

1 Corinthians 7:39: “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”

The Bible does not support the pagan idea of eternal marriage. You may be married in this life, but when your spouse dies that bond is broken; your marriage comes to an end. You may see your spouse in Heaven, but she will not be your wife. But is that really the end of it?

During the Millennium there will be children, which means there will be marriage. Will the immortal saints be allowed to participate in getting married again and having families, or will we have to stand on the sidelines while we watch the mortals around us have children and raise them?

This is not an idle question. If the saints cannot get married during the Millennium, then that means that they had better get married now or they will miss out on that opportunity for all of eternity. If they do not have children now then they will never have children. If they do not find a wife now then they will never have a wife. There are many wonderful things they will be able to do for all of eternity, but this is their one shot at having a wife and children. It means that if you are engaged to be married and your wife-to-be dies, that you have forever lost your chance to have a family with her. You will see her again in Heaven, but you will never be able to have her, and you will never be able to become one with her. That chance is forever lost. It means that those who give up a wife and children for the sake of Christ are giving up something that they will never get back.

However, if saints can get married during the Millennium then things are very different. In that case, sacrificing marriage in order to better serve Christ is not such a big deal. Yes, you may forgo those things for this life, but you will get them in the next life so it doesn’t really matter. You can fully focus on serving the Lord because you know that there is still plenty of time. You are just delaying, not giving up something for the rest of time. You are just “laying up your treasures in Heaven”, so to speak. It is still a sacrifice, but the sacrifice is not forever.

As you can see, there really is a difference between thinking “This is the only chance I’ll ever get” and “Well, there’s always the Millennium.” The truth really matters, and it does affect the decisions that people make now, in this life.

Some might ask, is it really in the character of God to raise us up from the dead as perfect immortals who are capable of reproducing, and then to forbid us from reproducing? The answer is yes, because that is exactly what God did with the angels. As we know, the angels do not marry and are not given in marriage – but angels are capable of reproducing. This subject is far outside the scope of this paper, but there was a time in the Old Testament when fallen angels lusted after women and had children with them, and produced the race of the Nephilim. The angels of God are capable of having children, but they are forbidden from doing so. They are able to desire women, but God has not given them any women of their own (all angels are men). So there is that to think about. Since God does not allow the immortal angels to marry, He may not allow the immortal saints to marry either.

There are others who say that since the Church is the Bride of Christ, marriage among the saints will no longer be possible after the Marriage of the Lamb has taken place. The problem with this theory is that in the Old Testament God said that Israel was the wife of Jehovah, and thew Jews married each other all the time. So being married to God does not mean you cannot marry another human being.

It is also worth noting that when God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He commanded them to have children and fill the Earth. That command was given while Adam and Eve were still sinless immortals – before the Fall. This means that families and children did not come about as a result of sin. We also know that God said that “it is not good for man to be alone”, and He said that before Adam became a sinful creature.

We know that the institution of marriage will continue during the Millennial Kingdom because the mortals on Earth will engage in it. Somebody is going to be having children. The question is, will we be allowed to participate in it as well, or will it be forbidden? After all, it is one thing if after Judgment Day, when God creates an entirely new universe, He then puts an end to marriage for everyone because He has a new plan in mind. That is quite different from a Millennial Kingdom where some human beings are allowed to have families while other human beings are not.

All I know is this: the only verses in the Bible that prohibit it are not talking about the Millennial Kingdom at all, and were given in answer to a question that was not serious and was designed to trap Jesus. Is it wise to take those verses and apply them to a situation that they were not addressing?

That being said, it is entirely possible that marriage really is prohibited for the resurrected saints. There is an awful lot about the resurrection and the Millennium that God hasn’t told us (probably because we’re not living in it yet!) But I think that the verses that people typically use to argue this case aren’t as clear as they seem.