A Vacation from History

I don't know about you, but I love to travel. I've had the privilege of living in New Zealand, a place so beautiful it looks like it stepped out of a movie — Milford Sound, Hobbiton, the beaches of Tauranga... it's a fantastic country. I've also seen the United States, from Disney to New York, and traveled through South America. Every stamp in my passport holds a special memory.

But there is one trip I long for more than any other. My heart fills with tears just imagining the day I will disembark, not in earthly Jerusalem, but in the New Jerusalem. The Holy City. And the good news is that, in Revelation's timeline, this journey begins right now.

Check-In Among the Clouds

The Battle of Armageddon has been won. The wicked were killed by the glory of Jesus' coming. The saved have been rescued from the Earth. Now begins the most incredible journey in history. Jesus takes us on a trip across the universe. "All the saved enter the cloud, and will spend seven days ascending to the sea of glass."

Imagine traveling through galaxies, seeing stars, nebulae, and unfallen worlds, all in the company of angels and the Creator Himself. The final landing takes place before the pearly gates of the Holy City. But before entering, Jesus does something beautiful: He keeps the Sabbath with us, just outside. Just as He rested with Adam in Eden, He rests with His redeemed people before the great triumphant entry.

The Coronation at the Sea of Glass

The next scene is breathtaking. The ranks of the redeemed form a great square on the Sea of Glass. Jesus, majestic, stands above them all. With His own right hand — the same one that was pierced — He places a crown of glory on the head of every victor. Each crown bears its owner's "new name" and the inscription "Holiness to the Lord." Jesus hands each one the palm branch of victory and a golden harp. And then, under the direction of angels, the greatest choir in history begins to sing: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!" There is no more pain. No more weariness. The war is over.

The Meeting of the Two Adams

But the emotion reaches its peak when the gates open. Jesus sees someone in the crowd. It is the first man. Adam. The two Adams are about to meet.

The First Adam: created perfect, but who sinned and brought death into the world.

The Second Adam (Jesus): who came to reclaim what the first one lost.

Adam looks at Jesus and sees the marks of the nails in His hands and feet — marks caused by his own sin. He does not run to embrace Jesus; he throws himself at His feet, weeping with humiliation and gratitude. But Jesus, tenderly, lifts him up and invites him to look around. Adam sees the Garden of Eden restored! He recognizes the trees, the flowers he tended six thousand years ago. And then the Savior leads him to the Tree of Life and says, "Eat." The fruit denied to him for millennia is his again. Adam takes his crown and casts it at the feet of Jesus. The human family is home at last.

Working Vacation (The Judgment in Heaven)

During the 1,000 years — the Millennium — we won't just be sitting around playing harps. We'll have work to do. The Bible says, "I saw thrones, and they sat on them... and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).

This is the Second Phase of the Judgment. You might arrive in Heaven and ask, "Where's that neighbor of mine who seemed like such a good person? Why isn't he here?" God will open the books. We will have a thousand years to review the history of sin. We will come to understand why God saved some, and why — with great sorrow — He had to leave others behind. We will judge not only the wicked, but also the fallen angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). We will see exactly how Satan deceived humanity. By the end of the thousand years, there will be no doubt left anywhere in the universe about the justice of God. Everyone will say: "Just and true are Your ways."

Meanwhile, on Earth... (Satan's Imprisonment)

While Heaven celebrates, the Earth lies in silence and darkness. The planet has become "without form, and void" (Jeremiah 4:23). Cities destroyed, bodies scattered, total darkness. And in this horror-movie setting, there is one lone inhabitant: Satan.

Revelation 20:1-3 says an angel bound him and cast him into the abyss for a thousand years. The "chain" that holds him is not made of iron; it is a chain of circumstances. He cannot leave the Earth. He cannot go to other worlds. And, worst of all: he has no one left to tempt. The wicked are dead. The righteous are in Heaven. For the first time in six thousand years, the Tempter is out of a job.

He is forced to wander through the ruins of the cities he helped destroy. He sees the corpses of the kings he deceived. He has a thousand years to reflect on the folly of his rebellion and to await, in terror, the final judgment. It is the ultimate solitary confinement.

The End of the "Vacation"

The thousand years are a time of healing for the saved and of justice for the universe. But they do come to an end. Jesus promised that the meek would "inherit the earth." The New Jerusalem will not stay in Heaven forever — it will come down. And when it does, the Final Battle (Armageddon, Part 2) will take place.

But for now, enjoy the hope of this journey. Get your spiritual passport ready. Check-in will be among the clouds, and the destination is the Sea of Glass.