God's Kingdom 1: The Sheep and the Goats

When Jesus returns in glory he will gather all the nations and separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Mt 25:31-32)

Previously . . . at the end of The Great Tribulation, Jesus vanquished the Devil, the Antichrist, and the armies of the nations at the Battle of Armageddon.

Chapter 1

The End of Satan's World System

Following his total victory over the Antichrist and his armies surrounding Jerusalem, Jesus proclaimed, "The first heaven and the first earth have passed away. Now we begin the restoration."

Katie felt tears in her eyes as the reality of the moment sank in. The battle of Armageddon was over. The great tribulation was over. And now, a new era was dawning—one where resurrected disciples will reign as kings and priests, in righteousness and peace, rebuilding the world according to God's will.

Katie stood atop the Mount of Olives, her eyes scanning the desolate landscape below. Across the Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's broken walls and ruined buildings jutted from the scarred earth like broken teeth. A plume of black smoke marked where the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque once stood on the temple mount.

A gust of wind whipped Katie's hair. She trembled, not from the chill, but from the vista of death and destruction before her. The holy city, once teeming with life, now lay silent and still.

In the Kidron valley—between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount—a small group of haggard survivors trudged along a makeshift path, their eyes cast downward as they picked their way through the debris of a broken world.

Katie's heart ached for them, for all of humanity. The words of Isaiah came to her, written 2500 years ago but now fulfilled before her eyes . . . The earth is utterly broken and split apart, the earth is violently shaken. Desolation in the city. Its gates are battered into ruins . . . All joy has grown dark. The gladness of the earth is banished.

Across the valley, a flicker of movement near the city caught her attention. Focusing on it, she saw hundreds of large black vultures blanketing the carcasses of Hussein's army. The scavengers created a dark shroud, swarming like insects, consuming the mounds of corpses that ringed the city.

She grieved for the lives lost. Yes, they were the enemy, and they fought for Satan and Hussein. So, they had to be defeated. But every one of them had a mother who now grieves for a lost son . . . this is the end result of believing Satan and Hussein's lies.

Katie took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come next. The desolation before her was heartbreaking, but she encouraged herself with the hope of global restoration the Bible promised.

She mounted and sat tall in the saddle, ready to play her part in what was about to unfold.

Before Him Will Be Gathered All Tribes

Jesus stood atop the Mount of Olives. Katie’s eyes opened wide with awe as she watched Him raise his hands towards the heavens. A sudden wind blew, and she heard a sound like a raging river. When the earth trembled, Katie instinctively reached for Ethan's hand.

"Look," Ethan whispered, pointing towards the horizon.

In the distance, streams of people materialized from over the horizon, their forms coalescing as if from mist. They appeared by the thousands, then tens of thousands, filling the vast expanse of the Kidron valley. Katie's breath caught in her throat as she realized what she was witnessing—the supernatural gathering of all the world's tribulation survivors.

Jesus re-mounted his stallion. Katie and Ethan, along with the other resurrected saints, formed a glorious assembly behind their Lord on the Mount of Olives.

Katie marveled at the organization unfolding in the valley below. Angels efficiently sorted the multitude into groups, based on their language, ethnic, and tribal identity.

"It's like a reverse Tower of Babel," Katie said, watching as tribes and nations clustered together. She could make out the rhythms of different languages—the tonal patterns of Chinese, the rapid-fire syllables of Spanish, the guttural sounds of Arabic, and many others she couldn't identify.

Some groups had thousands, others only a dozen. They all looked gaunt, exhausted, and apprehensive.

The survivors stood in awe, their faces a mixture of confusion, fear, and wonder. Some fell to their knees, while others craned their necks to gaze at Jesus and his glorified entourage. The groups hummed with whispers as people realized the magnitude of what was happening.

Jesus rode down to the edge of the assembled multitude. The glorified saints formed a radiant backdrop behind him. Katie felt a surge of excitement as she observed the scene—Jesus, in all his glory, facing the assembled remnant of humanity.

The contrast was stark—Jesus and his resurrected saints, in white robes shining with heavenly glory, versus the mortal survivors, who displayed the grunge and wounds of their tribulation ordeal.

Katie watched as Jesus surveyed the crowd, his eyes filled with both love and severity. She sensed the weight of this moment—the culmination of 6000 years, and the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. Everyone waited in hushed anticipation to hear what the divine King of kings would say or do next.

The Sheep and the Goats

Jesus addressed the glorified saints behind him. His voice, both gentle and commanding, carried with supernatural clarity.

"My faithful brethren," Jesus said, "ride down and join your tribal groups."

Katie felt a gentle nudge from Ethan. They exchanged a look of excitement and trepidation before urging their horses forward. As they descended the Mount of Olives, Katie marveled at how effortlessly she guided her steed, despite never having ridden before this day.

Katie, Ethan, and 86 other glorified saints approached the survivors assembled from Southeast Alaska. Looks like about 500 survivors in our group.

The 86 were comprised of all the region's Christian martyrs, plus everyone who refused to submit to the Antichrist's dictates, choosing instead to live in remote, primitive, self-sufficient Christian communities. Ten days before, on the Day of Trumpets, the martyrs' bodies were resurrected and glorified. The others immediately joined them in the air, their bodies glorified without passing through death.

As the 88 saints approached, the 500 survivors' eyes were all wide with a mix of wonder, fear, and anticipation. Katie dismounted, her feet touching the earth with a grace she was still getting used to. She scanned the faces around her, searching for familiar features.

Jesus' voice rang out again, "Now, brethren, identify those people who ministered to you during your time of need. Gather them and lead them to stand there, at my right." Katie looked up to see Jesus pointing up the valley, to his right.

Katie's mind raced back to her mortal life as she tried to recall faces and moments of kindness. Strange . . . it's only been ten days, but it seems like such a long time ago.

Her gaze fell upon a young woman whose features seemed familiar. With a start, she realized it was Sophia. She looked older, and weathered, but it was her.

As Katie stepped toward Sophia, she noticed Ben Wilkins doing the same. Ben looked back at his glorified brethren, then specifically addressed Ethan, David and Anna Kusteel, Miguel, and Sophia's parents, saying, "After Lilith destroyed Kataan and Eagle Claw, Sophia stayed in Ketchikan and risked her life helping new people find their way into the In-Processing Center for our Christian communities."

Sophia hung her head, in shame, but two dozen of those she helped were now glorified, having been 'caught up' in the rapture. They all said "Amen" to Ben's testimony.

Ben addressed his comments to Ethan, David and Anna, Miguel, and Sophia's parents because they were all martyred after Sophia left the remote Eagle Claw community to live in Ketchikan. Shortly after Sophia's arrival in Ketchikan, Lilith bombed Kataan and Eagle Claw, killing them all, so they all assumed Sophia was the one who enabled Lilith to locate and target the two Christian communities.

Ethan looked around, surveying the faces of his glorified brethren.

Sophia's mother's eyes silently cried out, appealing for sympathy and forgiveness for her wayward daughter.

They all agreed, so Ethan said, "Sophia, we forgive you. Come out from among them." Sophia humbly and thankfully walked to Jesus’ right.

Katie's gut clenched when she spotted Lilith and Jake among the survivors. The Antichrist's regional ruler who'd caused so much pain now stood trembling, her eyes nervously darting between Katie, Rachel, and Jesus.

Katie felt a complex mix of emotions—compassion, anger, and a lingering echo of fear that her glorified state couldn't quite erase.

Then Katie followed Lilith's and Jake's eyes. They were looking at Chuck Blackwood, the man Jake replaced as Lilith's lead henchman.

Chuck was now a glorified saint, riding alongside Ben, Claire Hansen, and Pastor Philip. After Chuck became a Christian, Jake arrested him and then Lilith had him beheaded. Katie watched as Chuck looked down on Lilith and Jake. Lilith snarled at him, but Chuck's face was expressionless.

Katie thought, Lilith and Jake chose their path, and Chuck chose his. Now, they’ll each get their reward.

Katie watched as her fellow saints identified all those who'd helped them during the tribulation years.

Katie and Rachel identified eighteen people who'd sacrificially shared their supplies, fuel, and food, or provided them shelter during their 'gospel ultimatum' travels over the last three years. When all the survivors from Southeast Alaska were sorted, forty adults and eighteen children were guided to the spot Jesus designated on his right side.

When all the groups had been sorted, ninety percent of the original groups stood cowering on Jesus' left, and ten percent stood on Jesus' right.

Jesus’ voice thundered across the gathering to his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Katie's gaze was drawn to those on Jesus' left. Their faces reflected a dawning horror as Jesus turned to them, his voice filled with finality as he pronounced their fate.

He said, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me."

This crowd gasped in shock and horror. Katie heard one of them shout, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?"

Pointing at his glorified brethren, Jesus replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, when you did not do it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did not do it to me.’ 

Agonizing screams of terror momentarily filled the air when the ground under them split open, revealing a chasm of fire, molten lava, and sulfur smoke that swallowed everyone on Jesus's left. It churned with a gurgling sound, the stench was overwhelming, and Katie felt the blast of heat. Then the earth closed over them, leaving everyone who watched in stunned silence.

In the next silent moments, Katie considered the importance of this day in the history of the world. On this day the Devil and the Antichrist and all his followers had been judged and removed from the realm of the living. And on this day she’d participated in God’s wrath, justice, and mercy, all intertwined in a way her mortal mind could never have imagined.

She thought, Now we begin the new age, the age of righteousness, peace, and abundant life—the restoration of Eden. But this time there's no devil, and we're no longer naïve regarding sin. It’s going to be God’s kingdom on the earth. It’s going to be wonderful!

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Coming next week . . . Survivors celebrate the week-long Feast of Tabernacles near Jerusalem, then return to their home area. Survivors learn the goals and structure of God’s kingdom for the next 1000 years.

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