2 Kings 7:1-16
The King of Syria with his army surrounded Samaria and cut off all supplies to the city – Great famine broke out – Jehoram was the king of Samaria – things were so bad that donkey’s head was sold for a big price.
Not only that the families were killing their own children for food.
The king was horrified and could not take it – he goes after the Prophet Elisha to kill him.
The Main Characters are Four Lepers
Lepers lived outside of the city because of their condition – untouchables –no cure – beg to feed their hunger – absolute dependency on mercy of people
They discussed 3 options here
1. To go back to the city and die with everybody else in the famine.
2. Just stay here and die from hunger.
3. Go to the enemy camp and if they kill them it will be quick.
They did not know about the prophet’s prophecy – they chose the 3rd option to go to Arameans’ camp.
The lepers could not go in the daytime-so they went after the sunset – in the dusk
What they saw was unbelievable – God caused confusion in the Arameans camp to hear the sounds of great rushing army – they all fled leaving everything behind –the camp was empty.
These guys had their fill and even took silver, gold and clothes and hid outside.
They came back for the seconds also.
9th verse is very pivotal and important.
They could not stay there with a clear conscience. 
The Samaritan people despised them and treated them as untouchables.
In spite of that kind of treatment the lepers still had concern for them.
They felt in their hearts that withholding such wonderful news is not right.
They also feared for God’s punishment for not sharing the good news.
4 lepers are showing compassion and concern for those who had never shown them any compassion or concern.
They knew very well what was going on in the city as people are dying of hunger.
Since the lepers are forbidden to go into the city they told the city gatekeeper what they had seen in the Arameans camp – so the message was relayed to the king’s palace.
The king did not believe for a minute because he suspected that the armies will come and snatch the hungry people of Samaria.
What prophet Elisha prophesied came true – a seah of flour sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel.
I see this event speaking to us in four ways.
God will provide our needs
God will provide no matter what our circumstances are – HE could pour out HIS blessings in many ways –unexpected ways through people – mysterious ways – meet our needs time and time again 
God uses people like us to bless others
God used those 4 lepers to provide food for the entire city-so also HE could use us too.
We have to share blessings with others
God encourages us to share the blessings with others – not to keep them for ourselves but to share with others who have nothing.
During this thanksgiving week remember the Lord blessed us abundantly – let us share what we can with those who have nothing – may be buy a grocery bag at Safeway – may be donate some money to an organization who provides food -  buy a gift card and share it with some family who are desperately looking for some help. 
Give thanks in all circumstances
Give God the glory and thanks in all our circumstances.
Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Happy Thanksgiving Day 

Rev 20:1-15
Apostle John starts this chapter with ‘and I saw’ or ‘then I saw’.
He is connecting with previous events of throwing Antichrist & False prophet into the lake of fire.
So God broke the unholy trinity once for all and the only one left is Satan.
This chapter can be divided into three sections: 
I. Millennial rule of Lord Jesus Christ – Verses 1-6
Six times we come across this word ‘1000years’ in seven verses
A. Satan is removed (1-3)
Number one priority for the 1000 years is to disconnect Satan from kingdom of Lord Jesus
Serpent in Genesis; devil or Satan is a deceiver of people throughout human history.
He was captured and bound with a great chain by an angel could be an arch angel.
It is all literal-no symbolism or signs used here.
The angel throws Satan into Abyss, shuts the lid, locked and sealed.
Abyss is the bottomless as a prison for the fallen angels.
It is located inside the earth – a virtual place for evil spirits 
B. The people in the kingdom (4-6)
John saw thrones were set up and people were assigned positions of authority.
All the saints will be ruling with the Lord in the millennial kingdom.
1. The Church was raptured and then came with the Lord Jesus Christ.
These are saints resurrected before tribulation in their glorified bodies.
2. The tribulation martyrs who did not take mark of the beast, stood for faith and killed. 
They came to life in glorified bodies
3. All the Old Testament saints were raised in their glorified bodies.
These saints died before the cross of our Lord Jesus and HIS resurrection
4. All Saved people who came out of the tribulation physically alive.
Antichrist could not kill them as God protected them during tribulation
All unsaved people’s groups were killed during Armageddon and were wiped out completely.
So when 1000 years rule of the Lord begins, there are no unsaved people on earth.
First resurrection is a process where the believers in the lord Jesus Christ (Church); the Old Testament saints; and the tribulation martyrs were all raised in glorified bodies to rule with HIM in the millennial kingdom.
II. Satan is permanently removed – verses 7-10
Satan will be released from the abyss soon after 1000 years rule of the Lord.
He will deceive the nations of the globe
Who are these people deceived by Satan?
In the absence of evil, earth will revisit Garden of Eden like atmosphere under Lord’s rule.
Only people who will have physical bodies are the tribulation believers.
Like in the days of pre-flood period, people will have extended life living more than 100 years.
They will have children and grandchildren and populate the earth in the 1000 years rule.
Only human beings who are still capable to reproduce as all others are in the glorified bodies
Let us not forget that these human beings though saved still possess the original sin.
The children born to them are capable of sinning again due to the sin factor.
Outwardly they may not rebel due to the millennial rule but inwardly they are still sinners capable of sinning.
These rebels all over the globe and will be deceived by Satan.
They gather once again under Satan to fight Lord Jesus who is ruling from Jerusalem.
Fire from heaven devours everyone that rebelled.
Satan was thrown into the lake of fire to join the Antichrist and the false prophet.
Lord God purges the evil from the earth once for all.
III. White Throne judgment – verses 11-15
This judgment is for unbelievers only – not for believers
A great white throne was set up in heaven as the earth and heaven were removed.
It is simply called the ‘un-creation’ of what God created.
God has to wipe out the old creation which was polluted with sin and evil.
God has to create a new heaven and new earth for the dwelling of all saved people.
The ideas of “giving up the dead” and “delivering up the dead” has to do with restoring physical bodies to their spirits. 
The earth, the sea, and Hades (the temporary holding place of all unsaved) will give up every person who rebelled against God from the first family Adam and Eve.
Their physical bodies long died but their spirits were in Hades. 
Hades gives up all unsaved souls to join their bodies fit for eternal punishment.
All unsaved people will be raised to a body that is fit for the Lake of fire.
This is not a spirit but an identifiable body to stand before the White Throne Judgment.
Books are opened containing all the information recorded of the unsaved people.
They are like individual hard drives of each person containing all the information recorded from birth to death.
Lord Jesus Christ will judge each unsaved person according to their deeds recorded in each person’s book or a hard drive.
Another book called the Book of Life was opened containing all names of the saved people who are destined for eternity.
Not only old creation of earth and heaven are removed but also death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire.
There is no death and no Hades in the new creation.
No place is needed for the condemned souls as there is no sin in the new order.

Rev 19:11-21
The time has come for the Lord Jesus to return to the earth for the 2nd and final time.
This is the most monumental event described to us by Apostle John.
He has seen with his own eyes the return of the Lord as he had seen HIM going up.
Apostle John is seeing the end of the times way ahead of 2000 + years.
This earth was never ruled by God as human kings ruled it all the time.
First time it is going to be ruled by the ONE who is called “King of kings and Lord of lords”.
John sees the heavens opened in 4th chapter and now he sees the heavens opened again.
A major theme runs through the Scripture about the return of the LORD.
The white horse is symbolic describing a KING returns to the earth to make war and rule.
In these 7 verses we come across 4 names given to our LORD Jesus Christ.
First: HE is called Faithful and True
Simply to indicate that HE returns as HE promised to establish HIS kingdom on earth
Lord Jesus is faithful to HIS prophets and servants who prophesied for HIS return.
During the tribulations the unholy trinity ravaged the earth with deception, lies, and falsehood.
Now the Lord Jesus stands just the opposite of Satan.
In Gospel of John 14:6, Apostle John describes Lord Jesus as The Truth. 
Verse 12 gives us the description of Lord Jesus as Omnipotent and Omniscience.
 HE is a sovereign Lord with authority, HE sees everything and HE is God.
Second: HE has a Name that no one knows except Himself.
Probably written not in human language
Third: Christ has another name HE is called the Word of God.
This is to fulfill a prophecy written in Isaiah 63 pointing to the Second Coming
The blood on HIS garments points to HIS coming judgment and war at Armageddon.
John picks up the same thought he expressed in the first chapter of Gospel of John.
There is an emphasis on this Name because Christ’s spoken word is the same word when God spoke it came to existence in Genesis. “Let there be light”
Gospel of John: Lord Jesus is the Word of God, HE was with God and HE is God.
This time HE is not coming to Jerusalem on a donkey or a small baby in Bethlehem.
Verse 14 speaks of an army that follows the Lord.
The armies of heaven will include the angelic beings, the church, the tribulation saints and the Old Testament saints.
The sharp sword in Lord Jesus mouth is the symbolism of HIM being the Word of God.
Hebrew 4:12: God’s Word is a double edged sword.
Lord does two things: strike the nations – rule with absolute power
With HIS spoken word HE destroys the armies assembled at Armageddon.
All HIS armies do not fight but stand behind HIM as HE speaks the word and the enemy is gone in matter of seconds – some 200 million people killed - slaughtered.
When Christ returns the second time HE establishes HIS kingdom
1000 year on the planet earth is established.
Every person living during HIS 1000 year will have to submit to HIS rule and authority.
The people will have no choice or option because it is not a democracy but theocracy.
The rebellious and unsaved people who worshiped the image and rejected God continuously are the recipient of God’s wrath.
Fourth: HE is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Lord Jesus is the real ONE, HE is The King.
In the millennial kingdom all will submit to HIM because HE is The King and there will be no more kings and no more lords on the earth.
An angel invites all the birds of the air for a great supper of God.
The beast spearheads the rebellion of all kings with their generals, band together to fight. 
Lord Jesus kills all those who came to fight against Israel by HIS word.
Valley of Megiddo will be the place and the people will be the main course.
Lord’s angels capture the Antichrist and the false prophet is thrown alive in the lake of fire.
These two are the first comers into the hell as others will join them later after White Throne judgment.
They will feel pretty lonely for almost 1000 years in the hell.
Verse 20 describes the deception of the false prophet as he performed signs and wonders to deceive people and make them to take the mark of the beast and worship its image.
In a way the false religion plays a great role in the end times – false prophet is the culprit.
Verse 21 clearly describes how the people were killed and became the main course of the great supper for the birds.

19:1-10
Apostle John starts 19th chapter with these words, ‘after this’.
During 7 years of tribulation God’s wrath came down as the judgment upon the unsaved people with plagues, earthquakes, hailstorm, and terrible devastation of human suffering.
After the judgment of God the heaven is getting ready for the wedding supper of the Lamb.
19th chapter begins with a change of refreshing events in the book of Revelation.
Heaven expresses its joy with great shouting of four Hallelujahs.
We come across this word many times in Old Testament especially in the book of Psalms.
In NT only place we find is in the 19th chapter of The Book of Revelation.
Amen and Alleluia go together when the believers assemble to praise God.
First Hallelujah talking about God’s salvation, God’s power and God’s glory
1st Hallelujah describes all that happened in the past.
One author says, “God’s righteous triumph over evil, the exalting of Christ, and anticipation of His millennial Kingdom”
Second Hallelujah speaks about righteous judgment – HIS complete victory over false religion and false powers.
God avenges the blood of the saints who were killed during the tribulation.
All those who killed and tortured God’s saints throughout the ages will face their punishment one day in the hands of Almighty God.
“The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”
This statement points to the eternal punishment of such people in the Lake of Fire.
Third Hallelujah is the agreement in heaven – the 24 Elders and the 4 living beings join the chorus of praising God and worshiping HIM.
Always the 24 Elders fall on their knees to worship God.
It is a sign of surrender and humility before the Living God.
The fourth Hallelujah is a great shout of rejoicing over the wedding of the Lamb
This Hallelujah is for the anticipation of the greatest event in heaven ever to take place.
The Wedding of the Lamb – the marriage of Christ and HIS bride the Church
In the first century, Jewish custom observes a process to perform a marriage between a man and a woman.
First betrothal takes place what we know as engagement.
Man and a woman are legally married without any physical relationship between them.
In the second phase groom comes for the bride to take her to his house and the wedding ceremony takes place.
Every believer is betrothed to the Lord the moment he/she is saved by the blood of the Lamb.
We the believers become the Church which is the bride of Christ.
Christ comes for the Church what we know as rapture of all living and dead in Christ.
The wedding banquet happens in heaven before the friends of the Old Testament saints and the tribulation saints.
Wedding garment is the most important aspect of the bride and the wedding ceremony.
The wedding garment of the Church is the imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ upon every believer.
Lord Jesus purchased our wedding garment with HIS blood on the cross.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ comprising every believer from Pentecost is privileged to be included in this great wedding banquet.
'The blessed people' refer to the souls cleansed in the blood of the Lamb.
It is God’s grace upon every believer that HE forgave and forgotten all sins - imputed Christ’s righteousness – HE sees us clean and pure.
When a person accepts the Lord and is cleansed in the precious blood – he/she is saved from the sins by God’s grace – no human do good works are involved – it is purely HIS grace that saves a person.
After saved by HIS grace, that person begins to do works as result of his/her conversion.
A believer lives out his/her salvation everyday not lives for salvation.
The Holy Spirit is the witness to the saving grace in every believer.
The Holy Spirit enables the believer to live out a life of faith.