Before this earth and universe are destroyed, God will directly rule the earth from Jerusalem as Jesus Christ. What’s stunning about this period of 1,000 years, is with God here ruling from Jerusalem with His goodness, teachings and supernatural power saturating the world, the fallen angels locked away until the very end, the wicked human heart is going to take center stage as masses of human beings will be gathered around Jerusalem to attack God as if it was even possible. And right here in the first two verses is a wonderful explanation about what this creation is all about, God finding His enemies and the ones who hate Him. And if you reject Him and the one He sent, you are an enemy and one who hates Him, passing on the free gift of eternal life and being reconciled to our just and Holy God, rejecting the very one who made you.
Psalm 21:8–12
[8] Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. [9] You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. [10] You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. [11] Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. [12] For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. (ESV)
The consumed by fire though will be appropriate for some in the tribulation, but it mainly speaks to the end of the millennial reign of Christ.
Revelation 20:7–10
The Defeat of Satan
[7] And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison [8] and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. [9] And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, [10] and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (ESV)
And right after the great white throne judgment is the destruction of the earth and universe in a fiery implosion.
Revelation 20:11–15
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
[11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)
And the Apostle Peter gives us exactly how the earth and universe will be destroyed by fire.
2 Peter 3:5–7
[5] For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, [6] and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. [7] But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (ESV)
Consequently, Jesus in the last two chapters of Revelation gives us some clues that things might not be exactly as the church has proclaimed over the last two thousand years. It’s just a logical deduction looking at aspects of what Christ meant by outside the gates of the New Jerusalem with other clues, but if so, the enemies of God slain will forever live on the new earth around the New Jerusalem where God dwells, forever unable to enter, gates guarded by angels, and forever reminded of their eternal error, either weeping or gnashing their teeth in anger. And their eternal state may be very different from the children of God who dwell in the New Jerusalem with God, His friends who received the gift laying down their lives to follow Him. And what in this human life is worth holding onto over being reconciled to God?
Psalm 21
The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
[1] O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
[2] You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
[3] For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
[4] He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
[5] His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
[6] For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
[7] For the king trusts in the LORD,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
[8] Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
[9] You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
[10] You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
[11] Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
[12] For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.
[13] Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power. (ESV)