We find that at the very beginning of the Millennium (Christ’s 1,000-year rule on earth), even though Satan will be imprisoned, Asiatic hordes (referred to as “Gog and Magog”) will try to invade the Promised Land, but God will intervene and destroy those rebels (Ezekiel 38).
We also explained in a recent Q&A that at the very end of the Millennium, before the Second Resurrection, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations so that they will try, once again, to invade the Promised Land. However, God will intervene and destroy those nations, as He did at the beginning of the Millennium. Many of those who die in these two rebellions will be resurrected in the Second Resurrection, but some might have committed the unpardonable sin during these rebellions. They will be resurrected in the Third Resurrection to be burned up in the lake of fire. They will cease to exist forever.
This poses the question as to when others will be killed if they commit crimes in the Millennium, worthy of physical death. Will they be killed at the time when they commit those sins or will this occur at a later time?
When we review the situation during the Second Resurrection which is also referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment period, we find that those who sin will die AT THE END of the period, not during the same. One of the seven of God’s annual Holy Days, the Last Great Day, symbolizes the meaning of the Second Resurrection. We say the following in our Statement of Beliefs:
“The Last Great Day which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles… symbolizes a 100-year period called the ‘Great White Throne Judgment,’ during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12). At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Savior, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”
This 100-year time period is alluded to in Isaiah 65:20, where we read: “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”
The “child” is a reference to a true Christian who must become as a child to enter the Kingdom of God (compare Matthew 18:1-5). He will “die” at the end of the hundred years. His physical “death” occurs when he is changed to immortality at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment period. His physical existence will cease to exist or “die.” The same is true for those Christians who are alive when Christ returns; their physical existence will end as well at that time–they will “die” physically when they are being changed instantaneously into immortal Spirit Beings (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
The “accursed sinner” is someone who commits the unpardonable sin (compare 2 Peter 2:12-17, especially verse 14). He will also live until the end of the 100-year period. He will die and subsequently be resurrected in the Third Resurrection, to be destroyed and burned up in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41). Many commentaries understand that the “accursed” sinner will indeed die at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment period:
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes: “… though the sinner, being an hundred years old, shall be accursed; for though this shall be common in this state to good men and bad men, to live a hundred years, yet their death will not be alike; the good man will be blessed, and enter into a happy state of joy and peace; but the wicked man, though he lives as long as the other in this world, shall be accursed at death, and to all eternity…”
The Benson Commentary states: “… the sinner that dies a hundred years old shall be (that is, shall be deemed) accursed, or cut off by the justice of God for his crime.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds: “But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed – Though a sinner shall reach that advanced period of life, yet he shall be cursed of God and shall be cut down in his sins. He shall be held to be a sinner and shall die, and shall be regarded as accursed…”
When reviewing the situation in the Millennium, we find an interesting passage in Zechariah 13:3, which reads: “It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies…”
We discussed this passage in a previous Q&A. We stated the following:
“In explaining the passage in Zechariah 13:3, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary points out: ‘The substantial truth expressed is that false prophecy shall be utterly abolished. If it were possible for it again to start up, the very parents of the false prophet would not let parental affection interfere, but would be the first to thrust him through. Love to Christ must be paramount to the tenderest of natural ties’…
“We see from this passage that God will not permit idolatrous and demonic doctrines, as well as sorcery and witchcraft, to be taught or practiced in the Millennium. At the same time, the passage above refers to a rebellious, wicked and incorrigible person who refuses to be submissive and obedient to God, even though he has been repeatedly warned (compare Isaiah 30:20). During the Millennium, the death penalty will be ‘on the books’ and will even be enforced, either directly by God or human beings, in case of flagrant presumptuous violations (compare an early incident at the beginning of the Millennium, in Ezekiel 38:18-23; 39:6; also compare a similar incident at the end of the Millennium, in Revelation 20:7-9)…
“Even when considering conditions during the Millennium, we need to understand that the nations will be ‘gradually’ led to the truth. Foreigners will hear about God’s true and righteous rule in Jerusalem, and they will want to go there to learn more about it (Isaiah 2:1-3)… But not everyone will readily follow [God’s] guidance nor respond to [His] oral teaching when they hear [a] voice behind them telling them to go the straight and narrow way. Some will need to be dealt with in more drastic ways, such as the temporary withholding of physical blessings (compare Zechariah 14:16–19)…
“Total rebellion will be dealt with quickly and thoroughly. Those who refuse to obey God will be destroyed. This will also serve as a lesson to others, so that they will not feel motivated to rebel also (compare Ezekiel 38:8–12, 15–23; 39:3–10)…”
Apart from the two rebellions mentioned in the Bible (at the beginning and the end of the Millennium), when sinners will be killed “on the spot,” we do not really know what will happen to those who commit serious crimes during the Millennium. We might wonder whether the commitment of serious crimes will even be allowed. It is certain that the death penalty for mortal crimes will be “on the books,” but a person might not be permitted to actually carry out such vicious acts, especially not towards other human beings (compare Isaiah 11:9). Even during the two rebellions at the beginning and the end of the Millennium, God will not allow that any innocent victim will be harmed.
In regard to Zechariah 13:3, the following additional thought was expressed in the Matthew Poole’s Commentary:
“Thou shalt not live; which I take to be not the sentence condemnatory, for, being private persons, they could not condemn him; but it is a repetition of the law which saith such shall not live… The father and mother thus should admonish and show the matter of law and danger, but not judicially pass sentence, and determine what shall be done…
“Shall thrust him through; or, wound, chastise with stripes that may leave their marks behind them; or rather, shall sharply reprove him, and with cutting words terrify him from the like practice. You read of words that are piercing words, Proverbs 12:18, words that run through as a sword… Besides, if it were to be understood of killing, the law directs to stone such a one, [Deuteronomy] 13:10, not to run him through with lance or sword.”
It is indeed interesting that the Hebrew word, which is rendered above as “thrust through,” is “daqar,” which can also mean “wounded” (Jeremiah 37:10), without conveying the thought of killing or dying.
Whatever the exact meaning and application of Zechariah 13:3, it is obvious that God will not allow or tolerate rebellious conduct in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment period. God will deal swiftly and righteously with rebellion and rebels, in accordance with His best judgment as to the manner and timing.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
