The feast of The Day of Atonement, which represents the Time of Jacob’s Trouble and foreshadows The Great Tribulation, will end with the physical, visible, return of Jesus, the only Christ, to this earth.

When he returns, he will defeat all of his enemies, and then go on to judge the mortal survivors of The Great Tribulation.

The antichrist will set his image in the Holy Place and demand worship as God.  We know his reign will last for 42 months and end with the physical return of Jesus Christ at the battle of Armageddon. But in Daniel 12:11, Daniel mentions a time period of 1290 days (which is 42 months + one additional month).

We know the Man of Sin will be overthrown at the return of Jesus Christ 1260 days (42 months) after he breaks his treaty with Israel and demands worship for himself. But, according to Daniel, something will be going on until the 1290^th day (Daniel 12:11-12, Revelation 13:5, Revelation 19:11-20).

The time period is further divided into an additional 45 days. Daniel goes on to say that blessed is he that waits and comes to the 1335th day (Daniel 12:11-12).

So there is a 45-day difference between verse eleven and verse twelve which makes a total of 75 days from the time the Man of Sin is overthrown until the 1335^th day mentioned by Daniel in verse 12. What will be happening during those 75 days (Daniel 12:11-12)?

The Gathering

When Jesus returns to this earth as the undisputed King of kings and sits upon the throne of his glory, all nations (the mortal survivors of The Great Tribulation) will be gathered before him to be judged concerning whether or not they are worthy to be allowed to enter his earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:31-32[31-46]).

The scriptures make it clear that Christ will be assisted in this judgment in various ways. The twelve apostles of the lamb will judge the 12 tribes of Israel, and others of the Children of the Resurrection will assist him in judging (then ruling over) the mortal survivors of the great tribulation. It may also be at this time that part of the scripture is fulfilled which says the saints will judge angels (Matthew 19:28, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, Revelation 2:26-27,5:10,12:5).

The Holy angels will also be present to assist in the judgment and carrying out of sentences (Matthew 13:41-42,49, Mark 13:27[26-27]).

The word, waits, in Daniel 12:12, has an interesting connotation implying the period of the 45 - 75 day judgment may still be difficult for those who have not yet submitted to the antichrist during his reign (most likely referring to Jews, because that is primarily who Daniel’s visions concern).

There are no details given in scripture concerning this time period except those that relate directly to the Judgment of the Nations, so we will have to accept by faith that the promise will indeed be relevant for those who will be living on earth when Christ returns, and that they will understand, and draw strength from it, to persevere just a few days longer.

At any rate, all preliminaries to the official beginning of the first 1000 thousand years of Christ’s reign will be completed within 75 days of his arrival, and tribulation survivors who wait, and come to (survive/arrive at) the 1335^th day, will be rewarded by hearing the words, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34).”

Many passages in scripture refer to the Judgment of the Nations. The following are just a few examples:

• The gathering of the nations for judgment: Matthew 25:32-34, Isaiah 43:5-9,56:8,66:18
• The administrators of Christ’s government: Matthew 19:28
• Angelic involvement in the gathering and the judgment: Mark 13:27, Matthew 24:31,13:39, 41,49
• The 75 days: Daniel 12:11-12

Other scriptures that refer to this judgment:

·          Matthew 13:37-43,49-50, 25:31-46

·          Ezekiel 20:37-38

·          Proverbs 29:16

·          Isaiah 2:4, 45:20-24, 60:12

Criteria For Entrance Into Christ’s Kingdom

Everyone surviving The Great Tribulation will pass under the rod of judgment after the battle of Armageddon. At this time the just and unjust alike will bow their knees to Christ and confess that he is YHWH to the glory of God the Father (Romans 14:10-11, Isaiah 45:20-24, Philippians 2:9-11).

Just as those who took the mark of the beast not only professed allegiance to the Man of Sin but worshipped him as Almighty God as well, all, who are living at the visible return of Christ, will be compelled to renounce all false gods and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Lord of lords and the God of gods.

That confession however, will not necessarily grant the confessor entrance into Christ's kingdom. All who received the mark of allegiance to the Antichrist during the great tribulation are automatically doomed. There are no second chances. Although they will be compelled to acknowledge the true identity and Lordship of Jesus Christ, they will not survive the Judgment of the Nations. They will be thrown into the lake of fire along with The Beast and his false prophet (Revelation 14:9-11, 19:20).

Upon what other criteria will the survivors of The Great Tribulation be judged?

Matthew 25:34-40 lists the requirements for being granted entrance into Christ's earthly kingdom: Seeing Christ hungry and feeding him, seeing him thirsty and giving him something to drink, taking him in even though he is a stranger, seeing him naked and clothing him, caring for him when he is sick and in prison.

In this passage Jesus vividly describes the plight of the tribulation saint—both Jew and gentile alike. These people will be hungry, thirsty, without shelter, without proper clothing, and imprisoned. It will be illegal for anyone to aid them during this time of trouble.

He will be asked by those being judged, "When did we not do these things for you?" And His answer will be, “When you did it not unto the least of those my brethren, you did it not unto me.”

Who are Christ's brethren? Jesus tells us that whoever does the will of his Heavenly Father, is his mother, sister and brother. Helping a tribulation saint will be the same as doing it for Christ himself (Matthew 12:50).

The Jewish people will be included in the definition of Christ's brethren during The Great Tribulation (remember, Jesus is a Jew). They will also be given supernatural assistance from God during this time of terror (Revelation 12:14, Daniel 12:1).

Jesus himself tells us, in Matthew 25, that those who manage to make it through the Great Tribulation without taking the mark of the beast must pass under the rod of his judgment after the battle of Armageddon, and, at that point, will be granted or denied entrance into his kingdom based upon their treatment of the tribulation saints and the heavily persecuted Jewish people (Matthew 25:31-46).

There will be one other criteria required for being granted entrance into the earthly Kingdom of Christ. Submission to Israel as the head nation must be acknowledged. Isaiah elaborates on this when he says the nation or kingdom that will not acknowledge Israel, as the head nation—will perish (Isaiah 60:12).

Only those individuals (who miraculously survive the Great Tribulation without taking the mark) and nations that showed kindness to Christ’s brethren, and will both acknowledge Christ as King and swear allegiance to Israel as head nation, will survive the Judgment of the Nations (Isaiah 60:14).

The man of sin will have an especial hatred in his heart for both Jews and Christians and will set out to destroy them completely (Revelation 12:17, Matthew 24:21, Daniel 7:25).

Those who refuse to assist Christ's brethren in their time of desperate need will be cursed and banished—forever—from the presence of God. Their place will be found in the lake of fire along with the Beast and the false prophet (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 14:9-11).

Weeping, Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

This will be a terrifying judgment for those who don’t “make it.” Jesus said weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth would be the response from those condemned and denied entrance into his kingdom (Matthew 13:42, 50, 8:11-12).

The Judgment of the Nations is the only judgment where there will be any question at all of who “makes it” and who does not. That is the sole purpose of this judgment.

Conversely, all who stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ have “made it” already. That judgment, which will take place in Heaven, is for determining rewards—not for determining salvation—only the saved will be there. Likewise, only the lost will stand before the Judge of All the Earth at the Great White Throne Judgment. They will all know, in advance, that they have not “made it” (more on that in a later chapter).

It is impossible to describe the emotional fear and torment that will result in millions of people weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth at the Judgment of the Nations. And the scriptures say this emotional torment will never be relieved. These unfortunates will have no chance of reprieve and no rest day or night—forever (Revelation 14:11).

People today will do anything they possibly can to find relief from emotional distress. For sleeplessness, depression, fear, and anxiety they turn to physicians and medications such as sleeping pills, anti-depressants, alcohol, illegal drugs or escape into sexually immoral habits and behavior. Some are so desperate for relief they take their own lives.

Aside from the physical torments of hell, everyone who dies without belonging to Jesus Christ is condemning themselves to an eternity of indescribable emotional torment. There will be no access to the medications or behaviors that were previously used to bring relief from emotional distress. And it will then be too late to turn to Christ, the only source of true peace, for help.

They will want to die, but will be faced with the awful realization that they are already dead. They will understand, too late, that death is not a cessation of existence or source of relief at all, but rather a permanent separation from the only source of real peace that exists.

Too many will find themselves eternally confined to the torments of hell, because they sought relief in everything but Jesus. It is only while we are here, on earth, that we have opportunity to prepare for our eternal retirement. We work so hard preparing for our uncertain futures here on earth, when we have no guarantee that we will live past today. Yet most of us spend our entire lives preparing anyway—while neglecting to make preparations for the one thing that is an absolute certainty for every last one of us—the day of our death.

Those who find themselves condemned at the Judgment of the Nations, will be unashamedly pleading for their lives. Many will have sincerely thought they were ministers of righteousness during the reign of the antichrist (and before), deceiving many by the miracles, signs and wonders that accompanied their ministries. They will be found desperately reminding Jesus of all they had done in his name (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 13:13-14, 16:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, Matthew 7:21-22, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Jesus will deny ever knowing them (Matthew 7:23).

Don’t follow after prophets who use signs and wonders to validate their ministries. It is this particular type of ministry that Jesus carefully highlights as being deceptive and false.  (Matthew 7:15-23).

He says they will look like sheep, but they are really wolves, and not just any wolves but ravening wolves. Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and a minister of righteousness. His ministers can do the same. They will look just like the real thing. But they will be false. And any association with them is potentially deadly. When the blind lead the blind, who falls into the pit?

Let no man deceive you, that day shall not come except there be a falling away first…. A falling away is a defection. A defection takes place when one thing is rejected (paradigm?) in favor of another.

What will Jesus mean by the words, I never knew you? If he is referring to any who may have fallen away or defected from the true faith, wouldn’t he be lying if he said, “I never knew you.”? Consider this scripture from Ezekiel which says, “If a wicked man shall turn from all his sins… all his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him…but when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness…all his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned…Ezekiel 18:21-24”

Do not think that cannot happen. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says it can! And Hebrews 6:4-8 backs it up.

When Jesus denies knowing these false prophets, will he be saying he was not aware of their existence or identities?

Of course he will be aware of their existence! He is aware of every detail of our existence. He is our creator. He knows all about us. And yet he describes a time when he will be telling many who performed miracles, signs and wonders in his name, “I never knew you.”

The Word of God teaches that knowing Jesus entails much more than just taking in a lot of information (knowledge) about him. We can know all about him, yet never know him.

We know that knowing all about someone is not the same as knowing them. We can thoroughly research everything that can be found out about the President of the United States. We can know so much about him we could be certified as experts on knowing all about this person. But even with all that knowledge, could we claim to have a relationship with this person? Could we honestly say we know him? Of course not; and if we ever meet this person could he honestly say, “I know you,” based on all the study and knowledge we have taken in concerning him;? Of course he could not.

The scriptures say that eternal life can only be gained by personally knowing Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:23).

If anyone belongs to an organization that says anything different from what Jesus says about this, "do not fear them" or their threats of excommunication. Jesus Christ (the resurrected Son of God), alone saves, and no one can pluck us out of his hand. Turn to Jesus and receive salvation today (Romans 10:9-10,13, John 10:27-29).

If anyone is affiliated with a movement that elevates prophesying, signs, and wonders above all else, take special heed. It is this group that Jesus singles out to illustrate the dangers of thinking one knows Christ, but in reality does not. Those who are currently affiliated with this movement, who do not receive Christ and renounce all lying wonders, signs and gifts—now—before he comes to raise the dead and catch up the living, run the risk of being given over to believe the lie—at that point, all possibility of salvation will be gone forever (Matthew 7:15-23, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9-11).

When the judgment of the nations is complete, Jesus Christ will be recognized as the undisputed King of Kings, Lord of lords and God of gods. Israel will be acknowledged as the head nation on earth, and a new era of unprecedented peace will begin.