What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Fluvanna Community Church.

The Bible is God’s Holy Word. We believe in the plenary verbal inspiration (the authoritative, unified, spoken Word of God) [2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:18-21]. Through the hands of human writers, God Himself supernaturally authored the Scriptures. The Bible is infallible and contains no contradictions. It is the final and complete revelation of the will of God to man [Heb 1:1,2; 2 Tim 3:15,16]. All Scripture will endure forever [Lk 21:33]. The Bible is to be interpreted literally, grammatically, and historically. Our prime example of this form of interpretation is that of Jesus’. We only accept the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven books of the New Testament that have passed the test of canonicity, to be the divine Word of God. This test includes the following: 1. Did the texts come from an apostle? 2. Did the texts witness themselves? 3. Were the texts used from the earliest times? 4. Were the texts universally accepted before the middle of the second century? 5. Did the texts conform to the orthodox teachings of the churches? [https://answersingenesis.org/the-word-of-god/why-66-books/] The Old Testament was accepted as Scripture by Jesus Himself. Furthermore, the Old Testament pointed to Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. The New Testament is a continuation of the grand subject of the Old Testament, salvation in Jesus Christ [Lk 24:27,44,45; 2Tim 3:15]. The Bible is the sole authority of the universal and local church. Without the Bible, people perish. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ [Rom 10:17]. The world will be judged by the Word of God [Jn 12:48]. If anyone dares to add to or take away from the Word of God, he will receive the punishment of God [Rev 22:18,19]. The Word of God is to be desired above all things in this world. If we keep the commands of God’s Word, we will be rewarded far beyond our expectations [Ps 19:7-11]. The gift of the Holy Scriptures is God’s love to us. 

Creator and Creation

God is the great Creator who never had a beginning and will never have an ending [Gen 1:1; Ps 90:2; Rev 21:6]. He has revealed Himself to be Jehovah, the eternal self-existing One [Isa 42:8]. This revelation causes humanity to realize that without Him, we would not exist. God the Creator created the heavens and the earth and everything in it in six, twenty-four hour literal days and on the seventh He rested [Gen 1-2]. 

Redeemer

God graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself [Eph 1:3-10; 2:8,9]. Humanity is enslaved to sin, but God has bought back all who have placed their full faith and trust in Him alone [Jn 8:34-36; Gal 4:8]. 

Attributes

God is a Spiritual being [Jn 4:24]. He does not have a material body and was not formed with any physical matter. However, He did take on a physical body in the incarnation of Jesus [Jn 1:14]. God possesses incommunicable (not shared) and communicable (shared) attributes. 

Incommunicable

God is independent. He is not in need of humanity to supply Him with any sustenance. He provides all things to His children [Acts 17:24,25]. God is immutable. He does not change [Mal 3:6]. This however does not mean that He does not have feelings which are expressed to His children [Ps 8:4; Matt 9:36]. God is eternal. He has always existed and always will [Ps 90:2]. God is omnipresent. Nothing contains God and He is everywhere at all times. Humanity can not hide from God [Jer 23:23,24; Ps.139:7-10].

Communicable

God is holy. He has never sinned and never will. He is perfect in every sense of the word [Rev. 4:8]. He expects His children to be holy as He is holy [1 Pet 1:15,16; Lev 19:2]. God is omnipotent. His power far exceeds all human power. There is none in all the universe who is more powerful than God. He will accomplish all of His purpose [Isa. 46:9-10; Job 37:23]. God is sovereign. His divine rule extends above all creation. He is King and Lord. No one can thwart His ways [Dan 4:34-35]. God is omniscient. He does not lack in any knowledge, therefore He knows all things [1Jn 3:20]. God is wise. He is wisdom and should be sought after like fine silver [Prov 2:1-5; Dan 2:20]. God is love. He has demonstrated this by giving Himself to humanity. His death on the cross was the greatest act of love ever demonstrated on earth [1Jn 4:8-10]. God is wrathful. His wrath is righteous and altogether just. It must be satisfied. Therefore, Jesus Christ satisfied fully the wrath of God in offering Himself as the propitiation, the substitute fully accepted by the Father, for our sins [Rom. 1:18; 5:9; 1Jn 2:2; Rev. 6:15,16].

The doctrine of the Trinity is expressed throughout the Old and New Testaments. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are unified in their nature yet distinct in their roles. Admittedly, this doctrine is incomprehensible, yet it is taught in Scripture and is to be received by faith. God refers to the Trinity with use of plurality in His own words and yet uses singularity in words of oneness [Gen 1:26; Deut 6:4]. The distinction and unity of the Trinity is found in the baptism of Jesus. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all identified and regarded as divine [Matt 3:13-17]. The Trinity existed in loving unity before there was time and all creation was formed through it. All glory was and is shared in the Trinity. Redemption is accomplished perfectly and wholly through the Trinity [Heb 9:14].

Jesus the Messiah was born in a miraculous way. His incarnation was the unity of divinity and humanity. The one and only God gave Himself to mankind by humbling Himself and taking on human form and being born here on earth [Phil 2:6-8; Luke 1:30-35]. Jesus did not give up His deity, but laid His glory aside, the glory He shared with the Father before time began [Jn 17:5; 10:30,33]. It was necessary for our salvation that God would give Himself to pay the price we could never pay; a perfect sacrifice [Lev 22:20; Heb 9:12, 22-28]. Because there was no human found to perfectly fulfill the sacrificial requirements of God, the people of Israel awaited a Messiah to come and deliver them. Both the Law and Prophets foretold the coming of a Messiah [Lev 16:15-17; Heb 9:7-14; Is 9:6-7; Lk 1:31-33]. The fulfillment of prophecy in the Person of Jesus Christ is the guide to studying the Scriptures contextually and accurately. The Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus’ cross and the New Testament Scriptures reflect upon it [Num 21:8,9; Jn 3:14-18]. The prophecies were very clear as to how Jesus would be born, specifically to a virgin [Is 7:14; Lk 1:34,35]. The virgin birth sets Jesus apart from all other humans. This could only take place through the power of Deity, just as salvation can only happen through the power of God alone [Rom 1:16]. Because of our sinful disobedience, we fall short of God’s glory and inherit eternal death [Rom 3:23; 6:23]. But Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father in all things, qualifying Him to be the perfect Substitute on our behalf [Jn 4:34; 15:9,10; Phil 2:8; Heb 10:5-10]. When Jesus was tempted to sin, the Father’s love for Him and His love for the Father was too great to ever let that temptation overtake Him. The Father looked at the temptation of Jesus as a Divine testing whereas Satan looked at it as temptation to stumble. What Satan meant for evil, God meant for good [Gen 50:20]. The Divinity of Jesus always performed perfection in the humanity of Jesus [Matt 4:1-11; Heb 4:15]. The Old Testament Scriptures also prophesied through stories and poems that the Messiah would rise from the dead in three literal days [Ps 16:10,11; Matt 12:40; Lk 24:46; Acts 2:24-28; 13:35]. Jesus’ death and resurrection have abolished and destroyed the power of sin in the life of a believer. And because of the power of His resurrection, some day death will be destroyed forever [1 Cor 15:20-28, 55,56]. Upon the resurrection of Jesus, He physically ascended into Heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father with full authority making intercession for his people [Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Rom 8:34]. His intercession to the Father on our behalf is significant because it saves to the “uttermost” (or completely) [Heb 7:25]. He is our great High Priest who empathizes with our weaknesses. Therefore, there is now no need for a human priest to take our sins and sorrows to God on our behalf [Heb 4:14-16]. This liberates the Christian to rely upon the Lord for direct revelation from His Word, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, and through direct fellowship and communion in prayer [Phil 4:6; Jn 14:13,14]. Through Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and intercession, our salvation is secured forever [Heb 7:26-28]. One day in the future, Jesus will physically return for His Bride, the Church, in the same way He ascended in the clouds [Acts 1:10,11]. Jesus died for our sins to set us free from the bondage of sin. His death, burial, and resurrection are of first importance when ministering the Gospel [Jn 8:34-36; 1 Cor 15:3,4]. Jesus is holy. God the Father’s holiness demands a holy sacrifice to satisfy His justified wrath. Therefore, God the Father sent His Son Jesus to be that holy substitute for mankind [Lev 11:44; Mk 1:24; Rom 2:5-16; Rev 19:1-4]. In giving of Himself freely, He became our representative and substitute. Jesus represented all of mankind. His earthly title, given by Himself, was Son of Man [Mk 2:10]. Not only does this title relate Jesus’ full humanity, it also relates His full Deity which was recognized by the leaders of the Jews in His day [Dan 7:13,14; Matt 26:63-65]. Jesus was also the perfect substitute sacrifice on our behalf. Because of our sin, humans deserve the punishment of death. But God the Father sent His Son Jesus to bear our punishment in our place [Rom 5:8]. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, the satisfactory substitute to the Father [1Jn 2:2]. Because of His person and work, the wrath of God was fully satisfied and has turned the wrath of the Father away from His children [1 Thess 5:9,10]. Through His atonement, Jesus has covered over all our sin by shedding His precious innocent blood and has reconciled us to God [Lev 17:11; Heb 9:22; Rom 5:11]. He has redeemed us and we no longer are enslaved to sin [1 Cor 6:20; Gal 4:4,5,8,9]. By His own declaration, no one can enter into a saving relationship with the Father unless they come through the person and work of Jesus Christ [Jn 14:6]. One must believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose from the grave by God’s own power in order to be truly saved. If the resurrection is rejected, then faith is in vain, and salvation is not wrought in the heart [1 Cor 15:12-19]. Through the power of the resurrection, Jesus defeated the power of sin and death. Sin and death no longer have a hold on a believer. The power of the resurrection keeps a Christian walking in holiness before God [1 Cor 15:55-58]. Someday, sin and death will be cast into the lake of fire and will be defeated for eternity [Rev 20:14]. The one who shares in the resurrection will be blessed now and in eternity [Jn 5:24,25; Rev 20:5,6]. Once an individual receives the person and work of Jesus Christ through faith, the righteousness of God is imputed to him. In other words, that person is clothed in the righteousness of Christ and God the Father looks upon that soul as acceptable to Him. The righteousness of Christ is counted as belonging to the believer [Rom 4:20-25; 2 Cor 5:21].

Adam and Eve were created in the image of God [Gen 1:27]. This does not mean that they were made in a physical image according to the likeness of God, because God is Spirit. Instead it means they were mentally, morally, and socially made in His likeness. All humanity is made in the image of God [Js 3:9]. All humanity has an intellect, emotions, will, and conscience. The Old and New Testaments refer to this as the “heart” [Ex 35:5; Matt 5:28; 22:37; Jn 14:1; 16:22; Acts 2:37]. Humans are made of body and soul/spirit. The words “soul” and “spirit” are used interchangeably in Scripture as seen in Mary’s Magnificat [Luke 1:46,47]. Jesus uses the words “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably [Jn 12:27; 13:21]. Through Adam, all humanity has inherited a sin nature and has offended a Holy God [Rom 5:12]. Just as Adam and Eve willfully sinned against God and followed the prompting of Satan to succumb to their pride, by our own will we have rejected God and stand condemned in our sins [Gen 3:1-7; Rom 3:23]. We are eternally separated from God and are totally dependent on Him to draw us back to Himself [2 Thess 1:9; Jn 6:44]. The heart is wicked and there is no good in it [Jer 17:9]. All humanity has earned the punishment of death and does not deserve the grace of God [Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8,9]. But in displaying His mercy, God withholds the punishment we deserve [Titus 3:4-6]. God lavishes His grace, His divine favor, upon all who call upon Him to be their Savior [Eph 1:7-9]. In doing so, He rescues the sinner from the wrath of God and this present evil age and reconciles him to the Father [2 Cor 5:18; Rom 5:9; Gal 1:4]. Therefore, God the Father sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to wash our hearts clean and enter into us by way of the Holy Spirit [Ez 36:25]. All who receive the free gift of Jesus will inherit eternal life [Rom 5:12-18]. God commands all humanity to be born again [Jn 3:7]. All who have not received Jesus as their Savior are in a constant state of disobedience. They are doomed for eternal separation in Hell from God and are completely alienated from Him [Col 1:21; Matt 25:46; Jn 5:29; Rev 20:15]. However, once a person has been born again, the Holy Spirit takes residence in the heart of the believer, and they are transformed into a new creation [2 Cor 5:17; Rom 8:9,11]. The believer’s eternal destiny is Heaven, where Jesus Christ sits on His throne [Jn 14:1-6; Eph 1:20-23; Rev 4:1-11].

The Holy Spirit is divine and was present and active in the creation of all things at the beginning of time [Gen 1:1-3]. Although we see the personhood of the Spirit in Genesis, we see mostly His activity in the Old Testament [Is 61:1-3; Ex 31:1,2; Ps 51:10-12]. Whereas, we see much more the clear establishment of His coequal personhood in the New Testament [Acts 1:16; Jn 14:26; 15:26; 1 Cor 2:10; 12:11; Rom 8:26, 27]. The Holy Spirit is the defender of the weak. The name of “Helper” is a legal term that portrays the defense that the Holy Spirit provides for His children in the midst of testing. This name is linked with the title of “Spirit of Truth”, revealing He is the supplier of strength to obey the will of God [Jn 14:15,16]. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ by testifying of salvation in Him alone. Because of Jesus’ bodily ascension, He declared that He would send the Helper to dispel sorrow, convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment [Jn 15:26; 16:1-15]. The Holy Spirit is active in the regeneration of sinners [Titus 3:5,6]. Upon His convicting of sin, He brings about repentance and new spiritual birth, where the heart of the sinner is washed and made clean in the sight of God [Ez 36:25; Jn 3:1-8; 2 Cor 5:17]. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into one body. There is no distinction within the family of God, because the Holy Spirit unites us in salvation and purpose [1 Cor 12:13]. The Old Testament requirement of physical covenantal circumcision was replaced by the spiritual circumcision of the heart which is performed by the Holy Spirit [Rom 2:28,29; Col 2:11-13]. The Holy Spirit also indwells the heart of a believer [1 Cor 3:16]. Upon taking residence in the human heart, He convicts the believer of personal sin and provides power to overcome the temptation to sin. When a believer experiences the filling of the Holy Spirit, His life results in praise to God [Eph 5:18]. When a believer drinks of the Spirit he is literally seeking the Spirit for guidance and direction [1 Cor 12:13]. Once a believer is saved, he is fully in dwelt by the Holy Spirit. In other words, he has received the Holy Spirt not in part, but wholly. Anyone who does not have the Spirit does not belong to God. They are not saved [1 Cor 6:19,20; Rom 8:9]. The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to declare the Glory of God, for the common good of the brotherhood, with special gifts [1 Cor 12:1-11]. The gifts which are partial, will fully pass away when Christ comes to rule and reign in the new Millenium [1 Cor 13:8-12]. Until the time of the rapture of the Church we are to earnestly desire the gifts, especially the gift of prophecy which is the audible instruction of the preached Word of God [1 Cor 14:3,4,19]. The emphasis of the preached Word of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance [Heb 1:1,2]. When the Word of Christ is preached and studied, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word so that the believer may understand and see the will of God for him [1 Cor 2:14; 1 Jn 2:20]. When the believer obeys the Holy Spirit, he exudes the fruits of the Spirit. These Spiritual fruits are evidences of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. They are contrary to the works of the flesh in the life of an unbeliever [Gal 5:16-24].

The Lord is at work in the believer’s life through a progressive process of sanctification, brought about by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit [2 Thes 2:13; 1 Cor 1:2; Heb 10:14] . Furthermore, the believer is positionally sanctified fully through the blood of Jesus Christ [1 Cor 6:11]. Another word for sanctification is “holy”. We are called to be holy as He is holy each and every day [Lv 11:44]. When God the Father looks upon His child, He views that child through the lens of Christ’s righteousness which covers the child and makes him acceptable to God [1 Cor 1:30]. Paul calls “holy ones” “saints” [Eph 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2]. This title is used many times in the Bible to signify the positional sanctification of all believers. Even though we are positionally sanctified, we are still on a journey of being set-apart from the world in which we currently live. Therefore, Christ commands us to sanctify ourselves that we might bring honor and glory to Him [1 Thes 4:3-8]. This is God’s will for His children. Additionally, a believer will be perfectly sanctified once he enters Heaven [1 Jn 3:2-3; Phil 3:11-12]. Glorification, which will happen once a believer is separated from this world of sin, will bring about our perfect sanctification when we will see our Creator face to face and receive perfection [Rom 8:29-30]. Our sanctification is intimately tied to justification. Without justification there is no sanctification. To be justified is to be reconciled to God and to be declared righteous. This happens by the supernatural work of God applying the work of Christ to an unholy human heart. That heart is cleansed from sin and is covered by the righteousness of it’s Savior, Jesus Christ. Abraham was justified by faith long before he offered his son Isaac on the altar to the Lord [Gen 15:6; Rom 4]. Justification is displayed by the works of the justified heart [James 2:18]. As works are displayed, they give testimony to the fruit of the Spirit [Gal 5:22-25]. Those who belong to the Father are assured of their eternity with Him by the constant working of sanctification in their lives. They are daily crucifying the flesh and clinging to Christ [Gal 5:16-21, 24]. This is a great joy in the Christian faith! God’s love has moved His children to count the Ten Commandments as precious, keeping them, walking holy in their progressive sanctification. By Jesus declaring the greatest commandment is “to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul , and mind,” He commanded that our love for Him should be preeminent in all things [Matt 22:37-40]. The only way love of this degree can be displayed is by the realized fact that Jesus loved us first [1Jn 4:7-12]. As faith is worked out through the love of the Lord, the world is given testimony to the Gospel of Jesus and its power is overcome. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world [1Jn 5:4-5]! Faith worked out in love must first be shared among fellow believers. If we do not love our own household of faith, we surely will not love the unsaved [1Jn 4:7,11,20,21]. If the world is to know that we belong to Christ, they must witness the love in our own family [Jn 13:35]. Then, the family of God must take that love to the world through hearts of compassion. Jesus always offered Himself as the Savior of the soul whenever He ministered to the lost, for He knew that they had no life without Him [1Jn 5:12]. Meeting the physical needs of the poor and oppressed was a vehicle to meeting the higher need of spiritual healing [Matt 25:31-46; Jn 6:1-15, 25-40]. Although His Word would triumph in the hearts of the lost, Jesus knew this world is filled with evil. Christians must realize that there is a cosmic battle raging against the Redeemed. Paul instructed all Christians to take up the armor of God so that they may withstand the evil day as they boldly proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ [Eph 6:10-13]. Upon the salvation of a soul from the preaching and teaching of God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit, a disciple is born and should be taught to obey all that the Lord commands [Matt 27:16-20]. The Church has been ordained of God to minister this Gospel and has been chosen to manifest the manifold wisdom of God here on earth and to the heavenly rulers and authorities [Eph 3:10]. Ultimately, when the Gospel is central in both the words and deeds of a believer, we can expect to see God do marvelous wonders in the lives of those who we minister too. The book of Acts shows us time and time again of the Church multiplying through the rejoicing and exaltation of the Gospel of Jesus.

The Universal Church is comprised of all who are born-again through the blood of Jesus Christ [Jn 3:5-7]. He alone is the founder of the Church [Matt 16:18; Eph 2:19-22]. All members of the Universal Church are justified, meaning that Jesus’ righteousness is legally applied to the sinner’s heart. This is accomplished through the imputation of His righteousness. In other words, the responsibility of our sin was assigned to Jesus by the great Judge, which made it possible for the sinless Son of God to take on the sinner’s punishment [Is 53:6; 1Pet 2:24]. Upon receiving the work of Jesus on the sinner’s behalf, the righteousness of God is imputed to the sinner, thus the righteousness of Jesus is counted as belonging to the Christian [2Cor 5:21]. Justification is a gift of His grace alone, and must be received by faith [Rom 3:21-26]. The grace of God, by which all the Church is saved, is the divine, undeserved influence and favor of God directly applied to the heart. The vehicle in which grace is ministered to a soul is faith [Eph 2:8,9]. Without this faith, there is no salvation, and God is not pleased and glorified [Heb 11:6]. The Church is founded upon faith and her hope and conviction is rooted in it [Heb 11:1]. The universal Church is also understood as the Body and Bride of Christ [Eph 1:22,23; Eph 5:25-33; Rev 19:7]. The Body is referred too largely in the context of a local, gathered manifestation of the universal Church [Eph 12:12-28; Rev 2, 3]. The Bride will be reunited with her Groom and will be joined in marriage forever upon the return of Jesus Christ [1Thess 4:13-18; Rev 19:6-10]. The Founder of the Church is also the Head, being the One who governs the Church [Eph 1:22; 5:23]. All authority belongs to Him, therefore the Church bows in joyful submission to His leading in holiness and direction [Eph 5:24-27]. Throughout the New Testament, the Church is recognized as a called out gathering of believers. The Local Church is seen time and time again as the apostles write to the individual churches in their cities and towns. Paul left Titus in Crete to appoint leaders to the local churches [Titus 1:5-9]. The Lord Himself addressed seven churches concerning their holiness before Him [Rev 2, 3]. God has established a form of government for the good of the Church. Elder leadership and congregational rule is clearly seen in God’s plan [Acts 6:1-7]. There are only two sanctioned offices in the Church, Elder (Pastor, Bishop) and Deacon [1Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9]. Although women are highly honored by God, they are not qualified to serve as Elders [1Tim 2:11-15]. However, women can serve as Deacons, because Deacons are not required to teach [1Tim 3:8-13]. Phoebe, a servant of the Cenchrae church, is linked to the greek word “diakonos” used in both the office and service of the church [Rom 16:1; Acts 6:2; 1Tim 3:8-13]. The Local Church ministers two ordinances set forth by our Lord: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The word “baptism” which comes from the Greek word “baptizo” means to submerse. Baptism is a symbolic representation of what Jesus Christ has already performed in the heart of a believer [Rom 6:1-11]. God commands that after one receives Jesus as his Savior, he should be baptized as a testimony of Jesus and declare that God has united him with the Church [Matt 28:18-20]. The Lord’s Supper, instituted by Jesus, is also symbolic, declaring His death, burial, and resurrection [Matt 26:26-29]. It is meant to commemorate the work of salvation through Jesus Christ, and to celebrate the new covenant relationship He established with His Church [1Cor 11:23-26].

We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. At a time only known to the Father, the Son of God will return in the clouds and gather His children to Himself. This great promise demands constant expectancy and the eternal blessed hope motivates the Church to living a life holy and pleasing to the Lord. There are three largely held views concerning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ: pre-millennial, a-millennial, and post-millennial. We hold to the pre-millennial view. We know for certain that Jesus will come in His human body just as He left this earth over two-thousand years ago. As He ascended into the clouds, so He will descend in the same way at the Father’s appointed time [Acts 1:9-11]. No one knows the day or hour of His return except for the the Father [Matt 24:36]. Jesus took on flesh here on earth and was fully human and fully God. Throughout His life, death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus remained fully human and fully God and today is seated at the right hand of the Father as such [Acts 7:56; Heb 1:3]. His glorified body will forever bear the marks of crucifixion, such as was seen by Thomas the disciple after the resurrection [Jn 20:26-29]. Jesus will come personally to gather His children and take them home to Heaven with Him forever [Jn 14:1-3]. Jesus told the disciples of the signs of His coming, yet He did not tell them a specific day or time, reiterating the importance of anticipating His guaranteed appearance [Matt 24:3-14]. After the seven years of great tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with His heavenly army to the earth and defeat all of His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon, where Satan and the demonic spirits will have gathered for battle against God [Rev 16:13-16; 19:11-21]. Satan will be captured by God Himself and thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years where he will wait until he is loosened for a short time [Rev 20:1-3]. During this time known as the Millenium, there will be great peace and joy on earth. The Church will rule and reign with Christ for one-thousand literal years [Rev 20:4-6]. After this period of time Satan will attempt to deceive the nations and will once more gather an army to defeat God. Yet, God will destroy the armies with fire and will throw the Devil into the lake of fire for all eternity, never to deceive the nations again [Rev 20:7-10]. All who rejected Jesus since the beginning of time will stand before Him at the Great White Throne in judgement. There, they will be tried by what is written in detailed heavenly books. If their name is not written in the Lambs Book of Life, they will be cast into the lake of fire forever, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels [Matt 25:41]. Death and Hades will be thrown in as well and perfect holiness will reign forever [Rev 20:14-15]. The existing heavens and earth will be tried by fire and will be dissolved and replaced with a new heaven and earth [2Peter 3:7, 10; Rev 21:1]. Some think that this will be a literal burning and replacement. Others view this as symbolism for a transfiguration of the old into the new, such as found in our transformed spirits upon salvation [Rom 8:19-22]. Either way, all will be made new and there will be perfect unity through the power of God. After the establishment of a new heaven and new earth, the New City of Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and reside on the earth [Rev 21:9-21]. Jesus will be the lamp of the glory of God and all who are His will reside there forever in perfect peace [Rev 21:22-27].