Scripture repeatedly teaches that all unbelievers will be killed when Jesus returns. Since all believers will have immortal bodies when He comes again (1 Cor 15:22-23;50-54) and all unbelievers will be killed, that does not leave any mortals to populate the earth for a supposed thousand year earthly kingdom, as premillennialists believe.
Here are the passages which clearly teach that no mortals will survive the second coming of Christ.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
In this passage Jesus teaches that heaven and earth will pass away unexpectedly when He comes, which lines up with 2 Peter 3:7,10-12. Obviously, no mortals can survive that. And that is why He said that just as all who were not on the ark and were oblivious to the coming wrath of God were all destroyed "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". Those who are oblivious to the wrath that will come down when Jesus comes again will all be destroyed just as they were all destroyed by the flood in Noah's day. No unbelievers will survive His second coming just as none survived the flood. That is clearly what Jesus taught here.
Jesus taught the same thing in this passage:
Luke 17:26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
Throughout this passage Jesus compares what will happen to believers and unbelievers at His second coming. He taught that just as the flood killed all unbelievers on earth in Noah's day and just as the fire and brimstone killed all unbelievers in Sodom in Lot's day "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.". So, Jesus said it will be just like that when He comes which means that all unbelievers will be killed when He comes just as what happened in Noah's day and Lot's day. Jesus referred to the example of Lot's wife. Anyone whose love for the things of this world exceeds their love for Christ will be destroyed. Everyone will either be taken or left behind and killed just as Noah was taken on to the earth and those left out of the ark were all killed. And just as Lot was taken out of Sodom and those who were left in Sodom were all killed.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Paul taught the same thing as Jesus. No unbelievers will survive Christ's second coming. He will take vengeance on all "them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". He doesn't make any exceptions there. All unbelievers will be killed without exception on that day. And why wouldn't it be that way? What would make it so that any unbelievers would survive? Jesus said "he who is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30). If someone is not with Him then they are against Him. All who are against Him will be killed on the day He returns. There is no reason to think there would be any exceptions.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
We know that Jesus will come as a thief in the night (Matt 24:42-44, Revelation 16:15), so this passage is talking about the day Christ returns which Paul called "the day of the Lord" which he did in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 as well. Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour of His second coming (Matt 24:36, Matt 25:13), so Him coming like a thief in the night simply refers to the unexpected nature of His second coming. Remember, in 2 Thess 1:7-9 Paul teaches that Jesus will take vengeance on "them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" when He returns. So, that is who Paul is talking about in 1 Thess 5:2-3. Paul said that "sudden destruction" will come upon unbelievers when Christ comes unexpectedly as a thief in the night and "they shall not escape". Premil says some of them will somehow escape, but Paul gave no such indication at all.
Peter left no doubt about whether or not any mortals can escape the "sudden destruction" that will occur on the day of the Lord by being specific about what will cause that "sudden destruction". What he wrote about it made it clear as to why Paul said "they shall not escape".
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The context of the above passage is obviously in relation to the second coming of Christ. Peter talked about how scoffers come in the last days and mockingly ask "Where is the promise of his coming?". They think that He'll never come and His wrath won't come down on them. But, as Peter pointed out, they willingly ignorant of how God once flooded the earth and destroyed it with water in Noah's day. He compared the destruction that will occur when Christ comes to the flood just as Jesus did. And, Jesus as Jesus did in Matthew 24:35-39, Peter indicated that the heavens and earth will be destroyed when Jesus comes. And it will be by fire. How can any mortals survive that? Especially when you look at how he described that destruction in detail here:
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Clearly, no mortals can survive the burning up of the entire earth as Peter described.
Again, Paul taught that the day of the Lord is the day that Jesus returns. I think most premils would agree with that when it comes to 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, but they mostly seem to suddenly not agree with that anymore when it comes to 2 Peter 3:10-12, which does not make any sense. How can those 2 passages be talking about different events when they both talk about the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night?
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
How can Revelation 20 describe something that follows Revelation 19 chronologically when Rev 19:17-18, like those other scriptures, teaches that all unbelievers are killed when Christ returns?
Amillennialists like myself often get falsely accused of spiritualizing literal scripture. But, as you can see in this post, I backed up my claims with nothing but literal, straightforward scriptures. We should use these scriptures as the foundation for our doctrine and use them to help us interpret more difficult scriptures found within highly symbolic books like Zechariah, Isaiah and Revelation.
Here are the passages which clearly teach that no mortals will survive the second coming of Christ.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
In this passage Jesus teaches that heaven and earth will pass away unexpectedly when He comes, which lines up with 2 Peter 3:7,10-12. Obviously, no mortals can survive that. And that is why He said that just as all who were not on the ark and were oblivious to the coming wrath of God were all destroyed "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". Those who are oblivious to the wrath that will come down when Jesus comes again will all be destroyed just as they were all destroyed by the flood in Noah's day. No unbelievers will survive His second coming just as none survived the flood. That is clearly what Jesus taught here.
Jesus taught the same thing in this passage:
Luke 17:26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
Throughout this passage Jesus compares what will happen to believers and unbelievers at His second coming. He taught that just as the flood killed all unbelievers on earth in Noah's day and just as the fire and brimstone killed all unbelievers in Sodom in Lot's day "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.". So, Jesus said it will be just like that when He comes which means that all unbelievers will be killed when He comes just as what happened in Noah's day and Lot's day. Jesus referred to the example of Lot's wife. Anyone whose love for the things of this world exceeds their love for Christ will be destroyed. Everyone will either be taken or left behind and killed just as Noah was taken on to the earth and those left out of the ark were all killed. And just as Lot was taken out of Sodom and those who were left in Sodom were all killed.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Paul taught the same thing as Jesus. No unbelievers will survive Christ's second coming. He will take vengeance on all "them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". He doesn't make any exceptions there. All unbelievers will be killed without exception on that day. And why wouldn't it be that way? What would make it so that any unbelievers would survive? Jesus said "he who is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30). If someone is not with Him then they are against Him. All who are against Him will be killed on the day He returns. There is no reason to think there would be any exceptions.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
We know that Jesus will come as a thief in the night (Matt 24:42-44, Revelation 16:15), so this passage is talking about the day Christ returns which Paul called "the day of the Lord" which he did in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 as well. Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour of His second coming (Matt 24:36, Matt 25:13), so Him coming like a thief in the night simply refers to the unexpected nature of His second coming. Remember, in 2 Thess 1:7-9 Paul teaches that Jesus will take vengeance on "them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" when He returns. So, that is who Paul is talking about in 1 Thess 5:2-3. Paul said that "sudden destruction" will come upon unbelievers when Christ comes unexpectedly as a thief in the night and "they shall not escape". Premil says some of them will somehow escape, but Paul gave no such indication at all.
Peter left no doubt about whether or not any mortals can escape the "sudden destruction" that will occur on the day of the Lord by being specific about what will cause that "sudden destruction". What he wrote about it made it clear as to why Paul said "they shall not escape".
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The context of the above passage is obviously in relation to the second coming of Christ. Peter talked about how scoffers come in the last days and mockingly ask "Where is the promise of his coming?". They think that He'll never come and His wrath won't come down on them. But, as Peter pointed out, they willingly ignorant of how God once flooded the earth and destroyed it with water in Noah's day. He compared the destruction that will occur when Christ comes to the flood just as Jesus did. And, Jesus as Jesus did in Matthew 24:35-39, Peter indicated that the heavens and earth will be destroyed when Jesus comes. And it will be by fire. How can any mortals survive that? Especially when you look at how he described that destruction in detail here:
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Clearly, no mortals can survive the burning up of the entire earth as Peter described.
Again, Paul taught that the day of the Lord is the day that Jesus returns. I think most premils would agree with that when it comes to 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, but they mostly seem to suddenly not agree with that anymore when it comes to 2 Peter 3:10-12, which does not make any sense. How can those 2 passages be talking about different events when they both talk about the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night?
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
How can Revelation 20 describe something that follows Revelation 19 chronologically when Rev 19:17-18, like those other scriptures, teaches that all unbelievers are killed when Christ returns?
Amillennialists like myself often get falsely accused of spiritualizing literal scripture. But, as you can see in this post, I backed up my claims with nothing but literal, straightforward scriptures. We should use these scriptures as the foundation for our doctrine and use them to help us interpret more difficult scriptures found within highly symbolic books like Zechariah, Isaiah and Revelation.
