The ‘Great White Throne' and the ‘Second Resurrection' begin what is called the ‘eighth day'. It is the eighth day since Adam, but with reference to the Mosaic law, it is also the day of ‘circumcision'.

Genesis 17:12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring.

This eighth day is also referred to by two other names. It is called the ‘first day', because there are seven days in a week, and then the week begins over with the ‘first day'. It is on this ‘first day' after ‘the day of rest' that God begins again His creative work. We notice that immediately after the ‘Great White Throne' judgment in Revelation 20, that God begins his ‘new work'.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

The eighth day is also called the ‘last day'. It gets this name from the fact that this is the ‘last day' spoken of in scripture. It is the ‘last day' when all things in scripture have finally been fulfilled. We are given very litte insight into what will take place after this day.

We will now finish our timeline with the two places of torment. One is called ‘hell'(or Hades) and the other the ‘lake of fire'. Though most christians refer to hell as the place where unbelievers will spend eternity in torment, this is not true at all as we will see in scripture.

Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

After the 1000 year kingdom, all that are being held in the prison of hell (Hades), are delivered up to be judged. After hell has been emptied, hell itself is cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Hell, though it is also a place of torment (James 3:6), is not the final destination of the unbeliever. It is a place that the disobedient are held until the Great White Throne Judgment.

2 Peter 2:4 ...God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment...

Though someone is cast into hell, this is not their final destination.

Acts 2:31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. (NASB)

Revelation 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison.

(See also Rev. 20:13 "hell delivered up the dead")

This is not so when it comes to the lake of fire. It is here, that once you have been cast in, there is no coming out.

Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Conclusion

As we close on this ‘timeline for man', I urge all, though they may assume this to be either boring or insignificant, to please understand the order of events for man. In issue 2 as well as future articles in "Thy Kingdom Come", the importance of this timeline will be very evident. Questions that have both bothered and puzzled many Christians will come to light as you learn to ‘rightly divide the word'.