The Millennium, Part 2

Transcript

GR 436
2/7/1982
The Millennium Part 2
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

I may have Tom sing that again when we study the Book of Jeremiah. In our study this morning, we looked at events in preparation for the setting up of the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ. That when Christ comes to earth to set up His kingdom, He first must deal with those who are alive on earth who are in opposition to Him, His rule and His reign. So the living are brought before Him for judgment. The living armies of the earth are destroyed at Armageddon, the antichrist and false prophet are cast into hell, then the Israelites are gathered from all over the world to be judged. The unbelievers are executed. All the nation, all the peoples of the world then, the non-Jews are gathered before Him and the unbelievers are executed so that there are only believers left upon the earth now and then we are ready for the unfolding and setting up of the earthly kingdom.

Now we're going to just be able to touch on a few areas. Very frustrating to take a subject that’s so full and condense it into such a small area. I'd encourage you to take some time to do some reading and studying on the millennium. Overwhelming how much there is in the Scripture on this future coming earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ. At the end of the last century along in the 1880’s, there was a series published—three volumes, three good-sized volumes with rather small print by George Peters on the theocratic kingdom. Probably the most exhaustive study of the pre-millennial reign of Christ from the pre-millennial position. Now that's been reprinted I think by Kregel Publishing. It’s probably not the place to start. John Walvoord has a book on the millennium. Very outstanding work on the millennium by Alva J. McClain called "The Greatness of the Kingdom". In his book, "Things to Come" by Pentecost, he has a number of chapters that go over the millennium. That’s probably a good place to start since he does it in a summary fashion, an outline form, Familiarize you something with the breadth and scope of the millennium. Give us a greater appreciation of what is going to be entailed in this period of time. I just want to touch on some various highlights with you of this millennial time when Christ Himself will rule and reign on the earth. He shall be king over all the earth. Let's start with just a couple of passages from Isaiah which describe Begin the period for us. / back in Isaiah chapter 2, and as you get to Isaiah let me just read to you from Romans chapter 8 which is describing this period of time beginning with verse 18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself also will be, set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of child birth together until now; and not only this, but we ourselves also having the first fruits of the spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons the redemption of our body." Pictured here that all creation anticipates the time when we shall be presented as the sons of God, then the curse will be lifted from the creation.

Now, at the rapture, we receive our glorified bodies and are caught up into the presence of God in glory. But it's at the return of Christ to earth when we are unveiled before all creation as the sons of God and at that time the curse is lifted from the creation.

Back in Isaiah chapter 2. You see something of the description of this time. Verse 2 of Isaiah 2: "In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains." The mountain here symbolizing or picturing a kingdom as you've seen in other studies. "And will be raised above the hills and all the nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob that He may teach us concerning His ways, that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, never again will they learn war." You sometimes hear this verse quoted today. And the desire of some people. Important to put these sections in the proper context. We're talking about the millennium when Jesus Christ will rule and reign. That's when the weapons of warfare will be done away with. When nation will not lift up sword against nation and never again learn of war. The nation that tries to put that into practice today is going to be in dire circumstances rather quickly) no matter how good their motives. That cannot be accomplished until Jesus Christ is reigning. There'll be no warfare during the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ, There'll be no need for weapons of war. They will be done away with, Turn over to Isaiah 9. Isaiah chapter 9 and I've just picked three passages out of the Book of Isaiah, but you could have taken them from a number of passages in the prophets. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 4. The first part of this chapter incidentally was quoted by Christ during His earthly ministry because it applied to His first coming. As is characteristic in the prophets, they saw the first coming and the second coming of Christ together. They did not realize that there would be a break in time. Verse 2 you remember, "the people who walk in darkness will see a great light, those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them." Jump down to verse 4, "For thou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood will be for burning, fuel for the fire." We've considered some of that already. "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this." So this is an eternal kingdom. A thousand years is the first stage in the eternal kingdom to bring all things in subjection to God. First Corinthians 15 develops. It's a government of peace in verse 7. Government characterized by justice and righteousness. It's one that is established by God Himself. This will be the characteristics of the world during the reign of Christ. Peace, justice, righteousness.

Look over in Isaiah chapter 11. This is sort of an interesting chapter. Interesting section. Because it clearly reveals the impact on the world when the curse is lifted. We’ll read beginning with verse 1: "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, fear of the Lord. He will delight in the fear of the Lord, He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked, Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." You note in verse 9, "They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain." There is no violence during the millennial reign, not among mankind, not among the animal world. How that is worked out—the animals all become vegetarians. We're told here that the lion will eat straw like the ox. There'll be no animosity. There was an animal special on the other night on poisonous snakes. There's a certain fascination about snakes and they were showing the different poisonous snakes. Thirty thousand people a year die of snake bites in the world they say. I never realized it was that many. I never really cared unless I guess you would be bitten and then it's a concern. How poisonous they are, how the venom works on the nervous system and the blood and on and on. Here you have a little child in verse 8 playing with these poisonous snakes—no problem. There's no violence in this kingdom. Incidentally, I take these passages literally as you do. There are those who do not believe I have confidence in you. There may be some spies in our midst. There are those who do not believe in a literal earthly kingdom. They believe that the kingdom is a spiritual kingdom going on today in the hearts of people. Now when you take that approach, you are driven to make verses like verse 6, 7, 8, 9 mean something other than what they say. Obviously this is not going on today, Not a possibility. So they're driven to make it figurative of something. I take it it will actually happen on the earth. When the curse is lifted, then there will not be these things going on. It will be as the earth would have been before the fall of Adam,

One other passage I want to note as a characteristic of this out of the Psalms. Out of Isaiah, back in Psalms chapter 2. Being a messianic psalm looking forward to the Messiah. These Psalms either deal with the first coming or the second coming or both. We see this picture in the Psalm—I just want to pick up a couple of verses toward the middle and end of the Psalm. Verse 7: "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord who said to me, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten Thee. Ask of Me, I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, 0 kings, show discernment; take warning, 0 judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence. Rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son." I like it the literal way the King James has it, "Kiss the Son." "Lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may be soon kindled, How blessed are all who take refuge in Him]" Characteristic of the millennium will be enforced submission to Jesus Christ. Now what's going to happen as we begin the millennium, there are only believers present on the earth, Remember believers either in physical bodies or in glorified bodies? Now those who go into the millennium in their physical bodies will bear children. The earth will be repopulated and there will be a huge population explosion, Remember that the vast majority of the earth's population has died during the tribulation or as a result of the judgments at the end of the tribulation when all unbelievers are executed.

Now in the Millennium with the curse lifted, those in their physical bodies will bear children. Now even though the curse is lifted, these children are still born with a sin nature and thus in need of redemption and salvation, and they will personally have to come to trust Jesus Christ, king of the earth, as their Savior, during this thousand years. Now many will, but many will not. And as a result, there will be people in the millennium who are unbelievers. But there will be enforced submission to Jesus Christ and overt acts of sin will not be tolerated. There will be no violence tolerated in the earthly kingdom of Christ, that will be judged severely and immediately. So this is a rule of righteousness, a rule of peace but it's a firm rule and those who do not bow before the Son, will be judged. Now because of this pressure, there will be external conformity even among those who do not believe to a large extent until they are given opportunity for open rebellion at the end of the millennium.

All right. Let's look just briefly, quickly, at a couple of passages relating to the different groups who will be ruling, who are said to rule with Christ in the millennium. Obviously Christ is the ruler. He is king over the earth. That was evident in some of the passages we already read like Isaiah, chapter 11. Look over in Ezekiel chapter 37 (Pause) Ezekiel chapter 37. And verse 24 "And My servant David will be king over them, they will all have one shepherd; they will walk in My ordinances, keep My statutes, and observe them. They shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; they will live on it, they and their sons, and their sons' sons forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever," Now there's some good, conservative expositors who take this to be a reference to Jesus Christ Himself, Since He is the Son of David, that He is the one referred to. But I take it the normal way to accept this will be David will reign and David is going to be resurrected at the end of the tribulation to go into the millennium and he will rule in the millennium as a prince, as a ruler, under the leadership of Jesus Christ.

Over in Matthew chapter 19, Matthew, chapter 19, Verse 27 Interesting that when Peter asks Christ what will be the reward for those who have given up everything to follow Christ, He doesn't rebuke him for having an interest in rewards, He doesn't say, "Don't be concerned about what you're going to get." But rather He answers him. Verse 27, "Peter answered and said to Him, 'Lord, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly I say to you that you have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne," (in other words, in His earthly kingdom, "You also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, farms for My sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life." So the twelve apostles will rule in the millennium on twelve thrones judging or ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel. So the apostles will primarily have responsibility over Israel and each of the twelve apostles, each one ruling over one of the tribes, evidently,

Old Testament saints will rule and reign with Christ, And we saw a little bit of this in Revelation chapter 20 in our study today. You can just jot down passages like Isaiah chapter 32, verse 1; and Daniel chapter 7. Talk about the rules, the promise rule of the saints out of Israel. You and I will rule and reign, We've also seen that in Revelation chapter 20, All those in effect who are part of the first resurrection are guaranteed to rule and reign with Christ, This may tie to the rewards we receive in the millennium. In Luke chapter 19 Here again with the slaves given money by the master who goes to a far country. Then those who are faithful with what has been entrusted to them. The master comes back and demands an accounting. Verse 15: "It came about that when he returned after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that those slaves to whom he had given the money be called to him in order that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in very little things, be in authority over ten cities,' and so on. So that principle of the reward, they are to rule. And we take it that may be indicative of how we will fit. Rule over ten cities? It depends on what has been entrusted to me and how faithful I am with what has been entrusted to me. And important to note here, we're not going to develop this, but they are responsible for what was committed to them and rewarded accordingly. That's encouraging. I can only be faithful before God with what He has given me, I can't be faithful with what He has given you, But He calls me into account for what He's given me and rewards me in light of what He has given me. And that's an encouragement. The rewards here are tied to ruling and leadership.

O.K, Why don't you turn back to Isaiah 66? It wouldn't be fitting to talk about the millennium without just touching on the end of Isaiah 66. You could read the whole chapter, you could read the last couple of chapters of Isaiah, but toward the close of the book, the last closing verses of Isaiah. Verse 22, verse 20. Verse 20: "Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, chariots, litters, mules, camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,' says the Lord, 'just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. I will take some of them for priests and for Levites,' says the Lord. 'For just as the new heavens and the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,' declares the Lord, 'So your offspring and your name will endure. It shall be from new moon to new moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,' says the Lord, 'Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind,'" Interesting that Isaiah ends on that note. We've been talking about the glory of the kingdom. It ends on the fact that those who do not submit in this kingdom will be judged and be an example. Which is why those in the millennium will go along even who are not believers. Because there is a clear example of judgment upon those who do not obey and submit during this time.

Perhaps one of the most interesting characteristics of the millennium has to do with the temple that will be constructed, at the end of the Book of Ezekiel. Just want to say a couple of comments about this and then look at the relationship of glorified saints to saints in physical bodies in the millennium. But beginning with Ezekiel chapter 40. You have a presentation of worship as it will be carried out in the millennium. Evidently it's very important. Because you go through chapter 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 describing the worship that will be carried out in the millennium. And connected with the worship in the millennium is the construction of a temple. Now, again I take this literally as it's presented. Now, again those who do not believe in an earthly kingdom take this as a spiritual presentation. Not talking about actual temple, actual sacrifice and actual worship. But I take it that in the millennial kingdom there will be an actual temple with actual worship going on.

Now, one of the problems that comes is—and you can read through this section. In the measurements given, this temple and the city will cover 25 hundred square miles. That's quite a big city. I don't know how big Lincoln is, but the temple and the city covers 25 hundred square miles. And I say, "Well, that's awful big." But remember, this is the center of the earth. This is the capitol of the world, this is the center of worship in the world. The nations of the earth are to come up to Jerusalem now to do homage to the king and to worship Him, Now this tremendous size will be made possible because there are going to be geographical and topographical changes made in the earth during the millennium so that this city will be able to be situated in such a way.

The purpose of the city. Just look at a couple of verses with me. In chapter 43 of Ezekiel Verse 7; "He said to me, 'Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. The house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die." This will provide a dwelling place for the glory of God, A residing place for God's glory. That's what He says, "This is the place of My throne where I will dwell among the sons of Israel." So this temple is constructed to be a dwelling place for the glory of God, Also becomes the center for the government that will be exercised over the earth. In verse 7 the same thing. His throne. "The place of My throne, the place where the soles of My feet will dwell," The center of government. So Jerusalem becomes the capitol of the world with this millennial temple as the center of worship, Over in chapter 47 Let me just read a section of this so you have some idea of how this portion goes. "Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. The water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east, Behold, water was trickling from the south side. When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. He measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded, And he said to me, ’Son of man, have you seen this?’ Then he brought me back to the bank of the river, Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, ’These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh, And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live, And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the water goes, It will come about that fishermen will stand beside it from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets, Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. Its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their waters flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, their leaves for healing.’’ The waters flow out from this millennial city and millennial temple to provide victory over the curse. In effect, it undoes the effects of the curse so that the desert can blossom as a rose, there are waters provided for healing. It in effect nullifies the effects and impact of the curse upon the creation, Brings life and healing,

Now perhaps the greatest difficulty about this millennial temple described in these chapters is that there are sacrifices offered. An altar, there's sacrifices; and you read the chapters and you have the details provided regarding the sacrifices, You're in chapter 47, just back up to chapter 46, verse 13, "You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the Lord daily; morning by morning you shall provide it." And on with other sacrifices in the preceding section, now how can we have the sacrifices reinstituted? It causes some to say, "See, this cannot be an actual temple constructed in the millennial kingdom." I say there's not a problem here. One, these sacrifices are not to take care of sin. And the sacrifices never did take care of sin. So that's not a problem. Remember the blood of bulls and goats? They could not take away sin, that's impossible. The Book of Hebrews tells us. So in the Old Testament, sacrifices never took away sin. All they did was remind people of the need for a sacrifice. Remind them of their sinfulness. I take it in the millennial earth, the sacrifices will be of memorable character. They look back to what was provided in Jesus Christ, now the Book of Hebrews tells us that the purpose of the Levitical system has been realized in Jesus Christ. That does not nullify that on the earth in connection with the reign of Christ and the peoples on the earth. I'm not dealing primarily here with the peoples in glorified bodies, but the peoples of the earth are constantly reminded of the finished work of
Jesus Christ by the sacrifices being provided here in the sacrificing of these animals and the other sacrifices offered, I take it they will be literal sacrifices, but they'll be of memorial character, Similar to what we have in the communion service today, when we are reminded of the death of Jesus Christ. Well the memorial service that will be carried out in the millennium will be the constant, daily sacrifices being offered in the temple in Jerusalem. And all the nations of the world will be required to come up here and observe this system of worship and memorial. Now, it will be like it was in the Old Testament, many of those who come will not be truly believers but they are going through the motions because of the reign of Christ and the enforced in effect submission.

All right, one other thing we'll take time to mention out of all the things that go on in the millennium. And that is the relationship of those in glorified bodies with those in physical bodies, it’s a little hard to picture how that's going to work out. You know, are we going to live next door in our glorified bodies to someone who’s in a physical body? And they have to sleep. Maybe they get tired. We don’t get tired. They have to eat, we don’t have to. They get tired when they mow the lawn, don’t get tired, probably won't mow the lawn, I don't know. I hope I don't. In fact, I've got plans not to, I think that the Scripture indicates that the destiny for those in glorified bodies is the New Jerusalem. So we will be present in the earthly kingdom but we will not primarily be an earthly focused people, Jesus promised in John chapter 14 that He goes to prepare a place for us, I think it's clear that the city prepared for us—the place prepared—is the new Jerusalem, That’s the place described in the Book of Revelation as coming down out of heaven as a bride, prepared for the bridegroom, And we are the bride and the new Jerusalem is the dwelling place of the bride.

Now, we’re going to talk a little bit about the New Jerusalem in a later study. But the New Jerusalem is pointed out as not only a dwelling place for the church but also for other glorified saints. Look over in Hebrews chapter 11, we’re told that Abraham, verse 10,'was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Down in verse 16: "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them," These Old Testament saints were looking for a heavenly city. Over in chapter 12 of Hebrews Verse 22: "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem," So here we’re talking about the heavenly Jerusalem, "to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all. And to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." So inhabiting the New Jerusalem will be angels, Verse 22, you come to the heavenly Jerusalem, you have myriads of angels. Then you have the church, the general assembly and church of the first-born. I take it the church refers to we who have been raptured. The spirits of just men made perfect, at the end of verse 23. I take it is a reference to Old Testament saints. Back in chapter 11, verse 40"God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect," And talking about the Old Testament saints being made perfect, now in chapter 12, verse 23, he talks about the spirits of righteous men made perfect, I think he's talking about Old Testament saints.

Come over to Revelation, chapter 21. This is where we will have to spend a little bit of time in a future study, In connection with the description of this city, verse 12 and following. Verses 12 to 14; "It had a great high wall with twelve gates, at the twelve gates, twelve angels, the names, and names were written on them which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel, Three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates on the west, The walls of the city had twelve foundation stones. On them were written the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." So in connection with this city you have the twelve tribes of Israel. You also have the twelve apostles who are the foundation of the church. So both Old Testament saints and church saints have a part, in the, new Jerusalem that heavenly city, I take it it is the destiny and focal point, the dwelling point for all resurrected saints. All saints in glorified bodies will be inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, so those with physical bodies will inhabit the millennial earth itself. Now, the relationship with the two often projected at the New Jerusalem scene in chapter 21 coming down out of heaven. Thus, will be suspended above the earth. And will have access back and forth to earth as those in glorified bodies, Similar perhaps as the angels do even now coming from the presence of God to earth and so on. But it seems that our residence will not be in earthly dwellings but in the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. But we will be joined with Christ in administering and ruling over the earth as those who rule and reign with Him, so we'll be ruling and reigning primarily over those who are in physical bodies on the earth. And we will not have the physical restraints and restrictions that they have, but we will be free to come and go to our heavenly city, the new Jerusalem as well as to carry out our responsibility on the earth in ruling and reigning with Christ for some of that not clarified, but at least that would seem to fit some of what is described here and explain somewhat of how we in glorified bodies are going to be relating to those in physical bodies. Now beyond that, how it will work, I don’t know, a kind of interaction, we’ll have interaction. Christ in His glorified body came, spent time with the Disciples, had dinner with the Disciples, had breakfast with the Disciples, then left, Well, perhaps we'll do the same. We’ll come down, visit with some of them, have dinner, zap—be gone back to the New Jerusalem, I don't know. I don't know all that we'll be doing. It's sort of exciting to contemplate. The kids are usually the ones that have all the interesting questions about are we going to be able to do this or that? We talked a little bit about the glorified body. We'll be here, we’ll be functioning. Evidently in this kind of relationship. The New Jerusalem being our home and our home from the time we're taken with Christ to the place He has prepared for us, So that it does descend and you see that in verse 2 of chapter 21 of Revelation: "I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming dox^ out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband,"" We'll talk a little bit later whether this describes eternity or just what is the description. But I take it most simply it's the New Jerusalem. And whether it's eternity or not is not the issue, The new_ Jerusalem is our dwelling place and will be from the time we're taken into the Father's presence and continuing for all eternity. I ought to say one note in closing. First Corinthians 15. I alluded to this, I just want to draw your attention to it. We'll talk more about it at the end of the millennium, but just so you have in mind where we're going, Verse 23 of 1 Corinthians 15, Talking about the resurrection, "each in his own order; Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet, The last enemy that will be abolished is death, For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, 'All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He is accepted who put all things in subjection to Him. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected, to the One who subjected all things to Him that God may be all in all." We say that the millennium is a thousand years. But that is not in conflict with the fact that the kingdom of God is an eternal kingdom because this first thousand years of eternity (can phrase it that way) of this eternal kingdom serves to bring to a completion Christ establishing his sovereignty. By the end of the millennium, all traces of all rebellion will have been removed. Creation in its entirety will be totally subjected and subdued and now Christ presents to His Father a kingdom that is totally harmonious with the character of God. We'll see this in our later study. That does not mean that Christ ceases to rule because at the close of the Book of Revelation we see the throne of God and the throne of the Lamb, that they are blended together, there is not the earthly kingdom of Christ and the sovereign rule of God, but they are blended now into the eternal kingdom of God. So called the thousand years the first stage in the eternal kingdom. We’ll see some of these purposes that God has in doing it this way. Why doesn't He just not bring it to an end right here? At the beginning of the millennium, there are no wicked left. We could go out into eternity. Can't answer that except that it's not God's way that He chose to do it. There are some other things He wants to demonstrate in the millennium. One is the awful sinfulness of man even under perfect conditions

All right. We'll talk a little bit about the last part of the millennium, how it's going to climax and the judgment that will be in effect at the end with the great white throne in our next study together.

Let's pray together...