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FOR THE TRUTH
“THE
MESSIANIC KINGDOM”
Part
II
“Heaven on Earth”
Resurrected People on a
Transformed Earth!
THE
MESSIANIC MILLENNIAL KINGDOM ON EARTH.
Reviewing
what the Messianic Kingdom is
(Please
see part I on this topic.)
Revelation chapter 20 in the
New Testament of the Bible clearly tells us about a time when, after
King Jesus/Yeshua returns to this Earth at His Second Coming, He will
then set up His glorious Kingdom for 1000 years. This time is briefly
called, ‘The Millennium’, but should be called “The
Earthly reign of Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus for 1000 years.” That
includes the main concepts of this very special time in the future.
Beyond
that again, - is an even more wonderful time the Bible only tells us
a very little bit about, because we simply could not comprehend or
imagine it, with our tiny, human minds. It is described in Revelation
chapters 21 & 22, and it is when there will be “a New
Heaven and a New Earth, for the first Heaven and the first Earth had
passed away.” (22: verse 1.)
[We will be posting an
article about it at a later time- so look out for that.]
The
Final Goal of all History!
Ultimately God’s
purposes are for all God’s resurrected people to be part
of one, glorious, world-wide, Earthly, Kingdom, “The
Kingdom of His dear Son.” Each saint involved in
administration in partnership with God. This is how Paul write about
it in 2 Timothy 2: 12. “Here
is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with Him, [Yeshua/ Jesus –
by faith],
We will also live with Him;
If we endure,
We will
also reign with Him.”
Starting
from the Day of Yeshua/ Jesus Second Coming to Earth.
Scripture
clearly speaks of only one resurrection Day for all
Believers and it is those Believers who will reign with Yeshua on
Earth. John 11:21-27, “ ‘Lord’, Martha said,
‘’if You had been here my brother would not have died.
But I know that even now God will give You whatever you ask.
”Yeshua/
Jesus said to her, ‘your brother will rise again.’
Martha
answered, ‘’I know he will rise again in the Resurrection
at the Last day.’
Yeshua/Jesus did not correct
her, rather He emphasised that He was the One who is the
“Resurrection and the Life.” Physical or
spiritual, there is no life apart from Him. There are more references
to the resurrection of all Believers being ‘at the Last Day’
which is the actual Day on which Yeshua/ Jesus returns to this world.
Compare the wonderful description in Revelation 19:1-9 &
14.
Revelation 20:4-6 tells about those “who came to
life and ruled with the Messiah a thousand
years...This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is anyone
who has a part in the first resurrection; over him the second death
has no power. On the contrary, they will be cohanim/priests of God
and of the Messiah and they will rule with Him for a thousand
years.”
You can be encouraged by this!
RESURRECTED
SAINTS WITH RESURRECTION BODIES.
Thinking
through what this means.
To
get a clear picture of what that means we need to look at a range of
stories and references in all of Scripture. The best insights are
from Jesus Himself. First His words in answer to the ridiculous story
of the Sadducees about the Jewish woman with 7 husbands.
He
taught that God is the God of the living of all ages whose
righteousness was counted for a faith-bond with the Living God, and
are alive in the spirit still as they were when Jesus was
speaking.
As such, in the next age they would have bodies not
unlike the Angels, (Matt.22: 29-32). But John tells us clearly in his
1st letter, “we are God’s children right now;
and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do
know that when He, (Yeshua) appears, we will be like Him;
because we will see Him as He really is.”
(ch.3: 2) Our spirits re-united with a real body, (just how, we
don’t know.) We trust Him who made them in the first place,
(as Psalms/Tehillim 139 tells us), but one day immortal, and clothed
in beauty! Compare Psalm 45 and Revelation 19! What a description!
Here are some thoughts to help us.
Jesus
after His resurrection.
A further insight can be
gained by looking at the accounts of Jesus/ Yeshua’s
appearances after His resurrection, in the last chapters of
the Gospels. He could be where He wished to be, enter a locked room,
or leave it! He could still talk, and eat fish and bread with His
followers, and make Himself known, even inviting Thomas to touch His
still visible wounds. “Although the doors were
locked, Yeshua came, stood among them and said, ‘Shalom
aleikhem!’ (Peace to you all.) He was not a ghost but a
visible, recognisable Jewish man they knew!
He walked with some
and talked with some. He even helped some get a good catch of fish,
then helped to cook the fish! He was a real person who knew their
names and even their fears.
The
story of Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace.
Daniel
chapter 3 clearly indicates that changes must have taken place in
their bodies for there not to be even the smell of burning on
them after they were called out from walking in the presence of ‘One
like the Son of Man.’ That was an amazing miracle! It seems
they were given resurrection bodies temporarily. And Jesus, Son of
Man and Son of God was there with them! How wonderful is
that!
Further thoughts from the
New Testament.
It
can be seen that our ‘Heavenly bodies’ will be very
different, as Paul says in the fuller description in the 1st
letter to the Corinthians, (ch.15).
“As we have
borne the image of the man of dust, so also we will bear
the image of the Man from Heaven.” Amazingly like Yeshua/
Jesus!
Perfect in every way and yet retaining the
real personality within us.
We will obviously be recognisable,
even as Peter recognised Moses and Elijah, who he had never seen.
Best of all, relationships will be perfected in a marvellous
combination of knowledge, humility, service, song and true love!
Amazing!
These ‘bodies’
will be very different, yet we will recognise everyone.
These
are the explanations that the Apostle Paul was explaining as
carefully as he could in his 1st letter to the
Corinthians, chapter 15. No wonder it is called ‘The
Resurrection chapter’! This is what it says: [from the Jewish
N.T.] “But someone will ask, ‘in what manner are the
dead raised? What sort of body do they have? Stupid! When you sow a
seed it doesn’t come alive unless it first dies. Also what you
sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed of, say, wheat or
something else; but God gives it the body He intended for it; to each
kind of seed He gives its own body. Not all living matter is the same
living matter; on the contrary, there is one kind for human beings,
another kind of living matter for animals, another for birds, and
another for fish. Further, there are heavenly bodies; but the beauty
of the heavenly bodies is one thing, while the beauty of Earthly
bodies is something else. [To vs. 42]
So it is with the
resurrection of the dead. When the body is ‘sown’ it
decays; when it is raised, it cannot decay. When ‘sown’
it is without dignity; when raised it will be beautiful. When sown it
is weak; when raised it will be strong. When ‘sown’, it
is an ordinary human body; when raised it will be a body controlled
by the Holy Spirit.” [To vs. 48b]. “People born from
Heaven are like the Man from Heaven; and just as we have borne the
image of the man of dust, so we will bear the image of the Man
(Yeshua/Jesus from Heaven!” I like the ‘picture’
of an ugly, brown bulb that goes into the ground, but a beautiful
flower grows out of it! All this is so wonderful; it makes it so
worthwhile to belong to God’s Royal Family of faith in Yeshua/
Jesus, doesn’t it? No other religion offers such joyous
hope!
But there is an extra secret
for some people.
[Reading from the same chapter of
1 Corinthians], “Look! I tell you a secret – not all
of us will die! But we will all be changed! It will take but a
moment, the blink of an eye at the Final Trumpet/ Shofar. For
the Shofar will sound and the dead will be raised to live for ever,
and we too will be changed.” This suggests to me that the
few Christian/Messianic Believers who God has kept all through the
final end time judgements, perhaps some under terrible persecution,
will be rewarded in this special experience of not dying physically,
yet being transformed in a resurrection minute! The rest of the
chapter, which you must read for yourself, ends with the words,
“Death
is swallowed up in victory!
Death, where is your victory?
Death,
where is your sting?
The sting
of death is sin,…
But
thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord
Yeshua/ Jesus Messiah!”
No
wonder there is also a word of encouragement for our time in this
weary wicked world before Yeshua/ Jesus actually comes;
“So,
my dear brothers, stand firm and unmovable, always doing the Kings
work, as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the King,
your efforts are not in vain.”
HOWEVER,
THERE WILL BE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS KINGDOM.
The
presence of a remnant of unbelieving, human beings.
One
thing that must be made clear and we need to notice carefully is that
the resurrected Believers will not pro-create, as Jesus explained to
the cynical Sadducees about 'whose wife would the childless lady be’
in Matthew 22: 29 & 30. “Jesus answered them,
'The reason you go astray is that you are ignorant of both the
Tanakh/O.T. and the power of God. For in the Resurrection, neither
men nor women will marry; rather they will be like angels in Heaven.'
"
But
non-christians who will be still on Earth with human bodies
will be able to have children. At the beginning, after all the
disasters on Earth there will not be many human people left. “If
those days had not been cut short no one would survive”…
Jesus said in Matthew 24: 22.
Yet
it appears that most world nations will still exist in a similar way
as they were before the evil, Last world power under the
False-messiah dominated them. This understanding comes from Daniel
chapter 7, where four world powers are described. The fourth however,
(vs.7-12) is a composite of the worst features of the three previous
kingdoms, (called ‘beasts’), and is very severely dealt
with by ‘The Son of Man’ at His Coming. It tells of the
total overthrow of that fourth evil regime, but amazingly explains in
verse 12, that “The other beasts had been stripped of their
authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.”
And may we repeat, this is clearly after, “the Coming of the
Son of Man on the clouds of Heaven with great power and glory.”
Daniel 7:13 & 14. This period of time is the Millennial reign of
Yeshua/ Jesus when He will firmly and fairly. Revelation tells us He
will “rule all the nations with a staff of iron.”
(Chapter 12:5 & 19:15.) This will, of course, fulfil Psalms 2 &
72!
Believers will be able to
help in the leadership.
Other
Scriptures and even the parables of Jesus, indicate that the faithful
servants or ‘the elect’, (another name for ‘saints’-
that is, true Believers), will be rewarded by being given positions
of leadership during the Earthly Reign of Messiah.
(See the great
stories in Matthew 25: 14-30, & Luke 19:12-27).
These are
very well worth studying carefully. Faithful service here and now in
this weary world, will be rewarded later on in this Messianic Kingdom
of God!
Revelation 20 speaks clearly of those who “rule
with Him”, in verses 4 and 6. The O.T./Tanakh describes
this time in Psalms 96-99, and gives the amazing summary, repeated
twice in Isaiah 2:1-5,and Micah 4:1-4, which includes the words: “He
will judge between the nations, and settle disputes for many peoples”
Totally just government for every racial or deprived group of today!
Believers will serve in a holy way with a total balance of love
and justice.
THE WORLD WILL BE
UNITED IN TRUE WORSHIP, AT LAST!
“ADONAI
ALONE will be exalted in that Day,” is repeated
twice.
Isn’t that amazing?
Even
though the resurrected saints are present and ruling with Messiah
over unbelievers, in total love and justice the capacity to change
the hearts of these people will not be there, because they
would not be able to exercise the precious commitment which God
treasures above all else: faith. The three essential and
lasting ingredients to a relationship with God are “trust,
hope and love, and the greatest of these is love”.
(I Corinthians 13:13) These people will see and experience but not
trust or hope, and therefore not be capable of
true godly love. We forget so easily the importance of loving
trust. Unbelief is the unpardonable sin. “Without
trusting it is impossible to please God.” Please
read the book of Hebrews, chapter 11 very carefully again - the
picture gallery of TRUST! Isaiah gives another important
picture in chapter 45:23. “ ‘As surely as I live,’
says ADONAI, ‘every knee will bow before Me; every tongue
confess to God’.” This is repeated twice in the
N.T. in Romans 14:11, and Philippians 2:11 where Paul enlarges on it
by saying. “that every tongue will acknowledge Yeshua
the Messiah is ADONAI- to the glory of God the Father.”
Visible
acknowledgement of TRUTH but not by faith, (which explains the events
of Revelation 20:7-9.) Non-believers will live long lives, (as before
the flood), and “he who dies at a hundred will be thought of
as a mere youth.” It also seems that while at the beginning
of the Millennium there will not be many people, (after all the ‘end
time judgements’) but because they have natural bodies, many
children will be born to them, so making the huge, fickle-minded army
that cannot be counted in Revelation 20:7&8. But all will be born
spiritually blind though with a free will. This is very sad and hard
to accept, yet seems the only explanation. There will be no ‘second
chance.’
So it will be a
world united in worship, in a truly united world!
This
is what the False-messiah will have hoped to enforce in his 42
month reign, but because of the Jewish and Gentile Believers, who
would not come under his worship system, he will not have been
successful. But under the Reign of Messiah Yeshua and His servants,
there will be harmony like never before, and by the free
choice of every individual. No 'Evil One' in this
world, so 'LOVE' will win! (Unbelievers will bow – because
everyone is ‘doing it’ – just as many follow the
crowd now, just as later they will follow Satan when he is released
from the ‘Abyss.)
A
SPECIAL ROLE FOR ISRAEL AND THE 12 'APOSTLES'.
That
Israel will be the Capital of this Kingdom is very clear.
Yeshua will be assisted by those He made a specific promise
to in Matt.19: 28. “I tell you that in the regenerated
world, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have
followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes of
Israel.” This is not only because it was promised to them,
but by costly faith, the 12 'Apostles' also paid dearly to establish
the Master’s Kingdom, being singled out for cruel torture and
death, as they all were, in the first century. See 1 Cor. 4:9-13!
Jesus had virtually prophesied this in the conversation we read in
Matthew 20: 20 – 28. “Yes, you will drink My
cup...”
The
wider promise of government by Yeshua’s Jewish servants.
This promise
is repeated in Mark 10, and Luke 18, but with the added application
that all who have lived sacrificially by faith, in this life
will be rewarded with wonderful privileges in the ‘olam haba’
the Hebrew words for ‘the world, or age to come’.
(Cp.Matt.19; 27-30, concluding; “Many who are first will be
last...”) Then - the true justice of the role of
ADONAI’S chosen people, the Jews, will be very clearly seen and
joyfully accepted, by all. No longer will there be any questions
about the seemingly doubtful ‘privilege’ of being Jewish
through terrible times of suffering. It will be clear! God's purposes
totally vindicated.
THE
KIND OF WORLD IT WILL BE.
The
world of nature.
Here we see the
restoration of the Earth to being what God created it to be. So
re-reading Genesis chapter 1 and chapters like Isaiah chapter 11:1-9
is very exciting!
[In separate article we will write, about the
time of the 'New Earth', (based on Revelation 21 & 22,) but you
will see that it will be “a new Earth” without
oceans, indicated a completely different realm! Being
spiritually real it will only have spiritually real angels and
people in it, therefore no animals.]
The
world of animals as God created them.
So when we
have a description in detail like Isaiah 11, we need to see it as
Earthly, and yet only possible because of the key verse ending
the description. We quote from verse 6: “The wolf
will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the
calf and the lion...together and a little child will lead them. The
cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together and
the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the
hole of a cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s
nest.
They will neither hurt nor destroy in all My Holy Mountain,
for the Earth will be full of the knowledge of ADONAI, as the waters
cover the seas.”
The notes from the NIV
study Bible are so helpful. “The peace and safety of the
Messianic Age are reflected in the fact that little children will be
unharmed as they play with formerly ferocious animals. Such
conditions are a description of the future consummation of the
Messianic Kingdom.” (NIV page 1033) Now you can read the whole
of Isaiah 12 and 35 for yourself and see a bigger picture, not only
regarding the animal world but the whole ecology of nature, which
will be needed to support it! Make your own notes…
The
world of plants and a healthy environment.
Keep
looking at Isaiah 32:1-8, and 15 –20 and at chapter 35! The
wilderness will be reclaimed for the burgeoning population of people
and animals. Water to keep them all flourishing, flowers, not only
for beauty but fruit and replenishment. The beautiful trees will
provide shelter and they are personified as being able “...to
see the glory of ADONAI, the splendour of our God.”
In
the N.T. we have Paul’s explanation too, in Romans chapter
8:19-23. There he refers to this restoration of nature also, saying:
“it was given a reliable hope that it too would be set free
from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying
the glory that God’s children will have.” No thorns
on roses, no viruses or bacteria that would be harmful, ‘nothing
that will hurt or destroy in all My holy Mountain.”
The
health and healing of all PEOPLE! ALL!
A
totally healthy world, without any forms of ‘sickness’.
Isaiah
35:9, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, and the
ears of the deaf be unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a
deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” For the victims
of cruelty of all kinds, and for those born with physical problems,
this is just so wonderful to look forward to.
A
fair and just leadership by resurrected Believers.
Just
as amazing as the physical wholeness is the very special fact that
there will be no more deliberately wrong and confusing media, or
twisted, lying leaders, who cause so much sorrow and oppression. Even
in ‘democratic nations’ the media is manipulated now, but
chapter 32: 3 & 4 promises: (and remember this is ADONAI’S
Holy Word!) “Then the eyes of those who see [but are
deliberately ‘blind’] will no longer be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will
know and understand and the stammering tongue will be fluent and
clear. No longer will the fool be called noble, nor the scoundrel be
highly respected.”
A TRULY
RESTORED WORLD OF HOLINESS.
Physical
and political wholeness, honesty, justice- complete ‘fairness’!
No ignorance, no trickery, or manipulation. It is of
course a world that is very hard to visualise; yet perhaps we all
unconsciously long for it, when we say, ‘Why is life so hard?’
Hope, has been planted in the heart of every living person by ADONAI
Himself. So, not only is it written in the yearning heart of mankind,
- it is written about in His precious, living Word! Therefore, we
believe it! Every aspect in this Millennium will be pure joy!
A
time of vibrant, meaningful, yet restful activity.
It
will not be a time of empty boredom. Yeshua once said: “I
work, and My Father works.” And just imagine! If
the record of people’s lives in the Scriptures, (and not only
the known ‘heroes of faith’), have meant so much
encouragement to God’s people over the centuries, what would it
mean to actually meet them and hear their stories?
Then there are
the stories of God’s people in the last 2000 years or more!
This will give cause for great peons of praise and rejoicing- maybe
in beautiful out-door 'concert' venues!
Could one suggest that
maybe ‘books of videos’ of each persons life will be seen
from a Heavenly point of view? This would create an atmosphere
of continuous praise and wonder! There are Scriptures, which could
support this idea in Malachi 3:16, “then those that feared
Adonai talked with each other and ADONAI listened and heard. A
scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those
who feared ADONAI and honoured His Name.” See also
Ephesians 2: 7, “God raised us up with the Messiah
Yeshua/Jesus and seated us with Him in Heaven, in order to
exhibit in the ages to come, how infinitely rich is His grace, how
great is His kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah
Yeshua.”
What a wonderful time to visualise!
We’ve
been told, ”No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no one’s
heart has imagined all the things God has prepared for those
who love Him.” Another repeated Scripture in 1st
Corinthians 2:9, from Isaiah 64:4, & 52:15.
A
special holy highway.
This is because we will live
in a world ruled in righteousness.
Inter-action and the
whole of life based on holiness! Again, it is best you read it in
full for yourself from Isaiah 35:8-10.
It seems there will be a
holy road of blessing that, “only the redeemed will walk
there, and the ransomed of ADONAI will return.” We even
know where it goes to! “They will enter Zion with singing,
and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy
will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee
away.”
Unbelievers will have no desire to travel that
way, though they will enjoy many blessings, as Isaiah 65:20-23
describes. We end by quoting from Psalm 47, of this future
time!
“Clap
your hands all you nations;
Shout to ADONAI with shouts of
joy
How awesome is ADONAI El Shaddai,
The great King over all
the Earth!
He subdued nations under us, Peoples under our feet.
He
chose our inheritance for us-the pride of
Ya’akov whom He
loved...
God has ascended amid shouts of joy...
amid the
sounding trumpets
Sing praises to ADONAI, sing praises to our
King, sing praises...
For ADONAI is the King of all the
Earth...ADONAI is seated on His Holy
throne, the nobles of the
nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham.
THE KINGS OF
THE EARTH BELONG TO ADONAI!”
Also
Isaiah chapter 35.
“The desert and
the parched land will be glad, the wilderness will rejoice
and
blossom. Like the crocus it will burst into bloom;
It will
rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be
given to it, the splendour of Carmel
and Sharon; they will see the
glory of the LORD,
the splendour of our God!
Strengthen the
feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
Say to those with
fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear,
YOUR GOD WILL COME!
He will come with vengeance,
with Divine retribution- He will
come to save you!”
... the eyes of the blind be opened-
the
ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a
deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth
in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Burning sand will
become a pool,
- thirsty ground- bubbling springs.
A
highway will be there; it will be called
THE WAY OF
HOLINESS...
It will be for those who walk in that Way
Only
the redeemed will walk there.
The ransomed of the LORD will
return.
They will enter Ts’ion with singing,
everlasting
joy will crown their heads!
Gladness and joy will overtake
them, and sorrow
and sighing will flee away!”
And
from the New Testament in 1 Thessalonians 3:12 & 13.
"As
for you, may the LORD make you to increase and
overflow in
love...toward everyone...
So that He may give you the inner
strength to be blameless,
by reason of your holiness when you
stand before
God our Father at the Coming of our Lord Yeshua
with all His angels."
We
trust that this study will really thrill and
ENCOURAGE
YOU.
Perhaps there are some thoughts you have never noticed?
But
please be willing to look at them carefully and ask
God to show
you His Truth, and be blessed by it!