Christ's Regal Millennium

Bob Ryan,

How did you come up with the concept of 1,000 years of the church in Heaven? I have never heard of this and never have read it in the Old or New Testament.

 

If Christ were to reign in Heaven for a thousand years, He would not have needed to bring up David's name in Psalm 132:11. Here is the quote. 'The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.' Some generations down from David Christ would be born in Bethlehem and at a future time after the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus will sit on David's throne which was in Jerusalem. The Prophet Zechariah predicts this will yet take place in our world. [Micah 5:5; Ezekiel 48:35c; Zechariah 14:4,17; Revelation 20:9c; 21:2]

 

Marten H. Woudstra, Th.D. suggests that the prophecy of Zechariah was spoken 520 years before the virgin born Son. This then, places Solomon's Temple 500 years before Zechariah's times.

Zerubbabel's Temple was completed in 515 B.C. and that completion was encouraged by the prophets Zechariah and Haggai.

'Herod the Great 37-40 some years B.C. was an indefatigable builder. . . . the house itself was finished in a year and a half . . . . the surrounding buildings and courts were finished in 64 A.D.' Dr. Merrill C. Tenny, "The Zondervan Pictoral Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing House, p. 834.

All of the Temples were erected before the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and yet the Lord declares that He will choose Jerusalem once more. [Zech. 2:12] If our Lord was speaking of a present time and just before the Intra-Testamental Period when no prophets spoke, He would not have said that He would have chosen ' . . . Jerusalem again.' By such a declaration He was and is saying that God is going to bring in again the Israelite nation to enjoy the salvation experience. The N.T. also documents these facts. [Romans 11:1-36]

In verse twelve of Zechariah chapter two our Lord tells us that His tribe the Tribe of Judah [Rev. 5:5] will welcome Him into the Tribe of Judah's portion of the land of Israel. [Ezekiel 45:8c; 47:21; 48:7;48:29] Since Zechariah's prophecy was after all the temples were built, He then, absolutely, has to be speaking about His future Millennial Temple after the era of the Great Tribulation and Second Coming has taken place.

Other references to the covenant that will never be broken by the Lord Jesus are found in Amos 9:11, where Amos points back to ' . . . the days of old,' and to the future raising up of the tabernacle/Temple of David, which will occur during the Millennium.

Jeremiah 33:20-21 that the Davidic covenant cannot be broken, meaning that it is eternal and that David will have a son who will reign and sit on his throne. Who is the son? It is the royal son by way of Judah's inheritance, the Christ of God. [Matthew 1:2] points to the son of the regal line from Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, the man Judah. From there the lineage moves to King David, King Solomon, and the King of all kings, Jesus Christ the son of Mary, the mother of our Lord. [vs. 18]

In Micah 4:7 we are told that the Israelite people who went into captivity will become at a future time, namely 1948, a new and strong nation. The King who will reign in Mount Zion will be the King the lord of hosts. His reign will be forever as pointed to in the latter part of verse seven. Also, notice Isaiah 9:7 and Isaiah 15:5.

This is what makes the 'symbolical, typical and allegorical' method of interpretation invalid and system of theology that destroys eschatological truth needed by all Gentiles and Israelite people.

 

Bob Ryan,

I agree with your post relative to Romans chapter eleven. Good! I hope the other brethren understand it as we do.

Romans chapter eleven speaks of the blinding, generally speaking, of the Israelite nation. [vs. 7] This does not mean there will be no Jewish people saved during the age of grace/this church age, but generally they will refuse to come under the care of the church. This passage also means that the Jews will be revisited by God and will come to know and love Christ some during the Great Tribulation and the rest of them in the Kingdom Age on this earth. [vs. 24 & 26] Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven also testifies that 'the whole house of Israel as dry bones' will come to life at a future time. It is most obvious that they have not received national, spiritual revival in the Christian sense to date. The Holy Spirit will still be active during the theocratic Kingdom of Christ during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus on the earth. [Ezekiel 37:14; Revelation 20:2,3,4,5,6, and 7]

After Israel became a nation in 1948 she has been well on her way by way of prosperity and military might in preserving her own people. This is also promised in [37:22] along with the fact that Jesus Christ after His Second Coming will be the King mentioned in [Ezekiel 37:22; Micah 5:5; Zechariah 14:4, 9,17]

 

The noteworthy theologian, Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, says that {King} David will be a regent in the Millennial Kingdom. {Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 37:24-25} . . . . Authority over the twelve tribes of Israel will be vested in the hands of the Twelve Apostles (Matt. 19:28). Other princes and nobles will likewise share in governmental duties (Isa. 32:1; Jer. 30:21) . . . . the Parable of the Minas (Lk. 19:11-27) indicates that those who have proved their faithfulness will be given much authority. The church, too, will have a part in governing the earth (Rev. 5:10). Though many of the normal procedures of government will be carried out by subordinates, Christ will be King over all.' Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Moody Press, p. 593-594.

 

Here is the basic order of God's future events.

The next even will be the rapture of the church to Heaven; immediately after the rapture into Heaven we will go through the Judgment Seat of Christ as He evaluates our works, efforts for Him while here. After this Jesus will come to earth as noted in Rev. 19 called the Second Coming of Christ with His saints of which we will be a part. After this He will take us into the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth where He will minister His Divine Theocracy from Jerusalem. During this Millennial reign of Christ on the earth, Satan will be bound. [Rev. 20:2] The wicked dead will be physically raised from their graves at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth. [20:5] The saved will have been raised 1,007 years previously, at the rapture. [I Thess. 4:17] After the resurrection of the wicked dead, [Rev. 20:5] all of the wicked will appear before Christ's Great White Throne Judgment. [Rev. 20:11] After this Jesus will give to people the New Heaven and the New earth. [Rev. 21:1]

The term 'But the rest of the dead . . . in Revelation 20:5 indicates that some were raised earlier, which of course were those who died in faith toward and in Jesus. 'The rest of the dead are the lost souls who will be damned forever in the Lake of Fire. You do not want to be among 'the rest of the dead.'

This will give a brief panorama of what is going to happen according to God's Divine planning as documented in the Bible.

 

I am presently reading a book called, "This Is My God" written by Herman Wouk which was copyrighted in 1959, under the Doubleday & Company, Inc., publication in Garden City, New York. It is beginning to give me an idea about what some Israelites believe about their faith and nation.

Herman Wouk dedicated the book to the memory of his grandfather and teacher, Mendel Leib Levine, rabbi in Minsk, New York, and Tel Aviv.

Here is a statement from him. 'The Torah prophesied that a remnant of the people would survive in a long agony of exile, undergoing ordeals of wandering and persecution; that they would never die out; and that in the far after time they would return to Israel to live by the law of Moses, and to be a light to the nations. Of this vast drama, most of the acts have long since passed from prophecy into history. Some Christians indeed hold that the curtain went down on the whole story for ever two thousand years ago. We Jews believe--- it is cardinal to our faith---that the last acts are still to come.'

I want to pick up on what Herman said. ' . . . and that in the far after time they would return to Israel to live by the law of Moses, and to be a light to the nations.' During the Great Tribulation the 144,000 [Rev. 7:1-9] and the two witnesses of Revelation chapter eleven will herald the message that people need to repent because Jesus will be coming in His Second Coming. These Israelite, Christian believers will be a radiant light to the world of nations.

In Zechariah 14 it is suggested that Christ will dispatch messengers during the Kingdom Age to convert and bring in the Gentile nations. Many will journey to Jerusalem to see Christ seated in His royal Theocracy on this earth. [Zechariah 14:9 & 17]

Herman Wouk also said, 'Some Christians indeed hold that the curtain went down on the whole story forever, two thousand years ago.' Many Catholics and other Amillennialists
like Reformed Baptists believe that God has forever cut of grace to all Israelites and that we are now either in the Great Tribulation or the Millennial Kingdom.

And lastly, Wouk said, 'We Jews still believe-it is cardinal to our faith-that the last acts are still to come.' [page 24] Pretribulationists also believe as do some Jewish people that many eschatological events are still unfulfilled. Things like: the rapture of the church, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, the binding of Satan for 1,000 years, the resurrection of the wicked, the Great White Throne Judgment {only for sinners} and the New Heaven and the New earth.

Jewish rabbinical theologians know the truth about end time events. Some Christians need to do their homework and then they will catch up to those of us who know the truth.

It seems that some Jewish rabbis and other believers have a better understanding of eschatology than do some Christian people. But, then the rabbis focus on the Old Testament promises of the Lord and see that much has not yet taken place in our lost world.

 

Bob,

Thanks for your post.

'The orthodox Jews believe that Satan is a "good angel" and also adopt evolutionism instead of the Bible account.'

Ray-I find this difficult to believe especially the 'good angel' view. Surely they don't think that the Devil is a good angel who produces at evil in our world. Just as there are Baptists who believe opposite things, there are probably orthodox Jewish people who ingest evolution.

However - in Romans 11 the point is made clearly that they are cast out of
the vine - and can only return if they "do not continue in unbelief". There is
no "other way".

Ray-I agree with your statement and explanation coming out of Romans eleven.

Further - we are told in Hebrews 8 that the OT system of sacrifices ended. In
fact in Heb 7 we are told that with the change of the priesthood came a
change of the laws regarding sacrifices and role of priests - transferring it to
the ONE priest - our High Priest - Jesus Christ - in the Heavenly temple.

To argue for - earthly priests, earthly sacrifices After the death of Christ - is
to seek to reject the High Priestly work of Christ (the great antitype) and
return to the work of the system of "shadows" and "types" pointing forward
to the sacrifice of Christ.

Hebrews 10 states that "he put an end to sacrifices" by His death.

Ray-I agree that there is no other way to Heaven and salvation other than through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. But, 'when the fulness of the Gentiles comes into the kingdom, God is again going to deal with the Jewish people and nation.' [Romans 11:25-26] The Lord is going to reinstate the Jewish people in the same way as with we Gentiles, only by faith in Christ and His atonement.

You will see the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in Hebrews 8:7. Watch carefully!
In verse eight, the next verse, God says that then will be done with these covenants, by using the words, 'For finding fault with them.' After His dealing with Gentiles in the church age, meaning now, He is going to introduce 'a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, meaning only the Jewish people. This will take place during the Millennial reign of Christ on the earth and for some Jews during the previous Great Tribulation. What makes this so glaringly, obvious is because clearly 99% of the Israelites presently do not believe in Jesus. But, during the 1,000 years of the Millennimum God says, in verse eleven that everyone will know the Lord God, that is among the Jewish people.

Zechariah pointed to a scenario - prior to the rejection of Christ by the Jews
- whereby the Jews accepted their Messiah - That is a valid scenario
pre-cross and pre-rejection of Christ. They had at that time "a choice" of
futures.

Ray-I agree with you in the above paragraph.


However the many texts already shown about the desolated planet earth
with "no man" - show clearly the state of the earth during the 1000 years -
when as Rev 19 predicts the "rest of mankind" are killed by Christ at His
appearing and the birds of all the earth feast on the corpses of the dead -
where there is nobody left to bury them. The saints have been raised as Rev
20 points out - and as 1Thess 4 points out - taken back to heaven - "That
where I am there you may be also" as Christ promised.

Ray-the destruction of the earth as you referred to above will take place after the Millenimum, the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth as recorded in II Peter 3:10-12. That is why Jesus said in Revelation that the Great White Throne Judgment for sinners will be held not on earth or in Heaven, but a suspended place perhaps above where the earth was located. Notice, 'And I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.' Revelation 20:11 is not John's flare for poetic license; in other words, John was not merely carelessly expressing words. He meant what he said.

When they return (as Rev 21 describes) the heavenly City comes down out
of heaven - with the saints and Christ sets up His reign on earth - on David's
throne - for the children of the promise.

Ray-I agree there is a New Jerusalem that will come down out of Heaven for saved Jews and Gentiles. And then God will create/make His new Heaven and new Earth. [Revelation 21:1]

Eternity will be our happy experience, thanks be to God.

A brother in Christ,

Ray