JESUS WILL BE KING OF ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS OF THIS WORLD

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“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.” Isaiah 9:6-7

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33

“Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?” 2 Chronicles 13:5

David’s dominion is to last forever. David is the king who will rule over Israel after its restoration under the Messiah after His return to earth (Ezekiel 37:21-24). David’s rule, of course, can occur only after God resurrects David with all the other saints at the return of Christ.

This is what The prophet Nathan told David:

“When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 1 Chronicles 17:11-14

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more.” 1 Chronicles 17:9

The kingdom God established through David was a forerunner of a much more important Kingdom Jesus Christ will establish in the future with David as His 2IC.

God claimed David’s kingdom as “My kingdom”— a type, an example, or a forerunner, of the coming Kingdom of God. Comprehending the relationship between David’s temporal kingdom and the eternal Kingdom of God is crucial to understanding the gospel Christ and His apostles preached.

When Solomon, David’s son, became king, on whose throne did he sit? “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father . . .” 1 Chronicles 29:23

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” Daniel 7:13-14

Not only did God regard Israel as His temporal kingdom, He regarded the throne of Israel as His throne— the throne Jesus Christ will inherit (Luke 1:32).

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1: 30-33

Did Jesus acknowledge He was born to be a king?

“‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason, I was born, and for this, I came into the world . . .'” John 18:37

From the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, He focused on the Kingdom of God. He was continuing the message proclaimed by Daniel and the other prophets. Throughout His ministry, He repeatedly used the words king and kingdom to explain the good news He preached. At Jesus second coming He will usher in His Millennial Kingdom. That is what is next for this Earth. It has had six thousand years with Satan as its leader, it will now have one thousand years with Jesus ruling the nations with a rod of iron and the resurrected Saints ruling with Him.

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:15-16

WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE AND TRUST JESUS CHRIST

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This is the prayer Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father knowing He would be tortured and crucified the following day.

I would urge you to carefully read what it says and means considering the following: 1. In the context of Jesus’ life on Earth as recorded by His disciples, 2. His disciples all gave up their lives rather than deny the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word. 3. Jesus changed the world dramatically, B.C. and A.D., as many nations accepted the Judaeo Christian worldview, 4. The fact that there are over 300 prophecies by Old Testament prophets of Jesus’ first coming to Earth that were fulfilled to the letter. 5. There are more than 1,000 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming to Earth and I would suggest that they will be fulfilled exactly as the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled. Many have already been fulfilled, particularly one major one – the re-establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948. Biblical prophecies tell us that Jesus will return with the glorified Saints to rescue the nation of Israel at the prophesied battle of Armageddon. Prior to 1948 Israel as a nation did not exist. In the second century AD, the Romans crushed the revolt of Shimon Bar Kokhba (132 AD) during which Jerusalem and Judea were regained and the land of Judea was renamed Palaestina in an attempt to minimize Jewish identification with the land.

JESUS HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:1-26

You have to be blinded by the evil one if you cannot see the truth of these wonderful words. The truth about the one who spoke them and the truth of our Heavenly Father to whom Jesus spoke this prayer. What a wonderful God we have. How awesome it is that He loves us to the extent that He does.

COMBINING AGRICULTURE AND SOLAR

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This technology really makes good sense and it comes out of Israel (God said His nation would be a blessing to the world). So many of the Solar farms built today cover acres of land that could be used for agriculture.

Agri-voltaic Algorithm that enables dual usage of the land, by managing the level of radiation to optimize the generation of electricity, and at the same time optimize crop cultivation and its yield.

The Agri-Light control model allows for dynamic control of the shading level by changing the volumetric space and placement of the solar panels. Depending on the physiological needs of the crops, the system will automatically change the position of the solar panels creating the appropriate conditions for maximum yield and crop protection.

No doubt this technology will be used during Jesus’ Millennial reign on this earth, as will other ingenious technologic advances for power generation, such as the use of nuclear fusion.

Go take a look at my website http://www.millennialkingdom.net to get prepared for ruling the nations with Jesus during His 1000-year reign on this earth. Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom is a transition period when God fulfills the promises made to Abraham when God initially established a nation (Israel) for His purposes. Even before they went into the Promised Land Moses told them (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) that because of disobedience God would eject them from the land and scatter them far and wide for a time but then He would regather them. All of the OT prophets were told the end of the story when their Messiah (Jesus) would rule the nations from a restored Jerusalem.

“Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned and will cleanse them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 37:21-23

YOU NEED TO KNOW JESUS

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“For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

JESUS MILLENNIAL KINGDOM IS COMING (This Kingdom by Geoff Bullock)

VERSE 1: Jesus, God’s righteousness revealed, The Son of Man, The Son of God, His Kingdom comes, Jesus, Redemption’s sacrifice, Now glorified, Now justified, His Kingdom comes.

CHORUS: And this Kingdom will know no end, And it’s glory shall know no bounds, For the majesty and power of this Kingdom’s King has come, And this Kingdom’s reign, And this Kingdom’s rule, And this Kingdom’s power and authority, Jesus, God’s righteousness revealed.

VERSE 2: Jesus, The expression of God’s love, The Grace of God, The Word of God Revealed to us, Jesus, God’s Holiness displayed, Now glorified, Now justified, His Kingdom comes

CHORUS: And this Kingdom will know no end, And it’s glory shall know no bounds, For the majesty and power of this Kingdom’s King has come, And this Kingdom’s reign, And this Kingdom’s rule, And this Kingdom’s power and authority, Jesus, God’s righteousness revealed.

JESUS RETURN TO THIS EARTH IS NEAR

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When Jesus was asked by His disciples about the end times and His return to this earth:

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Matthew 24:3

The following two paragraphs are just a sample of the detail Jesus gave them in His response entitled the Olivet Discourse.

“And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:4-14

Jesus does not paint a “rosy/joyous” picture to attract followers. Why would anyone want to follow Him when this is their fate? It should challenge the sceptic as to Jesus authenticity. In addition, what Jesus prophesied is in fact unfolding in our time. Fulfilled Biblical prophecy proves the Bibles authenticity.

This idea that Jesus’ second coming is imminent is found throughout Scripture. The following scripture tells us not only to wait for Jesus second coming but also that He will deliver us from the wrath to come.

“and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10

This scripture reinforces that Jesus is coming again to deliver us from a time of affliction.

“and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7

The following two scriptures address the purpose of His first coming and the blessed hope we have for His second coming. The second scripture also covers His promise to deliver Israel from its enemies.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:11-13

“so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28

Expecting Jesus to return should make us watchful, diligent in our faith, and eager to live holy lives in preparation to rule and reign with Jesus in His Millennial Kingdom.

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“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” Isaiah 62:1-2 The name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.” Ezekiel 48:35

“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

You need to start thinking about the role Jesus will assign to you during His Millennial reign on this earth. Remember, Jesus and the Saints will rule with a rod of iron. Satan is bound for most of the Millennium but God has revealed that he will be released at the end and he is able to assemble an enormous army from people who have been born during the Millennium to come against Jesus and the Saints. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Revelation 20:7-9

JESUS WILL RULE THE NATIONS FROM ISRAEL

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“My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the LORD God. “That is the day of which I have spoken” (Ezekiel 39:8).

When will God not allow His holy name to be profaned any more in Israel? Only after Jesus returns. When will God set His “glory among the nations”? When He establishes His kingdom (Millennial Kingdom) on this earth. When will the entire house of Israel come to know the Lord and experience a great outpouring of His Spirit? Only after the Second Coming of their Messiah.

What an amazing Scripture this is. God has unfinished business with Israel. The nation He established for His purposes. All the nations will know God is the Holy One of Israel. “Behold it is coming and it shall be done.”

“And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgement which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward” (Ezekiel 39:21).

It is amazing the detail God revealed to Ezekiel about what He will do with Israel in the last days.

“I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Ezekiel 37:21-22

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” Ezekiel 37:26-28

Look at this scripture which says unbelievers will learn why God has dealt harshly with Israel

“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.” Ezekiel 39:23

And finally God explains He will pour out His Spirit upon the House of Israel when He has gathered them out from their enemies lands then Israel and the nations will know God is the Lord God of Israel.

“When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 39:27-29

In this post we have looked at what God revealed to Ezekiel. He revealed just as much if not more to Isaiah. It just confirms what was said to Ezekiel and the other prophets. Next post we will look at what Moses revealed to the nation about its future even before they went into the promised land.

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

JESUS RETURN TO EARTH

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Expecting Jesus to return should make us watchful, diligent in our faith, and eager to live holy lives. We are not to get caught up in trying to guess the “day and hour” of these events. As Jesus Himself told us,

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” Mark 13:32-33

Even so, Jesus said that the signs of His return would give us a general idea and should cause us to remain watchful:

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors!” Matthew 24:32-33

This is not all that Jesus had to say about the timing of His return. In Luke 21:35, He warned that His return would “come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth”. In Matthew 24:43, Jesus explains that he will come “as a thief in the night”. But note that these are warnings are given to people who have made this world their home and refused a heavenly citizenship. For believers, it’s a different story entirely:

“But you brethren, are not in darkness, so that the Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

For the same reason, God promises a special blessing for those who read, hear and keep the words of the book of Revelation. This blessing is not offered for any other book in the Bible:

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3

Joseph Lamb (1925-2013) was a pastor in the Chinese underground church. He faced severe persecution from the communist authorities and spent more than twenty years in prison. But the fruit of his ministry was incredible. Along with the efforts of many like him, there are now some 80 million believers in China. Consider what Lamb said about the second coming of Christ and the impact it has had on the growth of the Chinese church:

A demolished underground church in China

In the West, the church is not talking about Jesus return, it is too concerned with survival and compromise with the world and its values.

In China, the imminent return of Christ is the message the thought-police in China most want to censor. In fact, in many areas the police are registering modems and even fax machines in order to keep the end-times message of Christ’s return from being circulated.

You see, Chinese Christians believe passionately that Christ is coming again, not just someday — but ‘in this generation.’ The dragon knows he must stop this Apostolic message of hope. If somehow he can stop these New Testament-style Bible studies, he knows he will cripple Church growth in China…to the dragon [Satan]. the ‘most dangerous’ message on the Internet is the ‘Second Advent of Christ.’

In America, where pastors have the freedom to preach anything they please, thousands of churches never hear the message of the Second Coming. Not because they are forbidden by government, but because they were tricked by seminary professors into thinking it is ‘confusing’ or ‘not relevant for today’.

Satan uses different tactics in different cultures — anything that will produce silence on the Blessed Hope of Christ’s soon return. Why? Because there is no more spiritually motivating teaching in the entire Bible.

The saints will overcome. Not a word that Jesus spoke will go unfulfilled. God will honour every promise that He made both to Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37) and to the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Jesus will return in glory, and He will reign victoriously on the earth. The price that He paid on the cross will be celebrated by all nations, and the redeemed will sit at His feet for eternity. Maranatha!

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
~ Luke 21:28

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
~ Mark 13:37

WHAT IS YOUR HOPE SET UPON?

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“Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 ESV

From the beginning of the Bible to the end, the return of Jesus and the establishment of His Kingdom is the primary focal point of all expectation, longing, and hope.

What is the primary hope of your church? If you follow my blog then you know I call it living eternal now because I know His return to this earth to establish His Kingdom is not too far in the future. Time is short, we need to get on with the Great Commission. Maranatha

I am sure that if the church will prioritize meditating upon, teaching, and emphasizing the hope of Jesus’ return, it will grow and bear good fruit.

The more that we recover an unshakable passion for His return, the more eager the church will be to finish the Great Commission.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

JESUS SOON RETURN TO PLANET EARTH

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How many of you have really “meditated on”, “come to grips with”, “got your ahead around” the FACT Jesus is returning to this earth soon to liberate His chosen nation, and to rule and reign with His resurrected saints on this cursed earth for 1000 years. Moreover, He needs to rule with a rod of iron. People will still be born, people still need to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and people will still die. The curse of death has not been lifted off this planet. It is destined for destruction by fire at the end of the Millennium. John describes its destiny and what will occur at that time in Revelation 20 and 21.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15
The New Heaven and the New Earth
​ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

It is important to acknowledge that many of the early Church Fathers believed that the earth was less than 6,000 years old and that they read the Genesis creation account both literally and symbolically. To check this out read the article Creationism and Millennialism among the Church Fathers by Andrew Sibley on www,creation.com.

It is clear from a close reading of the Church Fathers that the widely held belief of the church in the first few centuries after Christ was that the creation occurred less than 6,000 years prior to their time of writing; at least it seems to have been the majority opinion among the church leaders. This belief was also tied in with an understanding of the timing of the Second Coming of Christ and His millennial reign; a pressing question for the early church. The millennial scheme symbolically linked six days of creation with 6,000 years of Earth history, with the final millennium reign seen as foreshadowed by the seventh day of rest in the creation account. This undermines claims that such belief is a recent phenomenon, or is not in tune with traditional Christian theology.

Influence for the symbolic linkage between the six days of creation and the six thousand years until the millennial reign of rest may have been passed down directly from the Apostles, especially John, the author of Revelation. Irenaeus, who lived during the 2nd century ad, claims to have received the teaching from Papias and Polycarp, who received it directly from John. Influence may also have derived from Peter’s writing, wherein the Apostle was responding to questions about the return of Christ. Peter wrote that for God “a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8) and that the Christians should be patient regarding the question of Christ’s return.

Most of the Church Fathers of the first three centuries relied upon the LXX to determine the age of the earth and the Second Advent. Initially, Christians believed that Christ would return sometime around AD 500. However, later acceptance of the Septuagint Masoretic Text, with its shorter time frame for creation of around 4000 BC, extended the second coming to AD 2000. 

So, the gradual acceptance of the Hebrew MT by Christians, from which Bishop Ussher derived a date for the age of the earth of 4004 BC, gave fresh ‘legs’ to millennial thinking among Christians in more recent times, with Christ expected to return sometime around AD 2000.

TRIBULATION PRECEDES THE RAPTURE WHICH PRECEDES THE WRATH OF GOD

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Social justice activist Shaun King unleashed a barrage of comments on social media claiming that statues of Jesus Christ are “a form of white supremacy” and should be torn down.  King is the co-founder of Real Justice PAC and supports the Black Lives Matter movement by sharing his views on injustice through social media.  His remarks come in the wake of a surge of protests and activism that have been taking place over racial injustice and equality.  Across a number of countries protesters have vandalized and torn down statues that represent history.  In a series of tweets, King declared that “public statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down.  They are a form of white supremacy.  Always have been.”

He continued, “All murals and stained glass windows of white Jesus, and his European mother, and their white friends should also come down.  They are a gross form of white supremacy.  Created as tools of oppression.  Racist propaganda.  They should all come down.”  The activist alleged that the “white Jesus is a lie” and “a tool of white supremacy created and advanced to help white people use the faith as a tool of oppression.” 

Many of my previous posts have quoted Scriptures that clearly demonstrate the Bible prophesied this coming escalating persecution of Christians. Bible prophecies also address the apostasy, the falling away of churches that don’t uphold the inerrancy of God’s Word. This we also see happening as churches approve gay marriage and homosexuality. The good news is that these events signal the soon return of Jesus to rule and reign on this earth. Man’s time to rule on this earth, as well as Satan’s time of dominion, is coming to an end. Although, the Bible reveals that Satan gets an another opportunity to deceive mankind at the end of Jesus Millennial reign.

“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:7-10

Jesus tells us that Christians will experience great tribulation during the last seven years prior to His return, but they will not experience the wrath of God that is poured out on unbelievers. The wrath of God follows the opening of the seven seals around the Scroll containing the trumpet and bowl judgements.

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12-17

The next event John sees in Revelation 7 is the saints in heaven. The Rapture of the saints has occurred at the seventh seal. The censer that held the prayers of the saints is offered up one last time and then the censer is filled with fire from the altar and thrown to earth to initiate the the first trumpet judgement.

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Revelation 8:3-5

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12