With the Judaeo-Christian tradition, western societies collectively understood that God reigns above the affairs of men—and we shall all answer to Him in the end. But something has changed in recent years largely spawned by evolution.
JUDAEO CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
There is an objective reality.
Moral law is immutable and handed down from God (rather than invented and imposed by mankind).
Each person is accountable to a Judge who will execute perfect justice in due time.
CONTRASTING WORLDVIEWS Humanism versus Christianity:
Man is Supreme versusGod is Supreme
Man is basically good versusMan is inherently evil(disobeying his creator)
Evolution produced life versusGod created life
Life has no meaning versusJesus gives life meaning
Morality is irrelevant versusGod’s Word determines morality
Truth is relevant versusTruth is absolute
The supernatural is a myth versusThe supernatural is real
There is no life after death versusEternal life possible through Jesus
Life is about achievement versusLife is about service to God
The world’s only hope is economic political and social reform versus The world’s only hope is Jesus.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Which worldview do you hold? Your eternal destiny depends upon you making the right choice.
God has given us the truth about His world from its beginning to its end. Fulfilled prophecy proves it is the word of God. Jesus expected the Old Testament Scriptures to be fulfilled to the letter because the honour of God resides in the fulfillment of His Word. That is why Jesus made it a condition of Christian discipleship, that we not be ashamed of His words because His honour is likewise at stake.
“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26
Giant Cross Monument on Memory Mountain erected in remote Northern Territory community in outback Australia
Renowned Christian landscape photographer Ken Duncan financed the project
After more than a decade, a vision to build a giant cross in a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia has become a reality.
Key points:
The 20m cross near Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji) was proposed in 2009
Landscape photographer Ken Duncan has led the project, raising several million dollars through private donations
Community members hope the site will be a meeting place for locals and create economic opportunities through tourism
First proposed in 2009 by residents of Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji), 230 kilometres west of Alice Springs, the 20-metre-high, multi-million-dollar steel monument was last month erected atop Memory Mountain.
Local elder Douglas Multa
Local elder Douglas Multa said the vision first came to his uncle, Nebo Jugadai, one night at an Easter celebration at the base of the mountain — a site of historical and cultural significance for Haasts Bluff and surrounding communities.
Mr. Multa said he felt emotional seeing the structure completed. “When I first saw it we had tears in our eyes, we cried because it’s in our land — our country,” he said.
“It makes me and my people proud to have something like this in our country.” He hoped the project would help create a prosperous future for the community through tourism. “It’s important because we have been struggling for many years to get job opportunities for the young people, so that cross is going to bring lots of jobs,” he said.
The final element of the monument is expected to be completed by the end of the year when solar-powered LED lights will be installed to illuminate the cross.
Mr Duncan said a company — Memory Mountain Limited — had been established to support the development of the project, with a board made up of Indigenous people living in the surrounding communities, as well as Mr Duncan and his wife, Pam.
Listen to what this pastor in Iran said: “In the east, hearing God’s voice is absolutely crucial. Being led by the Spirit is the difference between life and death. We can not afford to get away with the sins that so easily entangle. The disciple-making lifestyle accelerates your maturity in God. You must have an active relationship with God. You must pray and remain in prayer. You must be in the Word. This is the only way forward in the days ahead – total absolute reliance on God.
Loving your enemies is unnatural, but you can only do that if you are seeing with spiritual eyes. Natural eyes tell us to stand and fight against oppression…but what if oppression brings harvest and grows the church? That’s our tension.”
Moves of God happen in the most desperate places, and right now, Iran is one of those places. The political upheaval, economic distress, resource scarcity, social unrest, and religious persecution are creating a perfect storm for the Gospel to spread like wildfire inside Iran.
Just as these Iranian Christians have discovered, being sold out to God is what will be required to live the Christian life in the prophesied “last days” before Jesus returns. In the west, since Gay Marriage and LGBTQ issues are now law Christians are coming under increasing persecution and this will only intensify.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Mission Trip to Olasi market in Nyatike, a sub-county of Migori where Charles the leader of the KHC movement lives.
TRIP REPORT by Pastor Charles Otieno Owino:
Arrival: Sunday, October 9th.
Departure: Thursday, October 13th.
Purpose of visit: Discipleship.
Host: Mr. Walter Ogwati.
Guests: KHC Discipleship team.
We safely arrived at OLASI on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 9th. The KHC team was welcomed by Mr. Walter Ogwati and several other Christian brothers. In the evening upon arrival, we conducted opening prayers for the Mission Trip before proceeding with a house meeting at his home which was well attended.
Marketplace evangelism in Olasi
Many people turned up for our marketplace meetings as this picture shows. God did some mighty works through us. Many people believed and surrendered their lives to Christ.
We erected our tent for afternoon and evening meetings.
Men and women who were demon possed were healed and delivered from demonic oppression. The Holy Spirit gave many people the power to understand our gospel message on repentance, salvation, and “end times” signs of Jesus’ second coming. Many of which are being manifested in our day. We even preached on the soon coming Millennium rule and reign of Jesus Christ and the Saints when His Kingdom will be established here on earth.
On the second day of our meeting in the home of Mr. Walter Ogwati, a good number of people turned up to hear our gospel message. The hearts of many were touched. Nine people repented of their sins and gave their hearts to Jesus Christ.
No facility was available for baptism but the new Olasi KHC group will ensure the new converts are baptised.
The picture on the left shows Pastor Charles praying for Mr Cleophas Odhiambo (wearing a blue shirt ). He was a former chief of the county who was interdicted for abuse of the office (corruption), and also for being deeply involved in alcoholic drinking. This conversion should significantly impact the community for good.
Three women stepped forward and knelt down to receive prayers We prayed for them and all three women believed and repented of their sins.
It was such a wonderful time watching the Lord move and touch so many lives every day in our meetings, with many miracles taking place and people giving their testimonies on their past deeds and on the goodness of God.
This picture shows Pastor Charles with Mr Gedion Onyango (wearing a white shirt), this young man was healed from sickle-cell anemia. He is giving his testimony on how he had struggled with the disease for many years. Pastor Charles saw potential in this young man and spent time with him going through foundational biblical teachings particularly verses on salvation and church as described in the Book of Acts.
As a result of the work done through us by God in this region of OLASI, a new house church with nine members was birthed.
This new young house church will be under elder Walter Ogwati who invited us to come to Olasi and was our host. He will be helped and supported by pastor Daniel of Lidha House Church. Lidha is a beachside town on the shores of Lake Victoria in Nyatike which is a sub-county within the region of Migori. This will continue until brother Walter becomes strong and fully built up and mature in the faith such that he can stand alone with his house church.
The picture below should encourage you as it shows young male Christians singing praise songs before young people and those assembled in the KHC tent behind them.
If you believe God would like to use you to help support the KHC next Mission Trip in November to Lwala Giribe then you can donate on my Home Page just click on Donations. The link was established, just to help grow the KHC movement. Two projects I would like to see completed are
vehicle for Pastor Charles
Funds for Bibles in Swahili
I took this photo of Charles’s vehicle during my visit in April of this year. It had not been functional for many months. The gearbox needs replacing and probably the motor as well. The best option is probably a replacement low-mileage Toyota wagon.
Believers are usually pretty comfortable with revering God for his immortality, power, and perfection, and so we should be. He is the Creator, in whom we live and move and have our being. He is the Great I Am. But our connection with God will always be unfolding. If a person only focuses on the immensity of God, and on reverence for him, they will know little intimacy. If a person understands the great freedom we are promised in Christ but knows no reverence, they will be without foundation, Towalk closely with God, we must be ever journeying, getting to know facet after facet of the divine nature. It is madness to think of him as less complex, less finely calibrated than ourselves.
God has sovereignly chosen to make himself vulnerable, in that he experiences difficult and negative emotions, along with great joy and delight, in response to earthly events.
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” Genesis 6:5-7
Divine regret is a difficult concept, as it challenges our understanding of infallibility. We relate regret to either poor choices, bad luck, or lack of knowledge – ‘If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it.’ But God was fully cognizant of every one of his actions and choices, and still found himself regretting some of them. For God to feel regret, he must therefore be vulnerable to our choices. Free will must actually be free, and poor choices on our part can cause divine pain. The Lord gets upset and frustrated, just as He is pleased and delighted by us in turn. The only way I can make sense of this vulnerability is as a deliberate, sovereign choice. The Lord of All could have placed himself above such feelings, but instead, he chose a version of creation in which the choices of his children affect him.
We can see the breadth of God’s emotions at work in the life of Jesus. What do you make of the following passage?
‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’Matthew 23:37
Compassion, for example, drove him to acts of kindness and mercy, such as healing the sick.
‘And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.’” Matthew 14:14
Jesus knew ordinary, everyday emotions too, such as pleasure and friendship. There was a particular disciple he was closer to than any other, on a human level. John is referred to as ‘the disciple that Jesus loved’ on several occasions and was depicted leaning back on Jesus’ chest at the last supper to ask him a question. On the cross, Jesus charged this same disciple with looking after his mother, and his mother with looking after this disciple.
“When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.’” John 19:26-27
How human! How relatable! On the day of his death, he was concerned about those he was leaving behind, providing for their emotional needs by calling them, mother and son. How dear, how important, this must have been to Jesus, at that moment.
There was no time when the emotions of God were stretched like they were in the Garden of Gethsemane.
‘And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’Luke 22:41-44
At that moment Jesus was a man in torment, able to prevent his own suffering but choosing to embrace it anyway. He was desperate to escape the agony of the cross – not just the physical pain, but the spiritual horror of becoming all human brokenness, for our sake – and yet he bowed his head. This total mastery of self serves as a supreme example to us. If Jesus were not a deeply emotional person, mastery might have been easier, but being torn up inside and still submitting to God? That is staggering, to me, what about you?
Adapted from an article by Duncan Edward Pile, October 27th, 2021 “Hold Me Closer Cosmic Dancer” http://www.patheos.com
USA, EU, and NATO ‘not bluffing either,’ EU foreign affairs chief say, pushing back on Putin’s nuclear threats.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief warned Russia that any use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine would result in the complete destruction of the Russian army.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell spoke at a diplomatic academy in Brussels Thursday morning, pushing back on recent comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin hinting at the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons in the ongoing war with Ukraine.
On Thursday, Borrell responded to Putin’s recent comments, vowing the West would destroy Russia’s military if nuclear weapons are used against Ukraine.
“There is the nuclear threat and Putin is saying he is not bluffing. Well, he cannot afford bluffing. And it has to be clear that the people supporting Ukraine and the European Union and the Member States, and the United Stated and NATO are not bluffing neither.”
“And any nuclear attack against Ukraine will create an answer, not a nuclear answer but such a powerful answer from the military side that the Russian Army will be annihilated, and Putin should not be bluffing.”
“This is a serious moment in history, and we have to show our unity, our strength, and our determination. Complete determination.”
Further evidence, if you need it,that we are living in the prophesied “last days” when Jesus gave us the prophecy of “wars and rumours of wars” as just one of the many signs of what we will see just before He returns first to rapture the Saints and second to pour out His wrath upon the unrepentant.
“And you will hear of wars and rumors 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.” Matthew 24:6-8
“And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Mark 13:7-8
I am in the process of developing a website http://www.millennialkingdom.net. I believe this is my final assignment before I am taken to Paradise or Jesus returns and I get raptured with the Saints. The website is to prepare the Saints to rule and reign with Jesus in the Millennium. Please check it out. You will find this post there along with a lot of other information and resources.
Background
As revealed in MILLENNIAL KINGDOM – PURPOSE (www.millennialkingdom.net). One of the main reasons for the Millennium age is the fulfillment of the covenants and promises God made to Israel
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock – the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground – in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.” Deuteronomy 28:1-14
The Hebrews had to obey God’s voice and meet their obligations in order to obtain the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5). This is not the case with the Promised Land Covenant.
The psalmist summarized and emphasizedthe eternality of God’s covenant promise to Israel regarding the land.
“He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you, I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” Psalm 105:7-11
The Bible reveals God will regather the Jews from all of the Nations and on Jesus’return, with Him ruling and reigning from Jerusalem, Israel will realize her destiny as head of the Nations. The regathering started in 1948 when Israel was miraculously re-established as a nation. This was the first major prophesied “end times” sign that was obvious to everyone.
At the beginning of Jesus’ first ministry on this earth, He recited Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue:
“He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Isaiah 61:1-2
but note what He did then. “And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. “And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”Luke 4:20-21
Jesus did not read the rest of Isaiah’s prophecy because it refers to His second coming. This time gap in the Isaiah prophecy is similar to the time gap in Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy between the 69th and 70th week.
Look at the incredible amount of detail in the Isaiah prophecy about what will happen at Jesus second coming to earth and during His Millennial reign.
“and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory, you shall boast. Instead of your shame, there shall be a double portion;instead of dishonor, they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land, they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:2-11
To fulfill this prophecy by Isaiah and Ezekiel’s prophecy below, as well as the many other O.T. and N.T prophecies on Jesus’ second coming, the Millennium Kingdom is a necessary transition before the new heaven and new earth. God tells us He will make Israel one nation and He will make a new covenant with them. He will ensure they never backslide again. The saved and the unsaved alike will behold Jesus’ rightful place as the divine sovereign of the universe.
“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
Zion’s Coming Salvation “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:1- 5
The only prayer Jesus taught us to pray includes “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven” this prayer needs an answer and it will be answered by Jesus’ Millennial reign on this earth.
The Branch (Israel) of the Lord Glorified
“In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” Isaiah 4:2-4
New Covenant Of Peace
“I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:26-28 “This is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth,nor from the mouth of your descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.” Isaiah 59:20-21
Israelites will have transformed hearts and minds but still mortal
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6
“I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:33
“And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.“Hosea 2:18-20
“Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus, says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of these peoplein those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts?” Zechariah 8:4-6
The young and the old spoken of here are the mortals that live around the base of the New Jerusalem in its greater metropolitan area, the Holy Allotment.
God Will Favour His Nation Israel
“Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it. “Thus, says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 36:36-38
This can only be the Millennial Kingdom, those that inhabit the New Heaven and New Earth do not marry or have children.
“You shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory, you shall boast. Instead of your shame, there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor, they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land, they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.” Isaiah 61:6-7
The Israelites will be able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor and live life the way God intended. God will answer prayers before they’re even finished! Miracles will abound. Edenic conditions are evident in Israel. Animals shall not hurt or destroy in my holy mountain.
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Isaiah 35:5-6
“I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.“Isaiah 65:18-25
“And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground.” Hosea 2:18
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing... For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;” Isaiah 35:1-2, 6-7
Coronation Banquet
After his coronation at the beginning of the Millennium, Jesus is going to prepare a lavish banquet! People will come to the height of Zion shouting for joy, beaming over the bounty of the LORD. Grain, wine, and choice meats will be enjoyed along with dancing. God will fill the souls of the priests, and his people will be satisfied with his goodness (Jeremiah 31:12–14). Many will come from east and west to recline at the same table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8:11).
Israel in the Millennium: The Centre of the World
GEOMORPHOLOGY TRANSFORMED
The geomorphology of Israel and the entire earth will be changed during the time God pours out His wrath upon the earth particularly during the Bowl judgements, as these two Scriptures outline:
“Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations… and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4
“The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.“Revelation 16:19-20
The millennial Jerusalem sits on the highest plateau and has two rivers flowing out of its east and west sides. The mountain’s great height emphasizes Jerusalem as the centre of world authority, for all the nations will flow to it.A totally new construct. The millennial Jerusalem is nine times larger than the current city.All the land of Israel round about Jerusalem, which was encompassed with mountains,but now these mountains shall become a plain.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people. Psalms125:2
“The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.” Zechariah 14:10
Geba was a city in the tribe of Benjamin, on the northern border of the land, ( Joshua 21:17 ) and Rimmon was in the tribe of Judah, given to Simeon on the southern part, ( Joshua 15:32, 19:7)
“It shall come to pass in the latter days that themountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it.” Isaiah 2:2 & Micah 4:1
“Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:3-6
“And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter, it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.” Zechariah 14:8-9
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.” Psalms 22:27
“Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.” Zechariah 8:21-22
GEOGRAPHY
Israel is like the Garden of Eden: The land across the planet will produce food in a way that none on earth have experienced since Adam and Eve’s exit from paradise but Israel will enjoy the greatest level of production. It will be restored to be like the Garden of Eden.
The highest mountain on earth, Mt. Zion will not be covered with snow. Rather, it will be a place where the most opulent of plant life will flourish.
The Majestic Tree – “On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD.”. Ezekiel 17:22–23
“So they will say, ‘This land (Israel) that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate.” Ezekiel 36:35-36
“I will make the places all around My hill a blessing, and I will cause showers to come down in their season… Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land, and they shall know that I am the Lord,…I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34:26-30
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.” Isaiah 25:1-2
The crocus is among the first types of flowers to bloom in the spring, at times even arising out of the snow.
An abundance of wine in the Millennium is to be expected, for Jesus told his disciples that he would drink from the fruit of the vine with them in the coming kingdom (Matthew 26:29).
HIGHWAY OFHOLINESS
The Holy Highway Travel to Jerusalem will be so routine that a special highway for pilgrims will run through Israel. The highway will be called the Way of Holiness, because only the redeemed will be permitted to travel on it. The highway connects Israel with Egypt and Assyria (Isaiah 19:23–24). This astounding highway is part of God’s plan in making Egypt his people and Assyria the work of his hands. Isaiah 19:25
“A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness… but the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing,” Isaiah 35:8,10
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem are to become so dense that it will appear as if the nations of the world are flowing toward the mountain like water (v. 2; Mic 4:1). Numerous people will travel to the mountain because it is where they shall receive instruction from the LORD and become his followers (v. 3; Mic 4:2).
EVIDENCE OF MAN’S PAST REBELLION
“But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.” Ezekiel 47:11
The remaining salted areas are emblematic of the transitional nature of the Millennium.
The saltiness of the Dead Sea can rightly be understood to symbolize death. Even with Jesus reigning from David’s throne there will still be death, though it is diminished.
Israel’s Borders Will Be As God Defined Them
The tribe of Levi is given a parcel of land? L – Levites portion.
Any previous division of the land did not allocate land to the tribe of the priests. They took their residence in the land of the other 12 tribes. In the Millennium, 13 tribes will inherit a parcel of land. The portion given to the tribe of Levi is called a holy section. It will be a parcel 50 miles by 50 miles and will be situated between the land inheritance given to Judah and Benjamin. Both the city of Jerusalem and the Temple will be in this section of land, called the “sacred district” As described in Ezekiel 45, the land around the Temple is divided into three large parcels of land – The Sanctuary, open space around it and homes for the Levite priests.
King David shall own the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city. P – Prince’s portion
WASTELANDS
Edom in Southern Jordan: The most comprehensive description of Edom’s future is found in Isaiah 34:8-10.
“For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch. Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation, it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever.” Isaiah 34:8-10
In Jeremiah, it is compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. Its devastation is the result of God avenging Israel. “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.” Obadiah 1:10
Jerusalem will be the Capital of the World on the Highest Summit
JERUSALEM – A NEW CITY, A NEW NAME– THE LORD IS THERE
“The city will be surrounded by open country and for the housing of all the tribes of Israel… and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.” Ezekiel 48:15–19,35 The Hebrew for this compound name is YHWH-shammah. It appears only once in the Tanakah. It is descriptive of when the Messiah will be ruling from His city. The name YHWH-shammah is both unique and incredibly comforting, for it describes Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus will be there.
The millennial Jerusalem measures ten miles by ten miles square (Ezek 48:16, 35). She is to have twelve gates, three on each side, each named after a tribe of Israel (Ezek 48:30–34). The primary purpose of these gates is revealed in Isaiah 60:11–12: Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve, you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
She is to have twelve gates, three on each side, each named after a tribe of Israel (Ezekiel 48:30–34). “your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.” Isaiah 60:11
Once the Jews were forced to build cities in Egypt (Exod 1:11). In a stunning reversal, it is foreigners who will build and maintain the very walls of Jerusalem (Isa 60:10).
The temple is located outside the city, in the northern section of the sacred land given to the priests and it alone is bigger than the current city of Jerusalem. The millennial Jerusalem sits on the highest plateau and has two rivers flowing out of its east and west sides.
This picture shows the Millennial river.This picture does not show the river emanating from the Temple
Jesus maintains a memorial to the Battle of Armageddon which was the climax at the end of the previous age and His return to earth with the glorified Saints.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”Jeremiah 31:38-40
A Magnificent New Temple
We find incredible detail (8 chapters) of the new temple in Ezekiel 40-48. The numerous details provided on Ezekiel’s temple require that they be taken seriously. The exact measurements and detail by detail instruction are nothing like portions of Scripture that are to be understood symbolically. The narrative is reminiscent of that provided for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25–30), and Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6–8), actual physical structures. No respecter of Scripture would deny that the Shekinah departed an actual temple (Ezekiel 10:18–19; 11:22–23). We should pay the same amount of respect and believe that its return is also to a physical temple (Ezekiel.43:1–5). Ezekiel was told by the angel: “look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”Ezekiel 40:4
For an excellent detailed description of the new temple, I suggest you get the book – One Thousand Years with Jesus: The Coming Messianic Kingdom by Matthew Bryce Ervin.
The whole area around Zion will reflect the glory of the LORD, and nations will stream to Jerusalem to worship Jesus in this magnificent temple.
The Gentiles will bring the wealth of their nations, filling the temple (Haggai. 2:7). They will be brought to the holy mountain to enjoy equal access to the sanctuary and find joy within. At that time, the temple will be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Isaiah 56:7).
As further evidence for these Scriptures referring to a future Temple, foreigners will be serving in this temple, even offering sacrifices.
“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:6-8
RIVER FLOWING FROM THE TEMPLE
The River of Life flowing from the temple will stream from the eastern facing threshold of the Lord’s Temple. It begins as only a trickle from the south, growing as it flows eastward. The water level is measured in four 1,750 foot deviations, from ankle deep to knee deep to waist deep, becoming so wide and deep that a man could swim in it but could not traverse on foot. A literal translation of verse 9 and Zechariah 14:8 teaches that this is a double river, flowing in two directions. One side travels to the Dead Sea and the other to the Mediterranean. Much more detail is given on the side flowing into the Dead Sea but the Mediterranean side will probably be similar. By design, both waterways will run through the farmlands on each side of Jerusalem (cf. Ezek 48:18–19).
The river will heal the Dead Sea, making it fresh, and filling it with a great abundance of fish (vv. 8–10). The waters bring life wherever they flow (v. 9).
“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side... Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?… when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish...And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fails, but they will bear fresh fruit every month because the water for them flows from the sanctuary.Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 7:1-2, 5-6, 8-9, 12
This river is a precursor to the River of Life on the New Earth after the White Throne Judgement. Note the differences between Jerusalem in the Millennium and Jersualem in the New Earth: God the Father and Jesus the Son are there, there is no temple, no sun or moon, no night and day
“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there… Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 21:22-27, 22:1-5
This is the sixth “Dwelling Place” of God (Fourth Temple). The Seventh and final dwelling place is the ultimate purpose of God in creating mankind, and that is for us to be His temple. This temple is the spiritually mature Bride of Christ or the New Jerusalem, where God’s Spirit can fully dwell in man as He dwelt in our protégé, Jesus.
Millennial Temple Sacrifices
The idea of the Davidic Covenant being broken is presented as an absurdity. And the sacrifices are a direct result of the Davidic Covenant being fulfilled.
“Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: in those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David, a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth… “For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; nor shall the priests, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.” Jeremiah 33:14-18
In the Millennium sinners still need to be given a daily reminder that
1. The wages of SIN is DEATH
2. Jesus’ sacrificial death on The Cross provides the only solution to the DEATH problem.
God set up the sacrificial system for that purpose and it will continue in the Millennium but with significant differences.
Jesus sits on His throne in the Temple replacing the Ark of the Covenant. He alone is the answer to the SIN problem. He alone is Saviour but also must be Lord of all.
The Feast Days were pointers to our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross so will be maintained but two are eliminated and some are modified.
For the saints who lived before Messiah, it was their faith that saved them, the animal sacrifices were a “shadow of good things to come” pointing forward to the blood of Messiah (Jesus) that would be shed on their behalf.
During an age of peace, the sacrifices in the Millennial Temple will be a needed reminder for mortals of the high price that was paid for their redemption. The animal sacrifices will point backward to the blood Jesus shed on The Cross for the sins of mankind. It has always been about Jesus, and not animal sacrifices.
The sacrifices are performed as a memorial of Jesus’ death on the cross just as we celebrate communion as a memorial of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Messianic Temple experts John Schmitt and Carl Laney wrote: “Ezekiel himself believed it was a reality and the future home of Messiah. Then, it becomes not heresy to believe that a Temple and sacrifices will exist; rather, it is almost a heresy to not believe this, especially because it is a part of God’s infallible Word. The burden on us is to determine how it fits—not its reality.” Schmitt and Laney, Messiah’s Coming Temple, 181.
American theologian John Whitcomb explains it well: even in the age of grace, God deems it necessary for Christians to be reminded of the awful price that Jesus paid, through the symbolism of the bread and the cup. Drinking of this “cup of blessing” (1 Cor. 10:16) does not involve a re-offering of the blood of Christ but serves as a powerful “remembrance” of Christ and a powerful proclaiming of “the Lord’s death till he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:25–26).
Horatius Bonar, the 19th-century Scottish minister, and hymn writer: The temple, the worship, the rites, the sacrifices, have all their centre in the Lamb that was slain. To Him, they point, and to Him, they speak. Why should they not be allowed to do so in the millennial age, if such be the purpose of the Father? They are commemorative, not typical. They are retrospective then, not prospective, as of old. And how needful will retrospection be then, especially to Israel? How needful, when dwelling in the blaze of a triumphant Messiah’s glory, to have ever before them some memorial of the cross, some palpable record of the humbled Jesus, some visible exposition of his sin-bearing work, in virtue of which they have been forgiven, and saved, and loved, to which they owe all their blessedness and honour, and by means of which, God is teaching them the way in which the exceeding riches of His grace can flow down to them in righteousness. And if God should have yet a wider circle of truth to open up to us out of His word concerning His Son, why should he not construct a new apparatus for the illustration of that truth?
THE SECOND PURPOSE: A Hedge against Defilement
They will appease God’s wrath for a time and keep his home pure in the midst of a still sinful world. The most operative passage on this topic is Ezekiel 45:18–20. Jesus will not allow sin to go unchecked in the same realm where his holiness will reside. Put simply, the King will not tolerate sin in the kingdom. And yet, there will be sinners living throughout the Millennium.
On the first day of the year, the blood of a perfect bull must be used to cleanse the temple (vv. 18–19). This suggests that over the previous year, the sin from outside will begin to dirty the temple. The same ritual is repeated six days later to atone for those sins committed out of ignorance or by accident (v. 20). Just as the offering of animals will continue to point to the Messiah, so too will they continue to provide atonement in the form of ritual cleansing.
Blood from a young bull is to be put on the altar’s horns, on its corners, and on the border around it (Vv. 19-20). By putting the blood on the altar in this way it is to make atonement for it (v. 20). It just means that the LORD can accept it. As long as the sacrifices are maintained the LORD God will accept the people (v. 27). This is useful in understanding the millennial sacrifices because it is clear that they result in the LORD simply accepting certain people in a limited manner and for a limited time. It does not in any way teach that they have now gained the same sort of propitiation as one would through the blood of the Messiah.
ALTAR BEFORE INNER SANCTUARY
The altar sits in the inner court before the temple proper (Ezek 40:47). The base is one and one-half feet high. It is surrounded by a one and one-half foot wide trench or gutter, with a nine-inch-high top edge, undoubtedly for draining blood and water (v. 13; cf. 1 Kgs 18:32, 34–35). The base supports three tiers, one on top of another. The first is three feet high and twenty-four feet square (v. 14). The second is six feet high and twenty-one feet square (vv. 14, 17). This tier also has a gutter with a nine-inch top edge (vv. 14, 17). The top tier is the hearthstone, measuring six feet high and eighteen feet square. Four horns will extend from the top of its corners (vv. 15–16). Eastward facing steps ascend the altar (v. 17). This creates the first of many contrasts with the Mosaic sacrificial system
In the Mosaic system, no goats were offered, while in the Millennial system a goat is offered on each of the seven days (Ezekiel 43:25).
The Mosaic called for applying blood on the horns of the altar (Exodus 29:12), while Ezekiel’s instruction goes further with the blood also being applied to the corners and on the border around it (Ezekiel 43:20). In the Mosaic, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies ( Hebrews 9:7). In Ezekiel’s system, all priests are permitted to enter. In the Mosaic, only a Levite could be a priest, while Isaiah prophecies a time when Gentiles will occupy the office (Isaiah 66:18–21).
THE THRONE OF THE LORD REPLACES THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
The Ark of the Covenant played a critical role in the Mosaic System, while it will not be missed or even remembered in the Millennium.
“They will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 3:16-17
The Millennial sacrifices will look back to the death of the Messiah, just as the Mosaic sacrifices looked forward. The feasts and Sabbaths will be observed in the Millennium (e.g., Ezek. 44:24; Zech. 14:16), serving as reflections of the Messiah’s great works.
The five different offerings, four of them with blood-shedding, will serve as a constant reminder to millennial Jews (who will not yet be glorified) that death is God’s judgement of sin but also of the extent of God’s love to offer Jesus (Immanuel) as a complete sacrifice to make their salvation possible.
The book of Zechariah examines several facets of the millennial sacrifices.
“In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 14:20–21
Feast Days
Even with Jesus physically present in the Millennium, the feasts and the Sabbaths will still be important reminders of what is ultimately found only in Him. Israel will function exactly as God intended them to function when he established them as a nation and instituted the law under Moses.
Passover’s observance during the Millennium is quite significant and helpful in understanding these future animal sacrifices. Passover was a shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the propitiation effected by His blood. Jesus was the true Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7; cf. John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:19).
God eliminates Pentecost and 10th Tishri (Jewish Day of Atonement).
God deprives Passover of the lamb and as a household meal. In the Mosaic Passover, ordinances were performed by the male head of house (Exodus 12:3), while Ezekiel mandates that the Prince (David) oversees the feast for the nation as a whole. These differences highlight the fact that Ezekiel understood it was a new system and not a return to the Mosaic. Passover’s observance during the Millennium is quite significant and helpful in understanding these future animal sacrifices. Passover was a shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the propitiation effected by His blood. Jesus was the true Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7; cf. John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:19).
“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. Ezekiel 45:21-22
God retains the feast of 15th Tishri (Feast of Tabernacles) (Ezekiel 45:18-25). This joyous harvest festival has obvious symbolism for the ingathering of the nations (John 4:35-38, Revelation 7:9-10). Note there are dire consequences for nations that do not come up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Lord Jesus will dwell or tabernacle among his people (e.g., Isaiah 24:21–23; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 20:4–6), something that the feast has always been a shadow of.
“Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths). And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them… they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nationswho do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zechariah 14;16-17
Christians from many nations have already been going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles knowing it will be a requirement after Jesus returns to rule and reign.
Feast of Tabernacles 2018
Government of Israel
GOD’S LAW ENFORCED IN ALL NATIONS
“For out of Zion shall go the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and decide disputes for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against other nation,” Isaiah 2:3-4
“For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.” Isaiah 60:12
JESUS
Jesus (The Branch) will build the temple of the LORD and rule from His throne in the inner court of the Temple. Jesus will enjoy both the offices of king and priest, further cementing that the Messiah will fulfill the prophet’s words.
“And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:10
DAVID
Scripture infers Jesus appoints the resurrected King David as His prince over Israel. One responsibility is to oversee the observance of the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.
“It shall be the prince’s duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 45:17
“I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the people, a leader, and commander for the people.” Isaiah 55:3
“I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — Myservant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:23-24
“This gate (the outer gate of the sanctuary), which faces east shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore, it shall remain shut. Only the prince (David) may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate and shall go out by the same way.” Ezekiel 44:1-2
“The prince shall own the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city,… on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. It is to be his property in Israel.” Ezekiel 45:7
JESUS TWELVE DISCIPLES
Each of the twelve disciples will judge one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28
“You are those who have stayed with Me in My trials, and I assign to you, as My Father assigned to Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:28-30
ZADOKITES AND LEVITES
“The chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar.These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to Him.” Ezekiel 40:46
“The Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord God. They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.” Ezekiel 44:15-16
“In a dispute, they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my Sabbaths holy.” Ezekiel 44:24
LEVITES are demoted from being priests and become the temple’s caretakers (Ezekiel 44:11, 14). The consequence of seeking idols instead of God (v. 10). The Levites bear the consequences of their sin in the Millennium.
How one lives his or her life now results in very real repercussions in the coming kingdom
“They shall not come near Me to minister to Me as a priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place.” Ezekiel 12–13
ZERUBABBEL
“I am about to shake the heavens and the earth and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.” Haggai 2:22-23
Zerubbabel being made a signet ring means that he will represent a dignitary in much the same way that a flag or standard-bearer does. Zerubbabel led the first group of Israelites back from the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:1–2), constructed the second temple (Ezra 5:2), and is in the direct line of ancestry to Jesus, possibly serving as a common link to both Joseph (Matt 1:12) and Mary (Luke 3:27). As a reward for his service, the LORD will bestow a special honor upon Zerubbabel.
RESTORED JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES
The offices of judge and counsellor will be reinstituted.
“I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning. Afterward, you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” Isaiah 1:26
“In a dispute, they (Zadok priests) shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my Sabbaths holy.” Ezekiel 44:24
“I will also make your officers peace and your magistrates righteousness.” Isaiah 60:17
SAINTSRULING
The Saints will be out and about, ruling and reigning the nations with Christ in a world that still has mortals.What roles they will have in Israel is not given. The office/position each Saint will be allocated in the Millennium will be based on the reward one receives from our Lord for service rendered whilst on earth. Perhaps you will get to minister in the same nation in which you ministered and served before the Rapture.
“And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great,” Revelation 11:18
Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High, their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.” Daniel 7:27
Jesus and the Saints rule the nations with a rod of iron.
“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.” Revelation 2:27
“Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now, therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:8-11
“For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.” Isaiah 60:12
ANGELS
Angels are now subject to the Saints so in the Millennium Jesus will give some Saints the role of directing the Angels activities on the earth.
”Even Jesus was made lower than the angels when He came to earth to become a man. Hebrews 2:6-9 Note the change for believers when we get our resurrected bodies and are like the risen Christ.
“Do you not know that we (resurrected saints) shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:3
Speech of the Israelis
“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord… “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. Zephaniah3:9-11
The pure speech referred to in Zephaniah does not mean language but to the use of the language, there will be no blasphemy or swearing. From the following Scripture, it is evident that nations shall still speak the language God gave them at Babel or a derivative of it. Though I would think Hebrew will be the second language taught in the schools of all nations.
“Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Zechariah 8:22-23
The abomination of desolation is one of the primary end-time signposts Jesus emphasizes in his Olivet Discourse teaching Matthew 24 & 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. And we should not forget Daniel 9:27 spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. This prophecy should be a central part of the Messianic community’s broader teaching on eschatology, especially as we draw closer to the return of Jesus.
Scripture is clear that the abomination of desolation relates to some action the Antichrist will take in the Temple, midway through the 70th week (the final year before Jesus returns to earth, first to rapture the Saints and then to pour out His wrath upon unrepentant earth.). Beyond this general description, we are not given too many other details that explain what exactly the Antichrist will do at this time. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 offers some information when it states that the Antichrist will “take his seat in the Temple of God, displaying himself as God.” Jesus also mentions that the abomination of desolation will be seen “standing in the holy place.” In a sense, both Jesus and Paul seem to refer to the Antichrist himself as the abomination of desolation. At the same time, Daniel 12:11 says the abomination of desolation will be “set up.” This language could point to some type of idolatrous image or idol of the Antichrist that will be will be set up in the Temple (Revelation 13:15).
The fact that Jesus drew an analogy between the past actions of Antiochus and the future actions of the Antichrist, further proves that the abomination of desolation will involve events that transpire within the Temple’s holy place while the Temple is still intact.
When Daniel 8:11 says the Antichrist will cause the sanctuary to be “thrown down,” this language indicates that he will not merely defile the Temple, but instead, he will also destroy it, which is something Antiochus never did. Antiochus only plundered and profaned the Temple. It appears the Antichrist will go one step further.
Luke also adds some important details that are left out of Matthew and Mark’s accounts. We read:
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance so that all things which are written must be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24
Luke does not mention “the abomination of desolation” in the holy place. Instead, he mentions that Jerusalem will be “surrounded by armies” and invaded. This invasion will lead to a time of “great distress” and a period of captivity for the Jewish nation. At the midpoint of the 70th week, right after the Antichrist fulfills the abomination of desolation prophecies of Daniel, his armies will conquer Israel, and the nation will remain under the control of the Antichrist until Jesus returns (Luke 21:27).
Hence, Luke 21:20–24 adds the important detail that not only will people see the Antichrist in the Jewish sanctuary at this time, but they will also see Jerusalem surrounded by armies. When the Lord’s people in Jerusalem witness these events, they should recognize them as a sign of imminent destruction, and as a final opportunity to “flee to the mountains” (Lk. 21:21).
As difficult as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble will be, Revelation 12:6 and 12:13–16 do also make clear that a Jewish remnant that heeds Jesus’ advice to “flee to the mountains” will be protected and preserved in the wilderness during the last half of the 70th week. God’s preservation of the Jewish remnant during the final half of the 70th week also raises an important practical point for the followers of Jesus today. We need to alert Jews, particularly Messianic Jews to the protection that is available to them during the great tribulation (3 1/2 years).
The abomination of desolation will lead to Israel’s final period of purging and discipline before the Messianic Age. According to Daniel, this time will last for three-and-a-half years (1,260-1,290 days; Daniel12:11). Also, Daniel 12:7 says, Israel will suffer at the hands of the Antichrist “for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people [i..e Israel], all these events will be completed,” 1,290 days after “the abomination of desolation” is set up (Daniel 12:11–13).
This information is extracted from Travis Snow’s excellent book “The Seventy Weeks Jubilee”.
Why the World Economic Forum (WEF) Great Financial Reset will happen. The financial world is divorced from reality largely due to the exorbitant money-printing activities of the U.S. Central Bank and the European Central Bank.
In the Fall of 2008 – October 3rd the chart spikes higher – the day the Federal Government bailed out the banks. But that’s not all they did. Over the next 12 years, the Fed printed so many dollars, the money supply doubled by 2020. In other words, the government hasn’t tapped the brakes on the printing press in any meaningful way since 2008. That’s why, today, it’s becoming harder and harder for Americans to make ends meet. There’s simply no way to get ahead of this by ‘earning’ money in a job…
If rates went back up to 5%… 6%… or the historic average of 8%? The truth is… if the Fed stops printing and normalizes interest rates, it will be like pulling the pin from a grenade strapped to their own chest.
12-Year-Old Nyla Hayes Makes $1.6 Million Selling NFT Art
Thousands of Americans will soon become impoverished… while others become much, much wealthier – practically overnight. Normality is gone, I recently saw this story about Nyla Hayes, a 12-year-old girl who made $1.6 million selling NFT art. (A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership). At the same time, in cities across America, people in the middle class are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
This is all leading up to prophesied “end times” mark of the Beast where people will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the Antichrist’s mark (microchip) inserted in their hand or forehead.
“Also, it (The False Prophet) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17
The Atlanta-based pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Quentin Van Meter who’s also president of the American College of Pediatricians, noted that the main tactic used by transactivists in the medical field is to classify anyone who dares to express caution or an opinion that contravenes the socially-approved narrative on these issues as narrow-minded and discriminatory.
Medical scandals are particularly difficult to expose when academia, the corporate press, and the entertainment industry further them, according to doctors and investigative journalists raising the alarm about experimental transgender medicalization.
The Christian Post’s new documentary-style investigative podcast series, released Friday, explains that the brewing catastrophe of transing minors has occurred with the speed that it has due to nefarious institutional pressures.
According to Dr. Andre Van Mol, a family medicine doctor in Redding, California, many are simply uninformed about the scope of the corruption and how many minors are being given hormones and undergoing trans surgeries. He recalled an endocrinology colleague, who was also from California, presenting a few years ago before a group of federal lawmakers who were also doctors and equally horrified to learn how deep the malfeasance went as he showed them details that were unearthed from an NIH research grant that was awarded to several pediatric gender clinics.
One of the doctors involved in the study had lowered the age of the cross-sex hormone cohort inclusion criteria from 13 to 8 years old. In that same presentation, to the horror of legislators who were listening who had no idea this was going on in the nation they represented, the endocrinologist also highlighted an article in JAMA Pediatrics indisputably showing that elective double mastectomies had been performed on girls as young as 13.
“It’s just unbelievable if you didn’t know it was happening. And it shouldn’t be, and it won’t be happening long. This is all going to go down. But we don’t want to wait until it simply goes down by the weight of its scientific frailty” and low-quality scientific data, Van Mol said in the podcast.
“When the kids in the families that have gone down this path and then are devastated by it, don’t just sue the doctors and hospitals but the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical firms, the biotech companies, all the way up the chain. That’s when this thing is going to stop because it’s going to be shown that it is not the cash cow that it is now.”
He noted that the most famous study out of Sweden tracked 324 post-operative trans-identifying individuals and found that they had a 19 times higher hazard of completed suicide against population-matched controls and that the same group also had a substantially higher rate of psychiatric hospitalization. In other words, far from alleviating their distress, surgery to appear more as the opposite sex considerably worsened their lives and, in many cases, served to end it prematurely.
Documentary filmmaker and bioethicist Jennifer Lahl of the Center for Bioethics & Culture emphasized that what is manifesting now in the medical arena is part of a much longer breakdown in medical ethics. Her documentary films. “Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender?” (2021) and “The Detransition Diaries: Saving Our Sisters,” the latter of which was released last month, scrutinize the dearth of medical ethics in trans medicalization in youth and highlight the personal stories of those who underwent the experimental protocols and wound up with regret and grave damage to their bodies.
These medical atrocities were allowed to happen in part because of the larger shifts in medical ethics and the lack of a common ethical framework and language, she explains. The approach doctors are now taking is a move away from individual patient needs toward their various whims. They have gone from being physicians to service providers; those they are serving have gone from being patients to clients or customers, Lahl remarked of this shift.
“I hear from medical students all that time that they have very little ethics training,” she added, noting that their medical schools are churning out technicians who rarely, if ever, ask questions about whether they ought to be doing what they are doing.
Yet the supposed professionals that have been carrying out this experimental medicalization have been able to escape accountability in large part because of the systematic dishonesty in the corporate media.
Jennifer Bilek, an investigative journalist who blogs regularly at her Substack and at the 11thHourBlog, has extensively traced the money from the medical industry that is driving transgender ideology globally. She urges people not to be deceived by individual publications and magazines, as many are connected to corporate media conglomerates, all of which are simultaneously pushing the same message: that transgenderism is cool and a hip lifestyle.
“All of these conglomerates have a massive health platform, and so they are integrally tied to the medical-industrial complex. The medical-industrial complex is driving these identities for profit, so they are going to drive them through these media platforms,” Bilek said on the podcast.
“They’re all sending these same messages at the same time. It’s pretty wild how it’s all connected.”
For journalist Lisa Selin Davis, a political liberal and a journalist who has been critical of how the Left and mainstream news agencies have reported on gender issues, it was disheartening to discover how left-wing publications refused to engage the substance. When left-wing people she knew started speaking to her about what seemed like right-wing conspiracies — that pharmaceutical companies were performing medical experiments on gay kids — she was befuddled but decided to investigate it further.
“What finally broke me was reading the desistance literature,” (desistance isthe process by which criminality, or the individual risk for antisocial conduct, declines over the life course, generally after adolescence), Davis recalled in the podcast, recounting how she reviewed 11 studies that examined youth who were referred for gender dysphoria. All of the studies found that the vast majority of those young people grew out of their confusion after puberty, and of those who desisted, many went on to live their lives as homosexuals.
The scariest aspect for Davis is the gender identity revolution’s sinister bent toward “family abolition,” which she describes as “the idea that if your parents are unsupportive, you should reject them, that children should be removed from families that don’t wish to medically or socially transition their child.”
Satan is a liar, all his temptations are carried on by his calling evil good, and good evil, and promising freedom in sin. He is the author of all lies; whom liars resemble and obey, with whom all liars shall have their portion forever.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 