The chart below shows the generations from Shem to the establishment of God’s nation Israel with the covenant God made with Abraham down to Jesus entering history 64 generations from the time God judged the world with the flood of Noah’s day. The new name God gave to Jacob, Israel, expresses the concept of wrestling, clinging firmly to God, and overcoming. God confirmed his covenant with Jacob, indicating that Israel is to be understood as Jacob’s covenant name. After all his original name was hardly appropriate. When born, Jacob is given the name “Jacob” meaning, “trickster, supplanter, heel grabber.”
What
Who
Generations from Shem
Semites
Shem
0
Hebrews
Eber
3
Father of the faith
Abraham (down through Isaac)
9
Israelites
Jacob renamed Israel
11
Jews (Judaism)
Judah
12
Christians (including Messianic Jews)
Jesus
64
These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these, the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
Shem was still alive at the time of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel and its aftermath. No longer was there just one speech, but multiple complex languages miraculously arose according to families (Genesis 11:1, 9), whose members would be fluent in their own (new) language (Genesis 10:5, 20, 31).
Languages are grouped into families; linguists recognize about 20 main ones. Germanic languages (e.g. English, Dutch, German, and Swedish) are part of the Indo-European (traditionally Japhetic) language family. Semitic languages are part of the Afro-Asiatic family (previously called Hamito-Semitic).
If evolution were true, we would expect all language families to be related. However, linguist Dr Paul Lawrence states, “languages within a language family have many common features, surprisingly few of these features are shared with languages from another language family, suggesting that the protolanguages and progenitors of modern isolates arose at the original confusion of languages.”
Semitic languages (74) include Arabic (South Semitic) and Hebrew (together with Aramaic, Canaanite, and others categorized as West Semitic languages).
Both are written from right to left, with the Arabic alphabet having six more letters than Hebrew’s 22. The consonants common to both are often named similarly. Neither alphabet has symbols for vowels. Many words are made of a root of three consonants which can be modified to form variations on that word. Around 60% of the vocabulary is related.
The Semitic group shows generally a loss of complexity over time while remaining more complex than English. One example is Akkadian (extinct East Semitic).
Based on evolution, it would be expected that going back in time, languages would be found to be simpler. The opposite is the case. For example, nouns in English and Dutch—both Germanic languages—had several cases in the past, but these are now almost entirely gone. New High German still possesses cases, but not as many as Old High German, for example.
Biblical history provides answers for all the reasons the world is as it is today. The many fulfilled Biblical prophecies also provide ample evidence Biblical history is true. They are also the reason why we can expect the many prophecies of Jesus’ second coming to be fulfilled exactly as outlined in both the O.T. and N.T., particularly in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy, Jesus Olivet Discourse, and Revelation. The following Scriptures are to whet your appetite for all the gems that are in the Bible concerning Jesus’ second coming and the end of Satan’s rule on this earth. Next is Jesus and the Saints ruling on this earth for 1000 years – Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. Go to http://www.millennialkingdom.net for more information on what comes next on God’s agenda.
DANIEL’S 70 WEEKS
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophetand to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks, it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end, there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”Daniel 9:24-27
OLIVET DISCOURSE
“As he (Jesus) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 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 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. “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... “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:3-14,29-31
REVELATION: SAINTS RAPTURED – STANDING IN TRANSFIGURED BODIES BEFORE GOD’S THRONE
“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 honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-14
“For this, we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
After reading the Scriptures below, can anyone who claims to trust in Scripture honestly doubt that the Jewish people have a divine right to the Promised 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.” Psalms 105:7-11
“He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Remember 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.” 1 Chronicles 16:14-18
Could Scripture somehow be any clearer in conveying this truth? We can be assured that our God is a God that keeps his promises and is faithful to his word. Even at this point, the nation of Israel has only been partially restored.
The descendants of Abraham, through Isaac and then Jacob, now both dwell in and control some of the Promised Land. The majority of the land is yet to fall under Jewish control. Furthermore, the Jews are experiencing occupation by those worshipping a false god on the Temple Mount. The land promise in the Abrahamic Covenant has not been completed. If those things that are either directly promised by God or originate from those promises have not yet occurred, then we must conclude that they will in the future.
Isaiah prophesied God’s desire for His chosen city.
“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” Isaiah 62:1-4
“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
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
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.
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
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.
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 overthrownanymore forever.”Jeremiah 31:38-40
Did you know the UN General Assembly voted to formally recognize “Nakba Day,” an annual memorial event characterizing the establishment of the State of Israel as a disaster? It was a major victory for pro-Palestinian activists.
The word “Nakba,” which means catastrophe in Arabic, has been used to describe the 1948 War of Independence that led to the creation of the Jewish State.
The UN resolution, which was sponsored by the Palestinian delegation to the UN, Egypt, Jordan, Senegal, Yemen and Tunisia, calls for the “commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, including by organizing a high-level event at the General Assembly Hall” on May 15th, 2023.
Both Egypt and Jordan have decades-old peace treaties with Israel, though tensions with Jordan have escalated in recent years.
It is telling that Israel’s so-called new “friends” in the Arab world, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan supported the anti-Israel resolution.
“Recently, the UN General Assembly passed a shameful resolution calling for an official event to commemorate the Palestinian ‘Nakba’ on the 75th Anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel,” wrote Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan. “By passing such an extreme and baseless resolution, the UN is only helping to perpetuate the conflict.”
“Try to imagine the international community commemorating your country’s Independence Day by calling it a disaster. What a disgrace,” Erdan added. “The Palestinians’ lies must no longer be accepted on the world stage, just as this body must stop allowing the Palestinians to continue pulling its strings. I urge you all to stop blindly supporting the Palestinians’ libels.”
90 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 30 voted against it, and 47 abstained. The majority of those countries that voted to formally recognize Nakba Day are Muslim Countries.
The following Scriptures tell us exactly what God is going to do to those nations in the not too distant future:
First God is going to judge all of those nations that want to destroy Israel. Jesus will destroy them at the battle of Armageddon.
“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restorethe fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.” Joel 3:1-3
Jesus will refine one third of national Israel during this time of judgment. They will come to know Jesus as Messiah, possibly some through the ministry of the two witnesses and some when they see Him returning to earth with the Saints, but either way they will help to populate the Millennial Kingdom.
“In the whole land, declares the Lord ‘two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people, and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” Zechariah 13:8-9
Then Jesus will gather the Jews from all the lands where they have been scattered.
“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
All of the nations of the world will acknowledge Jesus as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
“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
Note what happens when nations do not go up to Jerusalem to worship Jesus as King, the Lord of hosts.
“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 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. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.! Zechariah 14:16-19
Please use this information to evangelise the lost. They need to know what will happen in the future. The proof the Bible is God’s Word is fulfilled prophecies. All of the prophecies of Jesus first coming were fulfilled and there are many more about His second coming like those above and these will be fulfilled.
“Israel continues to be a world leader in drone technology…Israel serves as a model of a country that develops regulations and technologies to enable the management and control of the operation of multiple drones for various needs, and is rapidly approaching a continuous operating model that will enable low-altitude flights throughout the country,” said IIA CEO Dror Bin.
Nehemiah Shalem, acting director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, said that the organization was committed to fully supporting all of the entities involved in the project.
“Additionally, the CAAI will promote the critical legislative actions required for developing a thriving aviation industry that serves as a world leader while never compromising on flight safety,” said Shalem
In the not-too-distant future, Jesus will be ruling and reigning all the nations from Jerusalem. The psalmist summarized and emphasized the eternality of God’s covenant promise to Israel regarding the land to which they returned in 1948 but at present, they only partially occupy a small portion of what God promised them.
“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 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 Abrahamic Land Covenant.
The Bible reveals God will regather the Jews from all the Nations and on Jesus’ return, with Him ruling and reigning, Israel will realize her destiny as head of the Nations.
The promises that God made to Israel at the beginning through Moses will then be fulfilled:
“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 regathering began in 1948 when Israel was miraculously re-established as a nation. This was the first major prophesied “end-times” sign.Many of the other “end times” signs are also occurring in our time. Jesus said that when you see them we will know His return is near.
“So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” Luke 21:31
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21: 27
Only at the end of Jesus’ Millennial reign, will come “the end”, only then, the second resurrection followed by the White Throne judgement and then a new heaven and new earth where only the righteous dwell.
“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” 1 Corinthias 15:24-25
Many great historians and churchmen can be cited in affirming the early dominance of Premillennialism. Among them is the celebrated church historian Philip Schaff. He penned this oft-quoted passage:
“The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasmor millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius” Schaff, History of the Christian Church Vol 11, p. 614
Contained in Barnabas’ epistle is this common early church millennial belief:
“Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, “He finished in six days.” This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, “Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years.” Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. “And He rested on the seventh day.” This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. Ye perceive how He speaks . . . I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world.” The Epistle of Barnabus. Chapter 15, p. 146-147
Barnabus got it right both with the age of the earth and that Jesus will rule and reign on this earth for a thousand years and only then the White Throne Judgement followed by a new heaven and new earth.
Justin Martyr was an overtly premillennial ante-Nicene church father
Justin gave his most famous statement on the Millennium: “For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this [truth] and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians . . . But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.” Dialogue with Trypho LXXX, p.239
Jesus will rule from His throne in the inner court of the new Temple. Jesus will hold both the offices of king and priest, further cementing that the Messiah will fulfill the prophet’s words (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews. 5:10), a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne.” Zechariah 6:12-13
“Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
As prophesied, the Lord will be King over all of the earth, the government will rest on His shoulders and He will rule the nations with a ‘rod of iron’ from Jerusalem. This indicates the curse has not been totally lifted off the earth as people still die and some nations and people need chastening.
“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 the Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one (Zechariah 14.9)
Life without Satan
Today, God allows Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him. In that sense, Satan is still “ruler or god of this world” (Jn 12.31, 2 Cor 4.4, Eph 2.2). His influence affects the lives of individuals, world governments, philosophies, education, and commerce. The good news is that at the start of the millennial age Satan is prevented from influencing anyone!
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a heavy chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent—that is, the Devil, or Satan—and chained him up for a thousand years.” Revelation 20.1-2
Life in the Millennium
So, in the absence of Satan, is millennial life perfect? No. The millennium is still a time of sin, death, rebellion, and harsh judgment. Its true character seems to fall between the present age (the “church age”) and the future sinless coexistence of the redeemed in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21). With reference to death in the millennial age we read:
“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.Isaiah 65:20
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: 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.” Zechariah 4:5
Life will not be prematurely cut off by pestilence and war, but man will live long: “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.” Isaiah 65:22b. The age of a hundred will be thought of as dying young; even the sinner, dying before his time as the penalty of his guilt, will live out 100 years. With this view, the effect of human sin will be reduced, but not eradicated. Death will still exist. Only in the New Earth will God finally wipe away all tears (Rev 21.4). Man’s sinful human nature will also result in national rebellion against Christ’s rule and will be firmly dealt with. Nations will serve the Lord or be punished severely. They will need to go up to Jerusalem and observe at least the Feast of Tabernacles or there will be no rain on their land.
“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. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.” Zechariah 14:17-19
Work will be a blessing, not a curse. Moreover, the wise use of technology will be expanded.
“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.” Isaiah 65:21-23
“Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favour, I have had mercy on you. 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.” Isaiah 60:10-12
Moses Temple Laws and Statutes
Ezekiel describes how Jewish life continues into the Millennium. The laws and statutes given by God to Moses will still be kept. Zadokites and Levites (caretakers) will still minister to the LORD in the temple.
“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.” Ezekiel 44:15
God’s Sabbaths, Shemitah’s, and Jubilees will be kept, as will God’s feasts like the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of Tabernacles (Ezekiel 45.21, 25).
“In a dispute, they (Zadokite 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
Jesus appoints the resurrected King David as His prince over Israel.
The prince over Israel is a key millennial figure. His largely feast-centered duties are detailed in Ezekiel 45:9—46:18. It is the prince’s role to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the drink offerings at all the appointed feasts, including the new moons and the Sabbaths (45:17). It is also David’s responsibility to cleanse the temple on the first day of each New Year.
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 so that God could pass over former sins (Rom 3:23–25). For Jesus was the true Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7; cf. John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:19). Passover being celebrated even after Jesus returns means that the shadows that once looked forward to his works will become reflections that look back.
The prince will oversee Passover on the 14th of Nisan, the first month. The Passover still lasts seven days and includes the feasts of Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits (45:21; cf. Lev 23:5–10).
The prince will enter through his porch door to observe the priests as they provide burnt and peace offerings (46:2). He shall stand in the doorway as he leads the people, gathered just outside, before the LORD in worship (46:3). The prince’s offerings for the Sabbath day consists of six unblemished lambs with as much grain as he can give, a single unblemished ram with a bushel of grain, and a bushel with twelve pints of oil (46:4–5, 11). For the new moon, he will offer the same sacrifices with an additional unblemished young bull and a bushel of grain (46:6–7, 11).
When the people approach the LORD during the feasts, they must exit through the gate opposite the one they entered. This results in an easily organized flow of worshippers and allows them to experience more of the temple. The prince will enter and exit when the people do, though he will still make use of his personal entryway (46:8, 10). Every morning the prince will rise to lead the people in worship. He will provide a year-old unblemished lamb, about six pints of flour, and four pints of oil as a burnt offering (46:13–15).
“And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, andmy servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:23-24
“But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” Jeremiah 30:9
Note the territory, David the prince is allocated on either side of the Temple.
This reference to David’s sons is fascinating as it indicates that many will be resurrected with David and serve with him. His first son with Bathsheba that dies at birth no doubt will be among them. “Thus says the Lord God: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty.” Ezekiel 46:16
Jesus will set His twelve disciples as shepherds over 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
“Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:3-4
Jesus and the Saints will rule with a rod of iron and the death penalty will be reinstituted.
There will be no more wars, disputes will be quickly resolved. Jesus and the Saints rule with a rod of iron. The wicked will be killed.
“For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;” Micah 4:2-3
“He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness, He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked.” Isaiah 11:3-4
“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron,” Revelation 12:5
“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron.” Revelation 19:15a
The resurrected Saints are immortal and they no longer marry or have children and are considered priests of God who will reign with Him for the thousand years.
“And Jesus said to them,The sons of this age (Millennials) marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that ageand in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children since they are children of the resurrection.”Luke 20:34-36
“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
“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,“Revelation 2:26
“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.” Isaiah 32:1
Unlike today, people will be full of sense and understanding, and respect and admiration will be reserved only for those who deserve it.
“Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected.” Isaiah 32:4-5 (NLT)
The offices of judge and counsellor will be reinstituted
“I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward, you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” Isaiah 1:26
“I will also make your officer’s peace and your magistrates righteousness.Isaiah 60:17
Feast Days
The Feast Days will be upheld and maintained by a resurrected King David note the penalty if nations do not come up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (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. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.” Zechariah 14:17-19
Sabbath, Shemitah and Jubilee
The lord created the Cosmos in six days and rested on the seventh day to set the pattern for man’s life on His planet. Six days we will work and the seventh is set aside as a holy day, the Lord’s Day, which will be a day of rest but also a day of worship of our Creator. In the Millennium, all nations will uphold the sabbath and the Saints assigned to each nation for observance of holy and feast days will ensure it is upheld. We know David will be given responsibility for observance of Holy and Feast Days so they will ultimately be responsible to Him.
God also gave Israel the Shemitah, a Sabbath year. It, like the Sabbath, was a Holy Year. There would be no working of the land. It was not only for the people but also for the land. The land itself would observe its Sabbath to the Lord. Note the poor had access to eat off the land. For the year, the land, in effect, belonged to everyone.
“When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year, there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord… The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves (treated like indentured workers) and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food.: Leviticus 25:1-7
Just as striking as to what happened to the land during the Sabbatical year is what happened to the people on the last day of that year Elul 29. On that day a sweeping transformation took place in the nation’s financial realm. Everyone who owed a debt was released. And every creditor had to release the debt owed. The nation’s financial accounts were in effect wiped clean.
“At the end of every seven years, you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. Of a foreigner, you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. But there will be no poor among you; for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— if only you will strictly obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today.” Deuteronomy 15:1-5
The year of Shemitah would begin with the releasing of land and end with the day of Remission when the people themselves would be released of all debt.
The Jubilee laws in the Torah are found within the Holiness Code in the book of Leviticus.
The Jubilee had nothing to do with the redistribution of land and assets, or with the “cancellation” of large debts in the way modern politicians and activists often define these things. Israelite society was set up in the Torah to prevent the formation of an elite landed aristocracy. The Jubilee helped to preserve Israel as a unified coalition of independent tribal families, each with their own land and local government. God had allocated the land to each tribe and it was to be maintained. The jubilee is a recurring safety net to prevent any permanent alienation of land. How exactly this will play out in other nations in the Millennium we are not told but I believe the Jubilee will apply.
It was a means of preserving some equilibrium between the different tribes, so that individual farmers and families, rather than a handful of landowners or government bureaucrats, could maintain their independence and live with dignity off their own land, to the glory of God.
The Jubilee points more towards an agrarian ideal of “living off the land,” one characterized by decentralization of power, the absence of business monopolies, and the protection of both the individual and the land itself from oppressive commercial and economic practices.
The Jubilee did not result in debt being “canceled” as if by a magic wand. The Jubilee was not aimed at obliterating “income inequality” or one person’s ability to gain more wealth than another. In terms of debt cancellation, what the Jubilee did was create a system whereby debts could be paid off by leasing one’s land to a temporary “purchaser,” so that by the time of the Jubilee the debt would be repaid to the purchaser/lender through the crops harvested from the land. This arrangement of debt repayment through land-lease agreements before the Jubilee is outlined in Leviticus 25:13–16:
Jubilee wasn’t about debt cancellation or debt forgiveness per se. It was an institution that allowed debts to be repaid without permanently separating a person (and their descendants) from their ancestral inheritance.
Certain laws in Deuteronomy 15 do appear to “cancel” some debts by requiring the lender to absorb the remaining costs in the seventh year. However, these were smaller debts held by the poorest of the poor (Deut. 15:1–8), which still had to be paid back to whatever extent possible. Overall, the Torah balances responsible debt repayment with charity towards the poor/indebted Israelite. One can be assured that this will be maintained in the Millennium.
Leviticus 25:29 says that properties bought within a “walled city” carried no “redemption rights” after one year and did “not revert in the jubilee,” meaning some people could acquire more properties within cities.
The Torah presupposes that people will enjoy what they produce, those different people will produce different amounts, and those different people will own different amounts of real estate. But it also presupposes care for the poor, and for those who have been forced into difficult life circumstances (e.g. debt, servitude, loss of property, etc.).
Cycles of rest, remission, and liberation are God’s ideal for His people and His entire creation.
If Israel failed to observe their Sabbath cycle of years, including the Jubilee, God promised in Leviticus 26:32-35 that they would be conquered and that their land would be given over to their enemies, in part, so that the land would have a chance to “enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths” (Lev. 26:34).
The natural Jubilee eventually evolved into a prophetic symbol of the holistic physical and spiritual freedom God’s people will experience when the Messiah arrives to establish His kingdom. In the Hebrew prophets, the Messianic Age is presented to us as the Age of Jubilee.
This prophecy given by Moses before Israel went into the Promised Land will ultimately be fulfilled in the Millennium. Note Israel “shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow“.
“And all the peoples of the earth shall seethat you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall beafraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers togive you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.” Deuteronomy 28:10-12
This post forms part of the website http://www.millennialkingdom.net. This website is being set up to inform believers on the coming Millennial reign of Jesus on this earth with the resurrected Saints.
“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.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Where is your focus fixed? On the things that are transient or things that are eternal. Up to the age of 47 my focus was totally on things of this world. I was managing director of The Ramsay Group, at the time, the largest surgical, dental, scientific and medical educational company in Australia. I had a waterfront home and all the trappings of success. You can read my story in the book Build a Kingdom Business – Empowered by the Holy Spirit. What is my current focus? It is on living eternal now.
available on Amazon as an ebook and paperback from me ron@bakb.com.au
As Jesus return to this earth is not too far distant we need to start preparing to rule and reign with Jesus during the Millennium. Jesus has unfinished business with Israel. Every O.T. prophet was given a vision of their Messiah ruling and reigning the nations from a new Jerusalem. This will happen, but not prior to Christians being tested through a time of tribulation unlike anything experienced previously. Jesus told us to watch and be prepared (1 Peter 4:12-14).
God has also revealed that the resurrected saints will rule and reign with Jesus. The thousand years is a transition period from this current world which is largely ruled by Satan. He will be defeated at the end of this period, chained and cast into the Abyss for 1000 years. Even though Satan is not around to tempt people during the Millennium we are told that Jesus and the saints still need to rule with a rod of iron. At the end of the thousand years Satan and His minions are released and He is still able to raise an enormous army to come against Jesus and the Saints. Jesus of course destroys the army and Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire. God then destroys this earth with fire. The White Throne Judgement takes place after all the dead have been raised to life. Then what? John was shown the following vision.
“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
“And he (Angel) carried me (John) away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia (2000 km/1250 m). Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 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. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21: 10-27
There is arguably more about the glorious return of Jesus in our Bibles than there is about His earthly ministry from 27-30 AD. Moreover, many people are surprised to learn that the Bible is made up of roughly 27% prophecy, the large majority of which have not yet been fulfilled.
For this reason, it is not even possible to understand large portions of Scripture until we begin to seriously engage with the topics related to eschatology. If we claim to be Bible-loving believers, we should view Biblical prophecies, even if they are about still future events, as a critical part of the message God wants to communicate to us today. Even more important the second coming of Jesus is a central part of the Gospel message. It is not complete unless it includes the triumphant end of the story with Jesus ruling and reigning this earth in Jerusalem.. The more we understand Bible prophecy the more equipped we are to effectively share the Gospel with others. Good Biblical eschatology should always deepen our faith in Jesus, fortify our resolve to obey Him, and create a greater longing in our hearts for His kingdom.
Make no mistake during the End-Times, God will focus His attention on bringing to fulfilment the covenants that He made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.
Most of Daniel’s visions focus on the Gentile kingdoms in history, and on their rule over the people and land of Israel. It was revealed to Daniel that the Gentile kingdoms would have dominion over Israeluntil the time of the endand the coming of their Messiah. He was given understanding that the nation of Israel, and their Land, is going to be embattled and fought over until the end. There will come a time, however, when that season of the Gentiles’ dominion will come to an end; a time when the Land will be given back to the people of Israel; a time when they are going to be restored to the Land.
The Bible clearly says that His divine activity will be both “great and terrible” as He zealously works to persuade the peoples of the Gentile nations to turn from their evil ways and accept His “redemptive plan” as it will be expressed in history through the manifestation on earth of the everlasting covenants that He made with Israel. At the same time, God will be working dramatically among Jewish people, and for the nation of Israel, to turn whole-heartedly to Him—accepting the Messiah that He has already sent to make a way for their salvation. We are told that by the end of this age, the surviving Jewish people will believe on and receive Jesus as their Messiah and King!
Throughout the New Testament, the prophecies written about the End-Times and the return of Jesus are focused on Israel and other key nations of the Middle East. The Book of Revelation portrays the cities of Babylon and Jerusalem as the two most prominent cities in the End-Times drama.
The nations of the Middle East will be the “stage” upon which God completes His activity of redemption in this age and ushers in the next age, which will be a time of renewal and restoration that will affect the whole world.
In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness. (Isaiah 16:5)
The way to be righteous for those who would partake of God’s Kingdom is “through faith in Jesus Christ.”
“But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
Righteousness is not through our works. It is a gift that we receive and that we live by through faith in Jesus.
“God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (Corinthians 5:21) Awesome! This verse is one of the most “astounding” verses in all of Scripture.
It is important to emphasise here that there is only “one-way” of salvation; only one-way to become a Righteous citizen of God’s Kingdom.
“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6)
Sadly much of the apostate church believes Jesus is not the only way to God. This is heresy and leads only to destruction.
Also, this issue of “identity” has become a concern for many Jews who are now “Messianic believers;” those who believe in Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah. They struggle with what they should do with the Law—and with the covenant that was made with Moses and with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. They often identify themselves, as Jews, with many of the things that they were taught under the Law, as well as from traditions that have sprung up throughout their history. Paul made it clear that Jews must also submit to God’s perfected way of becoming Righteous, which is only through believing in Jesus, the Messiah:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1-4)
It is important to pray for the Messianic community, so that they may come to accurately understand God’s heart and God’s Word. This difficult situation, most likely, will only increase in the last days, when the Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem and a revived Levitical priesthood institutes daily sacrifices and offerings again.
Extracts from Tom Craig’s book, Living Fully for the Fulfilment of Isaiah 19: When Egypt, Assyria and Israel Will Become a Blessing in the Midst of the Earth
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 