Millennial Kingdom
Saturday, March 25, 2006
The following Bible passages will help in understanding the Millennial Kingdom and surrounding events. Please read the following Bible passages in the provided order:
1. Romans 11
2. Ezekiel 38
3. Joel 2
4. Jeremiah 30
5. Psalm 2
6. Ezekiel 39
7. Revelation 19
8. Joel 3
9. Zephaniah 1
10. Zechariah 12
11. Zechariah 14
12. Zechariah 10
13. Zechariah 13
14. Isaiah 11
15. Micah 7
16. Isaiah 49
17. Jeremiah 31
18. Zechariah 2
19. Isaiah 66
20. Zephaniah 3
21. Zechariah 8
22. Jeremiah 33
23. Ezekiel 34
24. Ezekiel 36
25. Ezekiel 37
26. Ezekiel 47
27. Ezekiel 48
28. Isaiah 60
29. Isaiah 62
30. Micah 4
31. Ezekiel 40
32. Ezekiel 41
33. Ezekiel 42
34. Ezekiel 43
35. Ezekiel 44
36. Ezekiel 45
37. Ezekiel 46
38. Revelation 20
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
"But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them." -- (Isaiah 11:14)
Background Reading:
The Obedience of Faith
"they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them" -- During the Millennial Kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ will rule from Israel, and all the nations will submit to His authority. If they do not obey Him, they will be punished. The people of Israel at that time will rule over the peoples of the nations that previously oppressed them, as it is written:
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. (Isaiah 14:1-2)The mention of Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon in Isaiah 11:14 is similar to a statement in Daniel, chapter 11:
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:41)The passage in Daniel, chapter 11 does not refer to the time of the Millennial Kingdom, but rather to the time of the Great Tribulation. The Antichrist invades the glorious land (Israel), but Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon escape out of the hand of the Antichrist. At the mid-point of the Great Tribulation (3 1/2 years), the Antichrist defiles the temple, at which point the Jews are warned to flee into the mountains:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains (Matthew 24:15-16)In the MacArthur Study Bible, the following note appears for Matt. 24:16:
the mountains. Probably a reference to the region SE of Jerusalem, particularly the Dead Sea area, where there are many caves and places of refuge. David hid from Saul in this area (1 Sam. 23:29). This would also include the hills of Moab and Edom. (MacArthur Study Bible fn. Matt. 24:16)Thus, during the time of the Great Tribulation, once the Antichrist invades the land of Israel, it is possible that the Jews flee to the land of Moab and Edom and are there protected from the Antichrist. This view is further supported by the account in Revelation, chapter 12:
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Revelation 12:6)Here again we see Israel (the woman) flee into the wilderness during the time of the Great Tribulation where the people of Israel are protected from the acts of Satan. The MacArthur Study Bible makes the following comment:
wilderness. God will protect Israel from Satan by hiding her in the wilderness, perhaps in the region of Moab, Ammon, and Edom, east of Palestine. Interestingly, those countries will be specifically spared from the Antichrist's attack against the Holy Land (cf. Dan. 11:41). (MacArthur Study Bible fn. Rev. 12:6)Thus, the land where perhaps the Jews seek refuge during the time of the Great Tribulation, they will rule over during the time of the Millennial Kingdom.
Monday, April 19, 2004
"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." -- (Isaiah 11:13)
Background Reading:
This Thing Is from Me
"Ephraim shall not envy Judah" -- In 1 Kings, chapter 12, we read about the division of the Kingdom of Israel into a northern kingdom (Israel / Ephraim) and a southern kingdom (Judah). The division came about after the death of Solomon. In the future Millennial Kingdom, there will be no division among the tribes of Israel and they will be a united nation once again.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. (Jeremiah 3:18)One of the most descriptive passages about the future unification of Ephraim and Judah appears in Ezekiel, chapter 37:
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. (Ezekiel 37:15-19)Ezekiel then goes on to state:
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. (Ezekiel 37:21-22)Thus, once joined during the Millennial Kingdom, Ephraim and Judah will never be divided again. One King shall be King to them all and that King will be the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, April 16, 2004
"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." -- (Isaiah 11:12)
Background Reading:
Living In Anticipation of Christ's Return - Part 1
"and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel" -- When studying about future events, such as the return of the Jews to Israel during the time of the Millennial Kingdom, it is important to reflect on how those truths affect how we live our lives today. In the book of 2 Peter, chapter 3, Peter writes about future events in which the entire universe is dissolved at the end of the Millennial Kingdom and Peter also makes the following statement:
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness (2 Peter 3:11)Peter makes the point that knowing about future events should affect the way that we live our lives today. For our present purposes, the question is, "How does knowing that God has a future plan for the Jews influence our attitude toward Jews at the present time?" Paul answers that question in Romans, chapter 11, where he begins by asking and answering the following question:
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:1-5)God has not cast away the Jews, but will gather them back to Israel during the time of the Millennial Kingdom. Paul goes on in his discourse to state:
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? (Romans 11:11-12)Paul reasons that the Jews have not stumbled so as to fall, but that their future salvation will mean even more riches for the world. The Gentiles have been saved in order to provoke the Jews to jealousy so that they might also accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Lord, and Savior. This means that as Gentile believers, we should not boast against the Jews, but should seek to bring them also to salvation. Paul gives the following admonition to the Gentiles:
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (Romans 11:17-21)The Gentiles who were formerly alienated from God were saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Some of the Jews do not now currently believe in Jesus. All of the Jews living at the end of the Great Tribulation will place their faith in Jesus, will be saved, and will return to Israel during the time of the Millennial Kingdom. The Jews that believe in Jesus will be 'natural branches' that are 'grafted back' into their 'own olive tree' as it is written:
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:24-26)Thus, as Gentiles knowing that God has a future plan for the Jews, we should not be wise in our own conceits, but should be humble and thank God for saving us. Pastor John MacArthur writes that the statement in Romans 11:25 is, "[a]nother warning to the Gentiles against spiritual pride and arrogance" (MacArthur Study Bible fn. Rom. 11:25). During the time of the Millennial Kingdom, the Jews will be held in high esteem by the rest of the nations as is written by Isaiah:
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:23)The kings and queens of the Gentile nations will bow down to the Jews with their face toward the earth and lick up the dust at their feet. This demonstrates the high regard that will be lavished on the Jews by the nations of the world during the time of the Millennial Kingdom.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." -- (Isaiah 11:11)
Background Reading:
What is dispensationalism?
"recover the remnant of his people" -- The following verses support the fact that Jews will return to Israel from all over the world when the Millennial Kingdom is established:
They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD. (Hosea 11:10-11)
And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. (Zechariah 10:9-11)
Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:22-23)
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. (Isaiah 60:3-5)
For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (Jeremiah 30:3)
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. (Jeremiah 30:18)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. (Ezekiel 39:25-28)
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. (Amos 9:14-15)
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD. (Zephaniah 3:19-20)
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. (Jeremiah 23:7-8)
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 34:12-14)
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. (Jeremiah 31:10-11)
I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. (Micah 2:12)
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (Ezekiel 36:24)
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. (Ezekiel 37:21-22)
And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. (Ezekiel 20:34)
And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. (Ezekiel 20:42)With all of these promises, how is it that some people try to deny that the Jews will one day be gathered together to Israel during what is known as the Millennial Kingdom?
Monday, April 12, 2004
"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." -- (Isaiah 11:10)
Link to Previous Post:
Stem of Jesse
"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse" -- The 'root of Jesse' refers to Jesus Christ. Jesse was the father of David and Jesus is known as the Root of David:
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5)Now, David wrote in Psalm, chapter 110, concerning the Messiah:
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1)In that verse, David calls the Messiah 'Lord'. Thus, Christ is descended from David in terms of His humanity, but He is also the Lord of David, which means that Jesus is God.
"to it shall the Gentiles seek" -- Here is the great truth that God also purposed to save people from the Gentile nations. Paul used this verse in Romans, chapter 15, to highlight the fact that it was always the plan of God to save Gentiles as well as Jews:
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. (Romans 15:9-12)Thus, Paul clearly affirms that Isaiah 11:10 refers to Christ when it speaks of the 'Root of Jesse'. The verse has some application now, during the church age, and will have complete fulfillment 'in that day', which refers to the time of the Millennial Kingdom. God the Father says to Jesus:
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)Jesus is a light to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles. During the time of the Millennial Kingdom, the Gentiles will ask the Jews to take them to see the Messiah:
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' " (Zechariah 8:23)Peter made the following statement about the salvation of the Gentiles through faith in Christ:
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (Acts 10:34-35)I have mentioned in a previous post how nations such as Egypt and Assyria will worship Jesus during the Millennial Kingdom. All nations at that time will come to worship the King.
Sunday, April 11, 2004
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." -- (Isaiah 11:9)
Background Reading:
God in the Covenant
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" -- Who or what does "they" refer to in this verse. In the immediate context, "they" seems to refer to the animals described previously in verses 6-8. Certainly, the animals will no longer hurt the inhabitants of the land during the Millennial Kingdom. The reference to "they" could also be seen as refering to other nations on the earth so that the verse provides the truth that the people of Israel will live in safety and will not fear attacks by other people groups. Both safety from other nations and safety from animals is shown in the following verse from Ezekiel:
And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. (Ezekiel 34:28)The verse from Ezekiel is even more beautiful when read with the entire passage in which it is contained. The passage speaks of the servant David (Jesus Christ) who will be a shepherd on earth over the people of Israel and will establish peace in the land:
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. (Ezekiel 34:23-28)"for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" -- The waters completely cover the sea, so in the same manner will the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord during the Millennial Kingdom. In Hebrews, we read about the New Covenant that now applies to the people in the church and will apply to the nation of Israel during the Millennial Kingdom:
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:10-12)At the end of the Great Tribulation, all Jewish people that are alive will place their faith in Jesus Christ and will be saved. Such a truth is written in the book of Romans, chapter 11:
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:25-27)And in Zechariah, we find the following truth concering the Jews that are alive when Christ returns to earth:
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)The dominion of the Kingdom of Christ on earth will extend over the entire earth, and all the Gentile nations will seek the Lord. Thus, the earth truely will be full of the knowledge of the Lord with the people of Israel bearing witness about their King:
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8:22-23)More information concerning the hope of the Gentiles in Christ during the Millennial Kingdom will be seen in the next few verses of Isaiah, chapter 11.
