"And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" -- (Isa. 11:2)

Background Reading:
Back to the Future -- Part 2

"And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him" -- In this verse we have an affirmation of the Trinity. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) of the LORD (God the Father) shall rest upon Him (Jesus). When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, he made the following statements:

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

Jesus is the Son of the Highest. Just as promised in the Old Testament, Gabriel told Mary that the Messiah would be given the throne of his father David, reign over the house of Jacob forever, and that of His kingdom there shall be no end. In the future Millennial Kingdom, Christ will reign on earth from Israel, and then after the 1000 years will reign forever in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Isaiah 11:2 goes on to list the attributes of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is: (1) the spirit of the LORD; (2) the spirit of wisdom; (3) the spirit of understanding; (4) the spirit of counsel; (5) the spirit of might; (6) the spirit of knowledge; and (7) the spirit of the fear of the LORD. In Revelation, chapter 1, John makes the following statement:

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne (Rev. 1:4)

Some commentators view the seven Spirits as being a reference to Isaiah's prophecy concerning the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit as given in Isaiah 11:2. (cf. MacArthur Study Bible fn. Rev. 1:4).

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" -- (Isa. 11:1)

Background Reading:
The Child Who Was God

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse" -- The Messiah was to come from the line of Abraham, through the line of Judah, through the line of Jesse, and through the line of David. Jesus fulfilled all these requirements as demonstrated by the records in Matthew, chapter 1 and Luke, chapter 3. Jesse was the father of David. (Ruth 4:22). God made the following promise to David:

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. (2 Sam. 7:8-14)

The promise to David has been fulfilled in Christ. Jesus will reign on earth from Israel during the future Millennial Kingdom.

"and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" -- The name 'Branch' is another name for the Messiah, which is Jesus. Other Old Testament references to the 'Branch' are as follows:

In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. (Isa. 4:2)

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (Jer. 23:5)

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (Jer. 33:15)

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zech. 3:8)

And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD (Zech. 6:12)

From these passages, we learn that the Branch will be a King that shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the land. These Old Testament verses refer to Christ and His reign on earth during the Millennial Kingdom.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." -- (Rev. 20:10)

Background Reading:
The Destroyer Destroyed

"tormented day and night for ever and ever" -- Here is the final state of the devil. Take heed all you who would follow his lead into sin, who know well the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. For such is not from the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away. The final state of the devil and all humans who do not put their faith in Jesus for their salvation is eternal torment in the lake of fire.

Some people would like to comfort themselves by thinking that punishment for unbelief is not eternal. The unbeliever will find no such comfort in the Bible. No, if you turn your back on Jesus in this life, then you shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Some people think that eternity in the lake of fire will be fun because all of their friends will be there. Possibly they skip over the word "tormented", because there is no fun in torment. And it will not just be for a time. You will not be able to comfort yourself thinking, "I will endure it this little while and then it will be over." No, but what does the scripture say, "day and night for ever and ever", that is all day and for eternity. There is no rest from the torment.

"where the beast and the false prophet are" -- Here are two individuals that know well the torment found in the lake of fire. At the time the devil joins them in that place, they have already been there for 1000 years. We remember well that they were cast alive into the lake of fire at the end of the Great Tribulation when they came to battle against the Lord in the Battle of Armageddon. Here they are found 1000 years later still enduring torment in the lake of fire. Though they have been tormented for 1000 years, they are no closer to the end of their eternal torment than when it first began. Indeed, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?

"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." -- (Rev. 20:9)

Background Reading:
The Carnal Mind Enmity Against God

"the beloved city" -- The beloved city mentioned here is a reference to the city of Jerusalem where Christ will dwell during the Millennial Kingdom. It is clear from scripture that Christ will return to Jerusalem where a new temple shall be built. Consider the following verse from Zechariah:

Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. (Zech. 8:3)

Thus, the beloved city, Jerusalem, will be called a city of truth at that time and Christ will dwell in the midst of the city. The topography of the land in Israel will change at that time, and Jerusalem will be raised up from the surrounding land:

All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. (Zech. 14:10-11)

Another glorious picture of the city of Jerusalem during the Millennial Kingdom is found in the book of Jeremiah. There, the city of Jerusalem is called the Throne of the Lord:

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. (Jer. 3:17)

One interesting Bible study is to note the references to Jerusalem in the Old Testament. There is a mention of Jerusalem as early as Genesis, chapter 14, when Abraham meets Melchizedek as he returns from the slaughter of the kings. Melchizedek is described as the King of Salem:

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Gen. 14:18-20)

Now, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest and was king over Jerusalem. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 7, Christ is seen as arising in the likeness of Melchizedek, and there is the Old Testament statement about Christ:

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)

When David became King in Israel, he purposed to reign from Jerusalem. Thus, we read in 2 Samuel:

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. (2 Sam. 5:6-7)

According to the MacArthur Study Bible, the city of Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible more than any other city. (footnote on 2 Sam. 5:6). During the Millennial Kingdom, it will be the city from which God reigns on earth.

"And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." -- (Rev. 20:8)

Background Reading:
The Fall of Man -- Part 1

"And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth" -- Satan is released from the bottomless pit and goes right back to deceiving the nations. Satan is the father of lies. He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and is here deceiving men at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Satan has a tremendous hatred against Jesus and he wants to make one final attempt to destroy Jesus and his people.

"Gog, and Magog" -- The mention of Gog and Magog here does not automatically mean that this is the same event as described in Ezekiel 38 where Gog from the land of Magog is mentioned. The events in Ezekiel 38 happen at the end of the 7 year tribulation before the Millennial Kingdom. The events here in Revelation 20 happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

"to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea" -- Even with Jesus reigning on earth and the people able to experience His blessings during the Millennial Kingdom, they still gather together to battle against Him. At that time they will have as part of their history all of the events that happened during the Great Tribulation as a warning to those who think they can rebel against God and survive. But, the devil will be successful in deceiving many people at that time. So successful that the number gathered for battle is as the sand of the sea.

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison" -- (Rev. 20:7)

Background Reading:
Will there be mortal believers at the end of the Millennium?

During the time of the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be bound and will not be out using his devices to deceive the people living on the earth. Even so, the men living at that time will still sin. This will show that man has a sinful nature and that men cannot blame their sins on the actions of the devil. Consider the following passage from James that gets to the heart of the matter:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:13-15)

Thus, we see that man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust. And that lust brings forth sin. Now, during the Millennial Kingdom sin will be dealt with swiftly and with adequate punishment. At that time, Christ rules with a "rod of iron." For instance, consider what happens to those people who fail to come to worship Christ at that time:

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zech. 14:16-19)

If they fail to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, they will not receive rain. This is likely a devastating punishment because without rain the people will not be able to grow their crops. As an aside, notice that Egypt is one of the nations that is worshipping the Lord. It is clear from Isaiah that Egypt will turn to the Lord during the Millennial Kingdom:

In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. (Isaiah 19:18-25)

Of course, at the end of the 1000 years, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and go out to gather the nations for one final battle against God. Such an event demonstrates that man will still have a sinful nature even during the Millennial Kingdom.