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MM#89 - MESSIAH REIGNS
THE COMING MILLENNIUM
MESSIAH REIGNS !
“How lovely on the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who announces peace
and brings good news of happiness,
who proclaims salvation, and says to Zion,
‘YOUR GOD REIGNS!’”
(Isaiah 52:7)
By DON E STANTON
MARANATHA REVIVAL CRUSADE
Australia
CONTENTS
Forward Explanation
Dictionary
Dispensations Chart
What Paradise?
Heaven On Earth ?
The Eternal Kingdom
The Kingdom Challenged
The Garden of Eden
The Messianic Plan
“We want a King! Now!”
The Promised Messiah-King
The Kingdom Announced
The Present Age Program
Satan Overthrown
The Millennial Kingdom
Jerusalem, the City of Joy
Worldwide Dominion
The Celestial Palace
“Here Comes the Bride”
Kingdom Administration
1000 Years, or For Ever?
Millennial Conditions
After the 1,000 Years?
How to be Assured of an Entrance into the Kingdom of God ?
FORWARD EXPLANATION
YHWH is the transliteration of the Hebrew letters of the sacred Name of the Almighty God.
The Name is used 6855 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is currently pronounced as
Yahweh or Yahwah. During the past few centuries it was inaccurately rendered as Jehovah or Yehowah.
The meaning of Yahweh is “The Eternal One.”
Y’SHUA is the original Hebrew Name of Jesus. It is also often written as Yeshua, or Yahshua. The meaning of Y’shua is, “Yahweh is Salvation.”
THE MESSIAH (or, The Christ) means “The Anointed One.” It comes from the Hebrew words HaMashiach.
Y’shua is the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
All Christians recognise Y’shua (Jesus) as the Messiah.
BIBLE QUOTATIONS
used in this book are from the Clear Preferred Version (CPV), a clear, compared
teaching version by Don Stanton. It employs modern English, and uses the original Names of YHWH and Y’shua. Words in italics are not in the original, but are
supplied to complete or to amplify the English translation.
The scriptures used in most of our recent publications are from the CPV, but the version is not complete or available except in our publications.
DICTIONARY
Words in this book that are followed by ~ are listed in the dictionary below. This is for the benefit of readers who have a limited understanding of English and idioms.
ADONAI: Lord, Master.
ATTIC: small room in the roof of a house. Upstairs. The top of the head!
BOOMERANG: to return back to the user.
CONCEPTUALIZE: to picture and make a mental idea.
CORPORATE: made up of many parts or members.
CRACK: a drug; cocaine
DOLLOPS: Scoops of ice cream.
EKKLESIA: The Greek word usually translated “church,” means, the assembly of called-out ones; the Body of true believers in Y’shua the Messiah.
EL SHADDAI: Almighty God.
FACADE: a front, outward appearance.
FAIT ACCOMPLI: accomplished fact.
LAS VEGAS: a notorious gambling city in Nevada, U.S.A.
MESSIAH: The Anointed One. Hebrew: Mashiach
MILLENNIUM: The 1000-year reign of Messiah over the earth.
PAROLE: freeing of a prisoner on condition of good behaviour.
POKER MACHINE: a gambling machine.
PORN: pornography; implicit sexual materials; blue films.
PUBS: public drinking places, hotels, beer saloons, bars.
REPUDIATE: to reject authority; to cast off; to disown.
SH’KHINAH GLORY: The Manifest Presence of the glory of God.
SOVEREIGNTY: supreme power and right to exercise it.
STAKES: opportunities, rewards, shares, offerings.
UTOPIA: imaginary state with perfect political and social conditions.
YAHWEH ELOHIM: Yahweh God/LORD God.
SEVEN DISPENSATIONS (AGES)
WHAT PARADISE?
Many people are not really interested in Paradise, unless it’s a Blue Lagoon hedged in by pubs~, porn shops~, and poker machines~. Wild West Las Vegas~ is some people’s idea of Utopia.~ Some guys can’t even enjoy a stroll in a beautiful, calm garden - unless they have ‘rock’ in their attics~, beer in their bellies, and needles jabbed into their veins. Some girls’ idea of heaven is the scream of heavy metal, the roar of a motor bike, and a crazed trip in the fast lane on “the highway to hell.”
To some, paradise means smack, whack, crack~. To others, it means Big Macs, lollypops, and dollops~. To certain enthusiasts, “Kingdom come” is realised at
Wimbledon, in the alluring world of Star TV, or in the United Stakes of Ameer-ika. I said ‘stakes’~.
To some, paradise is gold, to others it is black gold. To some, it is a blackboard. To others it is the black market, or the stock or junk market. To some, heaven is an Olympic pool. To others it is a soak in a tub of hot water. To many it is simply a mug of cold water. What’s your idea of “paradise”?
HEAVEN ON EARTH?
We’re talking, dear reader, about the COMING MILLENNIUM. This is not merely a New Age, a Golden Age, or a “Paradise Restored.” Something much greater! It is, in fact, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
But it is a very sad fact that many people are not really interested in a “religious paradise”, or in any other type of paradise that does not provide crack~, whisky, rock bands, dungeons, demons and dragons.
When you talk about a Paradise where holiness is pervasive, where criminals can’t get away with crime, and where blue films are banned, the interest drops off faster than a miser’s concern for starving refugees.
It’s hard to find many takers for worship and the will of God. But that is what the Millennium is all about! It is the kingdom for which millions of followers of Y’shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) have constantly prayed; the MILLENNIUM - the 1,000-year kingdom over which the Messiah reigns worldwide, in righteousness, peace and glory. It will be the fulfilment of “the Lord’s Prayer”:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:9-10)
The Millennium is often called “the Reign of Christ.” It is the literal, physical reign of the Messiah on, and over, the earth. By that, we mean it is not simply the spiritual, eternal reign of the Almighty which is also referred to throughout Scripture.
The Millennium will be the culmination of God’s program for the “7000-year history of the human race.” During this final 1,000-year period, God will complete the preparation of a vast part of mankind for sharing His plans for the eternal ages to come.
For those who love the King of Righteousness, for those who are in love with the Holy One, for those who are seeking to walk in the steps of Y’shua, the very thought of the REIGN OF MESSIAH, fills their hearts with joyful anticipation. And this, my reader, is my prayer for you as you read these pages, and take in the many Messianic prophecies - that you might be filled with the joy of the Messiah and His
kingdom.
“I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with
power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that the Messiah may
dwell in your hearts through faith in Him. And I pray that you will be
rooted and established in love, so that together with all the saints (holy
ones, believers), you may be able to comprehend what is the width, length,
height and depth of the Messiah’s love - and to know this love which surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)
Before going into details of the Millennium, let’s start at the beginning. Let’s study for a moment, the Eternal Reign of the Almighty. It is called ...
THE ETERNAL KINGDOM
No-one should challenge the fact that the Eternal God rules eternally over everything - over all created and uncreated realms. The Scriptures make it clear:
“But YHWH is the true God; He is the living God and the eternal King.” (Jeremiah 10:10)
(YHWH is the Name of the Almighty. It is revealed in the Bible - the Hebrew word -
. It may be pronounced as Yahweh. The meaning of YHWH is, “the Eternally-existing One” or, “The Great I AM.”)
“YHWH has established His throne in heaven, and His sovereignty rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)
“YHWH is King for ever and ever.” (Psalm 10:16)
“You, O YHWH, reign for ever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.” (Lamentations 5:19)
Yahweh, the Eternal Spirit, the Eternal Deity, is the Eternal King because of who He is. It is, of course, hard for our finite minds to grasp the eternal reality of God, especially if our concept is of a very old man sitting in the heavens.
“God is not a man that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19)
The Eternal Spirit, I repeat, is not a man! But He is the Eternal Personality. He is not a vague “ghost” or “force.” And while it is impossible for us to adequately
conceptualize~ the Eternal Spirit, the Scriptures declare Him, in terms that we can understand – His personality, His attributes, intelligence, gender, supremacy and eternal existence.
The Eternal Spirit is much bigger and greater than the whole physical universe and all its immense power.
I like to compare the Eternal Spirit to the sun with its burning core, and radiant heat, energy and light. (The comparison is of course limited!) The burning core of God is His intrinsic holiness; and from that core precedes the creative energy, the glory, the light, the personality attributes of all-knowing intelligence, inexhaustible power and infinite wisdom.
Like the rays of the sun which permeate creation, bringing light and warmth, the Eternal Spirit pervades the whole created and uncreated realms with His Presence,
manifesting His glorious nature - His love, joy, peace, humility, patience and gentleness.
The anointed King of Israel, David, had an enlightened understanding of the Almighty. With a heart full of love for Yahweh, and with a burning desire to make
provision for a “House of God,” he cried out in the presence of assembled Israel:
“Yours, O YHWH, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty, for everything that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours. Yours, O YHWH, is the kingdom; and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honour come from You, and You rule over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
THE KINGDOM CHALLENGED
No-one should challenge the sovereignty of the Almighty. But someone did! It was a beautiful angel called Helel.
Helel is the Hebrew word meaning “Shining One.” He is often referred to as Lucifer,
but most commonly by his later title, Satan, which means “hater, accuser and adversary.”
A description of Helel is given in the book of Ezekiel 28. This passage actually refers
to two personalities - the king of Tyre, and Helel, the guardian angel.
“Again the word of YHWH came to me: ‘Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him; “This is what the Lord YHWH says to you:
“‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; you were in Eden, the garden of God.
“‘Every precious stone adorned you: the ruby, topaz, and diamond; beryl, onyx, and jasper; sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and with gold,
the workmanship of your settings and mountings (or engravings) was
prepared for you on the day you were created.
(The Hebrew meaning of the last part of that verse is uncertain. Older translations
render it as: “The workmanship of your tambourines and flutes was in
you. They were prepared for you on the day you were created.”)
“‘You were anointed as a guardian cherub (angel), and I placed you there.
You were on the Holy Mount of God.
“‘You walked around in the midst of the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until wickedness was found in you”.’” (Ezekiel 28:11-15)
The fall of Helel was due to his pride and illegal ambition. The prophet Isaiah
described that fall. (Again, this is a passage that refers to two personalities - the king of Babylon, and Helel, the Shining One).
“Sheol (the place of the dead) beneath is excited over you to meet you when
you come; it rouses the spirits of the dead for you, all those who were
leaders in the world; it makes all the kings of the nations to rise from their thrones. They will all respond and say to you, ‘So you have also become as weak as we are? You have become like us!’
“Your pomp and the noise of your stringed instruments have been brought down to Sheol. Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you,
and worms cover you. How you have fallen from heaven, O Helel
(Shining One, Lucifer), son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the
ground - you who have ruined the nations - you who said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into the highest heaven;
‘I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
‘I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly on the utmost heights of the
north.
‘I will ascend higher than the clouds;
‘I will be like the Most High.’
“But you are thrust down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:9-15)
In these five outrageous “I wills,” we see Helel’s pride leading him to illegal
ambition. He was motivated by a covetous desire to appropriate God’s sovereignty - for himself. This sin led to rebellion against the Almighty and to Helel’s disastrous fall. Thereafter, Helel became known as Satan, the destroyer.
Satan’s insurrection had a measure of success. His rebellion brought into existence, a counterfeit kingdom - a kingdom of darkness. Satan was able to deceive and to enlist the support of a horde of angels, and he became their “god.” He became the demonic “ruler of the kingdom of the air.” (Ephesians 2:2)
These heavenly beings became demonic. Two scriptures speak of the fallen angels-become-demons and their doom:
“... God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them down to the deepest pits of gloom - of hell - and committed them to chains of darkness,
to be reserved for judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4)
“And angels who did not keep their appointed place, but abandoned their proper sphere, He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the Judgment of the Great Day.” (Jude 6)
Satan himself, of course, is included in the doom of these fallen angels. And although many - possibly the majority - of the fallen angels are already in the bottomless pit, the kingdom of evil is not yet totally contained. God has given
numerous angels, including Satan himself, limited permission to prowl about and to act as the self-appointed tempters of the human race.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, for your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
The New Age Movement and occultic philosophy refers to these demons as “the Masters of the Universe.” That’s undoubtedly a Satanically-inspired term, for that is what they seek to be. The Bible calls them, “rulers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil.” (Ephesians 6:l2). Our immediate reaction is to ask, “Why didn’t God destroy Satan completely, first up?”
The answer is that God’s way and time are perfect. The rebellion of Helel did not
take the all-knowing Almighty by surprise. God knew that evil would enter His creation, and He was totally adequate to deal with it. Moreover, He would turn the works of the destroyer into a stage backdrop for the display of His mighty grace and power.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
At the time of creation, a theocratic kingdom was established on earth. (You can call it a “Theocracy” if you like.) A theocratic kingdom is one in which the domain and government is under the immediate direction of God.
In Eden, Yahweh Elohim (the LORD God) was Sovereign - the Head over all. And in
that Theocracy, God delegated to Adam, authority to rule over the earth as His chosen representative.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the earth’.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
At first it may look like Adam was appointed as a zoo-keeper, for at that time Adam and Eve were the only humans on the earth. But the Divine will planned a vast realm in which the descendants of Adam and Eve would live as obedient subjects of the Kingdom of God.
God did not need robots. He wanted people with the power of freewill - the power of volition - the power to make decisions - the power to deliberately choose the good, and to reject evil.
But something “went wrong.” It’s what the Bible calls the “deceitfulness of sin.” Adam and Eve were deceived; they repudiated~ the sovereignty~ of God; they disobeyed His command, and instead, yielded to the temptation of Satan.
Adam and Eve surrendered their God-given authority to the enemy, and were thus instrumental in setting up a kingdom of darkness in opposition to Yahweh El Shaddai.
It was a kingdom of death!
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
This sell-out by Adam, and the subsequent reign of death by Satan over the human race, however, did not take the Almighty by surprise. Yahweh had already formulated a “Messianic Plan.” The apostle Paul explained:
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed beforehand in Himself - a plan for the period
when the age has reached its fullness; a plan to sum up all things in the
Messiah - to bring everything under the headship of the Messiah, - everything
in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10)
THE MESSIANIC PLAN
Immediately after Adam and Eve’s fall, Yahweh Elohim, in reprimanding the devil,
introduced the plan for the Messianic redemption of fallen mankind.
“So YHWH Elohim said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you. … I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed (descendant); He shall crush you on the head, and you shall strike His heel’.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
God did not need to keep His plan a secret. Eve’s descendant, the Anointed One, would defeat Satan. Although the Evil One would strike the Messiah, he himself would be crushed.
Satan did not create a big problem for God. It would not have required a mighty act on God’s part to eliminate the devil - one word would have been enough. And
indeed, God need not have created Helel in the first place, if the archangel’s rebellion
was going to frustrate the eternal purpose.
But God’s ways are much higher than our ways! Of course!! But aren’t men, in their petty little intelligence, quick to offer their hasty ideas of what God should have done to “fix the devil”? Poor man, he can’t think more than three moves ahead! The Almighty thinks and plans a million moves ahead!
The Eternal Deity sees the end from the beginning; He sees every stage of history at the same time, and He works out everything in conformity to His own glorious purpose.
The more Satan attempts to defeat the Kingdom of God, the greater is the demonstration of the absolute sovereignty of El Shaddai, the Almighty.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out!” (Romans 11:33)
Before God’s ultimate plan for man could be realised, a “recovery plan” was needed. This plan is what we call REDEMPTION. It was inbuilt in the Creator’s mind from the very beginning. Redemption means “pardon, deliverance, extrication, emancipation, freedom and salvation - from sin and its penalty.”
Redemption is not the total plan of God, but it is the necessary starting point for fallen man to realise the ultimate plan, which is to “sum up all things in the Messiah.”
The work of redemption began in Eden when Yahweh Elohim provided skins of
animals as clothes for the fallen, naked couple. They had to learn first up, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission - no release or forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
An animal had to die, not only to cover their physical nakedness, but also to cover their sins, for “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). And yet, Scripture says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
An animal sacrifice was to provide a provisional covering for the sinner. The real covering that provides forgiveness, remission, cleansing and wholeness, is the blood of the Lamb of God - the Messiah.
Throughout the Old Testament period, Yahweh El Shaddai was revealing the
Messianic plan, step by step, and the revelation He gave laid the groundwork for the ultimate manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth. Yahweh was teaching the people of Israel several main lessons --
1. He is the absolutely Holy One, and all sin is an abomination to Him. That’s why He gave the Law - to show the people just how far short of the glory of God they were. The Law is powerful in bringing conviction.
2. Standing totally condemned by his abominations, man needs redemption - he needs to be saved from both the penalty of sin, and from the power and slavery of sin. Man needs a way out of His hopeless bondage. But he would never find it by his own intelligence and efforts.
The Almighty alone could show the way. And that He did, when He sacrificed an innocent and perfect animal to provide coverings for Adam and Eve.
God showed the way to Israel, in more detail, when He instituted the temple worship with its sacrificial rites and ceremonies. What looks like a finicky, bloody religion to the casual reader, was in fact a detailed pattern of the Messianic plan to redeem men, and “to bring them to glory” - to the fulfilment of God’s purpose for them.
3. Man needs both an acceptable sacrifice, and a High Priest who can intercede and reconcile him to the Holy One. Animal sacrifices and human priests, although they were pictures of the true, were totally inadequate to fulfil the work of redemption. But Yahweh El Shaddai had long before planned to meet man’s need by sending the
Messiah.
4. The promised Messiah, the Anointed of Yahweh, would fulfil three essential
roles. He would be a Prophet, a Redeemer-Priest, and a King. He would first become the spotless “Lamb of God,” to redeem His people from their sin. At the same time He would minister as the perfect High Priest, to reconcile men to the
Holy God. In His third role, as Messiah-King, He would manifest, and exercise,
God’s Sovereignty throughout the world.
Through this threefold ministry, the Messiah would bring redemption and eternal fulfilment to an otherwise doomed humanity.
The work of the Messiah as Lamb and Priest was foretold in ISAIAH 53:
4 Surely He has taken up our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way, but YHWH has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth ...
11 By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify many, as He will bear their iniquities ...
12 He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the
transgressors. For He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
This touching prophecy focuses on the fundamental aspect of Redemption - substitution - the fact that “God’s Righteous Servant,” the Messiah, would die as the
Lamb of God for the sins of the people.
The Redemptive Plan required that the Almighty manifest Himself as a human, and as a human, to become the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
“Therefore ... He (Y’shua) Himself shared in their humanity so that by His death He might render ineffective (and ultimately destroy) the one who
had the power of death - that is, the devil - and deliver those who through their fear of death, were held in slavery all their lives.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)
This is the fulfilment of what Yahweh Elohim was talking about in the Garden when
He said Eve’s “Seed” would crush the serpent’s head.
Four thousand years after that statement in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh Elohim sent
a man named John the Baptist. He was the prophet and forerunner of the Messiah. John pointed to Y’shua and cried out;
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Yes, man fell into sin and depravity, but the plan of Yahweh El Shaddai did not fail.
Notice the initials of that title -- Y-E-S. He is “Yes and Amen.” His Word and promises do not fail.
“For as many as are the promises of God, they are all ‘Yes’ in Him (the
Messiah); and through Him also is the ‘Amen’ we pronounce, to the glory
of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
God’s loving grace and perfect justice united in the Person of the Lamb of God - the Messiah, and as a result, millions of souls have been redeemed.
This is the message that the world needs to hear and understand today - the blood of Y’shua the Messiah, the Anointed Son of God Almighty, cleanses sinners from all sin, when they repent and call upon His Name. (l John 1:7)
“In union with Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through
His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.” (Ephesians 1:7)
The whole course of history is the outworking of God’s glorious intention - the documenting of His sovereignty and absolute wisdom, and the triumph of His grace in the human race that Satan has so terribly marred.
The evil one may tempt and toss God’s people, but the greater the testing, the greater is the sparkle of the Master’s diamonds - His redeemed, purified and glorified people - His “new creation.”
Helel’s fall, his rebellion, and subsequent seduction and conquest of the human race,
serious and tragic as it was, will prove to be a permitted and temporary deviation from the Divine purpose.
The Messianic plan, of course, goes far beyond the point of Redemption. It requires the perfecting of a vast family of people who, of their own freewill, have chosen to be part of the Eternal Deity’s plan; people who participate in the life of God; redeemed people who have learned to love the Heavenly Father, and who have been conformed to the likeness of His Son, the Messiah.
The Divine Purpose has also programmed an ultimate demonstration of the Kingdom of God on earth, and at the same time, a revelation of the Bride of Christ which would not only vindicate the ways of El Shaddai, but also unravel the mystery
of His amazing, infinite wisdom.
The mystery involves the Bride of Christ, and the Heavenly City that comes down from Heaven and is above the earth during the Millennium. The revealing of the redeemed, perfected, glorious Bride, along with the Messiah during the 1000 years, will be a demonstration to all powers and authorities, of the amazing wisdom of
God. The apostle Paul explained this “mystery”:
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of the Messiah, and to bring to light what is the plan, and the meaning, of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through the Messiah, Y’shua.
“His purpose is that now, through the Ekklesia - the church (the worldwide
body of those who are in fellowship with Y’shua the Messiah), the manifold
wisdom of God might be made known to the angelic rulers and
authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in the person of Y’shua the Messiah, our Master.” (Ephesians 3:8-11)
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out!” (Romans 11:33)
“WE WANT A KING! NOW!”
From early times the people of Israel desired a king to rule over them; and it was in fact God’s plan to give them a glorious Messiah-King, and a glorious kingdom. But instead of heeding the promises of Yahweh El Shaddai, and waiting patiently for Him
to bring it about, Israel demanded a king - NOW!
The “democratically-minded” Israelites forgot that Yahweh was their Sovereign, ruling through His representative, Samuel - “the last Judge and first Prophet of Israel,” (ie., in the land. Moses was also called a prophet). They forgot, or didn’t grasp the fact that Israel was intended to be a Theocracy, not a democracy. They
wanted a king like the heathen nations around them. (1 Samuel 8:5. 12:7-15)
It wasn’t long before Israel realized their grievous mistake. King Saul ended up in disaster.
The second king, David, however, was an anointed leader, and led Israel into a time of expansion and prosperity. He was a man who loved Yahweh with all his heart. The Sacred Name of YHWH was continually in His mouth.
“O YHWH, our Lord, How majestic is Your Name in all the earth.” (Psalm 8:1)
“I love You, O YHWH, my strength. YHWH is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, My God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge and trust. He is my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold.” (Psalm 18:1-2)
‘YHWH is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
“Ascribe to YHWH, O mighty ones. Ascribe to YHWH glory and strength. Ascribe to YHWH the glory due to His Name. Worship YHWH in the beauty of His holiness.” (Psalm 29:1-2)
David also had deep Messianic expectations:
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to YHWH. All the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is YHWH’s, and He rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:27-28)
“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? YHWH strong and mighty, YHWH mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:7-8)
Other Psalmists likewise looked forward to the coming and reign of the Messiah.
“YHWH reigns! He is clothed with majesty. YHWH has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Your throne is established from antiquity; You are from all eternity.” (Psalm 93:1-2)
“YHWH reigns; let the earth be glad. Let the many islands rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround Him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” (Psalm 97:1-2)
“YHWH reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim; let the earth shake. Great is YHWH in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome Name! It is holy!” (Psalm 99:l-3)
David’s reign was a type, a foreshadowing of the reign of Messiah, but it fell far short of what was prophesied for the Kingdom of God. And King David was not always righteous.
Solomon’s reign began with a display of wisdom, and at times it seemed like a reign of glory. During his reign the newly-built temple was filled with the glory of God - again foreshadowing Messiah’s reign. But Solomon’s reign ended in personal disaster. (1 Kings 11:1-13)
After Solomon the people of Israel were condemned to about 350 years of royal abuse, and to foreign aggression because of their monarchs’ behaviour - the majority of them were agents of Satan rather than anointed rulers in the hands of YHWH, the Holy One of Israel.
But the covenant-keeping Sovereign of Israel did not give up on His chosen people, for “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)
He sent prophet after prophet, to call the people to repentance, and to draw their hearts towards His Messianic promise. And a great river of Messianic prophecy poured forth from these inspired men who were “mighty in Spirit” indeed.
THE PROMISED MESSIAH-KING
Foremost of the prophets was Isaiah who foretold a vast array of details about the person of the Messiah and the Reign of Adonai YHWH.
“Therefore Adonai Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth to a Son, and she will call His Name Immanuel (God with us).” (Isaiah 7:14)
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will rest upon His shoulders. His Name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government and of peace.
“He will reign on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish
and uphold it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
About 700 years later, an angelic messenger made it clear to Miryam that her Son, Y’shua, would be no other than the long-awaited Messiah.
“You will conceive, and will give birth to a Son, and you are to name Him Y’shua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Confirmation that Y’shua was indeed the Messiah was also given to . . .
“a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This righteous and devout man was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
“Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit into the temple just at the time when
the parents brought in the child Y’shua, to do for Him what the custom
of the Law required. Then Simeon took Him into his arms, and praised
and thanked God, saying,
‘Adonai, now You will let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your Yeshu’ah (Your Salvation) which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel.’
“Joseph, the Child’s foster father and His mother were amazed at what
Simeon said about Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Miryam
His mother: ‘Look! This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign which will be spoken against - that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce even your own soul’.” (Luke 2:25-35)
John the Baptist rejected the idea that he himself might be the Messiah. And one day, when his disciples heard John referring to Y’shua as “the Lamb of God,” they knew what he meant:
“Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples; and watching Y’shua as He walked by, he said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God!’
“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Y’shua . . . Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother was one of the two . . . The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, ‘We have found the
Messiah,’ (which translated means the Anointed One).” (John 1:35-41)
The New Testament makes it very clear that the promised Messiah is no other than Y’shua. And for this reason it refers to Him constantly as Y’SHUA HA MASHIACH -
Y’shua the Messiah - the Anointed. (“Christ” comes from the Greek word, Christos,
which means, in a Greek context, “anointed.”)
THE KINGDOM ANNOUNCED
Being the prophesied Messiah, we should expect much teaching concerning the Messianic prophecies and the kingdom from Y’shua’s own lips. Indeed, He not only preached about the kingdom, but declared the kingdom was near.
“From that time Y’shua began to preach, crying out, ‘Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near’.” (Matthew 4:17)
The Messiah sent out the twelve disciples, and then “the Seventy,” with the same message. (Matthew 10:7; Luke 10:9-11). But much of what Y’shua said seemed to fall on deaf ears; much of it seemed to be puzzles and parables - the kingdom was like a pearl, like leaven, like mustard seed, like a dragnet. How’s that?
On one occasion ...
“having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Y’shua answered them, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with
observation. Nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or, “There it is!” But look and you will see that the kingdom of God is within and among you’.” (Luke 17:20-21)
The Pharisees wanted to see “fireworks,” as the Americans would say; or pomp and
pageantry as the British would. But Y’shua seemed to be offering them nothing of the sort!
Some Christians take these words of Y’shua to mean that He was offering a spiritual
kingdom rather than a literal, millennial kingdom on earth. But no! That would have been against the prophecies of Scripture. Y’shua was saying that the kingdom
was very near, because He, the King-Messiah, was already in their midst. All that was required was repentance on the part of the nation, and an acceptance of Y’shua as the Anointed One, and the kingdom could be realized.
But even many of the clear straight-forward statements of Y’shua did not tally with the Messianic conceptions of the priests, Pharisees and the people who heard them. Y’shua was a disappointment to them; He upset their theological apple-carts! He wasn’t doing things the way they thought the Messiah should! He was too idealistic,
too passive, too unpractical, too heavenly-minded - or vaguely-minded - to be of any earthly use. Y’shua’s teaching about the “kingdom of heaven” just didn’t seem to make much sense. So many thought.
(Note: “kingdom of heaven” generally means exactly the same as “kingdom of God.” Y’shua often used the word “heaven” as a substitute word for “God.” Kingdom of heaven does not mean just the kingdom in heaven, but the kingdom of heaven upon earth - the Millennial Kingdom.)
Now take some statements from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) for example:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit - the humble, those who have no trust in
themselves - for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v3)
“Blessed are the gentle - the meek and patient - for they will inherit the
earth.” (v5)
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v10)
How can you construct a kingdom using humility and meekness as building-blocks? Everyone knows you have to be powerful, aggressive, and even ruthless to get any-
where in this world. You have to face unscrupulous political-priests within, and an evil Roman Empire outside? You have to be tough! So Y’shua’s words were not logical to many! Can you imagine how well the following statements went over with the religious leaders of Israel?
“For I tell you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
Pharisees, and the Scribes (the teachers of the Law), you shall certainly not
enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
Y’shua was not saying here that the Pharisees and Scribes were very righteous, and
the people were to be even better. No! He was exposing their phoney righteousness. It was not simply that He did not have a good opinion about Scribes and Pharisees. He had a correct estimation of them. They were like a sheet of clear glass. He could see right through them! All their “righteousness” was like a filthy rag. And if the
above statement did not expose their rottenness, then another Y’shuan word would!
“Woe to you, Scribes (who teach the Law) and you Pharisees! Hypocrites!
For you are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean and
rotten. Like that, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on
the inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness . . . You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to Gehenna - hell-fire?” (Matthew 23:27, 28, 33)
It’s clear that Y’shua was not seeking to win endorsement for His Messiahship from the Pharisees, Scribes and priests!
The Messiah was like a sharp two-edged sword. He was not called “The Word” without reason, (see Hebrews 4:12, and John 1:1). Y’shua was constantly underscoring the truth that had earlier thundered down from Mt Sinai: YHWH El
Shaddai was the Holy One of Israel, and the people of Israel needed to repent, offer an acceptable Lamb for their sins, and “engage” a true Priest-Messiah who would intercede for them, save them, and bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Messiah’s ministry was not simply to usher in a prosperous kingdom and make
everything rosy for God’s special stiff-necked people. He must first prepare them; He must teach them the principles of the Kingdom. He must change their hearts, and make them “new.” He must put a new spirit in them - the HOLY Spirit, so that they could fulfil the Father’s purpose for bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.
The “new birth” had been promised by Adonai YHWH long before:
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)
One thing God hates in particular, is hypocrisy; and a whitewashed facade~ is not a clean heart! The Scribes and Pharisees should have known better, for they taught the Scriptures, including the Messianic prophecies. But they were the blind leading the blind. They were not ready for the Messiah - and never would be!
But there were at least two Pharisees who did get converted. One was Nicodemus; the other, later on, was Sha’ul of Tarsus (Paul). Y’shua told Nicodemus:
“No-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ... no-one can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Holy Spirit.” (John 3:3,5)
(‘Water’ speaks of the Word of God. The Word applied by the Holy Spirit leads to regeneration - new birth and cleansing. See also Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5)
At first, Nicodemus didn’t have a clue about the new birth, or what the Messiah was talking about. But he did readily receive the Word, and the Word, applied by the Holy Spirit, produced spiritual life in him. (Later, Nicodemus was one of the two believers who entombed the body of Y’shua - after all the others had fled.)
There were many ordinary Jewish people though, who had a lively expectation that Y’shua would shortly declare Himself as Messiah, and establish the New Messianic Age.
This excited crowd cried out:
“BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!” “Peace in heaven,” and “Glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)
But a few days later, another Jewish crowd was calling out:
“Away with this Man! Crucify Him! Crucify Him! . . . We will not have this man to reign over us.” (Luke 23:18, 21. 19:14)
There was no referendum held in Israel to decide if Y’shua was to be received or
rejected as Messiah. Justice was grossly violated. The law was murdered - and so was Y’shua the Messiah! And yet, the purpose of God was sustained, the righteousness of God was manifest, and the grace of God triumphed over sin, Satan, death and Hell.
Y’shua was the Lamb of God ...
“slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
It was central to the redemptive plan of the Eternal Deity that Y’shua should die for the sins of the world.
Y’shua fulfilled Isaiah 53 and a book full of prophecies. He also fulfilled the Law, and He fulfilled all righteousness. He made “new birth” possible, and He made redemption a fait accompli~.
“He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again on their behalf.”
(2 Corinthians 5:15)
Moreover, by His atoning work at Calvary, and by His victorious resurrection from the tomb, Messiah made heaven resound with praise. He made heaven the goal of
the redeemed, and He made the Millennial Kingdom an absolute certainty.
“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe, language, people and nation. You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign over the earth’.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
“And the seventh angel sounded his trumpet; and there arose loud voices in heaven, crying, ‘The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdom
of YHWH our LORD and of His Anointed - the Messiah; and He will
reign forever and ever.’
“And the twenty-four elders who were sitting on their thrones before God,
fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, YHWH El Shaddai - LORD God Almighty, the One who is and who was,
and who is coming, because You have taken Your great power and have reigned’.” (Revelation 11:15-17)
“The glory of YHWH will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it;
for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.”
(Isaiah 40:1)
THE PRESENT AGE PROGRAM
The question on the lips of the disciples after Y’shua’s resurrection was . . .
“Master, is it at this time that You will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)
Notice, Y’shua did not say, “Sorry brethren, Israel is finished! They’ve rejected the kingdom, so you can forget it now!” And neither did Y’shua say, “Listen, you deaf disciples; you’ve got the kingdom in your hearts, so forget a physical kingdom on earth now!” No!
“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates which the
Father has set by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the remotest part of the earth’.” (Acts 1:7-8)
The Millennial Kingdom was postponed, but not cancelled! It would come in due time. Because of unbelief, Israel would not immediately enter the Kingdom. As in the days of Moses when the Israelites were very close to the Promised Land, but were returned to “the wilderness,” Messiah’s generation had come very near to the kingdom, but they failed to enter.
In the meantime the Messiah’s message must be preached all over the world, for the Eternal Purpose and the Messianic plan embraced ALL mankind.
“Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; the word has gone out of My
mouth in righteousness and it will not be revoked; that to Me every knee
will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, ‘Only
in YHWH are righteousness and strength’.” (Isaiah 45:22-24)
Israel was an instrument to fulfil the Divine Plan. And, hallelu-Yah, a handful of Spirit-filled Jewish disciples “filled Jerusalem” with Yeshua’s teaching; and soon they “turned the world upside down.” (Acts 5:28, 17:6)
The “times of the Gentiles” had come - the time for a mighty redemptive work in the pagan nations. And so the demonstration of the sovereignty and wisdom of Yahweh
El Shaddai is seen, in this present age, throughout the whole world. The Gentile
“Redeemed of the LORD” are “trophies of His grace,” for they were once . . .
“… separate from the Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)
Now salvation has come to their shores.
But the apostle Paul also revealed a great “mystery” - one which was almost totally hidden in the Old Testament - that the Messiah would take a corporate~ Bride from out of all the nations of the world, including Israel.
“This is a profound mystery - but I am speaking with reference to the
Messiah and the Ekklesia (the church).” (Ephesians 5:32)
The word Ekklesia is the Greek word used in the New Testament for the Body of
believers in Y’shua the Messiah. It is normally translated church or assembly, but as “church” is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language, I prefer to use the Greek word, explaining the real meaning of it.
Most Bible believers, of course, understand that ...
the Ekklesia is not a building with a steeple on top;
the Ekklesia is not something you go to;
the Ekklesia is not a religious club;
the Ekklesia is not a Christian denomination;
the Ekklesia is not the whole of Christendom.
But sadly, many Christians as well as non-Christians have a false idea of what “the
church” is. They think of everything except the true meaning.
There does not seem to be any suitable alternate English word. Of course, the words Fellowship and Assembly are often used, but these nearly always give the sense of a local body - political, social or religious. Assembly may also mean something like the U.N. General Assembly.
These are inadequate expressions. So I am using the word Ekklesia, with the following definition:
The Body of called-out people; the Assembly - local and universal, comprised of all who have been redeemed and brought into union with the Messiah. It is also
called The Bride of the Messiah (Christ).
Now the mystery Paul speaks of is the glorious truth that the Messiah has created a
new corporate body which is called His Body, His Ekklesia, and also His Bride. And
He has planned that this Bride should be His eternal companion. “Corporate” means, “made up of many parts or members.” The Messiah’s Ekklesia is made up of
many millions of believers.
In this passage, Paul is simultaneously teaching two things; 1. human marriage relationships, and, 2. the relationship of New Testament believers, as the Bride, to the Messiah.
“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the Head of the
Ekklesia - the Body of which He is the Saviour. Now as the Ekklesia is subject to Christ, so also the wives should be subject to their husbands in
everything.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah also loved the Ekklesia and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of water with the Word, and that He might present the Ekklesia to Himself, a glorious Bride, without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing - but that she should be holy and without blemish ... for we are
members of His body - of His flesh and of His bones.” (Ephesians 5:23-27, 30)
Now! The Bride of the Lamb is not what some people call “spiritual Israel.” It is the new body, the Ekklesia, that began at Pentecost. It is made up of Jews and Gentiles.
“But now in the Messiah, Y’shua, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both groups into one, and has broken down the
dividing wall between us by abolishing in His flesh the enmity and the Law
of commandments contained in ordinances - His purpose being to create
in union with Himself one ‘new man’ out of the two, thus making peace,
and in this one body, to reconcile both of them to God through His death
on the cross, by which He put to death the enmity.” (Ephesians 2:13-16)
The glorious part of this “mystery” is the fact that according to the Eternal Purpose,
the Bride of the Lamb will be made up of people from every nation.
“You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe, language, people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
The Bride is still being added to every day, and it will be completed soon - at the time of the Rapture, when the Bride will be caught up to meet the Bridegroom in the clouds. And then, shortly after the Rapture, there will be the Great Day of the Marriage of the Lamb.
“ ‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His Bride has prepared herself.’ Fine linen, bright and clean was given to her to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who
are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” ’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God’.” (Revelation 19:7-9)
You may be asking, “What has the Bride got to do with the Millennium? We have a heavenly destiny, not an earthly one!” Just this: to the Bride is given the awesome privilege of reigning with the Messiah - at His side, when the glory of the LORD is revealed, and when the Sovereignty~ of the LORD OF GLORY is displayed universally, throughout the Millennium.
What a glorious day, the day when “Heaven comes down and glory fills my soul!” The day when, as Paul says,
“… through the Ekklesia (through the worldwide body of those who are in fellowship with Y’shua the Messiah), the manifold wisdom of God might be
made known to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10)
SATAN OVERTHROWN
Daniel’s prophecies emphasize the fact that the Satan-dominated kingdoms of the world will be destroyed by the glorious return of the Messiah.
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed - a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it
will itself endure for ever.” (Daniel 2:44)
Chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation gives more details of the overthrow of the “kingdoms of this world”:
11 “I saw heaven opened, and then a white horse appeared, and He who
sat upon it was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
12-14 “His eyes were like blazing fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written upon Him which no one knew except He
Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and the Name by which He was called was ‘The Word of God.’ The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen, white
and clean.
15-16 “Now from His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword with which
to strike the nations; and He will rule them with a sceptre of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath and indignation of God, El
Shaddai the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He had a Name
written:
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17-18 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a mighty voice to all the birds flying in mid-air, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God; so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, free and slave, small and great.’
19-21 “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against the Rider on the horse, and against His
army. But the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who had performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. The
rest were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider on the horse, and all-the birds were filled with their flesh.
20:1-3 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and hurled him into the bottomless pit, and shut and sealed it (over him, so that he could not deceive the nations any longer,
until the thousand years were completed. After that he must be released for a short time.”
So here we see Satan overthrown, and totally contained, during the 1,000 glorious years.
THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
Messiah’s return from heaven, and the commissioning of the Millennial kingdom, is
described in DANIEL:
“In the night visions, I kept looking, and suddenly there was One like the
Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven. He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
“Then to Him was given authority, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language should serve Him.
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
A question that naturally comes up as we study the prophecies of the millennial reign is: Who, actually, is the King reigning in Jerusalem during the Kingdom of God on earth?
At first, several scriptures seem to be contradictory. Some passages say the Messiah
reigns. Other passages say David reigns. Some Scriptures say God reigns, while yet others say YHWH is the King. Let’s look at some of the prophecies.
EZEKIEL says that the shepherd-king, David, will be prince and king in the future kingdom.
“Then I will place over them one shepherd. My servant David, and he will feed them; he will take care of them and be their shepherd. And I, YHWH, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them. I, YHWH, have spoken.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24)
“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My laws, and will respect and keep My
decrees. They will live in the land I gave to Jacob My servant, the land where your fathers lived. They, their children, and their descendants will
live there for ever, and David My servant will be their prince for ever.” (Ezekiel 37:24-25)
JEREMIAH prophesied regarding the Branch - the Messiah who would be king:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch.
“A King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
“And this is His Name by which He will be called, ‘YHWH Tsidkeinu’
(YHWH our Righteousness).” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
ZECHARIAH presents the two comings of the Messiah, and leaves no room to doubt that the One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey was the King of Zion.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of
Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and having salvation, humble, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
Zechariah also presents the Messiah as the builder of the temple of God, and the fact that He would fulfil the duel office of priest and king:
“Then tell him, ‘This is what YHWH of Hosts says: “Look, here is the Man whose Name is the BRANCH - for He will branch out from His
place and will build the temple of YHWH. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of YHWH, and He will be clothed with glory, and will sit and rule on His throne. He will be a priest on His throne, and there will be harmony between the two offices.”’” (Zechariah 6:12-13)
In the Book of Hebrews we read that Y’shua the Messiah is that Royal-Priest after the order of Melkizedek. (6:20)
In other passages Zechariah presents YHWH returning as the King:
“This is what YHWH says: ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and
the mountain of YHWH of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.” (Zechariah 8:3)
“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion! Look! For I am coming and I will live among you, declares YHWH.” (Zechariah 2:10)
“And YHWH will be King over all the earth; in that day it will be acknowledged - YHWH is one; and His Name the only one.” (Zechariah 14:9)
ISAIAH also says Yahweh will be King:
“YHWH will be there for us, the Majestic One! It will be a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars shall sail there, and no mighty enemy ship will pass by - for YHWH is our Judge! YHWH is our
Lawgiver! YHWH is our King! He will save us!” (Isaiah 33:21-22)
“Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout joyfully,
for when YHWH restores Zion they will see it with their own eyes. Burst
into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for YHWH has comforted His people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 52:8-10)
ZEPHANIAH also rejoices that it is Yahweh, “the Mighty to Save,” who is in the midst of the kingdom:
“Sing with joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! ... The
King of Israel, YHWH, is in your midst; never again will you see disaster ... YHWH your God is in your midst, the Mighty One who will save.” (Zephaniah 3:14,15,17)
MICAH presents both MESSIAH and YHWH as the Ruler in Israel. He locates the birthplace of the Messiah, but reveals that the Anointed One is not a mere man. His
origins are from eternity.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be noticed among the clans
of Judah. From out of you will come forth for Me the One who will be ruler in Israel. His origins are from of old - from eternity ... And He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of
the Name of YHWH His God. And they will live securely, for then His
greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And this One will be their
peace.” (Micah 5:2, 4-5)
“YHWH will reign over them in Mount Zion from that day and for ever.” (Micah 4:7)
How can we reconcile these differing prophecies?
First, regarding MESSIAH and YHWH; there is no conflict or contradiction when Scripture says MESSIAH REIGNS, and YAHWEH REIGNS, for Y’shua the Messiah is the physical manifestation of Yahweh the Eternal Deity. Messiah and Yahweh, you can say, are one and the same! We don’t believe in two Gods, or three Gods. God is one!
“Hear, O Israel! YHWH is our God, YHWH is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Yes, the Eternal Deity is manifest as three divine Persons - and sometimes all three at the same time, as at the baptism of Y’shua. But they are in essence, One.
Y’shua said, “I am My Father are one.” (John 10:30)
Y’shua is the physical manifestation of the Deity, the One in whom ...
“… all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9)
YAHWEH is presented as the Heavenly Father, but He is not seen with the eye. Y’SHUA is presented as the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6), but He has been, and will be seen.
“He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.” (Revelation 1:7)
But there are not two Fathers, two Lords, two Saviours, two Sovereign Kings and two Deities. He is One. We refer to Him as Yahweh, or we refer to Him as Y’shua
to distinguish the different roles. But there are times when Yahweh and Y’shua merge into one single role - such as when He reigns as Sovereign King over all the earth. Here the two Names also merge into one - YHWH-SHUA.
“YHWH is my light and my salvation.” (Psalm 27:1)
“My eyes have seen Your Yeshu’ah (Your Salvation).” (Luke 2:30)
Now, concerning David, you may ask, “How can David reign when the Messiah is clearly the King? And is it even possible for David to be raised to life to reign in Jerusalem once more?”
It is very clear, David is not the Messiah, but it IS possible for him to reign as a
regent under the Messiah. Yes, it is possible for a resurrected saint to reign on the earth. We read in Revelation of the resurrected Tribulation martyrs reigning:
“Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom authority to judge was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Y’shua and because of the Word of God - these had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark upon their foreheads or upon their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for the thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)
The resurrected ones seen on thrones here are rulers under the Messiah who is Sovereign above all. The resurrected rulers are part of the administration of the Kingdom, but they are not necessarily earth-bound. Because of their resurrection bodies, they have access into the heavenly city, and evidently they can come and go, in much the same way as angels do.
When the Scriptures say MESSIAH REIGNS, it is to be understood that He has subordinate rulers, kings, princes, elders, administrators, and ambassadors under His sovereignty.
“Then the moon will blush and the sun will be ashamed, for YHWH of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His appointed elders in power and great glory.” (Isaiah 24 :23)
The disciples of Y’shua were told they would, at a later time, sit on thrones judging Israel:
“Y’shua answered them, ‘I tell you the truth; in THE REGENERATION - the Messianic renewal and restoration of the world -
when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel’.” (Matthew 19:28)
We read also of another great company (and dear reader, I trust you can see yourself included in this vast body), who will reign as kings and priests on the earth:
“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe, language, people and nation. You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign upon the earth’.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
Yes, this Body comprises the Bride of the Lamb who naturally reigns with the Messiah-King, at His right hand. (The Scriptures do not refer to her as Queen).
So we see the Bride of the Messiah, and also administrators, elders, princes and kings reigning in the Millennium under the sovereignty of the King of Kings. Some of these are resurrected and glorified, but others are appointees from the saved on
the earth who have not yet been glorified. So it is quite possible that David will be the Prince-king ruling as Regent over Israel itself.
Some people who don’t believe in the Millennial kingdom have an objection. They ask, “How can glorified and non-glorified people mingle and live together in the same society - some material, the others spiritual? And if all the resurrection believers from past dispensations converge and live on earth, how can the planet accommodate them all?”
Good question! We’ll come to the answer in just a few minutes. First, let us look at a few more essential details.
JERUSALEM - THE CITY OF JOY
The MILLENNIAL CAPITAL, on earth, will be Jerusalem, in Israel. It is also called Mount Zion.
“YHWH will reign over them in Mount Zion from that day and for ever.” (Micah 4:7)
“Great is YHWH; He is worthy of great praise, in the city of our God,
His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is
Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the Great King.” (Psalm 48:1-2)
“In the last days the mountain of the House of YHWH will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the
hills, and all nations will stream into it.
“Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.’ For the Law (instruction) will go out from Zion, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3)
Mount Zion is one of the mountains of Jerusalem. It is where David built his palace - a little south-west of Mt Moriah where the temple was built later. The name Zion
(Hebrew Tziyon) was extended to the temple mount; but it is often used to mean the
whole of the city.
JERUSALEM will become the “joy of the whole earth” after “all Israel is saved!” (“All Israel” of course, refers to great multitude of believers who receive Y’shua during the Tribulation - the ‘one-third’ of Zechariah 13:9). And as Israel is blessed, it will become a great blessing to all other nations:
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brethren, lest you
be wise in your own estimation; a temporary hardening has happened to a
part of Israel which will continue until the full number of Gentiles has
come in. And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’.” (Romans 11:25-27)
“But Israel will be saved by YHWH with an everlasting salvation. You will never be put to shame or humiliated for ever and ever. All men will
come to Him, and all who raged against Him shall be put to shame. In
YHWH all the descendants of Israel will be justified - they will be found
righteous and will glorify Him.” (Isaiah 45:17, 25)
“I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and will put My sanctuary in their midst for ever. My dwelling-place will be with them; I will be their God and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I am YHWH who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is among them for ever.” (Ezekiel 37:24-28)
“In that day Israel will be the third - along with Egypt and Assyria - a
blessing at the centre of the earth, whom YHWH of Hosts will bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance’.” (Isaiah 19:24-25)
WORLDWIDE DOMINION
Although the central kingdom of the Millennial Reign will be Israel, after the Great Tribulation the saved remnants of the Gentile nations will form the new nations that will share in Messiah’s kingdom. The extent of the kingdom will be nothing less than world wide.
Egypt and Assyria are mentioned by name in Isaiah 19:25, above, and again . ..
“In that day a great trumpet will sound, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria, and those who were scattered in Egypt, will come and worship YHWH on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 27:13)
Zechariah looks forward to the time when the Gentile nations will seek Yahweh
who is reigning from Jerusalem. It is Messiah speaking here:
“Many nations will join themselves to YHWH in that day and will
become My people. I will live among you and you will know that YHWH of Hosts has sent Me to you.” (Zechariah 2:10-11)
“Many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek YHWH of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat YHWH.
“YHWH of Hosts says: In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of a Jew by the edge of his garment and say, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’.” (Zechariah 8:22-23)
Isaiah’s prophecies revealed that not only would Israel come into blessing, but the Gentile nations also would share in the salvation of God.
“YHWH has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10)
“I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim, and the war-horses from
Jerusalem; the bows of war also will be destroyed. He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River Euphrates to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:10)
“He will judge between the nations, and will settle disputes for many peoples.” (Isaiah 2:4)
THE CELESTIAL PALACE
While there will be a royal palace on earth from which the kingdom administration is directed, the Messiah Himself will reign over all, from a celestial (heavenly) palace which is called the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. This is the heavenly place that Y’shua said He would prepare for His people:
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going there to prepare a place for you. And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and receive you to Myself, so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
The Revelation describes that glorious place, and equates it with the Bride of the Lamb:
“And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully adorned for her
husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘See now, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell among them, and they
shall be His people, and YHWH Elohim Himself shall be with them - their
God’ . . . ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’
“Then in the Spirit he conveyed me away to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (Revelation 21:2-3, 9-11)
At first it may seem that the city is the Bride herself. No! The Bride is the glorified Body of the Messiah. The city is her dwelling place - a magnificent palace. It
includes various groups of inhabitants, but the Bride is very prominent there. But far
more prominent than the Bride is - YHWH-SHUA Himself.
“But I saw no temple in the city, for YHWH El Shaddai, the LORD God
Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine upon it, for the Sh’khinah glory of God gives it light,
and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:22-23)
As well as the Almighty, the Lamb and the Bride, there will be a great company of other redeemed and glorified servants of God in the city.
“There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His bond-servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 3:3-4)
As the members of the corporate Bride are also called servants, some mistakenly believe that only the Bride lives in the heavenly Jerusalem. But Revelation 21:12-14 suggests the heavenly occupants are the redeemed from both Israel and the Ekklesia -
the Ekklesia being the one “new Body” that the Messiah created on the day of
Pentecost - believers both Jews and Gentiles.
“It had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates were
twelve angels; and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on
the gates . . . The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on
them were the twelve names of the apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:12-14)
As well as being the Hope of the Ekklesia, the Heavenly Jerusalem also fulfils the aspirations of Abraham and many other faithful saints in the Old Testament who
were . . .
“looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)
At the gates of the city there are twelve angels; and inside, there are myriads of angels in the service of Yahweh, especially around the throne. (Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 5:11)
“HERE COMES THE BRIDE”
“And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully adorned for her
husband.” (Revelation 21:2)
Some prophecy teachers have believed and taught that the heavenly city comes down and settles on the earth - on the site of old Jerusalem. But the Scripture does not say that. It simply says the city “comes down out of heaven.”
Some see the city hovering over the earth. I see it as being in proximity to the earth, like the sun or moon, but not necessarily in a physical orbit.
Look at the following description and notice that the nations walk in the light of the heavenly city:
“The nations - those who are saved - will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their splendour into it. Throughout the day its gates
remain open, and as there will be no night there, its gates will never be
closed! They shall bring the splendour and honour of the nations into it; but nothing that defiles or profanes, nor anyone who practices
abominations and falsehood, shall ever come into it, but only those
whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelation 21:24-27)
In studying Revelation 21:1 to 22:7, we could easily be confused as to whether this
passage is referring to the eternal heaven, or whether it is speaking about the Millennial city.
In this passage we can see the overlapping of the millennial and the eternal, as
well as an overlapping of the physical and the spiritual.
The nations on earth are millennial, but the heavenly city is eternal. The earth is physical, but the heavenly city is spiritual (heavenly). By spiritual we don’t mean ghostly or intangible. It is very real, but of a different quality to our known physical realm.
I think of the heavenly city as spiritually-physical, like the future bodies of the redeemed. That’s a quality we don’t yet experience, but it is a quality that existed in the body of Y’shua, after His resurrection.
During those 40 days before the Ascension, there was an overlapping of the physical and spiritual as the Saviour met with His disciples. We see an overlapping also in the appearances of angels. They are spirits, and yet they can be visibly manifest in the physical world.
Likewise, during the Millennium, the Sh’khinah glory – the glorious manifest
Presence of YHWH the Holy One - will be displayed from the celestial city, and will be literally seen above the earthly Jerusalem, by those living in Israel.
“Your eyes will see the king in His beauty; they will view the far-distant land.” (Isaiah 33:17)
Several scriptures suggest the light of the celestial city will replace the light of the sun
and moon - at least for some time - at the beginning of the Millennium. Remember, our Master quoted Isaiah, and spoke of the sun turning to blackness at the end of the Great Tribulation - that is, just prior to the Kingdom.
“Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT [Isaiah
13:10], the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of THE HEAVENS WILL BE SHAKEN [Haggai 2,6. Joel 2:10]. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE
CLOUDS OF THE SKY [Daniel 7:13] with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29-30)
The darkening of the sun is alluded to also in Isaiah 24:
“Then the moon will blush and the sun will be ashamed, for YHWH of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His appointed elders in power and great glory.” (Isaiah 24:23)
And there’s this explicit prophecy Isaiah 60:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come! and the Sh’khinah~ glory of
YHWH has risen upon you. Look! Darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But YHWH will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen over you.
“The Gentile nations will come to your Light, and kings to the brightness of your Rising ... The sun will no longer be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine upon you; for YHWH will be for you, an everlasting Light, and your God will be your Glory. Your sun
will no longer go down, and your moon will wane no more; for YHWH will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be finished.” (Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-20)
The darkening of the sun may be caused by a collapse of the core of the sun. A scientist has told me that such a collapse is now overdue - gauging by the increase of helium in the sun.
KINGDOM ADMINISTRATION
Now to answer that question that came up earlier: How can glorified and non-glorified people mingle together? And how could the planet accommodate them all?
Firstly, all the glorified saints are not going to come to live on the earth. They will reign with Messiah from the Celestial City.
Secondly, the King-Messiah will depute certain resurrected saints to the earth for governmental and administrative purposes. King David, as we have seen, is said to
reign as a shepherd to the nation of Israel, while the twelve disciples will be commissioned as judges - maybe something like Supreme Court judges. Martyred
tribulation saints will also reign under Messiah, with administrative responsibilities in various parts of the world. Other glorified saints, I expect, will be appointed to head up certain vital projects.
“ ‘Well done, good servant,’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been
faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten cities’.” (Luke 19:17)
The actual governing by resurrected, glorified saints may be largely in an advisory capacity. They will be able to teach the nations of the ways of the Messiah, and the Divine principles for the functioning of the kingdom. Under the heavenly princes or
advisers there will be earthly governors, and a spiritually-wise and structured form of administration.
After the chaos of the Great Tribulation, there will be an enormous amount of work to be done. It will be a starting all over again - like Noah and his family after the flood. The nations on earth will do the work, but they will need specific and Divine guidance, otherwise they would rebuild, repeating the mistakes of the past and present ages - building unjust, corrupt economic and political systems - Towers of Babel.
The heavenly princes - the resurrected saints who are appointed to on-earth duties - do not necessarily need to live continuously on the earth. They are, after all, citizens
of the Heavenly City. But like our nations’ ambassadors, and other service personnel, they may be commissioned for certain periods of time. They may possibly visit earth on a daily or hourly basis. Glorified saints, like angels, you know, will not need a spacecraft to travel from the Heavenly City to earth.
Another question someone will ask: If the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven, and if it houses the redeemed, the angels, the temple, the Bride, and God
Himself, what happens to the old heaven - will it become an empty place?
No, it will not be empty. The “old heaven” is the eternal, uncreated, spiritual realm of the Eternal Deity. What we are now talking about is a glorious new creation. The New Jerusalem is a “physical” place, but by “physical” I don’t mean earthly. It is of a much superior quality, but it is tangible, concrete, and yet “spiritual” - that is celestial, or heavenly. “Celesto-physical,” if you like.
New Jerusalem then, is a celesto-physical part of the eternal heaven. And there are evidently more celesto-physical heavens to be created later.
“... in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)
“NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, AND NO MAN’S HEART HAS IMAGINED ALL THE THINGS GOD HAS PREPARED
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. [Is 64:4]. But God revealed them to us
through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
“1000 YEARS,” OR “FOR EVER”?
Certain prophecies seem to be contradictory in regards to the duration of the Kingdom. Daniel 7:14 says,
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Nowhere does the Old Testament limit the length of the Kingdom. But the Book of
Revelation speaks of 1,000 years.
“They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for the thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)
The thousand years is mentioned six times in this passage - Revelation 20:2-7.
Is there a contradiction? No! The answer is that the Kingdom of God, on earth, is limited to the 1,000 years. Then after that period, the world and the present universe
will be “rolled up,” and the Millennial Kingdom will take on a new eternal form. It will become part of the eternal Kingdom that will fill the new heavens and the new earth.
“But the Day of YHWH will come (unexpected) like a thief, in which the
heavens will disappear with a roar; and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up ... That
day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the intense heat. But, in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)
MILLENNIAL CONDITIONS
Untold blessings are to be poured out on earth during the Reign of the Messiah. It will be an age that much of the world longs for, but it will be an age that will never be achieved through man’s own efforts. It is Paradise; it is Eden restored; an age when the Sovereignty of Yahweh El Shaddai, is demonstrated in great glory.
Now some of the countless blessings in store for the Millennium:
PEACE
Wars will cease, and there will be economic prosperity as all nations are united under the reign of the Messiah.
“They will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they learn warfare any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
“I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim, and the war-horses from Jerusalem; the bows of war also will be destroyed.
“He will speak peace to the nations; and His dominion will be from sea
to sea, and from the River Euphrates to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:10)
“The whole earth is at rest and at peace; they break forth into joyful
singing.” (Isaiah 14:7)
HOLINESS
This is the very essence of the Eternal Spirit. I think of holiness as the “DNA” of God - the very life cells of His Being. And that holiness must manifest itself in any kingdom of YHWH M’QADESH (Yahweh the One who sanctifies and makes holy).
“It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy - all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 4:3)
“In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO YHWH.’ And the cooking pots in the house of YHWH will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.” (Zechariah 14:20)
GLORY
This is the outshining of the Holiness of the Eternal Spirit; the manifest Sh’khinah -
the Glory of the Divine Presence.
“The Sh’khinah glory of YHWH will be revealed, and all mankind
together will see it; for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5)
“As I looked, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the roar of rushing waters; and the earth shone with His glory.” (Ezekiel 43:2)
FULL KNOWLEDGE
This will be the result of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It will be a Spirit-filled world!
“For the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHWH as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9 & Habakkuk2:14)
“All your sons will be taught by YHWH, and great will be your children’s peace.” (Isaiah 54:13)
THE FULNESS OF JOY
This Fruit of the Spirit will be a distinctive mark of the kingdom.
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, YHWH is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
“Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 12:2-3, 6. Also Is 14:7; 65:18)
COMFORT
“Shout for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into joyful shouting, O mountains! For YHWH has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13)
JUSTICE
Justice is the fruit of righteousness for which we are exhorted to hunger and thirst. (Matthew 5:6)
“See now! A King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.” (Isaiah 32:1)
“Look! My Servant, whom I uphold; My Chosen One in whom My soul
delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1)
“The Spirit of YHWH will rest upon Him - the Messiah - The Spirit of
Wisdom and of Understanding, The Spirit of Counsel and of Power, The Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of YHWH - and He will delight in the fear of YHWH.
“He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, nor make a decision by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with justice, give decisions for the meek - the lowly, timid and
afflicted - of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His sash and faithfulness the belt around His waist.” (Isaiah 11:2-5)
“He will judge between the nations, and will settle disputes for many
peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they learn warfare any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTION
“For the Law (instruction) will go out from Zion, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
REMOVAL OF THE CURSE
The curse placed on the creation after the Fall will be removed. The environment will be healed, and Edenic conditions restored.
“The wolf also will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat.
“The calf and the young lion and the young fattened animal will feed
together, and a little boy will lead them.
“The cow and the bear also will graze and their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox.
“The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child will put his hand on the viper’s den without danger. They will not harm or
destroy on all My holy mountain.” (Isaiah 11:6-9)
SICKNESS REMOVED
The hands and ministry of Y’SHUA ROFE, the Great Physician, will once more heal
all who are afflicted.
“And no resident will say, ‘I am sick’; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.” (Isaiah 33:24)
HEALING OF THE DEFORMED
“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)
SECURITY
No more fear of war, robbery, violence and physical abuse. And what is said of Jerusalem, will apply to the whole worldwide Kingdom.
“The people will live in it, and there will be no more destruction, but
Jerusalem will live in security.” (Zechariah 14:11)
“No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction
within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your
gates Praise.” (Isaiah 60:18)
“My people will live in a peaceful environment, in secure homes, and in undisturbed resting places.” (Isaiah 32:18)
“Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; your eyes shall see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, a tent that will not be moved; its
stakes will never be pulled up nor any of its ropes be broken.” (Isaiah 33:20)
LIFESPAN WILL BE LENGTHENED
“I will rejoice over Jerusalem, and take delight in My people. The voice of weeping and the sound of crying will no longer be heard in her. No longer will there be an infant in her who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days. He who dies at the age of one
hundred will be thought a mere youth, and one who does not reach the age
of one hundred shall be thought accursed.” (Isaiah 65:19-20)
BLESSED CHILDREN WILL BE BORN
“They shall not toil in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the descendants of ‘the Blessed of YHWH’; they and their descendants with
them.” (Isaiah 65:23)
LABOUR AND PROSPERITY
Although there are great blessings in the kingdom, there will be no idleness. But there will be prosperity through dignified labour.
“They shall not toil in vain.” (Isaiah 65:23)
“They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and
eat their fruit. They will not build houses, and others live in them; they
will not plant, and others eat. For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their
hands.” (Isaiah 65:21-22)
“Then He will send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in wide lush pastures.” (Isaiah 30:23)
PURIFIED AND UNIFIED LANGUAGE
Each language will be purified, but many Hebrew expressions will be incorporated into each language. Hebrew, I expect, will become the international language.
“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that all of them may call on the Name of YHWH, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9)
UNIFIED WORSHIP
“Then the survivors from the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, YHWH of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16 and Zephaniah 3:9)
“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him; and His place of rest will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)
So, my reader, in the Millennium we see the Messiah, the Anointed One, whose “kingdom is not of this world,” reigning in glory over a world where once men cried, “Away with Him! Not this Man!” Now He is gloriously vindicated as the Saviour of the World, and as the “blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (l Timothy 6:15)
We see Jerusalem, where Y’shua was unjustly scourged and crucified, now the focal point of the Reign of Righteousness, and a blessing to all the nations.
We see the earth, which was the centre of frantic Satanic activity and an arena of great darkness, now the venue where God has chosen to demonstrate His sovereignty, and to display the Sh’khinah glory.
HALLELU-YAH
YHWH-Y’SHUA BE PRAISED!
This, my reader, is a brief description of the Millennium. In our present world it all seems like an impossible dream. But it is soon to become a reality. Many prophecies that are being fulfilled in Israel, and in all nations, today, indicate that the world is gearing up for the Climax of the Age - the Great Tribulation - which will prove to be the necessary purging of the world in preparation for the Millennial Age of Glory.
AFTER THE 1,000 YEARS?
Three major events are to take place after the Millennium which we should look at before closing this booklet.
1. Satan will be released for a short time
The release of the Adversary is permitted for the purpose of testing those who are living on earth at the end of the Millennium. By the end of the 1,000 years, the
world’s population will be astronomical - probably much more than our present almost 7 billion people - as there will be no wars, and no incurable diseases during the thousand years.
The earth’s resources may also be reaching their limits by then, and that may be one reason why the planet needs to be wound up, and a new, greater earth created.
Now consider that huge population on the earth at the end of the Millennium. The great majority of these people would have been born during the Millennium, but
their continuance in the Kingdom of God is conditional on their relationship and allegiance to the King-Messiah. Like people at the present time, they need to experience the new birth, otherwise, in spite of great privileges they have, they will prove to be unregenerate, and will be lost.
In the glorious kingdom where all is righteousness, and where the King rules with an iron sceptre (Rev 2:27; 12:5; Psalm 2:8) - which means all rebellion and crime will be immediately dealt with - it might be difficult to distinguish truly born again citizens from “nominal believers.” Underneath the righteous facade of many, there will be an evil, unbelieving heart. So Satan is permitted one last stint.
He will have one last chance at attempting to thwart the purposes of God. But he will not succeed. He will, however, cause the vast multitudes of mankind to expose their true status - their allegiance or their rebellious heart.
“And for this reason, God will send upon them a powerful delusion so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them together for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They swarmed across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.
But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” (Revelation 20:7-9)
This may seem like a tragic anti-climax to the glorious Millennium. Why didn’t God cast the devil into the Lake of Fire along with the Antichrist and False Prophet earlier? Why allow him parole~?
The final testing will prove that a perfect environment is not sufficient to make man righteous. He needs the Saviour and His righteousness, and must be born again.
God’s time is perfect! Once again Yahweh El Shaddai will demonstrate His
sovereignty, in bringing Satan and his wretched schemes to a complete end.
“Then the devil who deceived them was cast into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown
earlier. And they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Amen!! (Revelation 20:10)
2. The Great White Throne
This is the most awful event that will ever take place - the Day of Judgment for all unbelievers and all whose sins have not been forgiven. This is the multitude for
whom the Lamb of God died in vain. They are people who could have been saved, but tragically, they are ones who have missed out on the Kingdom of God, the joy of the Celestial City, and the eternal fullness of joy in the Presence of the Heavenly Father.
“I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His Presence, and there was no place found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne of God,
and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the
Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to their works as
recorded in the books.
“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades (the
realm of the dead) gave up the dead that were in them; and each person
was judged according to his works. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death - the lake of fire. And if
anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
On that terrible day of judgment, the condemned will cry for grace and mercy, but it will be too late! Then the words of Y’shua the Messiah will be remembered, and they will re-echo in tortured minds throughout eternity:
“Unless you REPENT, you will all likewise perish.”
(Luke 13:3)
“No-one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again.”
(John 3:3)
“Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
(Matthew 6:33)
“Blessed are those who wash their robes
(in the blood of the Lamb - Revelation 7:14),
that they may have the right to the Tree of Life,
and may enter by the gates into the (heavenly) city.”
(Revelation 22:14)
3. This present universe will be destroyed, and new heavens and a new earth will be created.
“But the Day of YHWH will come (unexpected) like a thief, in which the
heavens will disappear with a roar; and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to and earnestly desire the Day of God (the Day of YHWH).
“That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the intense heat. But, in keeping with His promise,
we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I create; for I create Jerusalem (the eternal, celestial
city) to be a delight, and her people a joy.” (Isaiah 65:17-18)
“HALLELU-YAH!
For the LORD our God, YHWH, El Shaddai, reigns.”
(Revelation 19:6)
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of YHWH our God
and of His Anointed - the Messiah;
and He will reign for ever and ever.”
(Revelation 11:15)
“YHWH shall reign for ever and ever.”
(Exodus 15:18)
HOW TO BE ASSURED OF
AN ENTRANCE INTO
THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
My dear Reader, I am sure that you want to be in the eternal kingdom of God. Everyone, except the most depraved, want to be there. But the question is, How can we be sure of an entrance into that glorious realm?
The words of the Saviour are very definite. To enter the kingdom of God, a person must be “born again.”
“Y’shua replied, ‘This is the solemn truth I tell you; no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’
“Nicodemus asked Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’
“Y’shua answered, ‘I tell you the truth; no-one can enter into the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Holy Spirit.’
(“water” speaks of the Word of God. The Word, applied by the Holy Spirit, leads to regeneration - cleansing and the new birth. See Eph. 5:26, Titus 3:5.)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’.” (John 3:3-7)
The new birth is the miracle that takes place when a person receives Y’shua, Jesus the Messiah, as his personal Saviour.
When a person comes in simple faith to the Messiah, and believes in Him - that is, trusts in or commits his life to the Saviour - God imparts spiritual life to him.
That is the miracle - it is to “come to life,” it is being “made anew.” The apostle Paul
explained:
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the Messiah, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; see, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
My reader, if you have not been born again, if you are not sure of your eternal salvation, if you have not received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, if you are not ready to meet Almighty God, why don’t you call upon Him to save you?
YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY!
But you cannot be saved ...
* by doing the best you can
* by trying to clean your life
* by making donations of money
* by relying on your ancestry or influential contacts
* by taking “membership” in a church
* by trying to placate the gods
* by attempting good works, penance or pilgrimages.
The Way to salvation is simple - so simple many people cannot grasp it. It is as simple as A B C. Let me explain it like this:
A. Acknowledge that you are sinner, condemned by your sin and unbelief, and that you need a Saviour!
“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, preventing Him from hearing.” (Isaiah 59:2)
“God, be merciful to me, the sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
B. Believe in the Saviour whom God has provided for you. Y’shua, the Lamb of God, died for you at Calvary. His blood was shed - He gave His life to atone for your sins - to redeem you.
“... the Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“In Him (Y’shua) we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through
His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, in accordance with the riches of
His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
Yahweh, the Almighty, gave His Son for you, and He is willing to forgive you, and to make you a new person. No matter how wretched you may be, He wants to save
you.
C. Come and receive God’s provision - His forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. It is all a gift of His grace.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in the Messiah, Y’shua our Master.” (Romans 6:23)
Come to the Heavenly Father in childlike faith. Call upon Him to save you. Confess Y’shua as your Saviour.
“What must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Master, Y’shua the Messiah (that is, give yourself up to Him), and you will be saved; (and this
applies both to) you and your household as well.” (Acts 16:30-31)
Some people want to be saved, but sadly, they don’t want a Saviour. Some want life, but they don’t want the Life-giver. Y’shua said to the Jews:
“You are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:40)
“But to all who received Him, to those who believe in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
“If you confess with your mouth Y’shua as Master, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
My reader, will you receive the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour? Will you give
yourself to Him today?
The prayer on the next page will help you to do this. Read the prayer through, and then pray sincerely to the Heavenly Father. Trust Him. He will save you today!
DECISION PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I come to You in the mighty Name of Your Son, Y’shua (Jesus). I come just as I am, a sinner who needs Your forgiveness and cleansing. I have sinned against You, but I believe Your Word that says Y’shua died on my behalf at Calvary. I believe He paid the penalty for my sin,
and now offers me eternal life.
I believe that Y’shua rose from the dead, and that He is the living Saviour. I now receive Him as my personal Saviour and Master. By Your grace and power, I will follow Him all the days of my life.
Y’shua, Master, come into my life and make me Your true disciple. Teach me Your ways, and write my name in Your Book of Life. I am trusting You to
save me this very day. I receive You as my Saviour.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for receiving me as Your child. Thank You, for Your Salvation, for forgiving my sins, and for your gift of eternal life. Thank You, Father. Thank You. Thank You.
In the Name of Y’shua the Messiah. Amen.
Signed ............................................ Date …………
My dear Reader, if you have made this your decision today, I would be glad to hear
from you, and to pray for you and your new spiritual life, as a follower of the Messiah.
Keep the signed prayer with you as a reminder of this day. But write to me ... Don Stanton, at the closest Maranatha Revival Crusade branch to you, or to our Western Australian address (see MRC Contacts page).
And may Yahweh the Heavenly Father bless you, and keep you.
THE END
