Study – Grow – Know

What Can We Expect During the Millennium, Part 3?

December 25, 2016 at 1:37 PM 3 comments

In this third installment of the series, we are going to answer the question regarding why there will be a Millennial Kingdom in the first place and then we can discuss the nature of the kingdom itself.

The Reasons for the Millennial Kingdom
The proof that God has gained the title deed to the earth He created, there needs to be physical and obvious possession. Ever since Satan gained mastery over the human race in Genesis 3, he has been allowed control over much of this earth. We learn in Scripture that Satan is the prince of the power of the air and the ruler of this age, and ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; John 12:31). In noting this, this does not mean or imply that Satan is the sole ruler of the world. In essence, his victory over humanity granted him certain rights and privileges that God has allowed. God is still sovereign. In fact, though humanity fell in the Garden of Eden (and Satan fell while under God’s direct supervision and control; Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28), God’s supreme rule has never been compromised nor overthrown.

…God, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him. When the Bible says Satan has power over the world, we must remember that God has given him domain over unbelievers only. Believers are no longer under the rule of Satan (Colossians 1:13). Unbelievers, on the other hand, are caught ‘in the snare of the devil’ (2 Timothy 2:26), lie in the ‘power of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19), and are in bondage to Satan (Ephesians 2:2).

Revelation 5 provides a picture that helps us understand the pageantry, majesty, and the perfection of God’s will. God is a God of order. This is seen in everything He does. God’s ordered ways are seen in His Creation and the methods He has used not only in the Creation itself, but in the way everything He does is ordered. Apart from the Creation itself, this is most clearly seen in the sacrificial system revealed to Moses from Jehovah and put into place within the nation of Israel. This system is highly nuanced as we know and fulfillment of all aspects of the it as well as the entirety of the Law itself is found in only and completely in Jesus.

Because God is a God of order and because He will not – cannot – set aside His own decrees. Instead, He finds ways to fulfill them. To simply set them aside would mean breaking laws that He has put into place. This of course, He cannot do. Fulfilling them is the option God chooses to bring His will to fruition.

Revelation 5 grants us a peek behind the curtain so that we have a better grasp of just exactly how God fulfills things in order that the specifics of His will move forward. Let’s take a quick look.

1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 4 So I began weeping bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. (Revelation 5:1-4; NET)

This scene in heaven and specifically, the throne of God reveals to us several things. First, there is a scroll. Most conservative scholar believe that this scroll is essentially the title deed to the earth and could also extend to the entire universe since sin has affected it negatively. Notice that this is a seven-sealed scroll. That signifies great importance. Second, initially there is no one “worthy” to open it (v. 2). Because of this, John the apostle, who witnesses this scene weeps (v. 4).

In ancient cultures, documents of great importance were often sealed with several seals. The fact that this particular scroll is sealed seven times and is held in the right hand of the One seated on the throne (God, the Father), tells us that this document is owned by God Himself. Yet, at first, though the contents of the seal do become known, initially no one is found who is worthy enough to open it.

As we learn later in Revelation, once the scroll is open and all the individual seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments are poured out onto the earth, the world becomes God’s Kingdom practically speaking and we have this reminder in Revelation 11:15, which states,

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:

‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever.’

Technically, Christ defeated the devil publicly at His death and resurrection. However, to this day, God has allowed Satan to continue trying to build a one-world globally unified system of governance in which he, through his spiritual son Antichrist, will rule the world. God allows this because His historical triumphing over Satan will be publicly enforced when Jesus returns to this world (2 Thessalonians 2).

Satan is working very hard now to create a one-world government that will be aligned with his purposes and his main purpose is to keep Jesus from returning to this earth to claim what is rightfully His. We know that the battle of Armageddon will occur because Satan (through Antichrist), will marshal all of his troops throughout the world in what will be a failed attempt to keep Jesus from touching down on the Mt. of Olives near the Temple Mount.

Jesus will return to claim what is rightfully His and will then set up His Kingdom as God the Father promises in Psalm 2. We know that possession is nine-tenths of the law and though Jesus can rightfully claim the title-deed to earth, allowing Him to rule, it will only be when He actually and physically returns to this planet to do so will numerous covenants find their ultimate fulfillment.

Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’ (Revelation 5:5; NET)

In the above verse, the hope that John thought was gone is clearly seen as a heavenly elder announces to John that all is not lost for the Lion of the earthly tribe of Judah has conquered. He has been found worthy and the scroll can now be opened.

Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne… (Revelation 5:6-7)

This is very clearly a reference to Jesus Himself (“a Lamb that appeared to have been killed”). Notice that Jesus had seven horns and seven eyes and immediately, the text defines what that means for us. No guessing is required. The seven horns and seven eyes represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. This picture, drawn for us by God Himself, helps us understand how His omniscience works, though clearly, we fail to appreciate it fully.

The main point is that Jesus has been found worthy enough to open the scroll, allowing its contents to become known. The contents of the seal – the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls; all judgments of God to be poured out onto the earth – come from God. While some believe that certain judgments in the book of Revelation represent man’s wrath against man or Satan’s wrath against man, the plain fact of the matter is that God the Father was the One holding the scroll initially. It was opened by the Lamb, God the Son and He essentially controls what happens and when it happens. While it may appear as though man is against man or Satan is against man in some of the judgments, the truth is that this is only the way it looks as the action of each judgment stems from God’s throne room.

The end of all the 21 judgments contained in the seven sealed scroll results in God the Son’s return to earth and His vanquishing of Satan to the Pit for one thousand years. During this coming one thousand years (which is a literal period of time equaling one thousand actual years), Satan will not be able to tempt any person. He will not be able to work through any demonic agent to thwart God the Son’s purposes or rule over all Creation. Yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus will rule and will do so with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:8-9; Revelation 2:26-29; 12:5). He will do so because of the aforementioned sin nature that will continue to exist in the people who have entered and/or born into this world during the Millennial Kingdom. That sin nature will be kept in check constantly by King Jesus Himself and may also result int the early deaths of certain individuals who will die before they reach 100 (Isaiah 65:20).

In essence then, Jesus will reign physically over the earth because that is what He was destined to do. Though His kingship and rule was rejected out of hand by the religious rulers of Israel during Jesus’ first advent, He will return at some point in the future to carry out His predetermined destiny. This is made clear in Zechariah 10:9-10.

9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
he is legitimate and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey—
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
¹⁰ I will remove the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

Notice in the above two verses that verse 9 points to the literal fact that Jesus – during His first advent – actually rode into Jerusalem triumphantly on the foal of a donkey. This was only days before His crucifixion. Though some commentators tend to allegorize verse 10, there is no need to do that. In fact, the physical nature of verse 9 points to the fact that verse 10 is also physical in nature and we can and should look forward to the Lord’s physical return and presence during what we call the Millennial Kingdom. He will physically be here as Ruler. The entire world will see Him and worship Him in person.

The Lord’s physical Presence during the Millennial Kingdom proves His ownership once and for all to all of Creation. There will be no question that Jesus has the right to rule over all, physically and literally. In short, the Millennial Kingdom will occur to prove that God is the rightful Owner and Ruler and also to fulfill certain covenants and the many as yet unfulfilled promises in Scripture regarding this period of time of world peace, something no man or group of men have ever been able to accomplish in all the years of man’s rule.

Next up, we’ll look at the character of the coming Millennial Kingdom. What will it be like? What can we rightly expect? Join me then.

Entry filed under: christianity, Cultural Marxism, emergent church, Emotional virtue, eternity, israel, Judaism, new age movement, Political Correctness, Pretribulational Rapture, rapture, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, second coming, temple mount. Tags: millennial kingdom, millennial reign of jesus, one thousand years, psalm 2, revelation 5.