Reading:
Micah Chapter 4
1. Introduction
The whole world was waiting for the coming millennium, the year. 2000
The computer industry was frantically preparing for it: because every
organization which uses dates (banks, building societies and countless
shops and businesses) will need revised programs to cope with the
changeover from the 1900s to the year 2000. But when I use the word
millennium I did not mean the year 2000.
- What, then, do I mean by the term millennium?
- When will the millennium start?
- Where will the millennium be spent?
- What will the saints be doing during the millennium?
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘millennium’
as the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth; a period of great happiness
and prosperity for everyone. I couldn't agree more: because that is
exactly what I mean. But is this what the Bible teaches? And if so,
can we prove it? Yes we can.
2. The Millennial Reign
In the Sermon The Middle East we
learned of the end-time turmoil and confusion in the Middle East. We
saw how Israel would be re-gathered to the land of Palestine and how
the surrounding nations would turn against Israel and eventually
capture Jerusalem, holding it for three and a half years. We also
learned from Zechariah 14 how the Messiah would return and liberate
Jerusalem and begin a reign over all the earth. The Messiah’s
return to earth is the start of the millennium.
The next fact we need to know about the coming millennium (1000
years) is that it is a ‘reign.’ A reign requires
a King, territory, government, laws, administrators, civil
servants, judges, health officials etc. Think for a moment of all
the machinery of government in the present nation of Canada or any
other kingdom for that matter. It will give you some idea of what
is meant by the word reign and the tens of thousands of
officials which make the reign possible.
| Revelation 20: | 4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which
had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” |
3. Where will the Millennium be Spent?
The millennium will be spent on earth: not on some distant
star or even in the seventh heaven: but on this earth. Under Christ
the King of kings the resurrected saints who were martyred for their
faith and obedience will rule the nations of the whole world. That
is what the Scriptures teach.
| Revelation 5: | 9: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy
to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation; 10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” |
4. When will the Millennium Begin?
As stated previously, the millennium will begin when the Saviour
returns to earth at the Last Trump. Then the kingdoms
of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord.
| Revelation 11: | 15: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were
great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever
and ever. 16: And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17: Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” |
5. Christ’s Power over the Nations
When the Saviour returns he will exercise absolute authority
over all nations, using the very same law Yahweh gave through
His servant Moses; the law the nations of the world have rejected
for generations. See A Voice In The Wilderness - Canada
articles on Divine Law,
especially the one regarding
Penal Laws In Scripture.
There you will learn how the Saviour's rule of absolute authority is
figuratively described as a ‘rod of iron.’ No enemy
will with impunity defy Christ. He will rule the whole earth as
no monarch in all history has ever ruled. These facts are clearly
taught in Scripture. I will quote just a few of the many passages
concerning the Saviour's reign on earth.
| Psalm 2: | 1: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3: Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5: Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7: I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8: Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10: Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11: Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” |
| Revelation 12: | 5: “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” |
| Psalm 110: | 1: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2: The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4: The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 5: The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6: He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7: He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.” |
| Zechariah 14: | 1: “1: Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2: For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3: Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5: And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8: And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9: And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” |
6. Individual Authority
In the millennium certain believers will be promoted to positions
of high rank. Those who have made good use of the information,
talents and other blessings bestowed on them during this age,
will be raised to positions of great authority in the millennium.
Their power will extend over entire cities to a degree not seen
in this present age.
| Revelation 3: | 21: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” |
| Psalm 47: | 1: “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2: For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3: He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4: He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5: God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6: Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7: For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8: God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9: The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.” |
To the wise servants who diligently used the talents given them,
the Master gave positions of high rank. To one he said:
“have thou authority over 10 cities...” to
another: “Be thou also over 5 cities.”
| Luke 19: | 16: “Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17: And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18: And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19: And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.” |
In this parable the Saviour is referring to the millennial age,
when every city on earth will be governed by true believers who have
wisely used the talents given them in this age.
| Revelation 2: | 26: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” |
7. Yahweh’s Law Taught to all the World
During the millennium Yahweh's law will be obeyed by all the
nations of the earth. That is the Messiah's ultimate objective;
to re-establish Yahweh's law in all the world. This is why he
came to earth in the first place: to make it possible for
believers to keep his Father's law.
| Romans 8: | 3: “For what the law could not do, in that it was
weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” |
| Micah 4: | 1: “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that
the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of
the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people
shall flow unto it. 2: And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3: And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4: But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.” |
| Isaiah 42: | 4: “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.” |
| Verse 21: | “... He will magnify the law and make it honourable.” |
Zechariah chapter 14 introduces the millennial age. It begins with
events that occur just prior to the millennium and goes on to tell
of the Saviour's return and reign; and how all nations will keep
the laws of the Most High.
The Feast of Tabernacles -
the greatest of feasts, symbolizes the very presence of God in Christ.
Yes, Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah is in truth the Tabernacle
of God. When he returns all the nations of the world will keep this feast.
Fearsome punishment will be meted out to nations which refuse to send
delegates to Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.
| Zechariah 14: | 16: “And it shall come to pass, that every one that
is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up
from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep
the feast of tabernacles. 17: And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18: And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” 19: This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” |
8. Preparation for the Millennium
You should be preparing for the millennium right now!
The year 2000 has already come and gone when every earthly
company which uses computers had learned whether or not it
had made adequate preparation. You should be preparing for
the thousand year Reign of Christ. Are you preparing
for that soon-coming event?
- The first step in preparing for the Saviour's millennial reign is to have FAITH in Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. This will include accepting His offer of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ - Yeshua the Messiah.
- The second step is also vital. It is, begin obeying Yahweh's law. Those who profess faith but refuse to obey the commandments are on extremely dangerous ground. They could find at the coming judgment that they have lost everything - All because they refused to even make an attempt at obedience. To be sure, keeping the commandments doesn't earn the right to salvation or entry to the Kingdom of God: But obedience does prove that one's faith is alive and not just a meaningless profession. Moreover keeping the Feast Days, especially the Feast of Tabernacles. It is an extremely powerful declaration of faith in the Almighty God of Israel How He came to earth and tabernacled in the frail human body of His Son - the true Tabernacle of God!
- Aim to overcome sin, selfishness, pride, greed, hatred, bitterness, jealousy, slander, doubt, ingratitude, deception etc. How successful you are in overcoming these sins will determine your position during the soon-coming millennial reign.
Are you making preparations to reign with Jesus Christ during the
millennium? If not, you haven't a lot of time to get started: because
the new millennium is as certain to arrive as was the year 2000.
If you are interested on how close we are to the
true new millennium, then study the Jesus(Sisu) the Answer (Tali) article
Time is Short.
My prayer is that the Most High will make us all ready
For further study see: The Rod of Iron.
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