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Heaven on Earth - Part 1 - Part B

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The Cross Radio
May 15, 2021 2:00 am

Heaven on Earth - Part 1 - Part B

Connect with Skip Heitzig / Skip Heitzig

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May 15, 2021 2:00 am

Mankind long ago gave up on the idea of a future Utopia. The idea of perpetual peace and undisturbed harmony became the stuff of fairy tale books. But that is precisely what God promised He will bring to this earth one day. And even though Satan has exercised a temporary authority over God's creation for several millennia, the story isn't over yet. Jesus Christ, who came two millennia ago as Savior, will return to rule as Sovereign for a thousand years. And no, this won't just be a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of His followers. This will be a literal dominion over a renewed earth. Let's explore this 1000 year phase of your eternal future.

This teaching is from the series From the Edge of Eternity.

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Skip Heitzig

There's only one person sexier is not any politician that any party is only the one who made it one who made it and the one who will judge it is the one who will read make it and will live and by the way it is at a fiesta that matter what you're going through today matter what your life, what you're dealing with God and God alone can reconstruct and heal you can fix that which is broken every ever notice the contestants or beauty pageants are expected to answer questions of the interview phase of the contest about how to achieve world peace. In reality everyone wants war pigs. But no one knows how to make it happen. At least we know it takes more effort than just visualizing right well today, here and correctly Skip weekend edition Skip Heitzig reveals the secret to making world peace a reality. But before we begin today we want to tell you about this month's excellent resource who comes to mind when you think of great godly women probably Jesus's mother Mary, maybe Ruth, the unlikely ancestor of Christ.

What about you here's a New York Times best-selling author Eric the taxes clearly God created us male and female in his image. It's leaning into who we are as women for women that is going to show God's greatness. Discover how the lives of some of the greatest women in history can show you the path to true greatness in your own life as a woman made in God's image, that's what you'll find in this month's inspiring resource by Eric metathesis everyone the seven women. I think you see a different side of femininity seven women is our thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to God's word and right now will also send you a special bonus resource pastor skips next message CD collection on prominent women from Scripture connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888 in chapter 20 will join Skip Heitzig.

She continues with her study heaven on earth for something called post-millennialism terms pretty easy to figure out post after the millennium. They believe that Jesus Christ will come back after a period of time where we God's people on the earth Christianized the world and present the world to Jesus Christ present the kingdom. When he comes back after a period of time. Not necessarily exactly a thousand.

It's the idea that were gonna spread the gospel Christianized the world and the world to get better and better data, and so good that everyone is a Christian, and we will then bring the kingdom and give it to Jesus and others.

The viewpoint that was popular in the 19th century and early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution scientific advancements had given people the idea that they we are bringing in utopia were really doing this now. It's not very popular today. The whole idea so often and so the fair question is whatever happened the post-millennialism his answer. World War I happened to the Great Depression happened to World War II happen to the Nazi Holocaust happened to it was enough catastrophic catastrophic events because people to go. Oh, I guess the world is getting better and better, but rather worse and worse now. It's not completely gone away. It has resurfaced.

There are some, and it's been repackaged in what's called Dominion theology if you've heard the term Dominion theology or kingdom theology or kingdom, our constructionism, or see autonomy all the same thing and it's the idea working to take dominion over the earth and working to establish the kingdom of God working to control institutions control the White House and the Congress and the Senate. We need to be the rulers we need to bring in the kingdom of Christ to the body politic, and when we do that we will present the kingdom of Christ as if he needed our help. That's the idea. There is 1/3 viewpoint and it's a popular viewpoint called millennialism millennialism that is there is no millennium that is literally it's like you. You can't take this literally not really going to happen as a thousand years. It's all figurative. It's all spiritual fact. Listen to this. They say the kingdom is now you're in it here in the millennium now all of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah's kingdom are being fulfilled in the church now Jesus is ruling and raining spiritually over his church. This is the kingdom. Also, this viewpoint says all yeah all those promises in the Old Testament Israel about literally having the kingdom and ruling from Mount Zion, etc. those are out now they only apply spiritually allegorically to us. The church there is no throne of David. There is no literal Jerusalem that will be rebuilt so that viewpoint says this is as good as it will ever get not tried to say if this is the kingdom age. I'm terribly terribly disappointed if this is the millennium that we have a case where the book is a whole lot better than the movie Jeremy read the book is like wow that's cool. This is the movie it's not a very good rendition of an question I would have is why did God spend the whole book of Revelation just to tell us what is really not going to happen. By now you've probably figured out that I'm a pretty staunch premillennialist and I take a literal approach to the Bible. Why is that number one because of the chronology of Revelation. It's a pretty straightforward book. Honestly, the outline is given. The first part of it tells you how it's going to unfold. It tells you the structure and the timeline then it goes right through the chronology chapter 6 through 19 is all tribulation. The worst. On earth.

You can read through that demand that there's never been anything like that on the earth. That's the worst, just like Jesus said would have been chapter 19 Jesus comes back to the earth with his people to put it into a huge battle that takes place over in the Middle East and all of that chapter 6 to 19 is premillennialist before the millennium. If you look at chapter 21, we discover that the earth as we know it. The created order is all destroyed. It's been tainted by sin. The earth is taken away. Removing God creates a new heaven and new earth, the new Jerusalem. That's the eternal state so sandwiched in between all of Revelation 6 to 19 in chapter 21 the eternal state happens to be a thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. If you read plainly and chronologically. It fits no problem. Second reason is because the early church. As I mentioned, believed in the earthly historical reign of Christ on the earth, initiated by his coming was until those Alexandrian dudes down in Egypt decided let's allegorizing the whole thing.

People like Clement in origin and that eventually his church history when not if you heard the name Augustine. He sorta crystallized this millennial viewpoint and puts artists sealed. That is the dominant theology of the Roman Catholic Church of the Protestant Reformation. Men like Lutheran Calvin etc. bought into that.

Unfortunately, but here's the most compelling reason to take it literally ready because it happens to be the best way to interpret the Bible and nominal explain, but I love advance have never once said. He said it's always easier to understand what the Bible actually says then to understand what somebody else thinks it meant to say regrets of ago. I know it really says that is pretty obvious what is. But it didn't mean that it means this legal I do get that see how are we going to say well we don't interpret the Bible prophecy literally but we interpret the rest of the Bible literally. Good on what basis, what gives you the basis to do that. What right do any of us have to have an approach to interpretation the hermeneutic in the department that's important?

Give an example. Now the angel came to Joseph and the angel said to Joseph to call his name Jesus and he's gonna save his people from their sins is at this figurative know literal baby was born and they named him Jesus and he went on to say people from their sense the same angel came to Mary and said he will call his name Jesus and he will be great called the son of the highest is that just figurative that's literal.

Listen to the rest and he will rule over the house of Jacob. That's Israel forever, and his kingdom there will be no end.

Is that literal or figurative just as literal. And yet, the millennialist will say well the first parts literal in the second purchased allegorical. You can't split your interpretation so when we go to the Bible as my approach is been a grammatical historical contextual literal hermeneutic or interpretation and millennialism will depart from that there's another question.

We look in the Old Testament member almost promises God offers blessings and curses Israel is looking thing. What if you really mess up. I'm picking out of the land, the mean that literally or figuratively. I commit literally because they got kicked out of the land and God said you to be there for seven years and goblins that just figurative not happen to be literally 70 years and then it came back. So if all of the judgments to Israel have happened literally.

Who are we to say yet all the blessings are only figurative and spiritually apply only the church you get messed up if a thousand doesn't mean a thousand was made. What is it mean if you notice to the book of Revelation. How number conscious that is theirs.

Exact numbers given. For instance, or seven churches there seven leaders of seven churches. There's 12 tribes.

There's 12 apostles all literal.

So far there's one third of mankind.

There's another fourth of mankind.

There are two witnesses. 42 months, 1260 days. There's 144,000. There's 12,000 furlongs. What you do with all those numbers if 12. This amine 1212 Main as a thousand doesn't mean a thousand, and what is a thousand mean if you just read this at face value, then there's a real kingdom for Israel in Jerusalem from the throne of David by a Messiah who is from the lineage of David.

And it will last a thousand years. Just at face value. And that's how the early church took it okay enough to set on that my last point will be much briefer to which some of you are going. Thank you Lord talked about the extent of it in the explanation of what about the essentiality of what's the big deal. Why do we needed something interesting in verse three, he cast him. That is the devil into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more, is the word he/she says he should not deceive the nations or better put in order so that he would not. This is a necessity to get rid of the devil for a thousand years until the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. I know what you think and what I and what you got them in jail. Why on earth would you let them out right. I'll answer that next week I I want to talk about the need, the necessity for a thousand year reign, why would God hassle with the thousand years on the earth. Why not just go directly to the eternal state why the extra step of the earth was all that about her like a Monopoly game to get the card that says go directly to jail do not pass go, do not collect $200 got sick. Go directly to the eternal state. Do not go to the millennium to why not, what, what's the hassle of the earth. I give you few reasons. Number one to redeem creation from judgment. I think you'd notice there's a curse on this earth. It started back in Genesis chapter 3 with the fall of mankind.

The earth has been cursed ever since we are experiencing that even today. Beyond that curse of sin. The book of Revelation indicates that there is a tremendous catastrophic cataclysmic judgment that falls upon the earth during the tribulation.

If you think we've ruined the earth when you see what God does with decimated, he trashes it during the tribulation.

Utterly so that the millennium will be the answer to the 2000-year-old prayer that his church is been praying. Listen to it in the context of this morning. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

That will be fully answered and is never totally been answered yet but will be fully answered during the millennium earth to be fixed is a great story from the early days of the automobile. When a man was out in his car model T Ford. It's about the only thing on the road and had a lot of problems with the early models so he broke down the side of the road and he was out there trying to crank it.

There's cars were handcrank posing as a member that thing anybody here would say tries to crank it won't start. He advances the spark of one started change the plugs won't start you can get the thing to run. Suddenly a limousine pulled up and out of the limousine nicely dressed man walks over and says, could I help the guy thinks yeah right, but this nicely dressed, dapper gentleman tinkers with a few things insist try it now starts up immediately and then the man proceeds introduce himself.

My name is Henry Ford. I designed and built this car so I know what to do when something goes wrong, there's only one person who can fix your is not any politician not any party is only the one who made it in the one who made it and the one who will judge it is the one who will read make it and will live in it for thousand years. By the way, I just added PS to that matter what you're going through today no matter what your life, what you're dealing with God and God alone can reconstruct and heal you. He can fix that which is broken 20 does is a Redeemer is all about. So to redeem creation from the curse. Second, all of the promises that God made to the nation of Israel have yet to be fulfilled. If you're a reader of the Bible and I take it most of you read through the Bible you know that in the Old Testament there are countless promises that Israel will enjoy a period of unparalleled peace, prosperity with Messiah rating from Jerusalem and it will go over the whole earth that has never happened yet, God promised the Jews, a physical and a spiritual kingdom. I think a second Samuel seven the covenant to David Psalm 89.

He confirmed it with an oath, the millennial kingdom is phase 1 of fulfilling that promise. This is the earthly reign of Christ from Jerusalem on the earth. By the way, there's probably more Scripture written about the kingdom age than almost any others topic in the Bible. Some even think the main theme of the Bible is the kingdom because of the amount of tax that is written about so when the millennium is on the earth. When that's done that's done then the created order as we know it. It's over that point, God will destroy this earth tainted by sin.

It's completely removed and away with the Bible says that a number of places, then God will week will create a new heaven and a new earth, Jerusalem, and that's the eternal state: another phase is getting cooler. The more we study about finally and quickly the millennium is essential because it will reveal man's rebellious nature. During the millennial kingdom. How to cite briefly today will get into in detail later rebellion that we will still be in the hearts of people will not be allowed to flourish will be kept in check.

Those who will rule and reign do so. The Bible says, with a rod of iron. We only need a rule with a rod of iron. If there is the possibility of an upset justice will be enacted swiftly. Sin will be dealt with immediately will be a reign of Christ upon the earth. Now you and I will be in our resurrected glorified bodies, but people who are in the tribulation. Who survive and are allowed to go on the kingdom age there in their normal physical mortal bodies are you going, man.

It's weird I can think that's how was at work.

It should not be weird to you. You have read about it in the Bible, Jesus Christ rose from the dead in a resurrected glorified body and ate meals and took walks with disciples in their mortal bodies. It was a perfect co-mingling of entities you've read about it so will be in resurrected glorified bodies people on the earth, though the longevity of the earth will be extended and people will live a lot longer. There will still be death. There will still be the possibility of rebellion still be the possibility of sin, though, kept in check and after the millennium is all done when Satan is released and has his way back on this earth for a period of time. There will be a rebellion. This can approve something all this nonsense of well if we just had a perfect environment we be perfect. I am the way I am because my environment is not really my fault as everybody else in the world's fault. Now all of us have a sin nature and the perfect environment of the millennium that will still eventuate in a rebellion will prove once and for all you can you can take man out of the slums you can take the slums that a man and only one person can change the heart of a person and that is Jesus Christ. And some will follow him during that time, and some will rebel against him, even after a period of perfection, so people have longed for utopia.

Poets have written about it. Songwriters have sung about it. Politicians have campaigned on that promise it will never happen until Jesus comes. And can you hear the rain is at rain and that beautiful Maginot that will be in the millennium clinic close with this CS Lewis wrote perfect background noise for this. If I find myself having a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world you're wondering why am not satisfied. It had so many relationships with people. I tried so many different things and experiences and I'm still not satisfied. You were made for this world friend. God put eternity in your hearts in a relationship with Jesus Christ alone can water your soul like this rain pouring down in our whispery father, we thank you because we remember it was Isaiah the prophet, he said, as the rain comes and the snow comes down from heaven waters the earth and is not returned their gives bread to the eater and seed to the sower so is my word that comes forth from my mouth will not return void. We pray Lord that is your word has watered our hearts and filled in a lot of the blanks.

No longer do we have this vague notion of justice.

Spiritual list running around the spiritual heavens sitting on clouds forever, but a very real place with different distinct phases to it and purposes for a place to explore the place to see your glory. I pray father that everyone here was come will be ready for that.

I pray that every person here will have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord Jesus name rule over our hearts. Now, so that will be part of the rule over this verse and eternal state. From here on out. In Jesus in order to truly find peaks Butte in the world are in our own lives.

We must turn to the Principe Doro devices. The best we can do is find momentary, but certainly not lasting peace. That's all the time we have for today but before we go if you want to share a copy of today's teaching was someone you know or get one for yourself to review again later.

You can order a CD copy for just six dollars for the complete series from the edge of eternity for only $39 plus shipping on both the individual or the complete series. That's when you call us at 1-800-922-1888 or you can also order online at connect with Skip God will continue to explore the peaceful find in heaven. What effect will ultimately have in the world so hope you find the time to join us next time here and connect with Skip weekend edition presentation of connection may connecting you guys never changing true and ever-changing time