Heaven on Earth - Part A

Imagine a world where the health is so good that if a person dies at age 100, is said to die as a child.

Imagine a world where kids can play with snakes and find the snakes from an snakes find the kids from imagine a world where the food is overabundant and plentiful. Even though gold is very very populated loser imagining that quickly tell you you don't have to imagine is that is a world that is coming. The Bible predicts when Jesus returns, he will usher in the thousand year reign can trust that he will fulfill the prophecies and promises read the Bible today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip looks at what you can expect when Jesus rules over.

Here's a great resource that will help you learn more about where you come from God's ultimate plan for mankind's redemption. The book of Genesis contains some of Bible stories. There is no deep spiritual significance in each of those familiar stories in the creation we discover how much God loves his creation. Now he considers humankind's crowning achievement in the story the following.

The very first we find God's plan to the ones we want to help you uncover greater significance by sending his hip height you can understand just get a fresh look at a deeper understanding of the stories the very foundation can understand the book of Genesis are what your generous gift of $35 or more to help expand the vital teaching outreach device so called out to get your copy of this site will not. You could also give on my secure connectwithskip.com/Revelation chapter 20 today as we get into the teaching I heard about a guy who found out that you can get a brain operation that would give him a brand-new brain and he thought that be a good idea.

He wanted a brain transplant so you went into this hospital where the surgery had been perfected, and he wanted to find out what was in stock. What kind of brains were in stock and so the head of that medical department said well here's an excellent engineers brain finely honed. It's a precise bit of gray matter will go for $500 an ounce, so the guy said oh okay anything else to choose from and they said well here's a lawyers brain.

It's a collection of shrewd tricky little gray cells that goes for thousand dollars an ounce. Right anymore this so well. Here's a doctor's brain. It's packed full of anatomical knowledge and it sells for $5000 an ounce guy that was a pretty good choices is that it are there any other choices I have and so they motioned for him to come back step over to a covered container and in hushed tones. They leaned in and said to him, this is a politicians brain but it sells for $250,000 an ounce. The man thought what 1/4 million dollars an ounce.

Why is it so expensive and they said in the first place.

It's hardly used in the second place. Do you realize how many politicians you need to get an ounce of brains. Well, I thought you'd appreciate that in in lieu of the current claimant we find ourselves in which you know politicians are the scapegoat of many of our problem. It seems that we blame them for anything and we expect them to fix everything, but it just could never happen but you know that the Bible speaks about the time that is coming a time of righteousness on this earth, not just in heaven on this earth. Isaiah the prophet spoke predicted that righteous era saying the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and you realize that Daniel the prophet also anticipated the time of an earthly kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar the king had a dream. As you know, Daniel interpreted forum.

The king saw succession of earthly kingdoms.

All that would be destroyed by a rock that came out of heaven grew into a large mountain that filled the whole earth, and Daniel said that is the final kingdom of our Lord, that will be upon this earth for title imagine that. Imagine a world without any war. Imagine a world that's always at peace world that is as Thomas Moore claimed the word utopia utopia. Try to imagine a world in earth where it's always fair. Things are always fair where politicians are all Saints you really have to use your imagination. As I said words ruled by one perfect mind. Imagine a world where the health is so good that if a person dies at age 100. He is said to die as a child. Imagine a world where kids can play with snakes and find the snakes friendly and the snakes can find the kids friendly.

Imagine a world where the food is overabundant and plentiful.

Even though the world is very very populated loser imagining that, let me quickly tell you you don't have to imagine that because that is a world that is coming. The Bible predicts in hundreds of places throughout the old and the New Testament. This time is spoken of. Over and over again as described in the Bible there were two believers having a conversation speaking to each other to Christian believers and one said I have a one-way ticket to heaven.

And I don't intend to come back the other one said what you can invest a lot is that I have a return ticket. I'm to be with the Lord in glory, but I intend to come back with him to rule and to reign with him on this earth for that to happen.

That's happened this earth, this our best to have an extreme makeover. There has to be a reconstruction that occurs, which is what the Bible describes Uno, the more I study the future and future things is called eschatology.

The more I study. I realize it's going to be anything but boring that such a variety if you have the idea that all you do is sit on the cloud and in seeing Gregorian chants you're going to be greatly surprised to find it's anything but that. In fact, heaven seems to be multifaceted. That is when it when we look at eternity. There are different stages to a different phases and facets and segments. That's why chapter 20 Revelation is very very important.

John wallboard who taught this stuff for 50 some years at Dallas seminary said very few verses in the Bible are more critical to the interpretation of the Bible as a whole than the opening verses of Revelation 20. Serena look at Revelation 20 verses one through six, six or seven writer on their luck at what I call heaven on earth. The millennial the thousand year reign of Jesus on the earth, and I simply want to show you three facets of this coming earthly kingdom. I want to show you the extent of it. I want to give you the explanation of it and then I want to show you the essentiality of it. Let's begin with the extent verse one then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while and I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them that I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years know when the thousand years of expired, Satan will be released from his present. Now I II want to draw your attention. First of all to that phrase used six times in seven verses thousand years.

Six times it uses a little phrase thousand years thousand years thousand years thousand or so now we know the extent of it is the last how long thousand years and were told it six times just in case if you read it the first time Yolanda how long a thousand years we get the term millennium. By the way millennium comes from two Latin words meal lay which means thousand and on them which means years Emiliano millennium is a thousand year. That is the millennial kingdom, the millennium is the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. There was a theology student taking a test on the first question on the exam was what is the millennium he had studied very much and he said he wrote on the test, the millennium is the same as the Centennial only has a lot more lakes. He was getting his theology and his insects a little bit mixed up. There are literally hundreds of texts in the Old Testament and the New Testament to describe this. But only here we are told how long it lasts. Here we are told six times it lasts a thousand years. The millennium goes by other synonyms.

Other terms. Jesus called the regeneration. Matthew 1928 the regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory in acts chapter 3. It is called the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. A few verses later. It is called the time of the restoration of all things now in in reading our text we we we discover something about this period of time. It begins with an incarceration. Somebody gets thrown in jail and that is Satan. We saw the first three verses that an angel comes from heaven. We don't know which angel possibly Michael the Archangel described in Revelation 12 Daniel 10 and 12 in Jude verse nine. It could be Dan. I could be Michael and he has a very specific agenda. He comes from heaven with a very specific plan to seize and to incarcerate Satan.

It says for a thousand years, the millennium Again without this, and when this happens, it must feel like the munchkins in the Wizard of Oz right ding dong the witch is dead. Only this, which is just incarcerated for a thousand years notices as he is not just to keep it. He comes down with the key. The key to the bottomless pit key designates authority. If you have the key. You control the door here at Calvary we have different keys for different sections of the campus, but there's a certain key if you have this key. A key you can get anywhere. By the way, I can even get anywhere I go outside my cute and work, but this angel has the a key okay and what a great day. This must be for this angel. It's like the police who gets to arrest the notorious criminal and toss him into jail. This angel gets to grab a season buying this Satan. This is by the way, when he is bound and incarcerated for a thousand years begins with an incarceration in the note you'll notice in verse four. It continues with an administration notice what it says and I saw what's the next word. Thrones is that singular or plural as plural not just of throne.

I saw thrones plural and say whoever they are set on them, and judgment was committed to them. So it's a group we know Jesus is the ultimate ruler is called in the previous chapter, King of Kings and Lord of lords. So he is the ultimate ruler, but there is, according to this, a plurality of administration so who's that they and the them well.

You'll notice in verse four, at least part of the answer says I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God would not worshiped the beast or his image had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and reigned reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So these are tribulation believers. We have already seen the they went through. They were persecuted they were killed they will be resurrected and they will reign with Christ. Lemaster question. Who else did God make promises to that they would rain all rule with him in the future.

Can you think of any. Whenever one I can think of one group Old Testament believers people like Abraham, like Moses, like Daniel, like Joseph, like David in Daniel chapter 7 in verse 18 it says the saints of the most high shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever.

One group another special group Jesus gave promises to were his own. 12 apostles his own man his own staff on one occasion Jesus said to his 12 Matthew 19 I say to you that in the regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory you. Whoever follows me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So we have Old Testament saints, we have the 12 apostles is another group Jesus or or the Bible makes a promise that we will reign with him and that's us New Testament believers. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He said in first Corinthians 6. Don't you know some day we Christians will judge the world. And Paul wrote to Timothy and said if we endure with him. We will also reign with him.

Then finally listen to that. This is Revelation chapter 5, we have already looked at that chapter, the church is in heaven. The church is singing to the Lord. Revelation 5.

Listen to this and he has made us kings and priests to our God and we listen to this and we shall reign on the earth we shall reign on the earth, so it couldn't be more clear now look at verse six Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

All the resurrected saints of all the ages, Old Testament believers, the apostles, New Testament believers, tribulation believers all resurrected reigning with Christ for a thousand years some of your thinking man that sound like a lot of work, I can picture heaven like that. This is my idea of heaven will. This is in heaven.

This is heaven on earth. This is this is one of the phases of your eternal future. You and your glorify. Let me underscore that you have glorified bodies you have renewed mind do not get tired.

I was in high school my mom try to wake me up for school in the morning was empty.

Tired, I can have that excuse in the future of a brand-new body with brand-new capabilities.

I'll be tired less and I'm expecting to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. Jesus gave a parable of a master speaking to his servant saying well done good and faithful servant. Listen to the language you were faithful over a little. I will make you a ruler over tens that he sessions an interesting idea. It's so interesting that Dallas Willard in one of his books about this and I quote, perhaps it would be a good exercise for each of us to ask ourselves, really, how many cities could I govern under God. If, for example, Baltimore or Liverpool were turned over to me with power to do what I want with it. How would things turn out an honest answer to this question might do much to prepare us for our eternal future in the universe" me to say for the record for the record for me. Forget Liverpool. Forget Baltimore.

I got dibs on Hawaii, rule some that the place but will see. That's the extent of it as a thousand years on a reconstructed or now I want to move to a second facet of this earthly kingdom. That is the explanation of we've noted six times in seven versus that phrase thousand years occurs. Do you realize that chapter 20 and that phrase in particular is the center of the theological battleground for years and it all revolves around that term thousand years and here's the question here's the issue here is the argument here is the battleground is that thousand years really thousand years is not a literal actual thing and time. OR is just a spiritualized figurative number thrown out there just mean one time. Don't know how long this long time sometime anytime long time. What is it just some figurative spiritual issue.

So in answering that issue. There are three viewpoints three viewpoints first viewpoint is called the pre-millennial viewpoint premillennialism. I know it's a big worded premillennial means that we believe Jesus will come back before pre-millennium. That's all he comes back first to the earth from heaven, and then he reigns for a thousand years from the throne of David in Jerusalem that's a premillennial viewpoint.

I believe that if you read the Bible straightforward, pretty much chronologically and you interpret the Bible.

Normally you will come up with the premillennial people, by the way, this was the dominant view of the early church for the first three centuries first three centuries was until the fourth century when a group of people in Alexandria, Egypt called the school and Alexandria decided that the Bible should be looked at mystically, not literally, but it's an allegory for the first three centuries.

The great scholars like Pappy a pseudo-Barnabas Justin Martyr I Renée S to Julian and hip elitists all looked at a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth.

Jesus coming before the that's premillennial second is a post-millennial view of never been to seminary are going to it right now a post-millennial view, that is, we believe Jesus they believe Jesus will come back after you post after the millennium and the way it works.

They say, is that Jesus will come after Golden age, which we bring in. We will Christianize the world. The church will preach the gospel to the whole world and the world will get better and better and better and more Christian than it's ever been before and then will give the kingdom to Jesus when he comes and sets up an eternal state you say who on earth believes that well that was a popular view in the late 19th century. Early 20th century, with things like the Industrial Revolution, lots of scientific advancements a lot of optimism because of that, but then what happened to that idea what happened to World War I happened to the Great Depression in America happened to World War II happened to Nazi Germany happened to it on and on and on and on. Lots of real life experience happened to that viewpoint. So optimism died off.

However, that viewpoint has sort of come back in what is called dominion theology kingdom theology that is we the church will take dominion of this earth. Take dominion of earthly institutions take dominion of the government, but a Christian the White House Christian and the government will bring in the kingdom and will turn the kingdom over the Jesus as if he needs our help. That wraps up Skip a text message. What's next right now to tell you how your support helps keep these messages coming your way and how it connects more people to Scripture.

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Again, that's 892 to 1880 coming up tomorrow Skip shares why the millennium is necessary and what it means for you. Millennium is needed.

Team creation from the curse from the judgment there's been a curse on this creation since the fall of man in Genesis chapter that is not been undone. The millennium is the answer to that reversal. Also, during the tribulation. This is to get so Skip presentation of connection communications through ever-changing time