Joy to the World...at Last!, Part 1

The Bible describes a future period of time that we call the millennial kingdom and that kingdom will have a king who is the coming king is the Messiah is the son of man who came to seek and to save those who are lost is the one claimed by his apostles to be in Matthew 1616 Jesus the Christ.

That is the Messiah, please sign God to the king a thousand years.

We call that millennial kingdom now there's a bit of confusion and even some misinformation about that time. Today unwisdom for the heart.

Stephen Davies is going to open God's word and show us what it says about the millennial kingdom.

That's really what matters we need to base our views on the Bible and will do that today were in a serious called thy kingdom come, this message is joy to the world at last.

The reason we believe in the second coming of Christ in a literal physical kingdom and a king on a throne is the same reason we believe in the first coming of a literal physical Lord. The Bible tells us, so that's about as simple as a gift. The Bible tells me so. Which is good theology if we believe the Bible's 109 prophecies related to the first coming of Christ and they did indeed come true.

We certainly shouldn't have any problem believing that in the remaining 220 prophecies of our Lord second coming and believing they will also be literally physically fulfill the kingdom and the king is coming to planet Earth now answered the question. Our last discussion already very quickly who is the king exactly the prophets declare that he is the Old Testament Messiah prophesied in those prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament person of Jesus Christ.

Too often called. In fact most often call himself the Son of Man, thus tying themselves back to the prophecy of Daniel in the messianic title in Psalms chapter 22 verse 16 were even told of the Savior in his suffering and his crucifixion. Isaiah wrote of his coming humiliation the first time he came he was humble.

He accepted death, even death on the cross and Isaiah tells us, in that wonderful text about how he how he was pierced for our transgressions, and it pleased the father to lie about him the iniquity of us all. That was the plan that was the plan of God for the redemption of mankind course he did not lie in a grave and become corrupted and decay Psalm 1610 tells us of the resurrected Messiah who is not abandoned by the father, but rose from the dead. There is a coming kingdom of God on earth. And the king of there's any doubt David in Psalm chapter 2 informs us in that text with the S he refers to the sun. I have installed my King upon Zion that is in Jerusalem. I've given my son the nations as an inheritance listed no kings of the earth do homage to the son that he not become angry. How clear is that some to three verse 12 Revelation 19 reveals for us the dramatic event where these sons assassins and a host of heaven with him and he has that that royal robot and embroidered on the cloth that his thigh is his name, king of kings and Lord of the Lord who is the coming king. He is the Messiah of Isaiah and Daniel. He is the son of man who came to seek and the save those who are lost. Luke chapter 19 verse 10 he is the one claimed by his apostles to be in Matthew 1616.

As Peter serves as spokesman Jesus the Christ. That is the Messiah.

These signed God to the king. We also answer the question, how long will the kingdom last. We weren't quite sure where we how long it would last. And so we went to Revelation chapter 20 and over and over and over you if you're with us a thousand years.

Verse two 1000 years middle part of verse three. 1000 years. Last part of verse four 1000 years.

Verse five 1000 years.

Verse six and in the sixth time. Verse seven 1000 years and is pretty clear that if your wife told you to take out the trash you could possibly tell her later. You didn't hear or if she told you twice.

You could say well I didn't hear you now work for two or three weeks from what I'm told, not personally experiencing that if she told you for time to be running out of options. If you don't need five times, you could be in trouble if she told you six times be dead meat spiritually speaking of course and you'd run to the city of refuge in order to survive. Right to tamper with every hermeneutical principle that takes anything seriously from the word of God related in any kind of timing just sort of chuck that out. God probably is in serious you really want to tamper with God's references in Revelation a time.

The book of Revelation tells us that that having the lasts forever. You want to mess with that God probably is serious that such a long time now as we talk about the millennial kingdom and is €1000. There are other views of the monument. The first view is printer is treacherous view. This is the belief that most of the prophecies in the Old Testament the revelation of the trilogy. Took place at the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Those it already took place.

Problem is, genre Revelation, about A.D. 95 is talking about things that have yet to come to pass. Revelation chapter 1 verse one clearly says these are things that are yet to happen. This is happened didn't happen so that was the record of 100 pound hailstone millions of them pummeling the earth where where's the record of the Euphrates River drying up. What was the mark of the beast ordered another metaphorical view of the millennium is post-millennialism they believe the kingdom will actually be brought about gradually by evangelism and the Christianized nation of this planet that everybody's got just buy into it.

Over time in the human race is going to get better and better in and more Christian, more civil others in the peace and prosperity. You can call post-millennialism is is that believe that is incorporated by the optimist club K things are getting better and better mankind has the power through the gospel to Christianize the world listen. The church is getting further and further behind. As a relates to the population of the earth. There are so many dialects that have not one scrap of Scripture. And that's why believe during the tradition.

The angel will circumnavigate the globe delivering to everyone the gospel. Post-millennialism was primarily developed this optimistic view of of the human race in the 16th century as they saw inventions and development in and everything looked like he was just getting better and better, but it fell out of favor. Some believe it today, but itself. For the most part out-of-favor when after World War I and World War II and the Great Depression. How one could ever believe that will just get better and usher in the kingdom. I do not do not know another view is millennialism that believes the church simply inherited the promises of the kingdom crisis simply rolling in our hearts. There will be no literal 1000 year reign you think passages like Revelation 20 is… A nice idea, and spiritual some sort of metaphysical level truth. And these prophecies must be taken at least figuratively instead of literally enough that you the view that were talking about as we take prophecy at face value, and we believe that those prophecies of Christ's first coming happen physically, literally, why not the prophecies of his second coming yet to put your hands over your eyes close up your ears in order to somehow discount all for today. Let's answer some more questions. Who will be the subjects in the coming kingdom very quickly. Daniel seven promises that Old Testament saints will reign in the kingdom. The New Testament saints of the church will also course rain we have here. Revelation 20 verses four and following 1/3 group that's the martyrs.

Those who died during the tribulation, the resurrected, glorified, and they will also write if I look back again that I saw thrones, verse four. They sat on them, and judgment was given to them and I saw that is among them.

The souls of those who been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those would not worship the beast or his image and not receive the mark on her for head on her hand and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

That is so clear and obvious. In other words Jesus Christ is going to keep his word and his promise even of these who resisted the agenda of the antichrist refuse the mark.

They will indeed rain with. By the way the phrase in verse four, they came to life. Cannot refer to some sort of spiritual resurrection are simply a reference to the new birth through salvation word is as a side whenever it is used in reference to somebody dying and rising is always used in reference to somebody literally physically bodily resurrecting from the dead every time. The fourth category of the subject of the kingdom would be living mortals who survived the tribulation without dying. They accepted the gospel in the enter the kingdom in this way, let me summarize it this way, we give you two categories, then of people occupying the earth during the millennial kingdom.

Those with glorified bodies will call them in the language of the apostle Paul in mortals and immortals, those with natural earthly bodies that immortals are made up of three different categories of individuals. The first are Old Testament saints will resurrected rain. Daniel seven Daniel 12 they will include both Jewish and Gentile followers of God by faith in his plan of atonement in the Old Testament error look forward to the fulfillment of that one who dies the final sacrifice Jews and Gentiles.

There are many Gentile followers in the Old Testament there who believe left the false gods believed in the atoning work of God's plan through the coming Savior. For instance, Ruth would be one remember her. She was pagan of foreign God worship and does she heard evidently the truth through Naomi and when her husband Naomi's son died she chose to go back with Naomi to Bethlehem shall be resurrected should be one of those raining as immortals.

She happened to marry a guy named Boaz his own mother also in Gentile was an unbeliever.

She was a former prostitute who lived in a in a town that Israel would invade and they knew Israel was coming, they said. In fact, they sent spies ahead Rahab the prostitute living there in Jericho hid them, and that she decided that she would follow Israel referred to song the walls of Jericho came away tumbling down. She heard that song knew that something was going to happen and she needed to get out of there right. She laughed accepted the gospel delivered to her and married a Jewish man named Sam and they had a boy named Boaz management.

So you have Rahab and you have Ruth not only the genealogy of Jesus Christ demoralized and reigning with Christ in coming kingdom second to that you have the second category you have the New Testament believers clothes. Paul wrote in prescriptions 15 with immortality that would be you and me. The church today.

By the way, is composed of Jews and Gentiles is not effect the first church created by the spirit of God was primarily Jewish and all got started in what city Jerusalem like the prophets of all the 12 apostles were all Jewish men effect a great ambassador to the Gentile world is a converted Jewish rabbi name and Paul will remind the Corinthian believers composed of Jew and Gentile converts that the church will one day he writes in verse 26 to be judging or ruling the world reference to the kingdom.

The third group of immortals again are these tribulation martyrs know the other side of the column is the second category of kingdom subjects. They are the more holes they enter the kingdom having believe the gospel during the tribulation there still in their natural non-glorified earthly bodies, the ones they were born with. They haven't died. They will become the population of the world and their children and their children's children will populate the earth over whom we the immortals will reign at the close of the tribulation. Those believers who'd survived according to Matthew 25 will be able enter the kingdom of Christ. Matthew chapter 25 reveals the great judgment the nations and in the Christ separates the two those during the tribulation.

He didn't believe he sends to await their final torment. Those who did believe they simply enter this new epic. This new era kingdom of Christ on earth in literal physical form.

By the way, if the church is not enraptured, at the beginning of the tribulation, but goes through the tribulation than merely goes up to me Christ in them easily comes back down as post-tribulation was believe there is a problem or several of them. One of them is you have the kingdom immediately populated by earthly mortal people who haven't died who come out.

Of the tribulation and according to Matthew chapter 25 and the prophetic descriptions they they are the beginning part or segment of the world's population, they physically enter how they get there. Who are the they have physical bodies. Now they will be healed of their diseases. Isaiah 33 to go to be given the ability to live for a long time is a 65 other there so gonna die there going to need to be glorified. One day, according to the prophets. These mortals will marry, have children there in a flourish there can enjoy all of the kingdom benefits their children will have to accept the gospel of Christ.

They will be sinners and there will be crime the good news is there's going to be a just system of jurisprudence. Nobody will be bribed. Everything will be honest because we will rain and we will rule over them but they will be sinners in need of salvation.

Just because their parents are confirmed, having believed in the tribulation going to the game that doesn't give them a free pass got doesn't have grandchildren, or great-grandchildren unite as people before. Are you a Christian all yeah my father was a preacher my actually a bad sign that evil to me and my grandfather was a preacher that doesn't. I asked you are you saved have you been born again of you personally receive the merits of Christ on your behalf and you asked him to forgive your sins.

Without it you will not enter heaven. And certainly not the kingdom for that is an immortal one who will reign. So these who grow up in the kingdom, and there will be probably several billion of them flourishing over this thousand year reign they will have to accept the grace of God through his atoning plan of salvation. David runs on 48 of this coming kingdom great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, his holy mountain. I noticed this beautiful in the elevation coming to change beautiful and elevation. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King said to David refers to it as God's mountain to an elevated place any references universal joy that the city you go all the way back to Abraham.

We understand that these patriarchs and even before know Adam before, and were given relevant revelation about the atonement system men and of the kingdom so that Abraham way back there is waiting he's looking for this CD and it is in the Jerusalem that's that that you think of now. It's a city made without human whose architect is God didn't exist yet in this fashion something different about its elevated it's magnificent is divinely designed and created by God's own power, which leads me to another question.

What will Jerusalem. What will this capital city look like one author in his work on the millennial kingdom refers to all the prophecies that allow us to understand the topographical changes are going to take place it at the end of of the bowls.

As Christ returns. We've already studied in a so and we went on repeated but but the changes of the Earth's surface that are going to take us back to Eden like condition. Listen to Zachariah describe Jerusalem and surrounding area.

He says in Zechariah 1410.

All the land will be changed into a plain level south of Jerusalem.

But Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site. It's is living in a, and the elevated what exactly he says from Benjamin's gate as far as the place of the first gate of the Kornegay from the tower handed out to the kings wine presses and hours Jerusalem proper inside the city walls. Then Zachariah adds they will live in it and there will no longer be a curse for Jerusalem will dwell in security and peace.

So I think should the city will be inhabited on its ancient site and it will be dated with this attribute that we know it does not have peace, security, prayer request of the Jewish nation for centuries has been pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace will genuinely and finally come to pass in the millennial kingdom as as Christ rules on planet Earth and NBI around the globe marked by this wonderful rule of our Lord rules the nations our world does not know security or peace talks about. It talks about it more and more as time goes along. It attempts to find it and that that's a noble objective, but our world is in the P spec that I laughed when I read one author. He said whatever he hears of someone being arrested for disturbing the peace. He wonders where the guy found some of it. Where did he find peace to disturb the peace will one day come when the Prince of peace come that a prophet informs us that the Lord will make the wilderness like him to Eden is a 51 three her desert like the garden of the Lord joy and gladness begin have joy found therein Thanksgiving and the voice of melody or literally music all the topographical changes around the globe are specifically formulated to create a high mountain or plateau upon which Jerusalem sits and commands with this rather commanding view only from it, but to it in Ezekiel's vision. Chapter 40 verse two God takes him to the land of Israel, and set Ezekiel on a very high mountain and to the south. He says there was a structure like a city that we can only imagine what the Golden city will look like the place where we will have residents as immortals and from there go out and serve the Lord wherever he puts us somewhere on the planet but to provoke your imagination. I give you just a few sketches, but today drawn up by Janet Willis, the author of a study on the kingdom, but she then put her painters skills to work. Janet and her husband Scott. Scott was a former pastor. He preached for me this past summer. Her creative work has has done a wonderful job provoking. Certainly my imagination. I believe yours to and that she's allowed me to to show these to you. In fact, if I'm speaking to somebody right now who skipped church to stay home to listen to the live webcast of the service you're wondering now what am I missing or missing everything I want to know that if you're listening later on some podcast in your listen to me right now, the future yet still to come on the radio. These pictures that you can hear me talk about you cannot see will be in the major she's allowing me to put them in the manuscript which we downloaded from Colonial.org or was online.org for free.

Alright, enough of a commercial are here we are now. This particular sketch raises a healthy debate among evangelical scholars, all of them believing in the literal reign of Christ in Jerusalem. There many scholars believe this capital city will actually hover above the earthly Jerusalem during the kingdom and then come down after the new earth and heaven are created. Other scholars believe is divinely created capital city is enclosed. Golden Palace, so to speak is planted on this high plateau, which would then correspond with the need for the elevation of the city during the kingdom. Either way, it's a win-win. Every immortal will have at least two residences every one of us who believe will have a residence inside this city of God, and another residence wherever God has us serving as co-regents with with Chrysler where you have a place in their what Christ refers to. I believe in John 14 as the father's house were told it in the father's house are many Monet translated in the King James mansions NASB dwelling places or rooms. We need to get the idea out of their minds and we got this big palace and 40 acres and then we had another mansion and 40 acres and he wondered how close should be to God, and in if you're like me you think I'm in a be like in China so far away it will be right know were all in the father's house, and we have a dwelling place.

There I believe it's this Golden city John Wahlberg suggested in his wonderful work on the millennial kingdom that the city would actually be built in the form of a pyramid in a tell Janet Willis is described here in artistic form the river of life cascading down in a certain way over the levels and then causing the land of Jerusalem and beyond the flourish like a garden. I think there's a good reason for holding to this ziggurat view the step pyramid view by the way, we don't know there's one rather thin reference where refers to the steps of God's creation may refer to this you travel around the world today. By the way, and you will find ancient civilizations building step pyramids as part of their pagan worship go to Egypt, India, Mexico, China, North America, by the way also find these cultures have their own versions of the great flood and they have built into their worship systems with her step pyramids animal sacrifices where you think that all came from came from the gospel to been delivered. Adam, the patriarchs twisted in the heart of men who would not worship God the creator so they mimicked the city of God with the building of their own. Even Egyptian pyramids which they believed enabled the Pharaoh on his way to meet with the eternal stars Abraham was waiting for the true city of God were told. Of course he didn't find it wasn't built yet and it still hasn't been and will be beyond belief.

Magnificent thankful that we have the true and living word of God to teach us and guide us parts of the Bible can be confusing, especially end time prophecies, but if we carefully and faithfully study and if we believe what God says he uses his word to teach us and guide us. This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. You can learn more about our ministry by visiting us online.

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