WEBVTT 00:00:01.129 --> 00:00:04.410 Well, I hope you will pray regarding the testimony 00:00:04.410 --> 00:00:08.310 next Sunday morning that Elizabeth Dole will 00:00:08.310 --> 00:00:12.349 be bringing to our church I know of some who 00:00:12.349 --> 00:00:14.449 will be here who would not normally be coming 00:00:14.449 --> 00:00:18.929 to our church and who are not Christians and 00:00:18.929 --> 00:00:22.109 I'm praying that God will use her words to to 00:00:22.109 --> 00:00:24.570 speak to their hearts and I mean it sincerely 00:00:24.570 --> 00:00:26.969 when I ask your prayers that God will use her 00:00:26.969 --> 00:00:30.629 testimony and I pray that that you might be burdened 00:00:30.629 --> 00:00:32.909 to bring someone to who doesn't know the Lord, 00:00:33.350 --> 00:00:35.350 who perhaps would be a little reluctant to come 00:00:35.350 --> 00:00:38.590 to our kind of a church, but who because of Mrs. 00:00:40.009 --> 00:00:42.130 Dole's service with the government might be willing 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:45.270 to come and hear what she has to say. She will 00:00:45.270 --> 00:00:48.490 have the whole sermon. I do reserve that right. 00:00:48.810 --> 00:00:51.450 But she will be giving about a 10 -minute testimony. 00:00:52.590 --> 00:00:55.369 And so let's ask God to really make it a very 00:00:55.369 --> 00:00:59.659 special day. Would you open your Bible with me 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:04.120 please to Revelation chapter 11 as tonight we 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:07.400 look at the theme Jesus Christ is coming to reign 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:12.500 I Anticipate that next Sunday night. We will 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:15.340 close this series on the end of the age so it's 00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:19.280 near the end of the series Tonight we come to 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:24.700 the actually to the next age more than to the 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:29.670 end of this one It is that next age that will 00:01:29.670 --> 00:01:32.269 come upon the earth that we sometimes call the 00:01:32.269 --> 00:01:35.450 millennial kingdom, the thousand year reign of 00:01:35.450 --> 00:01:40.230 Christ. It says in Revelation 11 and verse 15, 00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:44.010 and the seventh angel sounded, and there arose 00:01:44.010 --> 00:01:47.390 loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of 00:01:47.390 --> 00:01:50.290 the world has become the kingdom of our Lord 00:01:50.290 --> 00:01:54.409 and of his Christ, and he will reign forever 00:01:54.409 --> 00:01:58.099 and ever. And the twenty -four elders who sit 00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:01.359 on their thrones before God fell on their faces 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:05.239 and worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:09.099 O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:13.439 because thou hast taken thy great power and hast 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:17.400 begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, 00:02:17.419 --> 00:02:21.360 and thy wrath came, and the time came for the 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.740 dead to be judged, and the time to give their 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:26.969 reward. to thy bond -servants, the prophets, 00:02:27.490 --> 00:02:29.870 and to the saints, and to those who fear thy 00:02:29.870 --> 00:02:32.889 name, the small and the great, and to destroy 00:02:32.889 --> 00:02:37.289 those who destroy the earth. And the temple of 00:02:37.289 --> 00:02:41.050 God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:44.310 of his covenant appeared in his temple, and there 00:02:44.310 --> 00:02:47.509 were flashes of lightning, and sounds, and peals 00:02:47.509 --> 00:02:51.770 of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hail 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:56.340 storm. We see at the opening of this seventh 00:02:56.340 --> 00:03:01.539 trumpet an announcement that the kingdom is about 00:03:01.539 --> 00:03:04.439 to come. In fact, the actual statement looks 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:07.120 forward to the kingdom as though it had already 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.919 arrived. Chronologically, this is about in the 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:14.159 midpoint of the seven -year tribulation period. 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:19.219 And yet these voices that praise God praise Him 00:03:19.219 --> 00:03:22.639 that the kingdom has come looking forward to 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:26.419 the actual arrival and execution of judgment 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.960 and then the establishment of the kingdom of 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:35.080 Christ. The kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.319 is not limited to the book of the Revelation. 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:44.479 The theme of the kingdom goes all the way back 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:48.889 into the Old Testament. For example, the kingdom 00:03:48.889 --> 00:03:54.110 was typified by one of the feasts of the Lord 00:03:54.110 --> 00:03:58.550 called the Feast of Tabernacles. You may recall 00:03:58.550 --> 00:04:01.909 that in ancient Israel God arranged for seven 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:06.189 feasts of Jehovah throughout the calendar year 00:04:06.189 --> 00:04:09.449 for the people of Israel. Now there were several 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:14.069 purposes in these feasts. One was that so that 00:04:14.069 --> 00:04:17.209 three times a year There might be a gathering 00:04:17.209 --> 00:04:20.750 together of all the males of Israel to Jerusalem. 00:04:21.649 --> 00:04:24.990 It was a convocation of the people of God, a 00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:30.069 celebration rejoicing as a nation. It was one 00:04:30.069 --> 00:04:32.589 way in which God intended to tie them together 00:04:32.589 --> 00:04:36.910 as a unified people. Furthermore, God wanted 00:04:36.910 --> 00:04:40.430 to regularly remind them of how He had dealt 00:04:40.430 --> 00:04:44.750 with them in history. The feasts looked back 00:04:44.750 --> 00:04:48.129 to what God had done for the nation of Israel. 00:04:49.029 --> 00:04:52.149 They were memorials praising God for his actions 00:04:52.149 --> 00:04:55.689 on behalf of his people. But the feasts also 00:04:55.689 --> 00:04:59.009 looked forward. They spoke of something that 00:04:59.009 --> 00:05:01.589 God was going to do. Now, undoubtedly, the Jewish 00:05:01.589 --> 00:05:04.730 people did not perceive all of that as they celebrated 00:05:04.730 --> 00:05:07.449 those feasts hundreds of years ago, thousands 00:05:07.449 --> 00:05:11.509 of years ago. But today as we look back upon 00:05:11.509 --> 00:05:13.990 the Feasts of the Lord, we see that they outline 00:05:13.990 --> 00:05:18.829 for us the events dealing with Israel. The last, 00:05:18.889 --> 00:05:22.310 the seventh of the Feasts of the Lord was the 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:26.170 Feast of Tabernacles. It was celebrated for a 00:05:26.170 --> 00:05:32.230 week. The people lived in booths or tabernacles 00:05:32.230 --> 00:05:37.600 made of sheafs that were constructed. and in 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:40.560 which during those days they lived with great 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:47.120 joy and rejoicing. Typically speaking, forwardly 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:51.079 speaking, the Feast of Tabernacle spoke of the 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:54.379 coming kingdom when the people of Israel would 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:57.639 be gathered back to their homeland and would 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:01.160 dwell there safely, the Lord Himself meeting 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:08.319 their needs. The kingdom was further spoken of 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.879 in several of the covenants that God made with 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:15.779 his people. The Palestinian covenant promised 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:20.560 a land to the people of Israel, a land which 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:24.060 they have never yet historically fully possessed, 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:27.300 but which they will possess in the kingdom that 00:06:27.300 --> 00:06:31.800 is to come. The Abrahamic covenant again promised 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:36.620 a land and a seed to Abraham. that will be fulfilled 00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:41.060 in the coming kingdom. The Davidic covenant, 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:43.319 the covenant that God made with David, promised 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:46.959 him a seed that would reign upon a throne forever 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:50.660 and forever. And that Davidic covenant will be 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:53.560 fulfilled in the reign of Jesus Christ in the 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:58.199 kingdom. And so the covenants demand a future 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:02.220 fulfillment of the reign of Jesus Christ. And 00:07:02.220 --> 00:07:04.699 then the kingdom is predicted by the prophets 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:06.980 in numerous places, some of which we will be 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:10.339 looking at this evening. But I would like you 00:07:10.339 --> 00:07:12.680 to turn back to one of the key prophets, and 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:17.019 that is to Daniel, to the second chapter of Daniel. 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:20.439 We looked in Daniel 10 this morning for another 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:25.220 purpose, but let's look in Daniel chapter 2 for 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:33.350 just a moment. We have here a recitation. interpretation 00:07:33.350 --> 00:07:37.569 of the great dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of 00:07:37.569 --> 00:07:41.050 Babylon. Daniel is given understanding by the 00:07:41.050 --> 00:07:45.970 Lord of this dream and he repeats it to Nebuchadnezzar 00:07:45.970 --> 00:07:49.069 and then explains it to him. Now we do not have 00:07:49.069 --> 00:07:53.550 time to look at the whole dream but you will 00:07:53.550 --> 00:07:56.069 recall that there was a statue made of various 00:07:56.069 --> 00:08:01.410 kinds of material And he mentions the last part 00:08:01.410 --> 00:08:05.709 of the statue in verses 31, 32, 33. And then 00:08:05.709 --> 00:08:09.870 in verse 34 he says, you continued looking until 00:08:09.870 --> 00:08:15.730 a stone was cut out without hands. And it struck 00:08:15.730 --> 00:08:21.410 the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed 00:08:21.410 --> 00:08:26.689 them. And now if you will just look down a few 00:08:26.689 --> 00:08:30.290 more verses to verse 44. as he begins to give 00:08:30.290 --> 00:08:32.850 an interpretation, or actually concludes giving 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:35.870 the interpretation of the dream that Nebuchadnezzar 00:08:35.870 --> 00:08:40.610 had. And in those, and in the days of those kings, 00:08:41.409 --> 00:08:45.230 that is the kings of the last part of the statue, 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.620 as we would say it today, in the days when that 00:08:48.620 --> 00:08:52.419 Roman Empire will be regathered and revived in 00:08:52.419 --> 00:08:55.440 the tribulation period. In those days of those 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:58.779 kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom 00:08:58.779 --> 00:09:02.159 which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:04.879 will not be left for another people. It will 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.720 crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:12.759 it will itself endure forever. And as much as 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:16.519 you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.879 without hands, and that it crushed the iron, 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:22.740 the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. 00:09:23.460 --> 00:09:26.679 The great God has made known to the king what 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:29.899 will take place in the future, so the dream is 00:09:29.899 --> 00:09:33.299 true and its interpretation is trustworthy." 00:09:33.299 --> 00:09:36.120 Now, what is this that Daniel is predicting? 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.179 Well, he is saying that there will be a flow 00:09:39.179 --> 00:09:46.500 of Gentile world history. from Babylon to Persia 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:53.419 to Greece to Rome. The Roman Empire was actually 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:57.379 never conquered, as you probably know, but actually 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:01.720 collapsed out of the weight of its own decay 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:06.139 and immorality. The Bible indicates to us that 00:10:06.139 --> 00:10:10.059 the essence of the ancient Roman Empire will 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:14.029 in the last days be congealed again. Some see 00:10:14.029 --> 00:10:17.269 it in the common market of Europe, at least economically. 00:10:19.610 --> 00:10:22.490 That at least is a foreshadowing of what will 00:10:22.490 --> 00:10:26.669 come to pass in that tribulation period. So the 00:10:26.669 --> 00:10:29.769 last part of the statue, the iron and the clay 00:10:29.769 --> 00:10:33.789 and mixture, that which made up the feet of the 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:36.950 statue, will be the part of it that will be politically 00:10:36.950 --> 00:10:42.220 active in the last days. in the dream a stone 00:10:42.220 --> 00:10:44.759 that is cut out of a mountain without hands being 00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:47.399 involved in it. In other words, a stone that 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:51.399 is supernaturally created will fall upon the 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:54.460 feet of the statue and will destroy it from its 00:10:54.460 --> 00:10:57.419 feet on up. It will all be destroyed. All of 00:10:57.419 --> 00:11:02.139 the Gentile world power will be destroyed as 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:05.779 that stone falls upon it. And that stone is a 00:11:05.779 --> 00:11:09.970 picture prophetically of the coming kingdom of 00:11:09.970 --> 00:11:14.490 Jesus Christ. When His kingdom is established, 00:11:14.549 --> 00:11:18.450 it will be the end of Gentile world domination. 00:11:20.289 --> 00:11:25.149 And then the Jews, or better, Jesus Christ will 00:11:25.149 --> 00:11:29.950 reign through the Jewish nation. And the reign 00:11:29.950 --> 00:11:35.250 will return to Jerusalem and to the son of David. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.399 Now, there are other prophecies here in Daniel 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:41.600 and elsewhere we could go into, but just understand 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.419 that the kingdom, the coming kingdom, is not 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:48.700 some isolated part of Scripture. It is a heavy 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:52.179 theme throughout Scripture that there is a righteous 00:11:52.179 --> 00:11:55.120 kingdom coming upon the earth. Now, we know that 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:59.340 that is going to be preceded by a terrible time 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:03.610 of lawlessness and judgment upon the earth. A 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:07.970 time of supernatural events and intervention 00:12:07.970 --> 00:12:12.330 as God brings down these Gentile world powers. 00:12:14.970 --> 00:12:19.470 What will the kingdom be like? What will be the 00:12:19.470 --> 00:12:23.370 conditions upon the earth when Jesus Christ personally 00:12:23.370 --> 00:12:28.889 reigns upon His throne of glory? Well, we want 00:12:28.889 --> 00:12:31.710 to try to answer that question tonight, perhaps 00:12:31.710 --> 00:12:35.009 next Sunday night as well. Would you turn with 00:12:35.009 --> 00:12:41.970 me first to Revelation chapter 20? As we see 00:12:41.970 --> 00:12:44.889 what appears to be one of the first things that 00:12:44.889 --> 00:12:49.830 happens after the battle of Armageddon, after 00:12:49.830 --> 00:12:53.169 that great war that we have looked at on previous 00:12:53.169 --> 00:12:59.000 occasions. Revelation chapter 20 verse 1. John 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:02.539 writes these words, And I saw an angel coming 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:06.799 down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:12.639 and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:16.960 of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.100 devil and Satan. So let there be no mistake as 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:24.279 to the identity of this individual. And he bound 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:30.490 him for a thousand years. and threw him into 00:13:30.490 --> 00:13:35.190 the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him 00:13:35.190 --> 00:13:39.350 so that he should not deceive the nations any 00:13:39.350 --> 00:13:43.629 longer until the thousand years were completed. 00:13:43.669 --> 00:13:46.769 After these things he must be released for a 00:13:46.769 --> 00:13:50.710 short time. We'll try to talk about that briefly 00:13:50.710 --> 00:13:54.350 perhaps next week. But for the moment notice 00:13:54.350 --> 00:13:58.509 that at the beginning of this thousand year period, 00:13:58.850 --> 00:14:03.590 Satan is seized, he is chained, he is thrown 00:14:03.590 --> 00:14:06.950 into the abyss that God has prepared for him 00:14:06.950 --> 00:14:11.450 that is sealed over him so that he is incarcerated 00:14:11.450 --> 00:14:15.149 there for this entire one thousand year period. 00:14:17.149 --> 00:14:21.230 Satan has not yet known any imprisonment. He 00:14:21.230 --> 00:14:25.970 has known a fall from heaven. when he was cast 00:14:25.970 --> 00:14:30.850 out because of sin found in him. He will know 00:14:30.850 --> 00:14:33.950 a fall from the heavens to the earth in the tribulation 00:14:33.950 --> 00:14:37.809 period, but never before in history will Satan 00:14:37.809 --> 00:14:42.169 have known incarceration until that time. It 00:14:42.169 --> 00:14:45.570 is impossible that there might be any peace upon 00:14:45.570 --> 00:14:48.370 the earth, that there might be any restoration 00:14:48.370 --> 00:14:53.090 of its Edenic beauty until this creature of evil. 00:14:54.449 --> 00:14:57.649 is incarcerated so that he can no longer do his 00:14:57.649 --> 00:15:02.330 works upon the face of the earth. Someone has 00:15:02.330 --> 00:15:05.190 asked the question, why is he then allowed out 00:15:05.190 --> 00:15:09.129 of this abyss for the time that is mentioned? 00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:13.210 I have to agree with what Dr. Chaffer said, if 00:15:13.210 --> 00:15:15.370 you will tell me why God let him loose in the 00:15:15.370 --> 00:15:17.409 first place, I will tell you why God lets him 00:15:17.409 --> 00:15:21.769 loose the second time. I think that we can have 00:15:21.769 --> 00:15:25.129 some understanding of why he is loosened, but 00:15:25.129 --> 00:15:27.909 we'll leave that for another time. But please 00:15:27.909 --> 00:15:31.389 notice that the beginning of the millennium involves 00:15:31.389 --> 00:15:35.830 the binding and the imprisonment of Satan, and 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:39.509 we assume with him those angelic powers that 00:15:39.509 --> 00:15:44.250 are allied with him. These spirits, the rulers, 00:15:44.470 --> 00:15:47.509 the princes that we have alluded to on Sunday 00:15:47.509 --> 00:15:49.820 morning. the last couple of times we've been 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:54.820 together. Following that, it seems that God is 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:59.159 then going to lift the curse that He placed upon 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:04.700 the earth in Genesis 3, 17. Part of the fall 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:09.019 of man involved a curse that God placed upon 00:16:09.019 --> 00:16:13.519 His creation. It's not that the creation itself 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:17.820 was guilty or responsible for man's fall. But 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:22.039 because man was given rule over the creation, 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:27.960 when man fell, God placed a curse upon the kingdom 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:32.940 that had been man's. We read in Romans chapter 00:16:32.940 --> 00:16:35.740 8, and maybe you ought to turn there with me, 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:40.100 a word regarding the present condition of the 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:45.200 created world. It says in verse 18, Romans 8, 00:16:45.769 --> 00:16:48.669 I consider that the sufferings of this present 00:16:48.669 --> 00:16:51.750 time are not worthy to be compared with the glory 00:16:51.750 --> 00:16:57.049 that is to be revealed to us. Paul is here thinking 00:16:57.049 --> 00:16:59.950 about the Lord's coming, our being with him, 00:17:00.049 --> 00:17:05.029 the Lord's reign. He says, for the anxious longing 00:17:05.029 --> 00:17:10.589 of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing 00:17:10.589 --> 00:17:16.740 of the sons of God. He says that it's as though 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:23.279 the creation is without stretched hands, expectantly 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:28.319 and patiently waiting for God's children to be 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:33.039 recognized and glorified because when that happens, 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:37.819 the creation seems to intuitively know that it 00:17:37.819 --> 00:17:41.160 itself will be released from the curse that has 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:44.900 been placed upon it. He goes on to say the creation 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:51.519 was subjected to futility. In other words, the 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:57.720 full purpose of the creation has been not fulfilled. 00:17:57.859 --> 00:18:00.519 There has not been the ability for it to be fulfilled 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:04.380 because of sin and its curse. And so the creation 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:09.119 was subjected to this sense of incompletion. 00:18:10.410 --> 00:18:13.809 not of its own will but because of him who subjected 00:18:13.809 --> 00:18:18.009 it in hope that the creation itself also will 00:18:18.009 --> 00:18:23.990 be liberated, set free from its slavery to corruption 00:18:23.990 --> 00:18:28.269 into the freedom of the glory of the children 00:18:28.269 --> 00:18:33.150 of God. What is the apostle saying? He is saying 00:18:33.150 --> 00:18:40.000 that the created order itself is one day going 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.539 to be liberated from the curse that has been 00:18:43.539 --> 00:18:49.059 placed upon it because of mankind's sin. Oh, 00:18:49.099 --> 00:18:53.180 what a day that's going to be. As the earth is 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:57.380 then restored to a beauty that it has not known 00:18:57.380 --> 00:19:01.000 in these thousands of years since Adam and Eve 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:06.220 fell in the garden. We have in the Bible a number 00:19:06.220 --> 00:19:10.019 of different results. of the curse being lifted. 00:19:11.019 --> 00:19:13.799 Isaiah chapter 65 suggests several of them. Go 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:17.680 back there with me. This great prophet wrote 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:24.980 in Isaiah 65 regarding those days. And we're 00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:31.500 going to start in verse 17. He said, Behold, 00:19:31.539 --> 00:19:33.960 I create new heavens and a new earth. The former 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:36.119 things should not be remembered or come to mind. 00:19:36.490 --> 00:19:39.690 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create, 00:19:39.849 --> 00:19:43.230 and behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing 00:19:43.230 --> 00:19:46.990 and her people for gladness." He says, I will 00:19:46.990 --> 00:19:50.890 also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people, 00:19:51.009 --> 00:19:53.650 and there will no longer be heard in her the 00:19:53.650 --> 00:19:58.230 voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No 00:19:58.230 --> 00:20:00.970 longer will there be in it an infant who lives 00:20:00.970 --> 00:20:03.950 but a few days, or an old man who does not live 00:20:03.950 --> 00:20:08.029 out his days. For the youth will die at the age 00:20:08.029 --> 00:20:11.210 of one hundred, and the one who does not reach 00:20:11.210 --> 00:20:13.730 the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed. 00:20:14.630 --> 00:20:17.910 And they shall build houses and inhabit them. 00:20:18.430 --> 00:20:20.930 They shall also plant vineyards and eat their 00:20:20.930 --> 00:20:23.250 fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit. 00:20:23.710 --> 00:20:26.609 They shall not plant and another eat. For as 00:20:26.609 --> 00:20:29.549 the lifetime of a tree so shall be the days of 00:20:29.549 --> 00:20:32.430 my people, and my chosen ones shall wear out 00:20:32.430 --> 00:20:34.890 the work of their hands, they shall not labor 00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:39.009 in vain, or bear children for calamity. For they 00:20:39.009 --> 00:20:41.690 are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord 00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:46.450 and their descendants with them." Here we have 00:20:46.450 --> 00:20:49.509 some things at least suggested to us regarding 00:20:49.509 --> 00:20:53.710 the conditions after the curse is lifted. It 00:20:53.710 --> 00:20:58.829 suggests to us in verses 21 and 22, as well as 00:20:58.829 --> 00:21:06.430 in Amos chapter 9 verses 13 and 14, and in Isaiah 00:21:06.430 --> 00:21:08.690 chapter 35, and I think we'll look at that in 00:21:08.690 --> 00:21:12.190 a moment. It suggests to us that there will be, 00:21:12.190 --> 00:21:16.230 in the kingdom time, agricultural prosperity. 00:21:17.630 --> 00:21:22.119 One very definite aspect of the curse has been 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:26.180 the toil that has been necessary to bring forth 00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:31.619 the fruit from the earth. There naturally arises 00:21:31.619 --> 00:21:37.259 from the earth weeds and that which destroys 00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:41.200 and corrupts the good. But in the kingdom, all 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:43.480 of that will not be any longer in existence. 00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:47.480 It seems as though the earth will produce in 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.099 its bounty. And there will not be those aspects 00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:54.579 of agriculture that make it difficult for us 00:21:54.579 --> 00:21:58.960 to produce crops these days. The earth will in 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:03.500 that day produce abundantly so that there will 00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:06.400 not have to be the kind of toil there is today, 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:09.319 so that there will not be a shortage of food 00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:12.740 in any part of the earth during that kingdom 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:15.460 period. Turn back with me to Isaiah 35 for just 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:26.529 a minute. And look here at verses 1 and 2. Notice 00:22:26.529 --> 00:22:29.089 he says, the wilderness and the desert will be 00:22:29.089 --> 00:22:34.349 glad. The araba will rejoice and blossom. These 00:22:34.349 --> 00:22:38.710 are deserted wilderness areas. He says that they're 00:22:38.710 --> 00:22:41.789 going to blossom and be glad. Like the crocus, 00:22:41.849 --> 00:22:46.660 it will blossom profusely and rejoice. with rejoicing 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:50.019 and shout of joy, the glory of Lebanon will be 00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:52.700 given to it. The majesty of Carmel and Sharon, 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:56.000 they will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty 00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.940 of our God." Turn back to chapter 30 for a minute. 00:23:07.619 --> 00:23:10.359 We must cut into the middle of the context here, 00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:15.130 but look at verse 26. It says, and the light 00:23:15.130 --> 00:23:17.930 of the moon will be as the light of the sun. 00:23:18.529 --> 00:23:20.789 And the light of the sun will be seven times 00:23:20.789 --> 00:23:24.690 brighter like the light of seven days on the 00:23:24.690 --> 00:23:27.630 day of the Lord. On the day, rather, the Lord 00:23:27.630 --> 00:23:30.529 binds up the fracture of his people and heals 00:23:30.529 --> 00:23:35.410 the bruise he has inflicted. Now there are those 00:23:35.410 --> 00:23:37.529 who believe that this may indicate that there 00:23:37.529 --> 00:23:45.170 will be a change in the sunlight. in the millennial 00:23:45.170 --> 00:23:50.809 reign. Perhaps an elongated day. Perhaps God 00:23:50.809 --> 00:23:55.390 is going to again affect the atmosphere as He 00:23:55.390 --> 00:23:57.890 did apparently in those days before the Flood 00:23:57.890 --> 00:24:00.849 so that there were not the extremes of weather 00:24:00.849 --> 00:24:04.849 that we have today with polar regions and tropical 00:24:04.849 --> 00:24:08.210 regions. But that there will be an elongation 00:24:08.210 --> 00:24:15.049 of the day and a tempering of weather conditions 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:18.589 so that that will join with the curse being lifted 00:24:18.589 --> 00:24:21.369 from the ground so that there will be an abundance 00:24:21.369 --> 00:24:24.910 of crops produced throughout the world in the 00:24:24.910 --> 00:24:27.869 millennial reign of Christ. That is one result 00:24:27.869 --> 00:24:30.670 at least. There will be agricultural prosperity. 00:24:32.190 --> 00:24:34.710 And then we notice that there is at least the 00:24:34.710 --> 00:24:38.930 suggestion here in chapter 65 of Isaiah the 23rd 00:24:38.930 --> 00:24:45.779 verse that The pain of childbirth will be removed 00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:50.299 in that time. Now I can see you ladies wishing 00:24:50.299 --> 00:24:54.220 that you might have postponed birth a little 00:24:54.220 --> 00:24:57.000 while. No, it's good that you didn't. It's good 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:00.160 that you didn't. But it does seem that when birth 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:02.900 occurs, because you recall that childbirth is 00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:05.940 a part of the curse. I read the pain in childbirth, 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:08.559 travail in childbirth is a part of the curse. 00:25:09.069 --> 00:25:13.250 that that too will be lifted during the millennial 00:25:13.250 --> 00:25:18.470 reign of Christ. It is interesting to notice 00:25:18.470 --> 00:25:23.529 in verse 25, it says, The wolf and the lamb shall 00:25:23.529 --> 00:25:27.150 graze together, and the lion shall eat straw 00:25:27.150 --> 00:25:31.950 like the ox. And so there will be a peace in 00:25:31.950 --> 00:25:35.549 the animal kingdom. It seems as though no longer 00:25:35.549 --> 00:25:39.900 will animals prey upon one another. but that 00:25:39.900 --> 00:25:44.279 there will be a peace among the animals. But 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:47.839 he goes on to say here, and dust shall be the 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:51.440 serpent's food. What is different from that today? 00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:56.059 Absolutely nothing. You recall that when the 00:25:56.059 --> 00:25:59.039 curse was placed upon the creation back in Genesis 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.779 3, that part of the curse was upon the serpent, 00:26:01.819 --> 00:26:05.740 that he would crawl upon his belly and eat dust. 00:26:06.460 --> 00:26:09.509 And it seems as though that God retains that 00:26:09.509 --> 00:26:11.930 portion of the curse in the millennial reign 00:26:11.930 --> 00:26:14.950 upon the serpent, because no longer is he given 00:26:14.950 --> 00:26:20.650 legs to walk upon, but rather he must crawl upon 00:26:20.650 --> 00:26:25.009 the earth and continue to eat dust. Well, let's 00:26:25.009 --> 00:26:28.529 go back to Isaiah 35 for just a moment, and we'll 00:26:28.529 --> 00:26:31.750 read on down through verses 3, 4, and 5 here. 00:26:33.029 --> 00:26:35.569 Notice that he says, encourage the exhausted 00:26:35.569 --> 00:26:37.630 and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with 00:26:37.630 --> 00:26:41.049 anxious heart, take courage, fear not. Behold, 00:26:41.109 --> 00:26:43.630 your God will come with vengeance. The recompense 00:26:43.630 --> 00:26:46.710 of God will come, but He will save you. Then 00:26:46.710 --> 00:26:49.329 the eyes of the blind will be opened. The ears 00:26:49.329 --> 00:26:52.130 of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame 00:26:52.130 --> 00:26:54.630 will leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb 00:26:54.630 --> 00:26:58.750 will shout for joy. For waters will break forth 00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:01.309 in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah. 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:05.940 He goes on again to describe the prosperity in 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:09.359 nature. But notice that it seems as though in 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:11.519 the millennial reign of Christ, as the curse 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:15.079 is lifted, that there will be a correction of 00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:20.759 those deformities that come sometimes with birth. 00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:25.440 Congenital sorts of deformities will be corrected. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:29.640 And it suggests that sickness will be removed 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:33.619 in that period of time. Isaiah 65 suggests to 00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:37.019 us that life itself will be elongated, that even 00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:39.640 when a person is 100 years old and would die, 00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:42.319 that that would be considered an early death. 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:47.579 And so just as life was longer in the days of 00:27:47.579 --> 00:27:50.599 the patriarchs, and particularly in the days 00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:53.940 before the flood, so it seems that conditions 00:27:53.940 --> 00:27:57.599 in the millennium will be similar to allow the 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:05.170 length of days, to allow long life. Now, think 00:28:05.170 --> 00:28:07.549 with me a moment and realize that because of 00:28:07.549 --> 00:28:11.829 agricultural prosperity, because of the correction 00:28:11.829 --> 00:28:15.369 of deformity and the removal of disease, because 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:19.349 of peace among the animals and their kingdom, 00:28:20.210 --> 00:28:24.890 because of length of life, the population of 00:28:24.890 --> 00:28:31.000 the earth in the millennium will soar. The population 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:33.480 will undoubtedly be small at the beginning. That 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:36.599 is of those who will enter into the kingdom in 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:41.059 their natural bodies. Only the righteous. Those 00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:44.759 saved in the tribulation period and who lived 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:48.500 through those days. Only they will enter into 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:52.180 the kingdom in a natural body like you and I 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:55.960 have. Others will have resurrection bodies. But 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:59.099 they will have natural bodies and length of life. 00:28:59.210 --> 00:29:03.509 and blessing. And as a result of being in natural 00:29:03.509 --> 00:29:07.089 bodies and marrying, beginning families, the 00:29:07.089 --> 00:29:09.890 population of the earth will begin to grow. There 00:29:09.890 --> 00:29:13.230 will not be war. There will not be disease. There 00:29:13.230 --> 00:29:17.410 will not be famine. And because of that, the 00:29:17.410 --> 00:29:21.089 population of the earth by the end of the thousand 00:29:21.089 --> 00:29:24.329 year reign of Christ will be a population that 00:29:24.329 --> 00:29:28.849 is unparalleled in human history. The five billion 00:29:28.849 --> 00:29:31.390 that we have upon the earth today will be perhaps 00:29:31.390 --> 00:29:34.789 but a drop in the bucket of the population that 00:29:34.789 --> 00:29:37.650 will be on the earth by the end of the thousand 00:29:37.650 --> 00:29:40.710 year reign of Christ because the curse has been 00:29:40.710 --> 00:29:44.589 lifted. And so we see that the first thing that 00:29:44.589 --> 00:29:47.910 happens as the millennium begins is the curse, 00:29:48.309 --> 00:29:51.250 or rather the Satan is bound. That is quickly 00:29:51.250 --> 00:29:55.289 followed by the lifting of the curse. Third, 00:29:55.640 --> 00:30:01.859 there will be universal peace as the King reigns. 00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:05.240 Quite in contrast to the wars and the rumors 00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:09.079 of wars, which will characterize the end times, 00:30:09.980 --> 00:30:12.539 the kingdom reign of Jesus Christ will be known 00:30:12.539 --> 00:30:17.539 for absolute peace. And may I say a peace that 00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:24.190 will be enforced by His righteous rule. It says 00:30:24.190 --> 00:30:28.309 that he will rule with a rod of iron, which speaks 00:30:28.309 --> 00:30:34.670 of his absolute sovereignty over the earth. And 00:30:34.670 --> 00:30:40.430 because he is a righteous king, there will be 00:30:40.430 --> 00:30:45.089 peace that will flow out of his rule. And that 00:30:45.089 --> 00:30:48.049 peace will extend throughout the earth. He is 00:30:48.049 --> 00:30:53.039 entitled the Prince of Peace. Isaiah chapter 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:57.700 9. And so we have the prophecies of the Old Testament 00:30:57.700 --> 00:31:02.180 that say that the weapons of warfare will be 00:31:02.180 --> 00:31:09.039 turned into instruments of agriculture. No longer 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:14.660 will there be a need to invest hundreds of billions 00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:19.119 of dollars and of resources into weapons for 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:25.470 nations. Just think what good could be done today 00:31:25.470 --> 00:31:31.029 if we no longer had to spend a cent on defense. 00:31:31.869 --> 00:31:35.130 And if every nation would take every dime that 00:31:35.130 --> 00:31:38.630 is spent on weapons and warfare and terrorism 00:31:38.630 --> 00:31:43.170 and would turn that to some good purpose, think 00:31:43.170 --> 00:31:46.630 of the good that could be done. Now of course 00:31:46.630 --> 00:31:49.890 that is quite impractical in the day in which 00:31:49.890 --> 00:31:53.759 we live. because Jesus Christ is not reigned 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:57.279 today. There is not a righteous rule of any person 00:31:57.279 --> 00:32:01.339 upon the earth. Sin has afflicted every nation, 00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:05.000 including our own. We are not righteous and just 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:07.099 in everything that we do in the world. Let's 00:32:07.099 --> 00:32:12.339 not kid ourselves. And so armaments seem to be 00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:15.720 a necessity in the day of man because of man's 00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:19.619 sin. But in that day, none of these things will 00:32:19.619 --> 00:32:25.440 be required. And all of the energy and all of 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:30.119 the resources now poured into that part of the 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:35.359 economy of the world can be utilized for good 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:40.660 and righteous purposes. And so universal peace 00:32:40.660 --> 00:32:45.680 will not only have a very wonderful feeling to 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:49.059 us emotionally and to all the citizens of the 00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:50.920 world, it will have a very practical result. 00:32:51.240 --> 00:32:54.940 in that these vast sums can be used for good. 00:32:55.559 --> 00:32:58.400 And as I've already suggested, the piece includes 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:02.039 the animal kingdom. Just one more reference regarding 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:09.400 that, Isaiah chapter 11, verses 6 through 9. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:15.079 It says, And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, 00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:18.319 and the leopard will lie down with the kid, the 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:23.009 goat. the calf and the young lion and the fatling 00:33:23.009 --> 00:33:28.109 together and a little boy will lead them and 00:33:28.109 --> 00:33:31.750 the cow and the bear will graze their young will 00:33:31.750 --> 00:33:35.150 lie down together the lion will eat straw like 00:33:35.150 --> 00:33:39.210 the ox and the nursing child will play by the 00:33:39.210 --> 00:33:42.769 hole of the cobra and the wean child will put 00:33:42.769 --> 00:33:45.990 his hand on the viper's den they will not hurt 00:33:45.990 --> 00:33:51.369 or destroy in all my holy mountain." Now a mountain 00:33:51.369 --> 00:33:55.890 symbolically speaks of a kingdom. And that's 00:33:55.890 --> 00:33:57.869 what the Lord is saying here, in all of His holy 00:33:57.869 --> 00:34:00.970 kingdom. For the earth will be full of the knowledge 00:34:00.970 --> 00:34:05.549 of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. You 00:34:05.549 --> 00:34:07.569 know as you read words like this your heart just 00:34:07.569 --> 00:34:11.889 aches for the reality of these things. There's 00:34:11.889 --> 00:34:14.630 a great deal that must come upon the earth before 00:34:14.630 --> 00:34:18.920 this day can arrive. But beloved, let us rejoice 00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:24.679 tonight that the King is coming. And one day 00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:28.039 he is coming back to the earth to establish the 00:34:28.039 --> 00:34:30.420 kingdom that we're studying about, and we'll 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:32.900 continue looking at some of the conditions and 00:34:32.900 --> 00:34:36.780 the millennial reign the Lord willing next week. 00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:39.000 But I'd like for you to open your hymnal and 00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:44.420 sing with me a hymn by Isaac Watts. It's number 00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:50.110 246. Isaac Watts lived in a day when the most 00:34:50.110 --> 00:34:54.309 common understanding of prophecy, of future things, 00:34:55.150 --> 00:35:01.090 was interpreted as post -millennial. They believed 00:35:01.090 --> 00:35:03.630 that the world was going to get better and better, 00:35:03.730 --> 00:35:06.130 that the Gospel was going to be preached to the 00:35:06.130 --> 00:35:10.269 ends of the earth, that eventually society would 00:35:10.269 --> 00:35:14.119 all be transformed. would become peaceful and 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.260 perfect throughout the earth, and then, then 00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:22.400 the Lord would come. That is a theory regarding 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:26.539 prophetic things that pretty well went its way 00:35:26.539 --> 00:35:30.539 in World War I, when the earth suddenly was no 00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:32.539 longer getting better and better, but worse and 00:35:32.539 --> 00:35:35.440 worse and quickly. And today we can see that 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:38.480 that is a theory regarding eschatology or the 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:42.789 study of last things that is not correct. The 00:35:42.789 --> 00:35:45.230 earth is going to get worse and worse before 00:35:45.230 --> 00:35:49.650 Jesus comes and makes it perfect But nonetheless 00:35:49.650 --> 00:35:52.429 Isaac Watts writing in his day from his understanding 00:35:52.429 --> 00:35:54.849 of things write some words that are meaningful 00:35:54.849 --> 00:35:59.690 to us as we envision and Expect this future coming 00:35:59.690 --> 00:36:02.949 of the Lord and his reign upon the earth So would 00:36:02.949 --> 00:36:05.849 you stand with me and let's sing together Jesus 00:36:05.849 --> 00:36:27.449 shall reign Jesus shall reign where the sun Does 00:36:27.449 --> 00:36:38.449 his successive journeys run His kingdom stretch 00:36:38.449 --> 00:36:55.719 from shore to shore Till moon shall rise To Him 00:36:55.719 --> 00:37:05.940 shall endless prayer be made, And praises strong 00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:16.280 to crown His head, His name like sweet perfume. 00:37:28.850 --> 00:37:31.969 We learn in our study of Scripture that in the 00:37:31.969 --> 00:37:35.010 millennial reign of Christ there will be sacrifices 00:37:35.010 --> 00:37:38.969 offered in memoriam to His great sacrifice at 00:37:38.969 --> 00:37:41.989 the cross. The Old Testament speaks of a new 00:37:41.989 --> 00:37:45.789 temple in Jerusalem. and of sacrifices that are 00:37:45.789 --> 00:37:47.630 offered there. And the Feast of Tabernacles, 00:37:47.730 --> 00:37:50.250 which speaks prophetically of the Kingdom, will 00:37:50.250 --> 00:37:54.110 be observed again in the Millennium by the Jewish 00:37:54.110 --> 00:37:56.829 people. And so that is the meaning of that second 00:37:56.829 --> 00:38:08.360 verse. Now let's sing that third verse. dwell 00:38:08.360 --> 00:38:19.099 on His love with sweetest songs, and infant voices 00:38:19.099 --> 00:38:32.539 shall proclaim their early blessings on His name. 00:38:34.039 --> 00:38:45.380 Let every creature rise and bring Honours peculiar 00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:58.440 to our King Angels with songs, oh, songs again 00:39:11.570 --> 00:39:13.909 Amen. Let's have a word of prayer. Would you 00:39:13.909 --> 00:39:17.489 join me please? And our Lord, we look forward 00:39:17.489 --> 00:39:21.610 to this day of heaven's rule over the earth. 00:39:22.750 --> 00:39:26.550 When the great kingdom of God will be finally 00:39:26.550 --> 00:39:31.250 and fully established in this world and righteousness 00:39:31.250 --> 00:39:34.469 and peace will characterize it. How we look forward 00:39:34.469 --> 00:39:38.289 to that day. When the sun of righteousness will 00:39:38.289 --> 00:39:43.010 rise with healing. in His wings for the nations 00:39:43.010 --> 00:39:47.710 of the earth. We recognize that much must happen 00:39:47.710 --> 00:39:51.590 before that day, but our Father, we do greatly 00:39:51.590 --> 00:39:56.570 anticipate it nonetheless. And our hearts long 00:39:56.570 --> 00:40:02.250 expectantly for the arrival of that day. And 00:40:02.250 --> 00:40:07.860 we join as it were with nature itself. in reaching 00:40:07.860 --> 00:40:11.039 out our hands to you in longing and praying for 00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:14.800 the coming of the kingdom of our great God and 00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:19.900 Savior, Jesus Christ. And even as we now are 00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:24.199 citizens of that coming kingdom, may we so live. 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:28.780 May our lives be worthy even in this world, where 00:40:28.780 --> 00:40:34.079 we are aliens, of the name of our King, and may 00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:39.289 we represent him well. whom you have called us 00:40:39.289 --> 00:40:45.250 to serve in this generation. In His name we pray, 00:40:45.510 --> 00:40:45.869 Amen.