Plan of God Chapter 7 Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth Passover Fulfilled The evening before He died, the Kingdom of God was very much on Jesus' mind. Luke 22:8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. Fully knowing the horrendous suffering and passion that lay immediately before Him, Jesus greatly anticipated and desired to eat the Passover with His apostles Passover is observed once each year at a specific time. As the sun set at the beginning of the 14th of Abib (Numbers 9:2-3), Jesus and His twelve apostles were gathered together in the guest-chamber: Luke 22:14-16 When the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said unto them, with intense desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Christ’s emphasis was on enjoying a meal in close fellowship and warm affinity with His apostles. There was no mention of death, suffering or forgiveness of sin—only of harmonious friendship, closeness, love and esprit de corps—showing us that our drinking of the Passover cup and eating of the unleavened bread are Acts of camaraderie with Christ. Jesus was looking forward to the future day when the purpose of Passover would be entirely fulfilled. As the significance of that awesome privilege truly sinks in, it motivates the Christian to likewise honor the fellowship of the entire spiritual Body of Christ—the Church. The Passover is a memorial of our unique and undeserved standing with God, and a reminder of the redemptive process He is faithful to complete in us as we continue to abide in Him. Because of Christ’s perfect dedication and devotion to the point of death, we can now gratefully enjoy fellowship with God because of the peace Jesus Christ has provided (Ephesians 2:14; Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:21-22; 2Corinthians 5:18; 2Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 7:2). This indeed was Jesus’ last Passover on earth, but Jesus greatly anticipated taking the Passover again at the very beginning of the Millennium when the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. Luke 22:18, 30 I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until [I drink of it anew when] the Kingdom of God shall come (Matthew 26:29)… That ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth In this chapter we will be transitioning from the world today into the wonderful world tomorrow. Everything we have seen up through Chapter Six is past history – up to our age. Everything that we will see in Chapter Seven, we know from the prophecies in God’s word – the Bible. Divine prophecy reveals how the Plan and Purpose of God will come to fruition. We are fast approaching the time when Jesus Christ will return in power and great glory to break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms of this world and set up the Kingdoms of our Lord; and He shall reign forever and ever (Matthew 24:30; Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15). Satan, the power of darkness, will be bound and ineffective (Luke 22:53; Revelation 20:3). Mark 1:14-15 …Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God, saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. The preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom of God was so all important to Jesus that He continued to teach His apostles even after His resurrection! Acts 1:2-3 Until the day in which Jesus was taken up, after that He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen: To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Zechariah 14:9 The LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one. Luke 1:33 He shall reign over the house of Jacob/Israel forever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. The Millennium will usher in an unprecedented continuation and expansion of the Plan of God over the whole earth. The time will have arrived for the refreshing and restitution of those wonderfully undreamt-of things begun with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Acts 3:19-21). Since the beginning of the world eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love and wait for Him—the Kingdom of God on earth (Isaiah 64:4; 1Corinthians 2:9). At the beginning of the Millennium, God will grant His Spirit to everyone alive. Everyone who ever lived will receive God’s Holy Spirit for the first time. They will each be called to conversion—providing them opportunity for eternal salvation (Joel 2:28-29). Thy Kingdom Come The Kingdom of God administered by Jesus Christ will consist of five essential elements:
The greater population of the earth will be devastated with multiple billions dead, but among the survivors of the atrocities of the Tribulation will be an elect remnant of modern-day Israelites. They will be the subjects of the new world order—the Kingdom of God. More than the other chapters in this book, this chapter is impossible for our friends in the world to understand. They have too many impediments in their way to truly understand the coming world tomorrow. The first impediment to understanding the meaning and purpose of the Millennial rule of Christ is the false doctrine of heaven and hell as mankind’s eternal reward. They believe that all men are being judged at this time. Our friends think that when you die, you go to heaven. Therefore, the Gospel news of God’s Millennial Kingdom on earth is the farthest thing from their minds. The teaching that heaven is the reward of the saved is not Biblical. Another obstruction to knowing what God will be doing for a thousand years is their rejection of God’s Law. People in the world have been taught that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross, and therefore need not be kept. They believe that Jesus fulfilled the law, declaring the law no longer valid, so that they do not have to be obedient to God. Our friends do not like to mention the Government of God in the lives of men because it smacks of obedience and works which they are careful to avoid, believing that salvation comes with believing and faith by grace alone (James 2:14, 17). Their rejection and disobedience of God’s Law blocks their understanding. God states that obedience to Him, and understanding the truth of God, go hand in hand (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). It is a terrible thing to deny God’s Law which is an expression of His love. God’s Law is the lamp which lights our way, and without it there is the inability of living a Godly life in accordance to the will of God (Proverbs 6:23). Another terrible hindrance that prevents one from seeing what God is doing is the Trinity heresy. Not understanding the nature of God, the religious world teaches that God is a closed trinity of three persons, and that there cannot be any other members of God’s family. The very purpose of God’s Plan is to bring many sons and daughters to glory in His eternal Family (Hebrews 2:10). Another point of perplexity is that the “Christian” world thinks that Israel has already returned to the Promised Land. They are hopelessly confused because they make no distinction between the Jews and Israel. Judah and Israel are all one and the same to Protestant evangelists. Television evangelists believe that when the United Nations passed the partition resolution followed by the end of the British Mandate in 1948, the “Birth of Israel” fulfilled the many prophecies which speak of Israel’s return to the Promised Land—they do not! It was only some Jews of the tribe of Judah who established a Jewish State. Most people do not know that the tribes of Israel are still completely dispersed around the earth! In fact, there are more Jews in New York City than in the entire nation in the Near East. When the millennium begins, Jews and Israel will be reunited in the Promised Land (Ezekiel 37:16-21; Jeremiah 3:18). Our friends in the world cannot conceive of the reason to prepare the face of this earth for the resurrection of thousands of millions of flesh and blood humans on the Last Great Day. They have been taught that they have an everlasting soul and will be judged by God as soon as they die. Many people believe in a ‘Jesus’ who is with His mother Mary in heaven (John 3:13). Not understanding the Plan of God revealed by His Holy Days is a barrier to anyone whose mind has not been opened by God’s Spirit. The worldly holidays of Easter and Christmas war against the deeply significant Biblical Holy Days—the Feasts of the Lord. They miss the concept and picture of God’s great final harvest of resurrected beings – spiritual Children of God (Luke 10:2). All these factors, and others, preclude the true understanding of the nature of the Millennium. With all of these obstacles working against them, how could they possibly grasp the wonderful things God has in store for His people – Israel – in the wonderful world tomorrow? Our friends do not realize that Satan is the ruler of this present evil world who holds the power of death (Ephesians 2:1-3, 6:12; John 12:31-33, 14:30, 16:11; Hebrews 2:14). And as such, Satan has hidden from the world the understanding of the Plan of God to bring mankind into His Family. A good and right understanding of the Plan of God has not been given to every age of His Church. One-hundred years ago the Church brethren did not understand God’s desire that even New Testament Christians observe His appointed Holy Feast Days. This knowledge is a tremendous blessing for God’s people, unlocking so much information contained in the pages of the Bible. Another hurdle to overcome is the understanding of who will make up the Israelitish stock of the Millennium’s populace. The identity of the Israelitish peoples today must be understood because the remnant will come from them. The American and English speaking peoples of the world are mostly descended from the original Israelites. This is a difficult concept to grasp because all things “Jewish” are abhorred by many so called “Christians.” It is a strange irony indeed that it is among actual Israelites that much anti-Semitism is found! The remnant will be the first people to live in a Satan-free environment of peace and abundant prosperity. The desert shall blossom as the rose, young men and women will be blessed exceedingly in every work of their hand, in the fruit of their bodies, and in the production of their cattle, and in the harvest of their land and they will not be displaced from it (Isaiah 35:1; Deuteronomy 30:9). Daniel 7:27 The Kingdom and Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Jesus Will Rule from Jerusalem In Genesis we find a prophecy of Christ's return to rule this earth. In the Millennium, all Israel will worship and praise Him – after He has put down all of His enemies (Revelation 19:15-16). Jesus was born a Jew of the tribe of Judah. In prophecy, Judah is a type of Jesus Christ who is to be praised: Genesis 49:8-9 Judah, you are He whom your brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you... Jesus will rule with power and authority over all the earth. These verses also foretell that the throne of David will exist until Christ's returns to take His rightful place upon it. Genesis 49:10 The scepter [sovereign leadership and rulership] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh [Messiah] comes; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. Zechariah 8:2-8 Thus says the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus says the LORD of hosts; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain… There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof… If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? says the LORD of hosts… Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. The millennial age to come, will be a time of peace, abundance, justice and righteousness, where the human spirit will soar—motivated by God’s Spirit. Jerusalem, the “city of peace,” shall be safely inhabited (Zechariah 14:11). The river originating in the Temple is a picture of God’s Holy Spirit going out to everyone. In addition to its spiritual meaning, the ecology of the region will be healed (Ezekiel 47:8). It is a tremendous Revelation of what is coming in the Millennium (Ezekiel 40-46). Great geographical changes will occur when Christ returns. There will be an earthquake splitting the Mt. of Olives, opening the fountains of the great deep – a great spring of water under the Temple Mount where the Holy of Holies once stood (Genesis 7:11). Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth through the Temple of the LORD… Ezekiel 47:1 …the waters issued out from under the threshold of the Temple eastward: for the forefront of the Temple stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the Temple, at the south side of the altar. This fountain of water will be directly under the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem – picturing God’s Holy Spirit flowing from Jesus Christ (John 7:38). Also, the importance of this literal river of water to the ecosystem cannot be overestimated. This is a wonderful revelation. Notice what will happen: Zechariah 14:4 The LORD’s feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave through the middle thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. This divide in the Mount of Olives will open the way for a great river flowing eastward to the Jordan valley, and ultimately cascading downward 3,700 feet to the Dead Sea. Zechariah 14:8-9 It shall be in that day, that living waters [God’s Holy Spirit] shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them [flowing eastward into the Dead Sea], and half of them [flowing westward into the Mediterranean Sea]: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one. Like Mammoth Spring in Arkansas, one of the world’s largest springs with nine million gallons of water flowing hourly—the Temple Spring will flow out in two directions. Moving eastward away from Jerusalem the river will become deeper and deeper: Ezekiel 47:5 …It became a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. In the same way that rivers of living water spring forth from Jesus Christ to give eternal Life to all, the literal river flowing from Jerusalem will bring life to the Dead Sea area and ultimately, the oceans. The water will eventually make its way down to Ezion Geber at Gulf of Aqaba, and on to the Red Sea. However, there will be some brackish marshes near the southern end of the Dead Sea that will not be healed of the salt water – and that is important to note: Ezekiel 47:11 The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt-water. How can it be that God will fail to heal the marshes? Does this represent a weakness of the part of Jesus Christ to bring all things to perfection? Not at all. This is similar to the time that Jesus had to heal a blind man – twice – laying His hands on him each time. Jesus had not failed to heal something that was wrong each time. Jesus healed the blind man the first time and asked him what he saw, and looked up, and said, “I see men as trees, walking.” The blind man was seeing – and yet there was another problem: Mark 8:25 After that Jesus put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. Yes, there was another important matter to address. That is what is going on here with the marshes. The marshes will serve another very important concern in the Millennium. The wetlands, bayous, and estuaries are meant to be saline marshes for organisms requiring brackish water. This reveals that the ecosystem in the area of the Holy Land will also be rejuvenated. Salt water marshes are extremely important to the environment. In fact, that is precisely why the fishing will be so good there (Ezekiel 47:9). There will be plenty of nourishment for the fish. In south-central Louisiana there is an important marsh called the Atchafalaya River basin. It is one of the largest swamp and marsh areas in the United States, and a habitat for many “creeping things.” It is so shallow and strewn with cypress knees in places that it takes a pirogue to get through. Much of the ocean’s food chain – a succession of creatures from microscopic organisms to 15-foot-long alligators – originates in the brackish waters of swampy wetlands. For example, the marshland is home to a great array of flora and fauna which help support the entire ecosystem. Here is a sampling of life that thrives in the Atchafalaya Floodway between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana: There are many species of fish, shrimp, blue crabs, oysters, clams, crawfish, snakes, eels, salamanders, and turtles living in the marsh. There are migratory fish and prehistoric choupique and alligator gar. Other wildlife species include mink, muskrats, beavers, armadillos, foxes, coyotes, cougar, possums, rabbits, squirrels and flying squirrels, nutria, skunks, foxes, beavers, civet cats, bobcats, black bears, coons, white-tailed deer, and river otters. There are hundreds of species of birds, including bald eagles, wild turkey, ducks, brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, woodcocks, snipe, geese, great egrets, great blue Herons, the white ibis and the pouldeau. The Plan that God has in store for the Dead Sea basin will be wonderful and exciting. Not only there, but other “petting zoos” will abound in every climate of the earth, for children of every age to, not only observe, but to interact with God’s beautiful array of exotic animals in their natural habitats. God says: Ezekiel 34:25 I will …cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. A Glorious Day for the Elect Who will Jesus rule over in the Millennium? Where will the people come from? Who are those people whom Jesus calls the elect? Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus explained to His disciples that He would not let the Great Tribulation run its full course. And He also tells His people that it will be shortened for a certain group of people – the elect – who will still be alive at the end of the Tribulation: Matthew 24:21-22 Then shall be Great Tribulation [Jacob's Trouble], such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect's [selected and chosen’s] sake those days shall be shortened. Who are the elect of Matthew 24:22? Many have felt that the elect referred to the Church brethren, and that the terrible Tribulation would be shortened for their sake. However, those faithful saints who have overcome Satan will be in a place of safety and protection (Revelation 12:14), having flown there at the beginning of the Tribulation – 3 ½ years earlier. Other saints will be martyred during the Tribulation, so the Tribulation could not be shortened for their sake either. Not everyone will die in the Tribulation. These elect are a remnant of Israelitish stock with whom God will begin anew in the Promised Land in the World Tomorrow. Those disciples hearing Jesus’ Olivet Prophecy knew Deuteronomy like the back of their hand – and they knew where the elect remnant would be restored to – the Holy Land. In context we can see where the elect will be brought (Matthew 24:31): The soon coming World War will see so many of our young men and women carried away captive into all parts of the world – but an elect remnant will survive and be spared the horrors – to become New Israel. Beginning after the Tribulation, in the world tomorrow, there will be a small remnant of physical people who will multiply and fill the earth once again. When one surveys both the Old and New Testaments, they get a flavor of just how much God has planned to spare a remnant through the Tribulation and safeguard them for the beginning of the Millennium. God will choose a selection of physical individuals who will survive the time of Jacob’s trouble and then begin to populate the 1,000-year Millennium. The Coming Second Exodus What does the Feast of Tabernacles picture in the Plan of God? We get our first glimpse of the wonderful changes coming to this earth in Isaiah 2. People will begin to look to God. These verses speak of the wonderful world tomorrow. The Church brethren, of all people, are most appreciative and grateful – not only for the fact that this knowledge has been revealed to us, been made open to us, but we are most thankful to God that He has called us now to be a part of His soon coming Kingdom in Tomorrow’s World. The Kingdom of God administered by Jesus Christ on earth is referred to as the “mountain of the LORD's house:” Isaiah 2:2-3 It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains [nations], and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Jacob/Israel; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Jesus is returning to rule! God gave these prophecies to Isaiah for us, for our hope and encouragement. They tell us that God’s way will be the rule of the Earth. In the Millennium, there will be universal peace as there was at the end of King David’s rule when God granted David rest from all his enemies round about (2Samuel 7:1, 11): Isaiah 2:4-5 And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. This is what the wonderful world tomorrow will be like when all mankind will be able to live long and rich lives to the fullest. Our imaginations cannot comprehend how gloriously peaceful and abundant life will be when Jesus Christ rules. Scripture records that a “second exodus” is coming soon that will eclipse the first exodus— when Jesus delivered His people, Israel (Exodus 3:7-8). Jeremiah 16:14-15 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD lives, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; [that was the first exodus]; But, The LORD lives, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither He had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers [This is the second exodus]. There is nothing in these verses to indicate that the second Exodus will be much greater in numerical scope than the first exodus—only that the Lord will restore Israel. God says: Isaiah 13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold, and people more scarce than gold from Ophir. The great multitude spoken of in Revelation 7:9 refers to converted and resurrected Saints – not to those in the second exodus. God promises to gather only a relatively small remnant of Israel from all the nations where He has scattered them, and He promises to return them to the Holy Land of Israel. This gathering will indeed be more glorious in that the returning Israelites will be entering the Lord’s Rest, and all that entails about—the Kingdom of God on Earth. Isaiah 11:10-11 In that day there shall be a root of Jesse [Jesus Christ], who shall stand for an ensign of the people; to Him shall the foreign nations seek: and His [Millennial] rest shall be glorious (Hebrews 4:9). And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left from… [many nations] and from the islands of the sea. Captive modern-day Israelites will be terribly scattered all over the face of the earth – and difficult to round up after the earth-wide upheaval of the Tribulation, but God will seek out and find every last one: Jeremiah 16:16 Behold, I will send for many fishers, says the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. There will be the sound of a great trumpet blown. At the end of the 3½ year Tribulation, this second Exodus of elect Israel will begin on the Day of Pentecost – when the Saints are being raised. Isaiah 27:12-13 It shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem. On the last Pentecost as Jesus returns in power, the Saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and brought before God’s throne (Revelation 4:6; 15:2) to be accepted just as Jesus was accepted on the fulfillment of the Wave Sheaf Day (John 20:17). In the same way that the wave-sheaf offering—with oil—represented Jesus Christ, the two wave-loaves offered on Pentecost—baked with leaven, (Leviticus 23:17) represent God's spiritual firstfruits. The faithful brethren of God’s Church will be spared the horrors of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Their resurrection to reign and rule with Jesus Christ will come at the sounding of the very last trumpet (1Corinthians 15:52; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17). The Trumpets (Plural) begin to sound on a Feast of Trumpets, but the last trumpet, the resurrection trumpet, (singular) will be sounded on a Feast of Pentecost. That same trumpet blast also signals the beginning of the gathering of the physical elect whose lives will be spared throughout the Tribulation. Matthew 24:29, 31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days… the Son of man shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. It will be a great gathering – first the Saints, and at the same moment – the elect remnant—destined for the Millennium. As with the Saints, being chosen to receive God’s seal of protection will not be a random process, but a very selective one. God Loves Israel – His Wife Jesus not only created Israel, He took her to be His lawful wedded wife. And, though she was unfaithful by being idolatrous, He will remarry spiritual Israel—the Church of God (Jeremiah 3:8; Revelation 19:7; Galatians 6:16). Isaiah 54:5-10 Thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were refused, says thy God. [God divorced unfaithful Israel for idolatry.] For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, says the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee, nor rebuke thee. [God keeps His Covenant promises.] For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed, says the LORD that has mercy on thee. Isaiah 60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. (Zechariah 10:6-9) Zechariah 10:10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them [Too crowded]. Jeremiah 50:5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. New Israel will say, “We are not going to make the same mistake Israel of old made – breaking God’s Covenant – and going into captivity… And, “We are not going to make the same mistake the USA and Britain made… With God’s Holy Spirit being poured out on New Israel – they will be able to keep covenant with God. I Will Gather You Jesus reiterated that it is He who gathers. There is an attention-grabbing prophecy that came about as a result of the trial of Jesus Christ which took place at His last Passover: John 11:51-52 …Jesus… will gather together in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad. The gathering of Israel spoken of here was a fervent desire and hope of the people of Christ’s day: Jeremiah 23:3 I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. To be fruitful and increase speaks of a rapid increase in population as the remnant begins to multiply in the Millennium – that has not yet begun. The land will once again produce abundantly. Israel and Judah will once again possess the Promised Land, they will have peace and prosperity—because their enemies will be destroyed, which Israel failed to do the first time they came into the Promised Land. God promises Israel over and over that He will miraculously gather a remnant unto Himself. How much more encouraging could He be than to repeat this assurance so many times? For those who take God at His word, there can no more comforting pledge than this. Just as assuredly as God Himself wrought great miracles to open the Red Sea and drown Pharaoh's chosen captains when delivering the children of Israel from Egypt; though He may have employed a rare meteorological phenomenon when doing so; He will miraculously gather His elect people again (Exodus 14:21; 15:4). Here is a sampling of the Scriptures that demonstrate the great emphasis God places on this gathering as the Millennium begins: Jeremiah 29:14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from where I caused you to be carried away into captivity. God's chosen people will be gathered out of all the nations of the world. Ezekiel 11:17 Thus says the Lord GOD; I will even gather you [New Israel] from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. Ezekiel 20:33-35 As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the lands wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Those gathered will loathe themselves, repent and possess a new heart (Zechariah 7:12). Ezekiel 20:40-44 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there shall all the House of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you as a soothing aroma when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathens. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers. And there you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled [Sabbath breaking and false religion]; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have worked with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O you House of Israel, says the Lord GOD. When God repeats a matter three times it is for emphasis. Note the refining process that New Israel will be put through: Ezekiel 22:19-21 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. There are many places where God gives His Specific Purpose Statement, declaring that He will, “Gather You.” New Israel will become the renown people of the earth – prominent among all people: Zephaniah 3:20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD. When the Millennium begins, Jesus will have returned to the earth in great power, and will be ruling from His throne in Jerusalem as King of kings. Zechariah 8:3 Thus says the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Jesus Christ will be establishing His Father’s Kingdom and Law. He will be King, and David will be His Prince (Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Jeremiah 23:4-5; 30:9; Hosea 3:5; Micah 2:12-13). Additionally, the twelve original apostles will be resurrected and sit as judges over the twelve tribes of Israel, ensuring that proper judgment is given (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). Before we look at more of the awesome transformation that the Bible reveals about the marvelous changes to our planet that will occur during the Millennium, we need to address the question of who the inhabitants will be. One of the best kept secrets of all is that Jesus will gather a remnant of physical Israel from all over the face of the entire earth – and eventually, He will gather all who have ever lived before (Ezekiel 37:3-14). It is a huge subject throughout the Bible but it is not known because it does not fit the scenario of orthodox doctrine which states that one goes to heaven after death. The Tribulation will leave the face of the earth scarred, obliterated and desolate. The days at the beginning of the Millennium will require a courageous and resolute people. ‘Joshua’ in the Hebrew language is the same as ‘Jesus’ in the Greek language – so much so that the King James translators confused the two (Hebrews 4:8). Joshua was a type of Christ: Deuteronomy 31:7 Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for you must go with this people unto the land which the LORD has sworn unto their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. God will be extremely selective when choosing those He gathers to Himself to constitute His people until the times of the New Heavens and the New Earth. Ezekiel 20:36-37 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord GOD. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, (particularly discriminating) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: Passing under the rod is a phrase indicating the tenth part shall be holy unto the LORD (Leviticus 27:32). Therefore, the remnant will be a clean people – repentant and faithful – with a desire to seek God and His perfect way. They will be a wholesome population – fertile, with good genetics and with all the good traits of inventiveness, creativity, talent, honor – but most of all, they will be an entreatable people easily persuaded by God. They will have been purged of infectious ailments: Syphilis, the incurable human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), Herpes, and all the diseases of the Egyptians (Exodus 15:26). There will be no communicable diseases – which will have run their course in the Tribulation. God’s New World Tomorrow will begin with a clean slate. Yes, there will be scars. Jesus has scars (John 20:27) – true marks of valor and honor. Ezekiel 20:38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. God's people will return to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When He is bringing the remnant of Israel out of the countries of their scattering, He will scrutinize His people to ensure that any rebels that transgress against Him will not be allowed into the land. God desires a pure people. From the nations of Israel’s captivity, some insurgents and renegades will try to sneak in, but they will be discovered and prevented from entering the Promised Land: It is God Who Scatters – It is God Who Gathers Repeatedly, God reveals that it is He who will scatters His people Israel for their Godlessness in the last days – only to gather a repentant remnant of them for the Millennium. Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him. Ezekiel 34:12-14 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver [‘Jesus’ means Deliverer] them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 11:16 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. We do not find this situation ever existing in post-exilic Israel. Instead, we see that there are those who will be protected in the day of the wrath of the Lord. In Ezekiel’s day, the Sealing Mark in indelible ink from the inkhorn on their foreheads afforded them protection – and their lives were spared by God. Notice what God is doing: Ezekiel 28:25 Thus says the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the House of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. Zechariah 7:14 I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. Isaiah 24:6 The curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. When our children, grandchildren, and those whom God has gathered of the tribes of the Children of Israel, see the destruction of the world taking place, they will also sigh, cry, mourn and weep for the abominations that are in the land. They will be mostly strong young men and women who had been carried into the captivity of slave labor camps of enemy nations around the globe. How will a physical remnant of Israel survive the Tribulation to live-over into the world tomorrow? The survivors will be the physical remnant of Jacob/Israel. The Lord God Will Seek Out His People Ezekiel 34:11 Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. The peoples of modern-day Israel enthusiastically reject God’s truth and law. They also do not wish to believe the historical fact of their ancestry—closing their eyes to the fact they are indeed Caucasian—having originated in the captivity of ancient Israel. This predisposition, even among the religious leaders, is so set against the reality of who God's people are that it will take something extraordinary for the veil to be removed from their eyes (2Corinthians 3:14-15; Isaiah 25:7; 44:18). They marvel that the Plan of God is so intricately woven throughout the entire Bible—without ever a hint of contradiction. That is because it is God who is bringing His word to fruition: Ezekiel 12:25 I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious House of Israel, I will say and I will and accomplish it, declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 36:24, 28 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land... And ye shall dwell in the [Promised] Land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Amos 9:14-15 I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land. Revelation 7:1, 3 After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth [bringing plagues], holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind [that blows the seven trumpet plagues] should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. [‘Do not exterminate the families of the earth just yet – because some need to be protected to make it through to the Kingdom of God’]… Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Ezekiel 20:42 You shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. Ezekiel 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. Jeremiah 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, You have discerned keenly: for I am ready to perform my word. Many will soon recognize that the modern Israelitish nations of England, Wales, America, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Finland, Scotland, New Zealand, Iceland, Denmark, France, South Africa, Judea, Australia, the Netherlands, and others of the world, will be decimated for their sins of Sabbath breaking and idolatry, again. At the very end of his life, Jacob/Israel prophesied that which shall befall his sons in the last days (Genesis 49:1). Modern Israel and Judah will be brought to the full realization that they have forsaken God entirely and have been living the wrong way. Most will die in the coming distress of nations just as ancient Israel perished in the wilderness, except for their sons and daughters who went into the Promised Land. God said: Numbers 14:22-23, 29 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it… Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. After a select group of people has endured the coming Tribulation—the chastening accompanying Jacob's Trouble—they will be liberated and brought back to the Millennial Promised Land. The Tribulation will be so horrendous that entire countries will no longer exist. An elect remnant will be saved out of the ravages of the Tribulation: Jeremiah 30:11 I am with you, says the LORD, to save you: though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. The devastation will be near total – with only a remnant of the strong and the young people surviving – and all those upon whom God is merciful. Alliances, leagues and treaties [God calls them ‘lovers’] will be on no affect because God had said, “You shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.” (Exodus 23:32) Hosea 8:9-10 They are gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey alone by himself: Ephraim has hired lovers [leagues, defensive coalitions, and pacts]. Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes. Jeremiah 30:14-15 All your lovers [parties to treaties] have forgotten you; they seek you not; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities; because thy sins were increased. Why do you cry for your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because your sins were increased, I have done these things unto you. God says that Assyria will be too harsh and go too far in its destruction of Israel, so God turns their violence back upon them: Isaiah 10:5-7 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he means not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Nevertheless, the LORD will have the final retribution against the enemy of His people: Jeremiah 30:16 Therefore all they that devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil you shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon you will I give for a prey. God will come to the aid of the scattered remnant who are the focus of worldwide anti –Semitism. Jacob/Israel's children will be thankful, rebuild and be happy again as their population soars (Jeremiah 30:18-19). Jeremiah 30:22, 24 You shall be my people, and I will be your God… The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all He has planned of the intentions of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this. The Marvelous Gathering Not only are we seeking the coming Millennium, God Himself is looking forward to it. Zechariah 8:6-8 Thus says the LORD of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes declares the LORD of hosts. Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Messiah] come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Repentant Gathered from the Four Corners of the Earth Isaiah 11:12 The Lord shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 65:9 I will bring forth a progeny out of Jacob/Israel, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Where will the elect remnant be during the Tribulation? The end-time desolation will be worldwide. Isaiah 43:5-7 [Thus says the LORD,] Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not hold them back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created [Israel] for My Glory. Luke 21:24 [Jesus said] They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: Jeremiah 30:10 Therefore fear you not, O my servant Jacob, says the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your children from the land of their captivity; and Jacob/Israel shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid [in the Millennium]. Nehemiah 1:8-10 Remember, I beseech you, the word that you commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me [repent], and keep my Commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. Here we see a change of heart / attitude that God has always required of His people (Jeremiah 31:9; 50:4). In the Millennium, there will be a new nation, made up of our children, grandchildren, and those whom God has gathered to the Land of Israel to once again grow into a glorious People of the Lord. They will be weeping and seeking the LORD their God. That is who will live through and survive the Tribulation. It will be those who have a repentant attitude and call upon the name of the LORD. Their hearts will have turned to God – not in haughtiness – but in humility – for that is what He desires: Jeremiah 50:4 In those days, and in that time, says the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. The heavenly signs signal the last year of the Tribulation – and the Day of the Lord (Luke 21:25-27): Joel 2:30-32 I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. God does not change—His word remains forever true. In the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we find this necessity for a deep desire to draw near to God and His way (Acts 15:17; James 4:8-10). God says: 2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. We find that Isaiah 66:18-23 further portrays this re-gathering of those of Israel who refrained from paganism and idolatry. In the captivity of the Great Tribulation there will be a remnant of Israel who will come to themselves and begin to obey the voice of the Lord, keeping His commandments. They will be of such a heart to sigh and cry over the iniquity and abominations in modern Israel. Those are the ones upon whom God will have pity and save from the rigors of captivity. The rest of the world’s populations will receive the undiluted wrath of God (Revelation 14:10; Ezekiel 5:13). Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me [that is repentance], and keep my Commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet I will gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Few realize how remarkably extensive the theme of the selection and preservation of a remnant of Israel is. God gives us a plethora of Scriptures about the remnant being recovered in the pages of the Old Testament and New. Old Testament Israel was a physical people – nonetheless, they were God’s people. When they were carried into captivity by the Assyrians it seemed that they were lost forever. Over and over God assured His people, Israel: 1Kings 6:13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. God in His wisdom and mercy sent hope of Israel’s future restoration. However, Israel never returned to the Promised Land. These prophecies of Israel’s reestablishment in the Holy Land all point to the time of the Millennium when they will be fulfilled. After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, and before Israel entered the Promised Land, Jesus Christ knew that they would not be able to keep His law perfectly, and would be carried away captive for their sins. Israel has not returned to the Promised Land to this day [only a part of Judah has]. And yet, Israel was promised by Jesus that after their captivity He would return and gather a remnant of His people together from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other: Deuteronomy 30:1-2 It shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse [captivity and scattering], which I have set before thee, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where the LORD thy God has driven you, and shall return unto the LORD thy God [this has not happened yet], and shall obey His voice according to all that I command thee this day, you and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Quoting Deuteronomy 30 in His Olivet Prophecy of Matthew 24, Jesus repeated the fact that He would restore an elect remnant of Israel at the end of the age – the latter days – for a very important function—to multiply and will repopulate the face of the earth. This theme of gathering the elect, and restoring a remnant, is an often repeated topic throughout the pages of the Scriptures. In the same way that Adam and Eve were initially given one-thousand year lives, had they not sinned, the elect remnant will be given very long life spans – conceivably the entire Millennium. Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. There are so many verses that demonstrate God’s promise of hope to Israel. Deuteronomy 30:8-10 You shall return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all His Commandments which I command thee this day. And the LORD thy God will make you prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His Commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. As the Tribulation comes to an end, all the world will see the Two Witnesses slain and then resurrected three and a half days later. It will be a terribly fearful sight to behold (Revelation 11:9-12). Can you imagine the consternation and trepidation of the remnant Israelites who are still in their internment camps around the world? They have never had the pleasure of Sabbath fellowship or Bible Studies that might have told them what to expect. They will not yet realize that their lives will be spared momentarily. Their fear and apprehension will be overwhelming. It is an understatement to say the remnant will be terrified when every other Israelitish person on earth is dying. Somehow, they will find the wherewithal to praise God: Revelation 11:13 The same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. Ezekiel 39:28-29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them anymore there. Neither will I hide my face anymore from them: for I have poured out my Spirit upon the House of Israel, says the Lord GOD. Captive Israelites Joyfully Liberated There can be no Millennium without this gathering of the remnant of Israel. God will yet gather Israel again. How is He going to do it? When and where will He gather Israel? Who will live over into that Wonderful World Tomorrow? God married Israel – He is going to make good on that marriage covenant. Jeremiah 31:7-10 Thus says the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the remote parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and women in labor: a noble company shall return here. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them… He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. These people will enjoy much peace and become rich in cattle and goods (Ezekiel 38:12). But before that, the soon coming final World War will see so many of our young men and women carried away captive into all nations. Beginning after the Tribulation, in the world tomorrow, there will be a small remnant of physical people who will multiply and fill the earth once again. We find an early prophecy of God gathering His people at a time when they shall obey His voice: Deuteronomy 30:3-5 The LORD your God will liberate you from captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God has scattered you. If any of yours be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed [the Promised Land], and you shall possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. [A veritable population explosion.] Who Are the Remnant Who are the remnant so often spoken of in the Scriptures? What is the purpose of a remnant people and what are they a remnant of? The remnant is also referred to as the elect, but they are not to be confused with the very elect, who are the Church brethren (soon to be Saints) of God who will be resurrected at the last trumpet (Matthew 24:24). God told Ezekiel that his message was primarily aimed at the House of Israel (Ezekiel 2:3, 3:1, 4-7). However, Ezekiel was a young Jewish hostage in Babylon about 130 years after the ten northern tribes of Israel—the northern kingdom—had been deported from the Holy Land by the Assyrian empire. Israel as a nation existed no more. There is no evidence that it was even possible for Ezekiel to take his warning prophecies to widely scattered Israel. What then was God’s intent? God was showing Ezekiel what would happen to Israel in the latter days (Ezekiel 38:16). Israel was not able to know what would befall them in the latter days until the Bible was widely disseminated after the invention of the printing press. Israel is being warned today! In showing what will befall Israel during the Tribulation, God instructed Ezekiel to shave his head and beard. God prophesied that there would be three major categories of devastation brought to bear upon Israel: Ezekiel 5:1-2 You, son of man, take thee a razor-sharp sword as sharp as a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair. You shall burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them. When Ezekiel writes, “I will draw out a sword after them,” the inference is, “coming war.” Ezekiel shows us that fully two-thirds of our modern-day physical Israelites will die in the upcoming pestilence, famine and war – that is hundreds of millions of people – and one-third of the Israelites will go into war-torn captivity (Ezekiel 5:12; Deuteronomy 28:59-61; Revelation 7:4-8). Jacob’s name, “Israel,” was placed primarily on the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. The Bible prophesies of deadly diseases in the Tribulation. Health departments and the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network are finding hundreds of germs with antibiotic resistance genes in the United States that are able to cause infections that are difficult or impossible to treat. Little or nothing can be done about emerging viruses. Smallpox is an example of an extremely contagious and deadly virus for which there is no known cure. Supposedly eradicated by 0 due to worldwide vaccination programs, the virulent serum is readily available to those disposed to resort to germ warfare. Smallpox vaccinations ceased in 1970 leaving a huge percentage of the human race vulnerable and in jeopardy. Numerous threats to our survival are immediately evident. Look at our ecosystem alone. Americans, British, and indeed the world are being warned of danger to the world’s ecosystem. Insects are vanishing at an alarming rate. Beetles, bees, wasps, spiders, centipedes, grasshoppers, and butterfly Numbers are plummeting. Overuse of herbicides and insecticides are among the culprits. Many insects are vital pollinators. Others recycle our ecosystems, and are the staple building blocks of insect-eating animals such as insectivorous birds, lizards and other animals. They too are in decline. Louisiana State University Entomologist Timothy D. Schowalter says that much of our food supply depends on pollinators such as honeybees, and that there is compelling evidence of decline in insect populations. Some species have altogether disappeared and become extinct! This trend is leading to a catastrophic failure of the entire world’s ecosystem. How will some survive when God promises near total destruction? Where is the hope? Where is the encouragement? We are given an example in the Old Testament of a people who were spared from annihilation when a terrible destruction came upon all Israel because of the abominations of the nation (Ezekiel 9). In Ezekiel 5, God inspired Ezekiel to mention an additional very special group of people who are the remnant which would be sealed, physically survive the Tribulation, and return from captivity with songs and everlasting joy to the Promised Land (Isaiah 35:10). God says: Ezekiel 5:3-4 You shall also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts. Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the House of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:22). Where God tells Ezekiel the third time to “Take of them again…” it implies that the last third suffers the same fate as the first two-thirds. How can that be—that is three-thirds—all of Israel? We find a precedent in the Exodus where all Israel perished in the wilderness (Numbers 14:29; 26:65; 1Corinthians 10:5). In Moses’ day, all those older than 20 years of age died in the wilderness. These remarkable verses tell us that almost all of modern Israel will perish in the soon coming Tribulation. Ezekiel 20:36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord GOD. Hebrews 3:17-19 With whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? It will only be after Jesus destroys the entire Babylonian system (Revelation 18) that a remnant of Israel will be able to return to the Promised Land. Ezekiel reiterates the near total destruction and annihilation of modern Israel. Only a very small number will be exempted: Ezekiel 5:12-13 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them. A Small Remnant Jesus Christ with His Saints will be establishing His Father’s glorious Kingdom over the earth for newly called Israelites. The horrendous memories of their experiences in the Tribulation, coupled with their miraculous rescue and almost unbelievable regathering into the Promised Land will eclipse and replace the first Exodus story of history. Jeremiah 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD lives, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; [‘Forget the first exodus’ (Isaiah 11; Jeremiah 16; Amos 9:14).] During the captivity of the Tribulation, young Israelitish men and women will be scattered to every nook and cranny around the globe. These will be our children, grandchildren, and those whom God has gathered to the Land of Israel—having survived the Tribulation. The young people of the world tomorrow will not have horrible diseases to spread. They may have deep scars, but God will heal them and make them a clean and healthy population (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 7:15). Jeremiah 23:8 But, The LORD lives, which brought up and which led the children of the House of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the third part through the fire [Tribulation], and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. (Ezekiel 5:2) The Book of Ezekiel was not written to the Jews among whom Ezekiel found himself – but to the whole House of Israel. The Book of Ezekiel is written to us today – modern America, England and the rest… Ezekiel’s words have reached Israel today, but he never did go and preach to all the “lost tribes of Israel.” All Israel today has the printed Bible with the words of warning from Ezekiel. They are receiving the warning – if only they will heed it! Israel was not “lost.” Ezekiel knew exactly where the northern ten tribes of Israel had been scattered, just as Jesus and the apostles knew nearly six-hundred years later where the scattered diaspora were located (James 1:1). James, the half-brother of Jesus sent his epistle to all Israel of his day. Matthew 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. The Jews of Christ’s day were very aware that they were only one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob their father had twelve sons. The Gospel message is intended for all twelve sons of our patriarch, Jacob/Israel. Tribulation Survivors A number of young men and women are slated by God to physically survive the ravages of the Tribulation. Because they will be sealed, they will be protected in the Tribulation. Remember how in the Book of Ezekiel the Lord said, “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations?” That was an example in the Old Testament of a people who were spared from annihilation when a terrible punishment came upon all Israel because of the abominations of the nation. Ezekiel 9:1-3 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And the God of Israel called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side. We see how it will be possible for a physical remnant of Israel to survive the soon coming Tribulation, and live-over into the world tomorrow—they will be protected by the seal of God? Ezekiel 9:4-6 The LORD said unto [indestructible angel], Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. And to the other [angelic beings] He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. We infer from Ezekiel 9:4-6, that God will not spare the rebellious, Godless enemies of His way of life and truth. In Ezekiel’s day, the sealing mark of indelible ink on their foreheads afforded them protection – and their lives were spared by God. This example was prophetically preserved for us so that we might understand the process of sealing employed in Revelation 7 where the angel, having the seal of the living God, will set a mark upon the foreheads of the servants of God – exactly as in Ezekiel’s day. God will seal some in their forehead (Revelation 7:3) for divine protection from what is about to befall all the evil inhabitants of the world, just as He did in Ezekiel’s day. God did not have to give us all the details of the sealing / marking process in Ezekiel Chapter 9, but He did. God could have left Revelation Chapter 7 entirely out of the Bible, and simply said, “The men that sigh and cry will be spared.” But, God wanted us to be able to draw the parallel and see how He will preserve His people. Ezekiel’s warnings are meant specifically for the rebellious end-time people of modern Israel. Ancient Israel had already been carried into captivity by the time God gave Ezekiel His prophecies. Ezekiel 2:3-5 The Lord God said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel [think – the modern Israelitish nations today – England and the United States], to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I send you unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them. Today’s nations of modern Israel are being warned. When Ezekiel wrote these words, ancient Israel had been in captivity for about 125 years. Ezekiel’s message is to modern-day Israel – America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc. We are answering how will a physical remnant of Israel survive the soon coming Tribulation to live-over into the world tomorrow? Reunification of Judah and Israel Genesis 48:16 [Jacob/Israel said:] The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. An understanding of the history of the descendants of Jacob/Israel, and who they are, is essential to understanding the Bible. It is the descendants of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh—modern Israel—who have received the great blessings of national power and wealth, and who will bear the brunt of the main force of the enemy's attack and the resulting captivity (Genesis 48:3-5; 1Chronicles 5:1-2). It is the United States and Britain—modern Israel— who will mainly yet face this national captivity—followed by God’s gathering and restoring of a remnant for the Millennium. However, it will not be only the birthright Israelites consisting of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh who are impacted by the Tribulation. All the other tribes of Israel are not necessarily precluded including: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin. The tribe of Dan is specifically omitted in Revelation, possibly because of their persistent idolatry, namely, "the sin of Samaria" (Amos 8:14). Nevertheless, some from all the tribes will be sealed for protection: Revelation 7:4 I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ‘Sealed,’ means that this select number of people will be physically protected during the Tribulation, as they were in Ezekiel’s day, because they worship the true God – and they hate what is going on in a Godless society. They will go on to become the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of New Israel in the Millennium. God will not cut the tribe of Dan off forever. We find that God will provide them a homeland in the Millennium (Ezekiel 48:1). All twelve tribes will have their place in the Millennium. God will work it out as He did when the tribe of Benjamin was once about to vanish (Judges 21:3, 23). There is much more of God’s theme of the gathering of the remnant of Israel. The people of Judah and Israel have not been unified for thousands of years. The restoration of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel as they were in the Days of King David and King Solomon will be a glorious reunion when it takes place. God tells Jeremiah: Jeremiah 3:18 In those days the House of Judah shall walk with the House of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. A crucial key to understanding Biblical prophecy is knowing the identity of modern-day Israel. The House of Israel has forgotten its identity. Because of sin, Sabbath breaking and idolatry, God allowed the nation of Israel—the ten northern tribes—to be taken captive and deported from the Promised Land. Israel has never returned from their Assyrian captivity to the land on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Jesus sent His twelve apostles to preach to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:5-7). I Will Gather a Remnant It is God who says, “I will take you from among the Gentiles, and gather you from all the nations and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24) The Prophet Ezekiel and the beloved apostle John give us the key to understanding who will be sealed for protection, and to make up the post-Tribulation remnant Israelites. Mark 13:27 And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. This gathering will commence on the same day, at the end of the Tribulation, that the first resurrection takes place on Pentecost. 1Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This remnant will be the most excellent and unique group of physical individuals God has ever called, selected, and assembled at one time. The elect remnant will be the survivors of the Tribulation and the first people who walked in darkness to see the great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined (Isaiah 9:2). Those of the remnant will have come to see the light, and begun to choose God’s way of excellence. It will have become abundantly clear to them that this world’s society has brought nothing but chaos and misery. For the first time, they will begin to believe that Jesus Christ will usher in an entirely new set of moral standards in His coming Kingdom: 1Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Stop deceiving yourselves! Neither the sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive homosexual partners, nor sexual molesters, nor anyone practicing homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy of gain, nor any who are addicted to hard drinking, nor slanderers using denigrating language, nor swindlers, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. That filthy, sick and sorrowful immorality will be replaced with the gracious decency produced by God’s Spirit: a world of love, empathy, joyfulness, peaceful living, tolerance, mercy, patience, altruism, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance, modesty, chastity, self-discipline and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). There will be a right worship of God, honor of parents, no anger, hatred, murder or abuse, no sexual immorality or adultery, no theft, lies, or false witness, or desire to possess anything that belongs or pertains to another person. When those of the physical remnant see the destruction of the world taking place all around themselves, they will sigh, cry, mourn and weep for the abominations that are in the land. How and when will this remnant be sealed so that they may be afforded protection from the destruction which will come upon all the earth? Revelation Chapter 7 is an inset chapter that does not follow the timeline sequence established by the rest of the book of Revelation. We find that the earth, sea, and the trees are about to be hurt – but the damage has not yet begun. When our children and grandchildren, and those who will comprise the tribes of the Children of Israel see the destruction of the world about to take place, their hearts failing them for fear – and seeing Jesus coming with power and great glory – and realizing that their redemption is drawing near, they will sigh, cry, mourn and weep for the outrageous depravity and the abominations that are in the land (Luke 21:25-28; Ezekiel 9:4). When we study who has been sealed and protected, we see that a physical remnant is preserved alive at the last possible moment—God granting them repentance so that they turn from their detestable sins (Ezekiel 18:21; Acts 3:19). Revelation 7:2-3 I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. God is greatly looking forward to the day that He will gather His remnant out of the nations where they have been miraculously shielded and protected during the Tribulation. There are so many references and details about this restoration of a remnant of Israel at the very beginning of the Millennium that it is a wonder that this epoch event has gone unnoticed by the professing “Christian” world. God says, “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase [in the Millennium].” (Jeremiah 23:3) A soon coming World War will see our young men and women carried away captive. They will not be members of the Church of God. How will they survive throughout the Tribulation to be able to see a new day in the Kingdom of God on earth? In order to receive protection, they must be sealed by God. Ezekiel 6:8-9 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And they that escape of you shall remember me [the LORD says] among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. The Saints Are Sealed before the Millennium When the Tribulation comes upon the entire earth, the faithful Church of God brethren who have overcome Satan (Revelation 12:11), will be safe because they will have already been spiritually sealed in their foreheads and physically protected. All true saints are sealed, but God’s seal is not physical. It is not a visible mark, implanted chip, or emblem. Paul explains that the converted Church brethren have already been sealed: “God has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts… In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” (2Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13). These verses refer to all the saints of God—all those converted Church brethren who have ever lived—whether Old Testament or New Testament Christians. When the Millennium begins, these physical saints will have been resurrected—becoming spiritual Saints: Revelation 14:1 I looked, and, lo, the Lamb standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty and four thousand, having His name and His Father's name written upon their foreheads (Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 22:4). There are two groups of 144,000 spoken of in the Book of Revelation. Here is the scenario that is Scripturally consistent: Notice first that the Saints – the converted brethren – have Jesus’ name and the Father’s name (Revelation 14:1). They are before the throne of God in heaven – having been changed from mortal to immortal (verse 3). They are firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb (verse 4). They sing the song at the Father’s throne (verse 3). They are spiritual virgins (verse 4). They are always with the Lamb (1Thessalonians 4:17). The Millennium marks the onset of their everlasting honeymoon—the time of intimate harmony following their nuptials. And they have been redeemed from among men (verses 3 and 4). These factors clearly define the resurrected Saints. Revelation 14:2-3 I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. The firstfruits are the 144,000 of Revelation 14. They are all the converted Saints from Abel throughout history - up to the Two Witnesses. The Two Witnesses are the last martyrs to die in the Tribulation – and they are the first saints to be resurrected in the First Resurrection (Revelation 11:12). The prophet Daniel explains that those of the first and better resurrection will awake to everlasting life—those whose names are found written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 3:5; 21:27). The resurrection of the Saints corresponds with that of the Two Witnesses at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:11): Daniel 12:1-3 At that time shall [the archangel] Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble [the Tribulation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [Lamb’s book of life]. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life… One hundred and forty and four thousand firstfruit Saints will be redeemed! Revelation 14:3-5 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song except the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women [false doctrine]; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb where-so-ever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Guillotine Reinstated for Christians It is impossible to describe the terror that will sweep the earth during the Tribulation. The remnant will be petrified with fear (Revelation 11:13). Decapitation is slated to return in a big way during the Tribulation. It will not be utilized on the lawless as much as its brutal horror will be meant to intimidate Christians and those disposed to be sympathetic to followers of Christ. The one hundred and forty-four thousand are the total number of the First Resurrection of Saints. There will be a considerable number of believers who will bravely yield their lives by taking a stand against the Beast power. Their number will fill up the 144,000 firstfruits (Revelation 7:9). Though the Bible describes their number as a “great multitude,” it is the same Greek phrase used to describe the number of people that sought Jesus, and the priests who were obedient to the faith after Pentecost (Matthew 8:1; John 12:12; Acts 6:7). They will also be in the First Resurrection and thereby reign with Christ in the Millennium. Revelation 20:4-5 I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years… This is the First Resurrection [of the Saints]. The great multitude of Revelation 7:9 are clearly righteous, converted and resurrected Saints, having overcome Satan by laying down their lives in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:11; 7:14) and having washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. How many people will take a stand? The number of people that will witness for Christ is yet to be seen. John saw in vision: Revelation 7:9-14 I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes [righteousness], and palms in their hands And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb… And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They, too, will attain to eternal salvation! The language of Revelation 7 then transitions to beyond the final adjudication of those who will be judged righteous on the Last Great Day and the Great White Throne Judgment – to the very end of God’s Plan for this earthly realm in which man has existed for seven-thousand years – to God’s eternal Kingdom: Revelation 7:15-17 Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Compare the language of Revelation 7:15-17 to that of Revelation 22:1-5. Revelation 22:1-5 He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb… There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign forever and ever. Captives Sealed Those of the remnant are the 144,000 of Revelation 7. They will be the physical survivors of the Tribulation who will live over into the Millennium. In Revelation 7, the one hundred and forty-four thousand will be served throughout the Millennium by Jesus Christ and the resurrected Church Saints (Jeremiah 23:4; Isaiah 30:20-21). These tribes of the children of Israel are mostly today’s citizens of English-speaking nations. They are descendants of the physical tribes of Israel. Their countries of origin are the countries of modern day America, England, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc. One hundred and forty-four thousand survivors of the Tribulation are enough for 72,000 families to begin the Millennium. A physical remnant of modern Israel will survive the Tribulation, and to live-over into the world tomorrow? God will choose the selection of physical individuals who will survive the Tribulation and then begin to populate the seventh Millennium. The face of the earth is going to be drastically changed and the composition of its civilization will be something extraordinary. The peoples and nations will be unrecognizable when God Acts to restore the children of Jacob/Israel. We see how and when the Saints are raised (1Corinthians 15:52; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17). The resurrected Saints are not the elect who are saved alive at the end of the Tribulation to live into the world tomorrow. The survivors of the Tribulation will be the physical remnant of Jacob, or as we see most often – the physical remnant of Israel. The Remnant Shall Return It is the LORD God who is the Light of Israel. It is He alone who calls His people out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Peter 2:9). Isaiah 10:17-19 The Light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour His thorns and His briers [evil men] in one day [Day of the Lord]; And shall consume the glory of His forest [evil families and society], and of His fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard bearer faints. And the rest of the trees of His forest [the elect remnant] shall be few, that a child may write them. [a small number, a very few people] When reading, “gather” and “remnant” – look for the context of entering into the Millennium. Isaiah witnessed Israel's fall, captivity and deportation to Assyria. Yet he speaks of another future gathering where the remnant will begin to look to God and no longer rely on Assyria: Isaiah 10:20-22 It shall come to pass in that day [Day of the Lord], that the remnant of Israel [USA and the UK etc.], and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob/Israel, shall no more again rely upon him that smote them; But they will faithfully trust the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob/Israel, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea [God’s promise to Abraham of great nations, Genesis 15], yet [only] a remnant of them shall return: Destruction of the people [of Israel] being fully deserved. (Romans 9:27-28) We have seen over and over that God’s retribution for the abominations of Israel is coming in the Tribulation. Isaiah 10:23 For the Lord GOD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the entire land. Assyria will inflict terrible suffering on the captives, but God will cut those days short so that the elect remnant lives to tell the tale (Matthew 24:22): Isaiah 10:24-25 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. God will act again just as He did in Ezekiel’s day to preserve a people unto Himself. Where in the Bible can we find a passage that clearly shows a remnant of physical Israel, in the end time, being sealed by God as He did in Ezekiel’s day? We see here a time of absolute peace: Israel’s Three Captivities At the time when God appeared to Abram and made His Covenant Sacrifice (Genesis 15:13, 18), He revealed that Abraham’s offspring would be in captivity and slavery in Egypt some four hundred years later. That was Israel’s first captivity: Genesis 15:13-14 The LORD said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, where they are enslaved, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. The second captivity of Israel took place beginning about 725 BC during the time of King Hoshea when he was vanquished by the Assyrian forces of Shalmanesar (2Kings 17:6, 23, 18:10). Judah went into Babylonian captivity (2Kings 24 & 25) more than a century afterward by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, although backsliding Israel justified herself more than her treacherous sister Judah (Jeremiah 3:10-11). Much earlier, even before Israel entered into the Promised Land, God prophesied through Moses that Israel would go into a second captivity because of their Sabbath breaking and idolatry. Deuteronomy 28:36-37 The LORD shall bring you, and your king which you shall set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee. Then, remarkably, because prophecy is often dual in nature, Moses jumps way forward into the future prophetic time speaking of modern day Israel in the Tribulation of the latter days. Moses speaks of a third captivity during the coming Tribulation: Deuteronomy 4:27 The LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. The only time that Israel is described as “few in number” is here, and Ezekiel 5:3, referring to the remnant of the Tribulation. Ezekiel 5:3 You shall also take thereof a few in number… Writing at approximately the same time that John wrote Revelation, the historian, Josephus wrote, “the ten tribes [of Israel] are beyond the Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude and not to be estimated in numbers.” (Josephus, Flavius. Antiquites. p. 11:133) Moses continues: Deuteronomy 4:30-31 When you are in Tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if you turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he swore unto them. The Bible does not record Israel having ever gone through the terrible siege that is yet to come, but Moses speaks of it in the Blessings and Cursing chapters (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). A contingency of Judah did return to Jerusalem after seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10), and then again in 1948, but the twelve tribes of Israel have not returned to the Promised Land—but they will! That is where the world is incorrect – believing that Israel has already returned to Palestine. God said: Leviticus 26:33 I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Leviticus 26:41-42 …If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and also my Covenant with Isaac, and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember... Though the whereabouts of Israel is lost to this present evil world, God is faithful to remember His Covenant, and in the end – will yet make Israel as the stars of heaven for multitude. Leviticus 26:44-45 Yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my Covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the Covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. Continuing in the Blessings and Cursing chapters, God speaks through Moses of the latter day captivity. Though some of these curses could be applied to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, the horrendous nature of the torment exceeds the second captivity and therefore must, in duality, apply to the coming captivity during the impending Tribulation: Deuteronomy 28:47-48 Because you served not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies [in slavery] which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and He shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until He has destroyed you. Read Deuteronomy 28:49-57 for the description of the enemy and his horribly cruel treatment of modern Israel – the peoples of America and England. Saved out of Tribulation Deuteronomy 28:64-66 The LORD shall scatter you among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there you shall serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shall you find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And your life shall hang in doubt before thee; and you shall be terrified day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: Through the prophet Jeremiah, God prophesies that Israel and Judah will yet again go into captivity and Tribulation – and after that has run its course, a surviving remnant will return to the Promised Land: Jeremiah 30:3 Lo, the days come, says the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers [Holy Land], and they shall possess it. God asks, “Do men go through labor pains? No! Why then do I foresee him in such pain?” Jeremiah 30:6-7 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is the Great [Tribulation], so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of the [Tribulation]. These days will extend throughout the Tribulation and up to the resurrection of the Saints—the time when King David will once rule: Jeremiah 30:9-10 They shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear you not, O my servant Jacob, says the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your children from the land of their captivity; and Jacob/Israel shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid [in the Millennium]. God Will Gather the Outcast, We are all familiar with the Exodus and how God delivered Israel from Egypt. We speak about it every Passover. What we do not often speak about is how God will again deliver a remnant of Israel to begin the New World Tomorrow. What will become of repentant Israelites who are too weak and afflicted in the Tribulation? Micah 4:6-7 In that day, says the LORD, will I assemble her that halts, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even forever. In His compassion for those of the Tribulation, the Lord will spare all the repentant Israelites – though they be near death’s door. Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. [God’s Spirit will also bring spiritual hearing and seeing.] Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Most of the sick, weak and elderly will not survive the rigors of the captivity, exportation, and slave-labor work camps. Ancient Israel never repented - and were not gathered from among the nations – but God knows His contrite sheep and will not lose a single one (John 17:12). Jeremiah 30:17 I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of thy wounds, says the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeks after. Psalm 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Psalm 147:2-3 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. Zephaniah 3:18-19 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halts, and gather her that was an Outcast; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. Millennial Families It is interesting that God Numbers both groups – the physical remnant at the beginning of the Millennium, and the resurrected Saints – as each being one hundred and forty-four thousand (Revelation 7; Revelation 14). The 144,000 physical remnant are slated to repopulate the earth by marrying and reproducing many children. Early in the Millennium, expect there to be about seventy-two thousand weddings. The one hundred and forty-four thousand resurrected Saints, from Abel to the Two Witnesses, are the co-Saviors with Jesus Christ. The LORD said of those New Israel citizens of the Millennium: Jeremiah 23:4 I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, says the LORD. There will be spiritual Saints shepherding and teaching the men and women of the Millennium. Isaiah 30:20-21 …Yet your teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. The coming “Second Exodus” is about the 72,000 families that will come together from those whom God will gather from around the earth. They are most often referred to as the remnant in the Scriptures. Prophesying more dearly than the spoken word can tell, Jesus distinguishes them as the elect, select or chosen ones (Mark 13:20). This explains the exciting Biblical narrative of how the Millennium begins! Seventy-two thousand might seem a small number to repopulate the earth, but when we consider that God originally began with only two people, Adam and Eve, and then after the great flood He replenished the earth with only Noah’s three sons and their spouses, seventy-two thousand family units are certainly more than adequate to be fruitful, and replenish the earth. Beginning after the Tribulation in the world tomorrow, there will be this small remnant of physical people who will multiply and fill the earth once again. Doing the math. In the beginning of the Millennium there will be a Saint for every New Israelite – in many cases, a Husband and Wife for every new family. That is why the Scriptures say of God's married people: 1Peter 3:7 You husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Resurrected husbands and wives will be serving together in the Millennium. Promise of Perpetuity The Prophet Amos wrote before either Israel or Judah went into captivity. Before his calling, Amos was a cattleman and a fig-pricker who produced sweeter figs (Amos 7:14-15). He lived in the Southern Kingdom of Judah but prophesied against the wild party-going entertainment culture of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Amos 6:5-6) – warning them of their coming captivity (Amos 5:27, 9:8-9). Not appreciated, Amos was told to go back where he came from (Amos 7:12). Through Amos, God speaks of His promise of the Millennial restoration and the abundant prosperity of future Israel: Amos 9:13-15 Behold, the days will come, says the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again my people Israel back from captivity, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land [the Promised Land], and they shall no more be uprooted out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD thy God. When God says, “I will bring again my people Israel back from captivity,” He is speaking primarily of England and the United States. Our nations carry the name “Israel.” The final fulfillment of these prophecies applies primarily to Great Britain and America. God directed Jacob/Israel on his death-bed to place the birthright on Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Genesis 48:13-16 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Jacob/Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And that is exactly what has taken place in the earth. In the final captivity, every sinful Israelite will be slain (Amos 9:1-10). But, “I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the LORD.” God promises to seal and save a remnant only. God knows who the seed of Israel is: Amos 9:8-9 …I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the House of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. God will spare a remnant for His purpose of beginning anew in the world tomorrow. The House of David will be restored through the resurrection: Amos 9:11-12 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, says the LORD that does this. I Will Yet Choose Israel This choosing by God lies immediately ahead of us. These hand-picked modern Israelites – some British, some Canadians, some French, some Americans, some Welsh, some Flemish, some Dutch, some Swedes, some Swiss, some Finns, some Scots, some New Zealanders, some Icelanders, some Danes, some Hollanders, some Jews, some Afrikaners, some Australians, and many other nationalities of the world – even those who were enemies of Israel – will be selected by God for the beginning of the Millennium. Isaiah 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers [foreigners] shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob/Israel. The captives will realize that the God of Jacob/Israel is the True God. Some conquered foreigners will willingly subordinate themselves to the Israelites. They will also be gathered and treated with respect and fairness; unlike the hard bondage they had imposed on the remnant Israelites (Isaiah 56:1-8). Isaiah 14:2 And the people [New Israel] shall take them [the foreigners], and bring them to their place: and the House of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids [slaves and slave girls]: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. Isaiah 14:3 It shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give you rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein you were made to serve. Hebrews 4:8 If Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day [the Millennium (Psalm 95:9-11)]. In World War II, and our conquest therein, the United States of America and Great Britain did not subjugate the entire nations of Japan or Germany when they could have easily done so. That is because Israel and the children of Israel have a kinder and gentler nature and spirit than the nations that do not know their God. The historical evidence of man’s inhumanity to man on Japan and Germany’s part is well known. Had Japan and Germany won the war—England would have been annihilated and the USA would have been vanquished – at the least. But, in the soon coming World of Tomorrow, the slaves will be treated kindly – according to God’s Laws – but they will not have possession of the land. They will have a good living (Exodus 21:5-6; Deuteronomy 15:16-17). Micah 2:12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob/Israel, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. In God’s sight, the United States, and all of modern Israel are becoming ever more despicable day by day. God and faith, truth and honor, are being utterly rejected. In every election cycle, we clearly see that Christian principles are losing out to the perverse and ungodly world, more and more. God tells us: Jeremiah 16:12-13 You have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve [in slavery] other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favor. The Face of the Earth Renewed In the same way that the entire face of the earth was renewed in the course of Noah’s flood, during the Millennium mountains will be removed and extensive lands will be recovered from the sea. Jesus Christ will send out construction battalions to reshape the face of the earth. Vast areas of land will become capable of being farmed productively and inhabitable for the first time. Isaiah 27:6 The LORD shall cause them that come of Jacob/Israel to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Weather patterns will be changed for the good. The hand of the LORD will direct the global landscaping, yes, even an all-inclusive earthscaping—literally reversing the formless and barren face of the earth, just as He did in Genesis 1:2. There are tremendous spiritual implications in this concept of renewal. God says: Jeremiah 12:10-11 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourns unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart. When the face of the earth shall be renewed, all men will know that the Kingdom of the Most High rules over all (Psalm 103:19). Ezekiel 36:6-11 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys… ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown [plowed and planted]: And I will multiply men upon you, all the House of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be re-built: And I will multiply upon you man and animals; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the Eternal. Ownership of the land will revert to the original family names to whom it was originally deeded (Numbers 26:53). The population of Israel will surge. The face of the earth will be transformed and reshaped: Psalm 104:30 You send forth thy Spirit, they are created: and you renew the face of the earth. Jesus, Himself, will design the bulldozers, front end loaders and draglines: Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having [diamond/carbide-like] teeth: you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. From Jerusalem, Jesus will see that every detail; from water supplies, to building materials; from wood for furniture to wood for musical instruments, is taken care of. Just for example: What if a part of the Mississippi River was diverted through the Gulf of Mexico intercostal canals and lifted up the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers via locks and dams to the most arid regions of the southwestern United States? A new source of water coupled with an existing year-round warm climate over much of the Southwest due to a quasi-permanent subtropical high-pressure ridge would convert that desert region to a veritable garden paradise. God promises these changes in the Millennium: Isaiah 41:18-20 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the evergreen pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. Mountain ranges will be moved, great parts of the sea reclaimed, deserts irrigated, and the flora and fauna of God’s heavenly Garden of Eden shall fill the earth. God is creating man is His image, and in doing so He desires man's home on earth be a reflection of heaven (Matthew 6:10). Gold will be so plentiful – being mined from the earth, and recovered from the sea, that it will be used for common electrical wiring because of its superior conductivity and high corrosion resistance (Genesis 2:11). The Lord Will Turn Sorrow to Happiness Jeremiah 31:1-4 At the same time, says the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the LORD, The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness—Israel, when I went to give him rest. [That is those who lived through the Tribulation.] The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and you shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. Isaiah 52:8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. New Covenant with New Israel Because of the sinful human nature that ancient Israel continuously reverted to, God declared that they would require a “heart transplant.” God said: Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (Mark 7:21-23) A “new heart” means that New Israel will undergo a spiritual rejuvenation, just as the true Church of God has been privileged to enjoy. Hebrews 8:10-11 This is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people… for all shall Know the Lord, from the least to the greatest. Jeremiah 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the House of Judah: Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my Covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD: But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. God’s Covenant provided for Israel to receive a new heart. God’s Holy Spirit will be poured out on New Israel, giving then a new heart and converted attitude. (Ezekiel 11:19-20). God says: Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (2Corinthians 3:3). And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. The New Covenant does not do away with the law of God as Protestants have been taught. With God’s Holy Spirit, the New Covenant gives Christians the motivation and means, not to merely obey God’s law, but to accept it, believe it, and make it a part of their lives (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:8-12; 10:16-17). Ezekiel 37:26-28 Moreover, I will make a Covenant of Peace with them; it shall be an Everlasting Covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary (Exodus 25:8) shall be in the midst of them for evermore. God will give the people of New Israel (including Judah) a new heart and the capacity through His Spirit to finally be able to follow and conform to His way, and have a genuine relationship with Him. God will forgive their sins, and New Israel will finally be the light to the world that God intended her to be from the beginning (Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Isaiah 62:1-2). A vast and all-inclusive building and reconstruction project will render the entire earth extremely beautiful and entirely functional for the immense population to come in the Last Great Day. Ezekiel 36:35-38 They shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus says the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock [accelerating birthrate]. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn Feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 16:62 I will establish my Covenant with you; and you shall know that I am the LORD. Isaiah 59:20-21 The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob/Israel, says the LORD. As for me, this is my Covenant with them, says the LORD; My Spirit that is upon you, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of your children, nor out of the mouth of your grand-children, says the LORD, from henceforth and forever. Jeremiah 32:37-42 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath [in the Tribulation]; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: They shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put reverence for me in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this [Promised] Land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus says the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. The Garden of Eden of God During the Millennium the entire face of the earth will be restored and refashioned, from being virtually destroyed, back to the Garden of Eden-like former grandeur and perfection at the time of its creation (Genesis 1:31). From the beginning, God has shown that He dwells with His People. Genesis 3:8 They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. Exodus 29:46 They shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God. Isaiah shows the LORD restoring the earth in the fashion of the Garden of Eden – after the ravages of the Tribulation: Isaiah 51:3 The LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the Garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Numbers 35:34 Do not defile the [Promised] Land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. Zechariah 2:10-11 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, says the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shalt know that the LORD of hosts has sent me unto thee. The Garden of Eden in Genesis mirrored the Garden of Eden in heaven, but it was very limited in scope – being only localized: Genesis 2:8 The Lord God planted a Garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. In genesis, the entire earth was not restored—only a relatively small portion dedicated to the purpose of God instructing man in His perfect way. The beautiful Garden of Eden was physically fashioned to be an exact replica of the spiritual Garden of Eden in heaven. God planted a breathtaking garden on earth, the Garden of Eden, making a place of beauty, tranquility and comfort for His children. The beautiful Garden of Eden of Genesis was fashioned to be a facsimile of the spiritual Garden of Eden in heaven. Satan was in the “mountain of God,” as a covering cherub angel before he fell. Ezekiel 28:13-16 You have been in Eden the Garden of God. This present world does not resemble God’s beautiful Garden of Eden at all. Take a snap shot of today’s society – and what will you find? Widespread poverty, ignorance, immorality, crime, war, disease, misery, lying, pain, confusion, pride, poverty, foolishness, theft, envy, rebellion, disobedience, lawlessness. Satan is doing his dirty work. He influences people toward hate, anger, selfishness, violence, competition, vanity, jealousy, lust, greed, murder and deceit. Therein is the origin of enmity against God inviting His wrath: Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Joel 2:3 A fire devours before them; and behind them a flame burns [Tribulation]: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them [Millennium], and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. In the Millennium the only reason for even the mention of many past negative deeds will be for teaching purposes. Think of a world where these undesirable traits no longer exist. In fact, the concept of these things being widespread and prevalent in the world will be as outlandish to the Millennials, as a world without them is to us. Add to our horrible culture the other factors we commonly face: wars, revolts, mobs, famine, plagues, terrorists, hurricanes and typhoons, invasions, earthquakes, tsunamis, drought, blizzards, floods, genocide, abortions, death, looting, along with sexual depravity and perversions. What a horrible ugly world we live in! When God speaks of the restoration of Israel (Acts 3:19) He is speaking of the Millennial time when Israel will become a converted nation. Ezekiel 36:34-35 The desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden. Return of the Remnant from Captivity God intends that Israel be a light to the world (Deuteronomy 4:6) and ultimately assist Christ in the Millennium in setting an example of wisdom, understanding and righteousness for the whole world. Isaiah 49:5-6 Now, says the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And He said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation unto the end of the earth. The time will arrive for Israel's restoration at the end of the Tribulation when the earth will be desolate. The remnant will be gathered from around the earth. They will make up the Israelitish stock of the Millennium’s populace. Jesus Christ will have mercy on them and shall guide and lead them home. Isaiah 49:8, 10 Thus says the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you: and I will preserve you, and give you for a Covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages… They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them. Isaiah 35:7 The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. After most of Israel has perished in the Tribulation, a new Israelitish stock of Israel’s offspring will constitute the Millennium’s populace: Isaiah 49:20 The children which you shalt have [in the Millennium], after you have lost the others [in the Tribulation], shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. This verse shows how Israel will become too numerous for the Promised Land and will need to migrate (27:6) throughout the earth – turning all the earth into a veritable Garden of Eden. God will bless New Israel with large families just like He did when the population of Great Britain tripled coming up to the 1800s when He fulfilled the birthright Covenant made to Abraham. Millennial Pictures The Old Testament provides many portrayals and factors of how the remnant Israelites will come to redemption, while the New Testament focuses on the way Church brethren become the spiritual Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Many scriptures give us apt depictions of life in the Millennium. It will be the time of Godly knowledge, peace and safety for all. For the Saints of God, sinful human nature will no longer exist – having been replaced with the nature of God (2Peter 1:4). Previously ferocious animals will be as domesticated as puppies and kittens. Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child shall play on the burrow of a poisonous snake, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 65:25) These verses are not written solely to show the nature of animals being changed, but for us to realize how different the world tomorrow will be with mankind being led by God’s Holy Spirit. Millions of acres of arable Land will be reclaimed from the deserts, mountains and sea. Isaiah 11:16 And there shall be an Highway of Holiness for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 19:23; 49:11 “Highways” are plural as from many nations) In the same way that water brings life to a parched land, God’s Holy Spirit will bring to light the promise of glory and the excellency of our God. Speaking of God’s promises to His resurrected Saints: 2Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through inordinate desire. Isaiah speaks in allegory of a great change that will actually overtake the earth in the Millennium, and he speaks especially mankind’s spirit and character which will develop and thrive through God’s Holy Spirit which will be poured out on all flesh: Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Isaiah 35:6-7 Then shall the disable man leap as an deer, and the tongue of the voiceless man sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert [God’s Holy Spirit]. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of wolves, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Satan will be bound for a 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2). Isaiah 35:9-10 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there (1Peter 5:8) And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. Isaiah 9:6-7 … Jesus is, The Prince of Peace. Of the [inestimable] increase of His dominion and peace there shall be no end, He will reign upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish and sustain it in justice and righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Jesus Christ (YHVH) is the Light of the world. In the Millennium He will be ruling from Jerusalem (John 8:12) having overcome darkness—darkness is past (Ephesians 5:8). Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. The nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. For My Name’s Sake Ezekiel 20:44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 36:22-24 Therefore say unto the House of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O House of Israel, but for mine Holy Name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went [By your conduct you are ruining my reputation and good Name]. And I will sanctify my Great Name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. [the Millennial Promised Land] God’s intent from the beginning that man remain in perpetuity on his own family land. Ezekiel 36:28 You shall dwell in the [Promised] Land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. There will be a new language – a pure language – so that ambiguities, uncertainties and misunderstandings will be eliminated. Zephaniah 3:9 Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent. The Shepherds will be Held Responsible God tells us that He will hold the shepherds of Israel, including church ministers and public officials, responsible for not providing properly for the flocks—especially His people. Ezekiel 34:2-6 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. All Will Be Tested for Faithfulness In the same way that Jesus was tested in every way and on every point of God’s perfect way (Hebrews 4:15), the collective Church brethren will also have experienced every possible scenario in order to be able to effectively reign and rule with Christ throughout the Millennium. Then, while the saints are instructing everyone on earth saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it,” no one will be able to challenge or gainsay them by responding, “You do not know what I’m going through.” (Isaiah 30:21) Each and every Saint will be an overcomer (Revelation 3:21). At the end of the Millennium, New Israel will have never faced the trials and temptations that Satan brings. They will have enjoyed peace and security for a thousand years. God will allow them to be tested just as He allowed Job to be tested. Job 2:3-5 The LORD said unto Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? …And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. At the end of the Millennium will New Israel have grown in faith and Godly character, having become strong enough to withstand and overcome Satan’s temptations (Revelation 20:7-9)? As always, God will protect His faithful people against every adversary, and give them the victory. We see an early example of God fighting the battles for Israel when they were attacked by the Egyptians: Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Satan Released a little While at the end of the Millennium Satan the devil is an evil spirit being who is the enemy of God and an adversary of the children of God. He led a rebellion against the very throne of God. He appears as an angel of light, but in reality, he is the power of darkness. God had created him to be perfect – but he sinned and iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15). In order for man to build Godly character, God, in His infinite wisdom has seen fit to allow Satan to test the Church brethren now – and to test the world at the end of the Millennium. Because of the devil’s own iniquity, he has been judged as evil - and only awaits his final fate. Satan and his demons are spirit beings. They will be so utterly “cut-off” in a spiritual destruction that is beyond our comprehension – sent away into the dark wilderness that is so remote as to be equal to annihilation – like ashes under our feet (Matthew 25:41; Mark 1:24; 2Peter 2:4; Malachi 4:3). At the end of the Millennium, Satan will impose one last great deception on men. He will then receive his ultimate and final punishment from God for his rebellion and sin: Romans 16:20 The God of peace shall utterly crush Satan under your feet shortly. When Satan and his demons will be placed in the 'abyss' at the beginning of the Millennium, they will be as good as dead – unable to influence and deceive the nations any longer during that time period (Revelation 20:1-3). Last Great Day At the end of the Millennium mankind will come to the concluding phase of what God has in store for mortal man. The Last Great Day will be the culmination of the seven-thousand years allocated for the living to learn that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men (Daniel 4:17; Ezekiel 16:60-62). John 7:37-39 On the Last day, that Great Day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. How clear! God’s Holy Spirit issues forth from Jesus Christ! Each Feast of the LORD has a unique prophetic meaning depicting an important step in the Plan of God. The Feast of the Last Great Day pictures the great harvest of lives, and the great judgment of all who have ever lived. But, what of those people who have not been called by God, and who have not had an opportunity for salvation? At the end of the Millennium, there will be a resurrection back to physical life for all who have ever lived. Their opportunity for salvation will come when God's Spirit is poured out on them. Joel 2:28 It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. In the same way that the Church of God brethren look forward to the Millennial rule of Christ, the Spirit led citizens of the Millennium will look forward to the Last Great Day. It will be a wonderful day when they are able to meet all their ancestors, all the way back to Adam and Eve—raised back to life. They will introduce their progenitors, from previous ages, to the glorious accomplishments of a Godly culture and society. The extraordinary peace and prosperity of a world without crime and war will be awe-inspiring to the newly resurrected people. Those raised to physical life will receive God’s Holy Spirit – and for the first time be able to give God the glory (Joel 2:28-29; Ezekiel 37:14). God says, not only will it be better than before, it will be like coming home: Ezekiel 36:10-11 I will greatly increase the population of all the House of Israel in its entirety, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruined cities shall be rebuilt… I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the LORD. The resurrection to physical life will take place in an orderly manner – with food, clothing and housing for all. For those raised back to their former physical lives, the Last Great Day will not constitute a “second chance” for salvation. For the first time they will have the opportunity to be called, chosen and faithful to God’s perfect way (John 6:44, 65; Revelation 17:14). All those not called by God at this present time will be resurrected during the Last Great Day epoch at the end of the Millennium to have their first opportunity for salvation. There is only one category of people who lived, died, and have yet had no opportunity for salvation. They are those who will be raised to physical life at the Last Great Day, and included in the Great White Throne Judgment (Ezekiel 37; Revelation 20:5). Those Saints who are caught up to be with Christ without ever dying will not see their loved ones again for a thousand years – at the resurrection of the Last Great Day. Revelation 20:5 The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. All Shall Come Forth from Their Graves A major phase in God’s Plan is that of the great resurrection to physical life for the judgment of the Great White Throne. Revelation 20:11-12 I saw a Great White Throne... and the dead, small and great, stand before God...and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15). The Saints of God are resurrected first – in order to be able to serve as co-Saviors with Jesus throughout the Millennium. But what of those who were never converted? When is their resurrection? Will the vast multitudes of mankind who never knew Jesus or the Plan of God be called by the Father to participate in eternal life? Jesus tells us that all of mankind that has ever lived will be in a resurrection: John 5:25 Truly, truly, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. All who have ever lived, except for the resurrected Saints, will stand in the Great White Throne Judgment. They will hear their verdict, for good of for bad—and be assigned to their ultimate reward, whether to Eternal Life or to the Second Death. Jesus said: John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. There will be multiple billions and billions of men and women from ages past brought back to physical life. They will see the earth in all its glory as a result of the ruling Kingdom of God. The great majority will then repent and have faith in Christ. God will perform this quickening to physical life in a decent and ordered way. Many will not realize at first that they have been dead for centuries—or longer. There will not be an unmanageable screaming mass of humanity wandering about aimlessly. There will be homes, food and clothes for everyone. More importantly, there will be teachers—messengers of the Gospel—to teach them how to live Godly lives, for the first time. And they will. Long, and full lives, and for the first time—understanding the Plan of God, and being able to live it because of the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit—just like the first out-pouring on the Day of Pentecost three thousand years before. All will have sufficient time to grow in grace and knowledge to spiritual maturity. Only those with adamant hearts of stone will reject God perfect way and remain sinners: Isaiah 65:20-21 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. In the Millennium, God will guide man to attain to his maximum potential – physically first, and then spiritually. In the Millennium every child will have ample opportunity to develop his talents and attain to his maximum aptitude and capability (3John 1:2). Ignorance will be eradicated. After six-thousand years of sin and corruption man’s intellect has become degraded. Genius and intellectual brilliance will be the norm – as it was when God created Adam and Eve. Nearly all humanity will be alive at the same time, those from the pre-flood world, those from Old and New testament times, and those of the Millennium—all vibrantly alive and converted—enjoying the fruit of the Kingdom of God on earth. These are they to whom Jesus referred when He said: John 11:25-26 Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Only a few of the resurrected Saints will have enjoyed the privilege of instantaneously being transformed and changed into spiritual beings: 1Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. With God’s enabling Spirit, Adam could have conquered Satan for himself, his wife, his children and all mankind – but he did not do it. Adam chose poorly, but Adam was not deceived (1Timothy 2:14). He obeyed the demonic spirit in Eden becoming ensnared – not only for himself – but for all humanity that would be born of him. In rejecting God, Adam became the servant of sin and death. Paul said it well: Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Adam had not received God’s Holy Spirit – though he could have taken of the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:16). Had Adam overcome Satan, the Millennium would have begun then and there in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve would have lived-out the entire one-thousand years without dying – but, instead, they died without salvation. Sin had plunged them into death (Genesis 2:17)! At the end of the Millennium, the Last Great Day, and Great White Throne Judgment, the immense multitude of converted humanity will not have to die. They will be like the Saints of the first resurrection—there will be no need to die anymore—death is swallowed up—they will be raised to incorruptible eternal life. Death is swallowed up in victory (1Corinthians 15:51-54). A primary task throughout the one-thousand years will be to restore the entire earth to its original Garden of Eden state in preparation for the great resurrection of all who have ever lived. God calls that resurrection, The Great White Throne Judgment. At the end of the millennium, there will be a much larger harvest—the resurrection of those from the Great White Throne Judgment period (Revelation 20:11). Valley of Dry Bones Ezekiel tells the story of the resurrection at the Last Great Day of all who have ever lived (Ezekiel 37). It is written for encouragement to all the House of Israel, but it pertains to all nations (Isaiah 49:6; Psalm 22:27). Everyone will be raised for the purpose of knowing the LORD and being led by His Spirit. At the end of the millennium, there will be an all-encompassing harvest of humanity. Ezekiel 37:1-6 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live [again]? And I answered, O Lord GOD, you know the answer. Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD. This is the purpose of the resurrection – that mankind will finally believe: “You shall know that I am the LORD.” The world, for all its sentiments, has never truly believed in the LORD before. Ezekiel continues: Ezekiel 37:7-10 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me, prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great host. [all mankind that has ever lived] The lesson of mankind’s six-thousand years without God’s direction is one of hopelessness. This is the terrible lesson that all dead men will have learned, “Life is hopeless.” There is no hope of happiness, fulfillment or a bright future. And that is because all have died of war, accident, cancer and painful old age – it’s hopeless. Ezekiel 37:11-13 Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves! Only those with God’s Holy Spirit are accountable to God and judged. The people of this world are not being eternally judged now – their time of Judgment will come on the Last Great Day at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment. During the Church Age, only God’s called, and chosen people are given His Holy Spirit. In the Last Great Day – the Great White Throne Judgment period – everyone resurrected will have already lived once before – without God’s Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 37:14 When I have opened your graves, and shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, says the LORD. (Joel 2:28-29) Psalm 104:30, 24 O LORD, You send forth your Spirit, they are created: and you renew the face of the earth. How manifold are thy works! In wisdom you have made them all: The earth is full of your riches. The very first thing resurrected humanity will see is the wondrous perfection the Millennium has produced in all the earth. The one-thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth will unequivocally demonstrate the blessings of God’s Kingdom and rule to all mankind that has ever lived since the creation. Great White Throne Judgment Acts 17:31 God has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained [Jesus Christ]; whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He [God the Father] has raised Him from the dead. 1Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. The Book of Revelation depicts this event following the Last Great Day resurrection as the Great White Throne Judgment, picturing a time when all people who have ever lived will be judged by God. Those who have not had an opportunity for salvation will finally be given the occasion to learn God’s way of life for the first time. They will receive the same calling that the Church brethren have received (John 6:44, 65). Then, and only then will they be judged according to God’s law and their conduct after receiving God’s Holy Spirit. Only those who were called by God previous to this time will have been Judged. The Church of God Saints will have been judged at their resurrection – held responsible at that time for their faith and the conduct of their lives. 1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? Those of the Millennium and those of the Last Great Day resurrection will be judged by Jesus Christ in the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:11-12 I saw a Great White Throne and He who was sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, … [raised back to life] …small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened [The books of the Bible, and each person’s record], and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. God keeps a record on every one of us, and we will give an account of ourselves (Romans 14:10-12). Hebrews 9:27 As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Revelation 20:13-15 The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and the grave were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 1Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The Great White Throne Judgment is described by Jesus: Matthew 25:31-34, 41 When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world… Then shall Son of man say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Paul spoke of the change that will come to the physical body that rots in a grave: 1Corinthians 15:53-54 This corruptible [body] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [body] must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. The lake of fire is especially established for the final ousting of Satan and his demons. Satan will be removed forever, as well as all those unrepentant individuals who are incorrigibly evil. Revelation 20:10 The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were cast, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Satan and his demons are to be burned up in the Lake of Fire prepared for them, as Jesus states in Matthew 25:41. According to God's law, death is what they have earned for their sins. There will be no devil or demons when the New Heaven and New Earth are established. Satan and his fellow demon spirits will be totally annihilated. Matthew 25:41 Then shall [Jesus the King] say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: From the very beginning, God has known just how many individual human beings He would create. He has not gone into His Plan haphazardly. Each and every person created by God has his own personal identity – and that person is important to God – important enough for God to shed His love on that person. We have shown that the identity of each individual is called by God, “the spirit in man,” and it defines who each person is. It is the non-tangible part of the mind which defines each individual’s personal identity. Everyone has a unique identity that distinguishes him from all the rest of mankind because when each human baby is conceived a unique identity is formed with that new life. An individual comes into existence. In seven-thousand years, God will have created a lot of people. He has brought billions and billions of individuals into existence. Where the word of God proclaims that “all will come forth,” and, all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and every knee shall bow to the Lord, and every tongue shall confess to God, and all shall give account of himself to God—that is the all of which God speaks (John 5:29; Romans 14:10-12). That is why it is called the Great White Throne Judgment. John 7:37 On the last and great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [Jesus said that He was the source of God's Holy Spirit for us.] In Jesus’ public ministry, the events that took place on each Holy Day depict the meaning of the Feast Day in God’s Plan. The next morning, still on the Last Great Day, Jesus was teaching... and the accusers of a woman, being convicted by their own conscience, left her and went out one by one, first the oldest, to the youngest. Jesus said to her, "I do not condemn you: go, and sin no more. John 8:12 Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John explained that Jesus still had a half-year of His public ministry remaining: John 8:20 These words spoke Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come. Like so many people, His accusers believed Jesus existed and was a mighty force to contend with - but they did not believe what Jesus taught - so He told then frankly, "you shall seek me, and you shall die in your sins." John 8:25-26 Then said they unto Him, Who are you? And Jesus said unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but He [God the Father] that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him. John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Yes, some of those Jews, believed on Him, but, like the world today they did not possess true faith in Jesus and His words (John 8:37-44). Blindness Healed – Vision Restored The Last Great Day pictures the blindness of the world being eradicated. The apostle John covers the Last Great Day in detail beginning in John 7:37 all the way to John 10:21 when He finished with the incident of the healing of the man born blind. John 9:14 It was the [Last Great Day] Sabbath Day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. John 12:45-44 [Jesus said] He that sees me sees Him [God the Father] that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness. Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. In the Millennium, the veil will be removed for all mankind (Revelation 12:9-10). Jesus came some 2,000 years ago to announce the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God, and to prepare a people to reign and rule with Him throughout the Millennium (Mark 1:14). Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, God has shut the eyes of all mankind, that they cannot see; and closed their hearts, that they cannot know or understand (Isaiah 44:18). Isaiah speaks of the veil of blindness that covers all the earth being removed: Isaiah 25:6-7 On this mountain [the Kingdom of God], the LORD of the heavenly hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of well-aged wines— rich food full of marrow, and refined wines of the finest vintage. And He will consume in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. God especially presented the situation of a man born blind - and Jesus removed his blindness that he might see. John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. The Meaning of the Last Great Day John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. John 10:10-11 Jesus said, ...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Speaking of all mankind - all who have ever lived, Jesus said: John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. [These things taught Jesus on the Last Great Day.] Two Judgments There are two judgments spoken of in the Scriptures: One to the glory of eternal Life in the Family of God, and the other to the condemnation of shame and everlasting contempt of eternal death. Men are not judged for good or bad without having received God’s Holy Spirit. Peter tells us that judgment is now on the house of God, meaning those Church brethren who are led by God’s Holy Spirit. The true Church brethren are not necessarily the same as members of corporate organization Churches of God (1Peter 4:17). Jude tells us that angels and men will stand in the final judgment of the Last Great Day’s Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11). The judgment of Jesus Christ will include the condemnation of Satan, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the whoremongers, the sorcerers, the idolaters, all liars, death and the grave (Revelation 20:14; 21:8). Jude 1:6 The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day. Amazingly, the saints and apostles will also sit in judgment of angels and mankind with Jesus: Matthew 19:28 Jesus said unto the [apostles], Truly I say unto you, That you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the [Great White] Throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 1Corinthians 6:2-3 Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the world? …Do you not know that we shall judge angels? It is clear that Jesus will delegate areas of judgment to His Saints. He makes the Saints co-rulers with Him on His very throne so that they may judge the world. The resurrected Saints will have experienced and overcome every situation and sector of society and culture throughout the ages—qualifying them (Hebrews 4:15) to judge with Christ. Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. Daniel 12:1-3 At that time shall [the archangel] Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble [the Tribulation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [Lamb’s book of life]. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. Those people who will awake to shame and everlasting contempt will have rejected God and His way during their time of judgment. They will have rejected God’s word – the Bible. Jesus said: John 12:48 He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall condemn him in the last day. Psalm 112:10 The wicked shall see it, and be appalled; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. Jesus will have the last word: Luke 13:27-28 He shall say …depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Their last glimmer of consciousness for the workers of iniquity will be the terrible realization of what they have eternally missed out on—God’s Kingdom in all its glorious ramifications. Book of Life Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened [that’s at least three books], which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. These are the categories of those books mentioned here: The Books of the Bible (Galatians 3:10); The Book of Life of the Lamb; and our own Personal Journal which is the book containing the record of our works or deeds. There is a book in heaven for each and every one of us, with our name on the cover, and it contains everything about us. Our own book contains our extensive life’s record as to what each of us has done/not done on earth, in our lifetime. Romans 2:6-7 God will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: After 1,000 years of the Millennium this earth and everything in it will be a thing of sublime beauty. Jesus Christ the Great Judge will begin wrapping up this final stage for all mankind. Your Redemption Draws Nigh Luke 21:27-28 [Jesus said] Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near. Why does man need Redemption? Where is man that he cannot come near to God? The answer is that man’s sin has separated him from His Creator. How did that happen? Mankind needs to be redeemed from the power of sin and the curse of death. Genesis 2:16-17 The LORD God commanded the man, saying… Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shalt surely die. This present evil world did not become the realm of Satan until the sin of Adam and Eve. Their disbelief in God, and rejection of His rule in their lives ushered in Satan's rule. With God's Plan subverted, the foundation of this world, in which we live, was established. From that very moment it became necessary for mankind to be redeemed from the clutches of Satan (Revelation 13:8). Adam and Eve brought the bondage of death upon themselves and all their children. Christ's work of redemption pays the price by purchasing back mankind from the wages of sin—death. A Christian is free from the bondage of death because Christ's death has removed the charges of sin against him—He paid that redemptive price. Redemption means the freeing of mankind from bondage of death. The New Covenant Passover demonstrates to us that God has already redeemed us through Christ, and that He has a yet future, complete redemption in store for us and mankind. Jesus is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; 1Peter 1:18-20). God determined to redeem man from the time of creation—that is His Plan. The long planned redemption of man, and the initiation of the New Covenant, commenced when Jesus paid the purchase price of redemption/salvation with His life. Buying back mankind from sin and ultimate death became necessary when Adam and Eve sinned and took upon themselves and their children, human nature. Redemption comes to the Church of God first. The Scriptures show us that redemption is something that started with Christ’s sacrifice. For the Church brethren, redemption begins when we accept Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 3:23-25; Ephesians 1:7, 14; Colossians 1:14; Luke 21:28; Romans 8:23; 1Corinthians 1:30). “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1Corinthians 11:26). It is when Jesus Christ comes again that He will complete the redemption of His saints. Church brethren are still awaiting the total fulfillment of something that the Exodus Passover unambiguously teaches—redemption. Our final redemption occurs when we have totally taken on the incorruptible divine nature of our Creator. At that point, the Passover will be completely fulfilled for the Church. Redemption of the Church brethren began to take place after the death of Jesus. Only the life of Jesus Christ could possibly pay the great redemptive price necessitated by sin. Speaking of Jesus: Titus 2:14 Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. God’s Plan of salvation is to redeem mankind not just from the death penalty, but from a sinful nature. God must redeem us from this flesh—this body of death, as Paul calls it in Romans 7:24—so we can fully manifest the image and likeness of our Creator and inherit His Kingdom. Redemption in its fullest sense is applied to, and first takes place for the Saints of the better resurrection when their human nature is changed to divine nature (2Peter 1:4) at the first resurrection. Redemption of all mankind will have been accomplished when all who have their names written in the Book of Life, small and great stand before God and are acquitted of their death sentence (Hebrews 8:10-12; 9:12; 10:16-18; Revelation 20:11-15). They too, will be given eternal life – no more retaining their acquired human nature. Then Passover will be completely fulfilled when all redeemed people enter the Kingdom of God at the exoneration of the Great White Throne judgment. Jesus will observe Passover every year for a thousand years with His resurrected Saints—looking forward to the Last Great Day when Passover will be completely fulfilled in a Kingdom of those redeemed from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). Job 19:25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Technological and Agricultural Revolution One of the major things taking place throughout the Millennium will be the preparation of the earth for the Last Great Day and the Great White Throne judgment (John 7:37). In the same way that God directed Joseph to store up grain for the coming famine (Genesis 41:49), Jesus Christ will manage centuries of high-production to feed and house the great resurrection of all who have ever lived – including the untold billions of pre-flood inhabitants of the world. Genesis 41:49 Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. God prophesied: “I will make your children as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered; and, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven” (Genesis 13:16; Exodus 32:13). All the dust! All the stars! That is an astronomical number of people to feed and accommodate in the great resurrection! Unlike today, when the soil is under continuous cultivation and the Biblical land rests of one year out of seven are not followed, it would be impossible to gather enough grain (Genesis 47:14) to feed all who have ever walked the earth. However, during the upcoming captivity of modern-day Israel, incessant crop growing will come to an end and the land shall enjoy her Sabbaths, and the soil shall have her land rests (Leviticus 25:1-22). Leviticus 26:33-34 I will scatter you among the heathen… and your land shall be desolate… Then shall the land enjoy her Sabbaths, as long as it lies desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her Sabbaths. During all that time of gearing up for the end of the Millennium, the soil will enjoy her Sabbaths and produce abundantly more in the six years of normal production than it did in seven years of continuous cultivation without rest. God has shown us that His blessing of sixth year alone – in normal times – will supply enough food for three years (Leviticus 25:21). How much produce will the land provide during the Millennium for the Last Great Day? At the tower of Babel, God confound man’s language so that they could not understand one another's speech – thus halting much commerce and innovation. But with that impediment removed, during the Millennium nothing will be restrained from them which they imagine to do (Genesis 11:6-7). Under Christ’s guidance and leadership, man will have the tools to achieve not only extraordinary technological exploits, but he will develop spiritually to the point of being in God’s image and character (Genesis 1:26-27) which was God’s Plan from the beginning. Those with a high IQ, who today would be considered the intelligentsia, will become common place when man finally realizes his full potential. Their accumulated experience and empirical knowledge will last the duration of the Millennium – and be passed on to every new generation – producing phenomenal growth. They will be educated, accomplished and engaged in many fields of spiritual, mental, and complex conceptual labors that help to guide, lead and shape the direction of a Godly culture and society. Not only will Jesus Christ maintain complete authority overall, He, with the resurrected Saints, will be thoroughly involved in the lives of everyone – directing each of their lives toward the fulfillment of His Plan. As a result of God’s way being lived, profound changes to human civilization will be realized. The cutting corners of competition will give way to a better posture of lagniappe, liberality and generosity. Jesus said: Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Beginning in the early years of the Millennium, technology’s exponential growth rate will yield in one year that which took centuries in the past to achieve. There will be no dehumanizing industrialization for the purpose of maximizing profits – but rather a singular goal for the betterment of all mankind. When those of the great resurrection see the splendid results of a world under Christ’s rule they will be astonished at a complex world that is so peaceful and tranquil. Near instantaneous transportation, universal face to face communication, and dramatic family cohesiveness will be the norm. The Sabbath will truly be a time of rest and harmony. The Land’s Curse Removed Sin brought a devastating curse upon the land. Genesis 3:17-19 Unto Adam God said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shall you eat bread, until you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. In the Millennium, that curse will be removed – followed by abundant blessings. Ezekiel 34:26-30 I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land… Thus they shall know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the House of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD. When Christ reigns, the quality of food will be as it was in the Garden of Eden – before man sinned. The deteriorating soil structure will be reversed and the soil will be healed – becoming exceedingly fertile by today’s standards (Numbers 13:23). The Tribulation will be so horrendous that it will be an existential risk for the human race. With a near total destruction of life on this planet, what will become of the food supply? What will the remnant do for seed to plant their crops? The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, and other seed vaults around the world, contain treasure troves of useful genes. They contain the world's collections of viable seeds, a great diversity of genetic materials, microbes and endangered plants – in case of catastrophe. God’s people will not have to rely on manmade back-up plans. God has preserved living vegetation before, and we are assured that He will do so again (Genesis 2:4-5). The soil will be alive once again in the Millennium (Isaiah 32:12-15; 35:1-2; Psalm 104:30). The reconstituted land of Israel will undergo a tremendous restoration. Farmlands will not be used up, overworked, eroded, poisoned or depleted. Today’s agricultural practices have rendered the soil to be little more than the structure for holding a plant in place. Chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, defoliants, pesticides and GM, genetic modification, have taken the life, taste and nutrients out of our food supply. Genetic modification violates Godly standards when unclean food is introduced into its DNA by way of genetic engineering as opposed to Biblically approved cross breeding. Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Artificial substances have harmful effects on natural soil organisms, which is similar to the human overuse of antibiotics – or worse. Plants depend on a great variety of soil microorganisms and biological agents to transform air and soil into the nutrients which plants require. Pesticides and insecticides are toxic, and known to be harmful to more than just the soil, animals and insects that affect crops – they can cause a number of serious conditions in humans from respiratory problems, to birth defects, to cancer. In the world tomorrow wholesome food will provide the nutrients we need for a strong healthy body and mind. For the first time since the Garden of Eden at creation, Millennial agriculture and technology will come together in marvelous ways. When Good looked at His creation and He said, “It is very good!” (Genesis 1:31) ‘Very good,’ means that absolutely everything was working perfectly. Sin changed God’s perfect balance. ‘Soil’ is not just one thing, but a multitude of life forms and elements in equilibrium – turning it into soil – a living, breathing, synthesis of organic and inorganic compounds – a wondrous composition. ‘Soil’ is much more than inert clay-like lifeless pulverized inorganic rock. Even today’s experts in the field of agronomy recognize, “The fertility of the soil is in direct proportion to the number and activity of soil microorganisms,” and yet, they refuse to enact God’s land management practices. Just consider some of the makeup of soil needed by plants for the maximum fertility of the land: Enzymes, the right pH, nutrients, and earthworms. Worms are one of the best indicators of well-balanced soil. In a small area of only a few square yards, they can consume half of a watermelon or a ten-pound bag of cornmeal in one night. Their excretory castings, rich in plant nutrients, are an optimum fertilizer as they are 7 times richer in phosphates, 5 times richer in nitrogen, and 11 times richer in potash than average soil! Also indispensable are microorganisms (very small microbe organisms which help plants absorb essential nutrients). Other composition of the soil includes trace minerals, beneficial nematodes (they feed on bacteria or fungi to enhance nutrient mineralization through decomposition of organic matter to humus and release excess nitrogen in the form of ammonium), nitrogen and mineral cycles, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and to a lesser extent, calcium, iron, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, nickel, and high organic matter which is the food supply for the minuscule soil organisms. All of these in a right balance, with God’s blessings, influence abundant crop growth. Not to mention sunlight, rain, air, temperature, climate and viable seed with good genes able to germinate (Genesis 1:11-12, 29). There are God created cycles in nature. Animals migrate, seasons change, and trees grow a new ring each year. Flowering plants and insects instinctively perform as programmed by the Master Programmer to form intriguing symbiotic relationships that without which, the world as we know it would cease to exist. All around the earth, birds and moths are pollinators of wildflowers. There are thousands of bird species that feed on seeds and nectar. Bees, butterflies, insects, and spiders aid plants in reproduction. Plants produce seed, fruit, honey, and vegetables for man at the top of the food chain. Without violations of God’s order, there will be a harmony in nature yet to be realized. This is not stated so that everyone will change to organic gardening, but to understand a little of God’s magnificent and beneficial creation – to God be the glory (Galatians 1:5). Living organic soil is vitally important to a thriving population. Sterile soil is a big mistake. When man breaks God’s health laws – sickness and premature death are the result. Pagans believe that they can circumvent proper diet with impunity – but the result is always the same: inflammatory diseases, arthritis, asthma, ulcers, dementia, tuberculosis, and hepatitis, and many others. God addressed the plagues of famine, drought, and disease as the children of Israel were being delivered from Egyptian bondage. In the Millennium, God will heal all disease – first of all by having man return to healthful living practices: Exodus 15:26 If thou will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His Commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you. Deuteronomy 7:15 The LORD will take away all sickness from you, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, upon you. These intricate workings within the soil are just a few of the things we partially understand today. We are also aware that each microorganism and earthworm require a substantial network of support organisms and minerals to function properly. The things we do not know are the millions of dynamics that govern life in the microscopic world – all existing with checks and balances that accrue to the good health of mankind. King David understood how incredibly complex the human body was: Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works. For example, modern scientists and doctors are just beginning to understand a little about the intricately interacting human endocrine and immune systems that protect the body from infection. They know that the body communicates well when the nervous system, blood chemistry and regulating hormones of an individual are healthy. All things being equal, the human brain will develop into brilliance unmeasured. In the Millennium, there will exist a uniform studies program that will combine all the disciplines we have today – and more. Surprising associations will form between fields of study. Agriculture and metallurgy will produce all the gold needed for electronics and power applications. It may seem farfetched but God has already given us small hints of the wonderful things He has in store for the next one-thousand years. Specialized farms will grow gold through the process of biomineralization in which living organisms produce the precious metal by a bacterium that converts water-soluble gold into solid gold. In God’s creation there exists a considerable range of microorganisms that are able to perform every conceivable task, like digesting rust, and breaking down toxins. There might believably be an organism to interact with many of the elements of our periodic table. Tomorrow’s Spiritual Revolution The entire earth will celebrate the Feast of the Lord every year in the glorious days of the Millennium ahead. It will not be only New Israel, but with Jesus ruling His Father’s Kingdom, everyone on earth will be taught the way of the Lord (Hosea 14:9). Zechariah 14:16-19 It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezekiel 36:38). And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalm 107:1-3 O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 1Chronicles 16:35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. I Will Be Their God, They Shall Be My People God desires to dwell with His people. It is a common refrain found throughout the Scriptures. He dwells with and in His people (John 14:23). Idolatry will cease when both Judah and the children of Israel are re-joined as one nation in the Millennium. Ezekiel 37:21-24 Say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd [Christ the Messiah]: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Ezekiel 43:9 Let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever. Exodus 29:45 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. Leviticus 26:12 I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. 2Corinthians 6:16 …God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Ezekiel 37:25 They shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children forever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever. [David is called “prince” because Christ will reign as King.] Mission Accomplished The Great White Throne judgment is finished – the Supreme Court of heaven is adjourned. Jesus has brought the Plan of God to fruition. It is complete and ready to be delivered to God the Father. It was a 7,000-year Plan on earth – and now it is complete. Jesus Christ will have taken this earth and its people from the depths of darkness – into His glorious light wherein dwells the New Heavens and the New Earth (Revelation 21:1). It was a long process, but finally it is accomplished: Genesis 1:4 God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. Jesus said: John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. We are living at the marvelous time that God in His infinite wisdom has called His Church brethren to salvation – before all the world will have their opportunity for salvation. When the Tribulation ends and the Millennium begins, God will have brought the Church age to completion. Just as they will be judged worthy of the first resurrection and the marriage supper, the righteous of the Great White Throne will also be judged worthy of the New Heavens and the New Earth. Isaiah 65:17 Behold, I create New Heavens and a New Earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isaiah 66:22 As the New Heavens and the New Earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 2Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for New Heavens and a New Earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Revelation 21:1-2 I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. After the Last Great Day and the Great White Throne Judgment there will be a glorious future for the Children of God. In Chapter Eight we will explore mankind’s ultimate anticipation—the New Heaven and New Earth. It will be greater than the human mind can fathom. Last chapter coming soon! |
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