2.5 Jesus reigns from Jerusalem - THE HOPEFUL MARTYR

Jerusalem now:

Currently Jerusalem is the ‘home’ to three major works based religions. Judaism, Catholicism and Islam. All three believe Jerusalem is the ‘Holy City’. All three of the above religions also have the same error, all three believe that we need to work, earn and strive our way into heaven.

Even though its ostensibly Christian, Catholic doctrine does not accept that we are saved by faith alone. The bible teaches that Jesus did everything that was required on the cross, and offers us eternal life as a free gift. All we need to do is accept the gift, and no further actions are required from us to be saved. This is why it is such fantastically good news! Refer to post 7.8 The Great Apostasy’ for the scriptures supporting God’s plan that salvation is by faith only.

With works based religions there is always something that is added, something that we have to do to be saved. It is almost as if these religions believe that the price Jesus paid was not quite adequate, not paid in full, and we have to pay, do or sacrifice something as well. These three ‘works’ religions generate bondage in their participants, placing them under an unrelenting and impossible burden, of having to contribute to their own salvation. Worse still, a works based ‘salvation’ cannot save anyone, as it’s not God’s idea, but is man’s idea. For us to earn our salvation is not God’s plan and is entirely impossible, as the bible clearly teaches. (ref post 7.8)

In the book of Galatians, Paul makes the status of the current Jerusalem clear. Jerusalem is pictured as the symbol of bondage. It is the Millennial Jerusalem that is pictured as the symbol of freedom. The Jerusalem of this world is symbolized by the slave Hagar, ‘after the flesh’; but the Millennial Jerusalem is symbolized by the freewoman Sarah, ‘by the promise’:

Galatians 4:22 “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. {4:23} But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. {4:24} Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar. {4:25} For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. {4:26} But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. {4:27} For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bears not; break forth and cry, thou that travails not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. {4:28} Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Paul clearly states that “Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children”. Jerusalem as it is now is a picture of a religion that cannot save, a picture of a works based religion. There is no Biblical base for ‘romantic’ ideas about the current Jerusalem, about undertaking ‘spiritual’ pilgrimage trips to Jerusalem, as if there is something special about the current city. To go to Jerusalem to commemorate and remember Jesus’ work on the cross is of course legitimate, but there is a growing trend where Jerusalem is also seen as a source of blessing. This is not a biblically supported idea, and is taking our eyes of Jesus. Many Christians get side-tracked or confused about the ‘spirituality’ of Jerusalem now. We should use our imaginations to visualize the heavenly Jerusalem, as Paul encourages the Galatians, rather than some vain imaginings about being blessed by speaking blessings over the current city or nation of Israel.These are ideas being promoted by ‘works based’ false teachers seeking to draw us away from the glorious Millennial Jerusalem, and the New Jerusalem afterward.

The Promise

“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:1-9 NIV)

Our desire, as Jesus’ followers, is to see Him crowned as King, in a lofty palace in Jerusalem. To see Him loved, respected and acknowledged. He was our suffering servant, now He is crowned as our King. He plucked us out of our hopeless condition, rescued us from sure disaster, now we can finally be free to thank Him with pure, loving hearts. Free to adore the beauty of His kindness, His care, His leading.

In our hearts we can’t wait to see Him take over control of the world, this world we live in today, as our loving and benign ruler. That we can truly worship the One who loves us and that we cry out with John in Rev.1 : “to Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”

By reading what God has promised, our vision is ignited and the vivid pictures of the future help us to remain focused on our preparation for this magnificent hope that we have.

In brief, in the millennium we will experience , as resurrected agents of Jesus’ administration, the following:

The acknowledgement of Jesus by all the world’s inhabitants.
Jesus as righteous ruler, with a ‘rod of iron’.
An end to wars.
The life expectancy of the world’s inhabitants increased.
That all nations annually gather in Jerusalem worship Jesus at the feast of tabernacles.
That Israel will be a kingdom of priests with the temple and the law functioning.
Geographical changes occur in Israel, and presumably the rest of the world.

If you find the terminology of the list above a bit confusing, e.g. ‘agents of Jesus’ administration’ , ‘nations’ and ‘the world’s inhabitants’, please read posts 2.2 and 2.3. This explains who, and in what state the different people groups will participate in the millennium. Please also bear this in mind during the discussions below. As we discuss the various millennial conditions on earth, remember that these prophesies apply more directly to the inhabitants at the time than to us. We, as the resurrected saints, living in supernatural eternal bodies by then, will experience the millennium differently.

Just as in the garden of Eden, where our first parents Adam and Eve enjoyed sweet fellowship with our Lord when He habitually visited them “in the cool of the day” (Gen.3:8), so in the millennial Jerusalem we will be blessed with the permanent presence of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All of the millennial blessings which mankind will enjoy there will be a result of, and will flow from His presence with us.

The prophecies below are only a few of the many prophecies about the millennial kingdom in which Jesus Christ will reign on this earth from Jerusalem.

A Peaceful Rule with a Rod of Iron,

Worldwide peace will be enjoyed by all of us. The current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the world will be a distant memory. But this will not be because everybody has suddenly become good. It will be because Jesus will rule from Jerusalem with a rod of iron. He will do so in all wisdom and with perfect justice, and strictly. The rod of iron must surely refer to the strict discipline and obedience that will be required. Crime will be dealt with swiftly and effectively. Remember that those born during the millennium are still born under the curse of Adam, under sin. Those who survive the tribulation and who enter the millennium with ‘the mark of the beast’ will be subject to fierce discipline to keep their sinful natures under control.

The nature of Christ’s rule is described in the letter to the church in Thyatira: Rev 2:26 . Read this carefully:

“And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star”.

The overcomers from the church of Thyatira will rule with Christ, with a rod of iron, very strictly. This is a fit description for the discipline needed to keep order among the still sinful humanity during the Millennium.

Regarding the normal, everyday life of the average person during the millennium, from the passages such as Isaiah 65:20-25, we see activities like building houses, living in them, planting vineyards, eating fruit and bearing children take place. “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days (i.e. no premature deaths) : 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. …..; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

The general atmosphere will be one of peace. Those who choose to be disobedient or who become rebellious, will be judged by Jesus from his throne in Jerusalem. Micah 4:3 says, “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

All Nations acknowledge and worship Jesus at The Feast of Tabernacles:

Currently there are many who minimize the existence of God. But this will be completely impossible in the millennium. Isaiah states that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord “as the waters cover the sea.” Is 11:9. And,

“… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10.

The ‘Gentile’ nations will come to worship Jesus. All nations of the world will attend and participate in the ‘feast of tabernacles’ annually. During the Sabbath Millennium representatives from every country on earth will come to worship Jesus as their king, their ruler, reigning from His global capital, Jerusalem. God planned seven feasts to be celebrated every year by Israel. Originally, at the giving of the Law, in the Sinai desert after the Exodus, God gave these instructions to Israel. One of the seven feasts was the ‘feast of tabernacles’. A prophecy about the feast of tabernacles occurs in Zechariah 14:16-19. The Gentile nations will keep this feast in the millennial kingdom as follows:

“And 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.

“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.”

To do so, they must travel to Jerusalem once each year to acknowledge Jesus Christ and to “worship the King”. Jesus ‘forces’ them to do so, but with wisdom and without resorting to violence. For their own good they will come and worship Him. Jesus Christ will reign supreme, without challenge, from His throne in Jerusalem.

Imagine the enormity of this feast. Representatives from all families from all the nations gathered together to feast, celebrate and worship. These will be spectacular gatherings, and in terms of visual spectacle, most probably exceed the most elaborate Olympic Games opening ceremony ever seen. It will make our best efforts look pale in comparison

The Temple and the Law

The temple of the millennial kingdom is described in detail in Ezekiel chapters 40-44. Although we will not go into the details here, we will mention a few key points. The glory of the Lord will fill the temple (Ezekiel 43:5). The law given by God through Moses will still be kept including the sacrifices (Ezekiel 43:19-27). The Levites will still minister in the temple (Ezekiel 44:9-11). The laws and statutes delivered by Moses will be obeyed (Ezekiel 44:24).

The need for the temple could make sense for the rest of the world’s population which is not free from sin, and in the context that the Millennium is not heaven yet. Also, it may be that the temple takes on a slightly different meaning in the kingdom, more of a celebration of the faithfulness of God in that all of His promises have been fulfilled

The Sabbaths and feasts of the Israel will still be kept including the Passover, the feast of unleavened bread (Ezekiel 45:21), and the feast of tabernacles as described previously. (Ezekiel 45:25). It will be well known by all that Jesus Christ gave his life as the perfect sacrifice for all mankind. However, As a reminder of this, for the millennium generations, the sacrifices will still be kept.

Geographical Changes in Israel

The nation of Israel will also be given far more land than they presently possess. A general description is found Genesis. “.. Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt (Nile) unto the great river, the river Euphrates (which empties in the Gulf near Kuwait, hallway into Iraq! This also includes Jordan and 60% of Syria)…” (Genesis 15:18). God confirmed this promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac, in Genesis 26:3 and later to Isaac’s son, Jacob, in Genesis 35:12. A detailed description of how this land will be divided by the tribes of Israel is found in Ezekiel chapter 48.

In addition, the fountain of living water flowing out from Jerusalem as described in Zechariah and Ezekiel will have a geographical impact.

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1).

Then Zechariah 14:8 shows us where the waters will flow, to the great sea (western or Mediterranean Sea) and to the east to the Dead Sea (eastern or Salt Sea). Also see Ezekiel 47:1-7. What effect will this have on the Dead Sea? The Dead Sea is about 10 miles wide and 50 miles long running north and south on along the eastern side of Judea. Its northern end is about as far north as Jerusalem. It has no outlet and is seven times more salty than the oceans. No fish live in the Dead Sea, and ocean fish placed in its waters soon die. Only certain types of microbes live in it. Yet In Ezekiel 47:8-11 we are told the waters of the Dead Sea will be healed.

“Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof (swamps and marshes) shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.”

Engedi, mentioned above, is currently a town on the western coast of the Dead Sea about 25 miles southeast of Jerusalem. A peninsula juts out into the sea from the east. South of this peninsula the Dead Sea is shallow, less than 20 feet deep in most places. But the majority of the sea is north of the peninsula, where the central and northern part of the sea is more than one thousand feet deep. Perhaps verse 11 refers to the shallow southern end, furthest from Jerusalem, that will remain too salty for aquatic life. This passage is not in conflict with the passage that refers to there being no sea. That verse (Revelation 21:1) refers to the new heaven and new earth and occurs after the one thousand year kingdom that is being described here.

As the many following verses from Isaiah show, the land of Israel will become much more fertile. The deserts will become fertile fields and the fields will become as forests.

“Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest” (Isaiah 32:15).
“For 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” (Isaiah 51:3).
“… the dessert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1).
The mountains will bring forth prosperity for the people, and the hills righteousness. Psalm 72:3
Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. Psalm 72:16 NIV”

Animals Become Peaceful

This is where our imaginations can run wild. Animal lovers of this world rejoice! The book of Isaiah is rich with kingdom prophecies. In Isaiah 11:6-9 (and Isaiah 65:20-25) it is revealed that:

“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 sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp (cobra), and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice'(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.”

I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. Ezekiel 34:25 NIV (cf. v.28)

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Hosea 2:18a NIV

Further scriptures and kingdom characteristics:

These are just some of the changes to take place when the glorious kingdom comes. Further study is encouraged of passages such as Zechariah 14:10 which reveal other geographical changes. By repeatedly reading what God has promised for those who have part in the millennial reign of Jesus, we remain focused on our preparation for this magnificent future.

The further prophecies below are only a few of the many prophecies about the millennial kingdom in which Jesus Christ will reign on the earth from Jerusalem. This is but a small sample of the vast collection of millennial prophecies:

“At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘the Throne of the Lord’, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honour the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance. “I myself said, ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ (Jeremiah 3:17-19 NIV)

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33:14-16 KJV)

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves”. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4: 2, 5, 6 NIV)

“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, ….. and Benjamin will possess Gilead. This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev. (Obadiah 1:15, 17-20 NIV)

The Psalms:

As early on in the Bible as the Psalms these songwriter prophets predict Jesus’ reign over the entire world from His headquarters in Jerusalem. When we look more closely at the Psalms we will find some outright declarations of this coming reign of our Saviour and then also many more subtle further hints in others. See Psalm 22, 48, 62, 68, 86, 98 and others.

Psalm 102:18-22 NIV Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord : “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.”

This, without any doubt, is a millennium reference. Historically, all the nations of the world have never yet assembled to worship the Lord, let alone in Jerusalem. Neither is this likely to happen or is even conceivable before the return of Christ. Psalm 86 also gives a clear picture:

Ps 86:8-10 MKJV: Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; none are like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great and do wonderful things; You alone are God.

Then there is also talk of future generations not yet born, that they will declare the Lord’s righteousness on a worldwide scale. It is clearly not going to happen on a worldwide scale presently, or at any conceivable time in the future, with the current world view and world culture as it is.

Neither are these Psalms referring to the future eternal heaven and earth, because there is talk in this passage of death and unborn children.

Ps 22:28-31 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’S, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship; all those who go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.

The concept of Zion also occurs throughout the Psalms, and refers to something more than just a hill above Jerusalem. There is the distinct recurring reference to God’s rule from Mount Zion. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion.” The reign of Jesus from Jerusalem and Zion is developed throughout the prophets into the glorious declaration by Zechariah about the future Jerusalem:

The prophecies that God has provided for us are quite vast and detailed, so that it will be impossible for anyone to claim ignorance of the coming kingdom. There are those ‘experts’ who would claim that the kingdom prophecies are only to be interpreted allegorically. While claiming to be more spiritual, they label as naive those who believe the literal meaning of the kingdom prophecies.

But what could be more spiritual than faith, taking God at His Word? What could be more carnal and naive than assuming that God did not mean what He said, and then trying to nullify His Word with the doctrine of men? As shown in post 2.6 and Appendix E, they truly have a mountain of truth to try and conceal.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply