The Last Days – Part 9 – Christ as King

Well, it’s been 2000 years since that happened, so where are those last days prophesised so long ago.

As we read in the Bible continuing past Acts chapter 2, we see that Christ saved the apostle Paul in a completely unprecedented and unprophesied event. Christ revealed to Paul a mystery dispensation where not only could mankind be saved by grace alone through faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross, but that He’s creating a new creature that’s not Jewish or Gentile. It wasn’t a fulfillment of prophecy, but it was a mystery that was kept secret since the world began.

It was something that concerned a new creature that would reign and rule with Christ in Heavenly places as part of God’s universal plan and purpose for the ages.

This revealed mystery was different from what God had purposed for the earth in prophecy.

We’ve seen in this series that when we rightly divide the Bible, this mystery, now revealed, this dispensation of the church, the Body of Christ, from the tribulation, the Bible begins to take on a simple clarity.

Where people get confused with the end time prophecies is when they think we live in this time of tribulation, or that the catching away of the church is a tribulation event.

When we rightly divide this mystery period from prophecy, we see that the tribulation was prophesied throughout the Bible but what God’s doing today is not.

So, when we separate these periods, it’s called rightly dividing as 2 Timothy 2:15 says in a direct instruction from Paul to us today

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It’s very important to see this distinction between prophecy and mystery, Israel and the church, law, and grace.

If we don’t make that simple distinction, we’re going to have trouble with these end time events because we’re going to mix in prophesied events with what God’s doing today and we’re going to get confused and possibly lead people into error.

People may take these verses about the Tribulation or these Kingdom verses and apply them to their salvation today and may even get the idea that they’re enduring till the end to be saved, or that they’ve got to keep those commandments to be saved. They may think they’ve got to build this Kingdom.

The Gospel of grace in 1 Corinthians 15:3 – 4,

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 

Studying end times and for that matter the whole Bible according to God’s dispensations is critical to understanding. By dispensations we simply mean taking into account the different ways that God deals with mankind through different ages and seeing where we are today in those ages.

There’s so much we could talk about relating to prophecy, but we simply want to get the foundation right first, so we’re not talking about the antichrist, the 144,000 Witnesses, or the mark of the beast.

When we talk about the end of the world, we’re not talking about the annihilation of everything. It’s not that a comet’s going to hit us and suddenly humanity is extinct. That’s not it at all.

We understand that God created the world out of nothing. He created man from the dust of the earth, and He has a purpose and a plan for the ages and so when we talk about the end of the world, as the Bible’s talking about, it’s the end of the world system as we know it, the end of the present evil of the world’s institutions where sin and rejection of God are the foundations.

In Ephesians 2 – 3 Paul explains this,

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

We were born unsaved and before we were saved in this present world we walked according to the things of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of Disobedience.

That Prince of the power of the air is not the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many people think Christ is King now, that He’s reigning now with his rod of iron and He’s currently running this world. Not so!

He has every right to be King and we’ve covered that. Because of his death on the cross He’s been set in a position where He’s going to possess that Kingship in the future, but He’s not possessed it yet.

The prince of the power of the air here has to do with Satan.

2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4 says this about the God of this world that blinds people’s minds,

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 

In Galatians 1:4 we read about Christ,

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

We battle today against spiritual wickedness in high places according to Paul in Ephesians 6:12,

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

We’re also in a battle of doctrine, a battle where the enemy tries to twist, and distort the Words that God’s spoken to mankind.

2 Corinthians 11:3,

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

We’re not fighting against people, we’re fighting against the bad Doctrine and the wrong teaching that keep people from salvation and from trusting Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:3 says,

Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

When we talk about the end of the world, we’re talking about that right there.

About the children of Wrath that’ll be dealt with during this time of tribulation and Judgment of the Nations.

We’ve seen that in the tribulation Christ returns and tears down the institutions and kingdoms of this world and sets up His own kingdom. That’s when the children of wrath get dealt with.

We’re talking about the rise of the Kingdom of God on Earth, Christ’s Kingdom, where Christ returns and says I’m the King and I’m here to claim My kingdom.

It’ll be a great day because no longer will we talk about the prince of the power of the air or the God of this world or this present evil world because during this time Christ will be on His throne reigning.

Look at Zechariah 14 verses 7 to 9.

It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light. And in that day it shall be—That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be “The LORD is one,” And His name one. 

That tells us that we’re not living in the time of the prophesied Kingdom at the moment and yet that’s what some people believe.

They think when Christ came and died and rose from the dead, His kingdom began and all those prophecies, one of which we’ve just read, is now fulfilled and we’re now living in the Kingdom.

Christians pray for the furtherance of God’s kingdom, to further build his kingdom out and that’s what they honestly believe the church’s job is today.

They think we’re living in this Kingdom and that we are the kingdom, and we need to build institutions to reform our world.

But this world is lost.

God’s already condemned it. That’s why we’re called by the scripture ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20,

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We’re sent into an evil world where Christ currently has no rule and influence because everyone’s rejected Him.

However, there will be a time when He’s no longer offering those terms of peace that we’re here to tell of. The ambassadors are gone, caught up together with the Lord after which time He comes back in wrath and judgement before he sets up his kingdom.

The world will see the salvation of the Lord and his righteousness, and they’ll no longer be able to say, I don’t believe anything I can’t see. They’ll see Him alright!

This’ll be a time when Jesus is actually there, where they’ll see Him not only as He was once before, but he’ll be reigning and ruling.

We’re looking for the hope of this change, Christ as King as government and as judge.

Today we listen to politicians of all parties of government trying to convince us that this or that policy will work better but it’s not an internal change. It’s a mental calculation done in minds that are completely unable to see the entire picture.

But to preach salvation and trust in the gospel will change a person by putting their hope in the right thing, Christ coming as King and ruling in absolute righteousness and justice.

Christ came the first time as a servant, as a minister and his ministry lasted three and a half years and, in that time, He changed the world. What’ll happen when he comes and reigns for a thousand years.

Look at Psalm chapter 2. This is a Messianic Psalm that talks about Christ, and it says in Psalm 2: 6 – 8,

“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ” 

Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 

That’s God the Father speaking to Jesus, God the Son and He’s talking about this time of the Kingdom.

Paul talks about this same prophecy in Acts 13:33. Let’s see that,

God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ 

Christ was begotten to sit in the position as the Son of God in heaven when he rose from the dead and ascended to heavenly places and He hasn’t yet possessed the kingdom.

When he comes back it’s time to possess it and He’s going to take it. It’ll be His and it says in Psalm 2:9 and 10,

You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. 

This is an Earthly Kingdom friends, not spiritual or heavenly that’s somehow in our hearts.

Notice the warning in these verses? It says when Christ comes and possesses His kingdom beware you judges and kings on the Earth. You’d better kiss the Son, that’s the Son of God, or Trust in the Son. You’d better fear the Lord or else He’ll judge you face to face right there on the Earth.

We’re talking about that Kingdom on the earth when Christ is King and what that’s going to be like.

Will that be different than today? Very much so. The name of Christ’s become an insult for a lot of people today in this world. It won’t be then when He’s the King over all the earth and everyone’ll know Him.

Romans 14:11, quoting prophecy from Isaiah 4:23,

For it is written: “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.” 

Then Philippians 2:10 & 11,

that 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. 

Now let’s go to Romans 11:25 – 27 and we read,

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “THE DELIVERER WILL COME OUT OF ZION, AND HE WILL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; 

FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”

Paul’s again quoting prophecy, this time Isaiah 59, explaining Israel’s place in this dispensation of grace today and why Israel and their promises aren’t being fulfilled today.

He explains that Israel is not finished. Israel will be saved because of those prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. Every Word of every prophecy God has given must and will be fulfilled.

Paul explains this mystery unless, as he says, you should be wise in your own conceits, or opinions, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.

That’s after this current mystery dispensation that was kept secret since before the foundation of the world but is now revealed. Israel’s blind in part currently. Israel’s fallen today, but they’re only blind in part until a future time and that’s when Paul says in verse 26 here, that all Israel shall be saved, as it is written in Isaiah 59.

Remember how in previous episodes we saw how ever since Israel was taken to captivity back there in Daniel that Gentiles have reigned over the world and Israel’s not been in their position that God promised them as a nation and how Christ called this time, “the time of the Gentiles”, because of that.

However, when the time of the Gentiles is done, and Christ comes back and destroys the kingdoms of this world and sets His own kingdom up, what happens?

Israel’s going to be saved and put in the position that God promised them since Abraham.

All the world’ll be blessed through Israel at that time. People will look at Israel and say the Lord’s with them. They’ll say salvation is in Zion. That’s a lot different than now. When Israel’s talked about today, we only hear about bombs and armies and guns and struggle and hatred.

But not then.

They’ll be in a position above all Nations and all the world’ll come to them as Romans 11:25 – 26 says.

Israel is no longer blind in those days. They get saved to be the priests and ministers of the lord, to bless the nations of the world.

In Romans 11:12 Paul writes,

Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 

If their fall led to Salvation being sent to Gentiles by Grace what incredible things will come from their fulness?

Romans 11:32 says,

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

That’s the reason why God’s giving grace to the world, Jews, and Gentiles, because the Jews, as a nation, fell when they rejected Christ their Messiah.

As a result, they no longer have a position anywhere close to what they had before they fell.

They’re no different than the Gentiles that’ve rejected Christ.

So, since both Jew and Gentile are fallen, God can offer salvation to all of them freely by grace and that’s what he’s doing today.

The problem is that, today, we’re still in our sinful flesh.

We have salvation by grace through faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet we have to constantly deal with our flesh not being healed.

We struggle with things in this present evil world.

When Christ Reigns as King we won’t have to deal with that anymore. No more present evil in this world.

How much more their fullness the salvation of Israel.

That’s the hope that God has for the Earth.

Romans 11:15 says,

For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 

I mean if we get reconciled through grace freely today what will it be like when Israel actually rises to power, and this world is no longer evil with everyone in unbelief?

Look at Jeremiah 23:3 and it’s God speaking through Jeremaiah,

But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 

Everywhere we see that word “flock” in the Bible it deals with Israel.

Israel are God’s sheep so it shouldn’t surprise us to see in Psalm 23 the shepherd leading through the valley and the green pastures, talking about Israel in that tribulation time of trouble, the shadow of darkness and death, and leading them into that Kingdom Psalm 24 depicts.

Jeremaiah 23:4,

I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD. 

Many people think that Israel’s fulfilling these prophecies of Jeremiah 23 today.

They think that the Balfour Declaration of 1917 was God bringing them back to the land. But does Israel today lack nothing and is the Lord their Shepherd over them?

As a nation, they reject the Lord Jesus Christ today just as they’ve always done.

Prophecy says Israel will return in a certain way and God’ll do it and when they return the world’ll know that God did it and that surviving remnant of them will finally accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 23:5,

Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 

Is that a picture of unbelieving Israel today?

See this is talking about a kingdom that God establishes after he’s knocked down the kings of this world. This’ll be a King who’ll execute judgment and Justice in the whole earth.

There’d be a huge political problem with that right now if you preached God’s Kingdom on the earth following the justice and Judgment of Jesus Christ.

It’s ridiculous for Christians to think they’re helping bring God’s Kingdom to earth by donating to the building of the next temple.

We live in a present evil world where even Bible believing Christians either reject the whole counsel of God or fail to learn it.

In Jeremaiah 23:6 God says,

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Is that what we see in today’s headlines? Israel dwelling safely?

Some say, well, they’ve got the Iron Dome missile protection system, so there it is, fulfillment of Prophecy! Hardly!

He shall be called the Lord our righteousness. Is that Israel’s current prime minister?

Jeremiah 23 verse 6 is talking about Jesus Christ as King in Israel and He’s going to protect them.

We’ll see later in Revelation 21 how He protects them with fire from heaven and it’s not the Iron Dome system.

He’ll just burn them up. That’s how he protects them. No need for missiles. Won’t it be great when the people living at the time in that Kingdom no longer need to use the brains that God gave them to create missile defence systems? How many unknown and awesome things will they turn their intelligence to?

Today Israel observes their holidays, and those holidays hearken back to when God delivered them out of Egypt. So, they do Passover, and they do the feast of unleavened bread and all to remember what God did for them in Exodus.

But God says in Jeremaiah 23:7 and 8,

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 

but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” 

They’ll say the Lord brought them back, not out of Egypt but out of the countries, to their own land.

The world will say this. They won’t need a church to explain it to them, they’ll all know the Lord. That’s what the Bible says.

Look at Jeremiah 33:14 to 16,

Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

Is that what we ought to call Israel today? The Lord our Righteousness?

These are questions we all need to ask if we think the Kingdom’s happening today.

Of course, it isn’t but what a time that’ll be when there’s actually a nation that’s proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ and He’s the King.

Jeremaiah 33:17,

“For thus says the LORD: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 

Never shall there not be a king from the house David on the throne of Israel and so the promises that God made to David will be fulfilled in this Kingdom.

It’ll be a Son of David as the King.

Jeremaiah 33:18,

nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’ ” 

Today Israel can’t offer sacrifices because the Kingdom’s not here and the temple’s torn down.

Jews today want to rebuild their Temple to offer sacrifices. What’s stopping them? Money? No, it’s not money it’s politics. They don’t have the authority. They’re fighting a political battle. There’s Muslims over there. There’s Palestinians over there. There’s Jews over there who all but a few reject Christ outright.

The issue is political, and it’ll be solved when this Kingdom comes with Christ as King.

In Jeremiah 33 we can read down to verses 25 and 26 where God explains this promise He made to them and how He made a covenant with them that will not be taken away.

He considers the things in the heaven and in the skies as a covenant. He’s saying that if I can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night then there should not be day and night in their season. Then may also my Covenant be broken with David my servant.

He says similar in Jeremiah 3.

Look at the sun, the Moon, and the stars. The sun comes up every day and the moon has its Circle every month. If you can stop the Sun from shining and stop the Moon from doing what it’s doing and the stars from shining, then Israel will cease to be able to claim the promise I made with him.

That’s what God says in Jeremiah 31.

Those things are there because I put them there for times and seasons and if you can stop that then you can stop the kingdom coming back to Israel.

The point being that nothing can stop what God’s going to do. He’s going to make it happen. He’s got a covenant with Israel. He made a promise to them.

The Kingdom come to Earth means the rise and salvation of Israel.

For Christians today to preach that the Kingdom on Earth is theirs is only one step away from claiming to be Israel.

Christians cannot build the Kingdom and it won’t be set up without Israel being present.

Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1 and 2, was fulfilled in Jesus’s Earthly Ministry, now he’s going to be the judge of all the earth.

In verse 3:4 we read,

His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears,

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 

See, with righteousness He’ll judge the poor and with equity or fairness He’ll judge the meek, the humble of the Earth.

Look down at verse 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. 

It says nothing will hurt or destroy. There won’t be people hurting each other at this time.

When the Gentile powers are destroyed and Israel is set up as that Kingdom, and Christ is ruling, the Gentiles will come to Israel and Israel’ll give them blessings. They’ll come to learn the law of God. No more debates about the best system of government or the best form of economics or the best political rules. You go to Jerusalem to learn the law of God and that’s how it’s done all over the Earth. What a great time.

Isaiah 11:11 and 12,

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 who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. 

He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. 

This is what will happen in this Kingdom after the tribulation is over.

It’s time to gather in His people. Building the kingdom begins here when Christ returns.

Look at Isaiah 46:13,

I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.

The glory of God on the earth will be that Nation, and it’s where people get saved.

We wouldn’t send someone to Israel today to be saved, but at that time that’s where they, the nations, will go for salvation.

They’ll hear about salvation and God’s blessings in Israel.

Look at Isaiah chapter 60 verses 1 and 2,

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Who’s this? Israel! The darkness over the face of the Earth is the tribulation where there’s flames and fire and smoke and dead people. That’s darkness. But what happens? The light that comes out of this Darkness is saved Israel.

He says rise from the ashes Israel. I’ll resurrect you; I’ll make you this nation and you’ll be my glory on the Earth.

Isaiah 60:3 and 4 now,

The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 

Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

So, you see all the nations come to them and they won’t need to be convinced.

God makes that happen.

This certainly doesn’t describe Israel today, does it?

However, at that time the world will be so desperate for salvation from this destruction that when they see a nation with the power of God on them that’s where they’ll go.

To Isaiah 62:1 and 2.

For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 

The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. 

This is the Word of God, where God Himself is speaking by the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet. It’s very plain.

Isaiah 62:3 and 4,

You (Israel) shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. 

You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. 

There’s a famous old Christian church hymn called Sweet Beulah Land, but it’s not for the church today, it’s about Israel and their land. This is the only place where Beulah shows up, and it’s clearly about Israel.

In Biblical Hebrew Beulah means “married”, and applies to the land that Israel will marry, the land promised by God to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

We’re not Israel and we don’t have a land promise so us singing about this Beulah land somehow relating to the church today is very odd.

By the way this gives a whole different perspective on Revelation 21 and the Bride of the Lamb which many if not most Christians think is the church.

Where does the church get that from? But that’s a discussion for another day.

In Zechariah 8:22 and 23 we read,

Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.’ 

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ‘ ” 

People will flock to Israel to learn of God.

We’re going now to Revelation 19 to see what this is all going to look like according to the revelation of Christ.

The Book of Revelation is not a confusing book. It’s very clear if we take it literally.

Revelation 19 is where the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to judge and make war and to set up his Kingdom.

Revelation 19 down in verse 19 and 20 we read,

And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

Christ comes back and destroys the armies of the world, and he takes that false Christ and that false prophet, those dictator leaders of the world at that time, and casts them into the Lake of the fire.

They’re done, finished. He doesn’t compete with them. They’re simply finished off.

Verse 21,

And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. 

Remember last episode we spoke of this sword being a symbol of the Words that Jesus speaks. Words of Judgment in this case.

Now look at what happens in Revelation chapter 20 verses 1 and 2,

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 

So, we’re here at the beginning of the kingdom and Christ has just destroyed the armies of the earth and He’s destroyed the antichrist and the false prophet by casting them into the lake of fire.

Then he turns to Satan, the third member of that Unholy Trinity.

He casts him into a bottomless pit, and he binds him for a thousand years.

We can’t bind Satan today, contrary to what most in the charismatic movement believe.

When the kingdom comes Christ will bind Satan and he’s not going to be unbound for the 1000-year span of the Kingdom.

Can any of us imagine this earth with Christ ruling and Satan and his evil influence bound from anything to do with the operations of this world?

Revelation 20:3,

and He (Christ) cast him (Satan) into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 

You see, at this time in the Kingdom, when Christ first sets it up, this isn’t to get rid of sin and death.

This is simply to set up his Kingdom and He’s going to show the whole world what the reign in righteousness is like.

Sin and death are still there.

Satan’s in the bottomless pit and he’s just bound up at this time, but then, when this thousand-year period is up, Christ will let him out!

Why would He do that?

Well, this Thousand-Year Millennium as people call it, this Millennial reign of Christ is going to be a time where Christ enters into this cursed world and reigns Himself showing people how righteousness can reign and how from that we’ve been for the last six thousand some years. He’ll show firsthand the incredible way the earth functions with sin bound and Christ ruling.

But even then, even at the end of this Thousand Years there’s going to be people who oppose Him.

How could that be?

Sinful man! Sin still exists!

There ‘ll be people in this thousand-year long Kingdom, generations in fact, who weren’t born before Christ set up this Kingdom.

All they know is Christ on the throne.

Their parents’ll tell them stories of old about before Christ came and how He was rejected and how He destroyed all the unrighteous people of the earth, but the kids don’t know that, or at least it’s just an old story to them. They’ve been born in this Kingdom, and they don’t know anything else.

There’ll be plenty of them who’ll say, “I don’t like the way Christ’s doing things”, even though they don’t know anything different.

It’s like kids today complaining they’re bored, even though they have smartphones and TVs and video games and every toy and gadget imaginable. It’s like, “Really? We used to have a stick!”

That’s how it’ll be in this time. People are born and at the end of this thousand years there’ll be an uprising again against Christ.

The Lord’s response is quick and sharp.

I’m the King of the earth. You’re in rebellion, poof. With fire they’re gone.

That’s the end of all things. That’s the end of the world. We talk about the end of the world, that’s the end of it.

He, The Lord Jesus Christ, comes back to conquer and possess the world, but this is the end of it.

There’s no more sin and death after that, after the thousand years.

In Revelation 20:7 and 8 we read,

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 

Though it says in verse 2 that Satan is bound for a thousand years here we see where he’s unbound after the Thousand Years.

So much is written about Gog and Magog today, but do you know that this is the only time in the entire New Testament it shows up?

In what context do we find it? In the millennium, at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ.

Why is there such a fascination with Gog and Magog today?

Even if you think we’re living in the tribulation, they’re not mentioned in the tribulation at all. They’re mentioned here at the end of the millennium and only here.

The only people who could possibly be looking for Gog and Magog are people who don’t take their Bible literally and who think we’re living in the Kingdom now, otherwise it’s not important to us today.

There’ll be a thousand-years where whole Nations will be built. Gog and Magog will be there. Generations will be born, and Gog and Magog show up to gather them together to battle.

The number of them is as the sand of the sea.

Revelation 20:9,

They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city (that’s Israel and the city of Jerusalem). And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Revelation 20 verse 10,

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

That right there is the end of all things sin.

Now, let’s jump back a moment to Revelation 20 verse 4 which is after Satan is bound for a thousand years. Who’s going to reign in these thousand years?

We know Christ is on the throne, but John says here, and we read,

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

There’s going to be people who had died Martyrs deaths during the tribulation and were resurrected to be rulers in this Kingdom.

That’s an amazing thing because today, only Christ has been resurrected. Christ is the first of the Resurrection.

But during this time, these people will be raised from the dead to Reign on Earth with Christ.

As Revelation 20:5 says,

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

There’s going to be both people who’re resurrected from the dead and people who are living for the first time during this Kingdom.

It seems strange, but that’s what the Bible says.

There’re going to be children being born during this time and we’ll get to that in a moment.

There’re also going to be people dying during this time. You’d better be dying in the Lord because Revelation20 verse 6 says,

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Paul, in the epistles to the church today, never once uses the word priest to describe members of the Body of Christ.

We’re not Priests of God! We’re his ambassadors and we’re members of his body.

The priests of God mediate between two parties, that’s what a priest is.

During the kingdom there’ll be Israel who’ll be priests mediating between the Gentiles and God.

In Israel there’ll be great rejoicing.

Psalm 98 is the song they’ll be singing and it’s a song about all the nations coming to Jerusalem and praising God for the works that He can do. It’s a great Psalm that confirms all we’ve been discussing here.

Isaiah 49:6 deals with this Kingdom and talks about the restoration of people during this time,

Indeed, He (God) says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” 

Then Isaiah 49:7,

Thus says the LORD, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the LORD who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.”

Isaiah’s talking about the day of salvation and the restoration of Israel.

God’s going to remember Israel and He’s going to bring them back.

Ezekiel chapter 40, which you can read on your own, talks about priests and temples.

Israel had a religion that God established and he’s going to set it up in this Kingdom, in this time during the thousand years where there’s still sin and there’s still death.

Christ is the king and he’s judging righteously, and Israel is resurrected and they’re reigning with him and they’re going to be ministers to the world ministering God’s righteousness.

Ezekiel 40 describes a temple that has never been built in the past. It can only be built in the future.

People might say that’s crazy. You’re saying they’re going to reinstitute the sacrifices? Yes!

Jesus Christ is the atonement for sins and during this time sin has not yet been destroyed.

How many times did Israel sacrifice for atonement of the sins of the nation?

Once a year? How many times do they offer other sacrifices? All the time!

There are offerings and sacrifices that have nothing to do with the atonement of sins. There’re burnt sacrifices that have to do with praising God. It’s a testimony given to God.

People are disgusted by sacrifices. They say, see God’s going to kill animals. But hold on.

What about your steak on the grill, your hamburger patties, or the roast cooking in the oven?

We tend to disconnect from where our food comes from.

There’s going to be sacrifices.

Ezekiel 40-48 explains how that Temple will be rebuilt and how The Lord will actually be sitting there.

In the Old Testament there was the glory of God in the Holy of Holies.

No one could go in there except the chief priest once a year.

But that changed when the veil, the curtain, that separated the Holy of Holies was supernaturally torn when Christ died. We see this in Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45.

But in this Kingdom day Jesus Christ will be sitting in the temple.

There’ll be a table of the Lord and the priests, as described in Ezekiel 40, will bring their sacrifices to Him and they’ll eat these sacrifices with Him.

In the Old Testament the priest would eat the sacrifice. The burnt ones are all burned up but the other ones they’d eat.

That’s what the priest’s privilege was and so in the Kingdom come the priest will take the sacrifices for the sins of the people.

They’ll come to that table of the Lord, and Christ’s priests’ll sit and eat with Him.

In this amazing picture the whole world comes to Jerusalem and what are they doing? Bringing sacrifices to the King of all the earth.

You and I are not going to be on the Earth but that’s what’s going to happen. Read Ezekiel 40 through 48 and you’ll read more about that temple and the temple worship before the table of the Lord and how they’ll follow that law.

Isaiah 66 says that they’ll observe the Sabbaths, Passover, and the new moons and all those holy days.

They won’t celebrate their deliverance out of Egypt at Passover, but Jesus Christ and his shed blood.

They’re going to observe those holidays and those Sabbath days as they were then in the past shadows of the things to come which is this Kingdom on the earth.

The millennial reign’ll be an institution of perfect worship on the earth which is why they pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven”.

There’ll be a final judgment after the thousand years, after Christ’s reign of righteousness and judgment, after Israel’s rise.

There’ll be an uprising when Satan’s released, as we’ve seen, and Christ, the King, will put that uprising down very quickly as Revelation 20 says.

Fire comes down and devours the rebellious just like in the Old Testament, and immediately after this happens there’s a judgment.

Revelation 20:11 and 12,

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 

Are you and I going to be there?

The answer is no!

If we’re saved by God’s grace, we’re not saved by works, we’re not judged by works.

We’re saved in Christ Jesus and we’re in Heaven at this time.

These are all the dead who have been in Hades as verse 13 says,

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 

This resurrection of the dead is not for believers.

For believers who died during the tribulation, the resurrection of the just has already happened and, of course, the dead from our age today, the dispensation of grace, were resurrected at the catching away of the Body of Christ, the rapture, along with those that were alive at the time.

This is the resurrection of the unjust.

Death is not the end of the story.

Those dead who’re not saved throughout the ages will see Jesus Christ.

In Revelation 20 verse 11 there’s the final judgment. All the unbelieving world’ll be judged, you see. All those throughout the ages who’ve rejected God and the salvation He paid such an incredible price to give us.

This includes Hitler along with every filthy dictator like him. The politically correct, self-serving unjust judges and politicians, the war and terror merchants, every killer and thief, every unbelieving, God rejecting person who ever lived.

This is why we read in Deuteronomy 32:35,

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’ 

And in Romans 12:19,

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 

They’ll all be resurrected and stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, King of all the earth and answer for their sins and their works.

As believers we’re judged righteous. Not for our good works, we have none, but because Jesus was judged on our behalf all those years ago at Calvary’s cross.

But these people have rejected what Jesus did in taking our place, so judgment can only be carried out on their own works and there’s no righteousness in those works.

At the end of this judgment, we have Revelation 20 verse 14 saying,

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

No one will ever go to Hades, to hell, anymore after that because it, along with death has been destroyed forever.

Then verse 15 says,

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. 

That’s when we move to Revelation chapter 21, and in verse 1 John says,

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

To the Jewish mind, the sea meant a place of separation and evil.

In verse 2 John says,

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Then in verses 3 and 4,

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 

Then in verse 5,

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

God’s intention throughout all mankind’s history is to first show this world what righteous reign looks like in a sinful world, then get rid of sin, get rid of death, and make everything new.

Believers are here for eternity with Christ. They’re serving Christ with no pain, no death, and no sorrow and they’re reigning with him forever.

You and I as believers are part of that reign but not on the earth. We’re in Heavenly places. We’re part of God’s great purpose to reign with him forever in perfect righteousness, but we’re not part of Israel on the Earth.

Ephesians 2:4 to 7 make this clear as it says,

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

We’ve been given a Heavenly place, so when we talk about this everlasting Kingdom and how great it’s going to be, where all things are new, we see that we’re part of the Heavenly purpose of God.

We have a hope that Jesus Christ, as King will reign both in heaven and earth and we’ll be subject to him.

This is the great hope. It’s why we see in Revelation 22:0,

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 

So, when we read these things about the Kingdom, we can understand it’s for Israel and it’s for the Earth. We see in this preaching of the Kingdom, God’s plan to reign in righteousness.

It also should give us hope for the heavenly places as well, because that’s how he’s going to reign there, with righteousness, and justice. We’re going to be with him in glory in heaven.

May all who have the opportunity to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth do so today.