The Glorious Appearing
When King Jesus Reigns On Earth #2
Isaiah 65:20-25
We are about to finish up our study of what happens when Jesus comes back to earth. We started a couple of weeks ago looking at some of the characteristics of the millennial.
In particular we talked about the purpose for and the prelude to the millennium. In particular, we looked at the judgment of the nations from Matthew 25 and how it separates those who will enter the kingdom from those who don’t.
Tonight, let’s take a look at those who enter the Kingdom. They are
1. The Citizens of The Millennium
I think I mentioned last time how people in physical bodies will come out of the tribulation and live on the earth alongside those who have already received glorified bodies.
Is that hard to imagine? Not really. Think of Jesus in his post-resurrection body. He looked just like a gardener when Mary saw him outside the tomb. We find him walking and talking and eating just like other humans.
Some things were obviously different, such as not having to use the door to enter a room, but physical appearance was not different. He still had the marks of the crucifixion in his hands and side.
So these supernatural people will live alongside physical people. Now those in physical bodies will still be getting married and having children. There will be productive labor.
We will travel to Jerusalem and see Jesus. We will still have electronic capabilities like TV and internet.
And life on earth will be very much like it is right now, only better.
Isaiah 65:20-25
God lifts the curse upon the earth during this time. And He lifts the curse upon mankind that Satan brought. When Satan is bound, there is no more sickness, no famines, no starving children in India, no earthquakes. There will be no more of that kind of stuff. Satan is bound and Jesus is here and what we have is a world that is perfect.
2. The Characteristics of The Millennium
Romans 8:18-27
We found out Sunday that when Adam and Eve sinned, the whole creation felt the effects of that. That’s what we are reading about here in Romans.
In fact, everything in heaven and earth was affected byt the fall. The earth groans, humanity groans and even the Spirit groans in response to what it has done.
And during the millennium that curse is lifted.
Isaiah 35:1-2 is a prophecy concerning Israel, but it is speaking of the millennial time.
Isaiah 35:1-2
The ground will be productive and beautiful.
There will be abundant moisture and plenty of food for man and animals.
Look at Isaiah 30:23-24
If you had rain every time you needed rain as a farmer and you had no hail, wind, or other adversities from the weather and all you had was perfect weather what kind of crop could you grow? If you had no insects, no disease of any kind in your crop, what kind of crop could you grow? I mean there would be food so abundant nobody in this world could possibly be hungry.
The distinctions between wild and tame animals will be erased.
Isaiah 11:6-7
Can you see the picture of a little child leading a leopard or a wolf? Can you see a lamb lying down with a lion? You won't see it today, but you are going to see it then in that kingdom because it will be a kingdom of total peace.
Then there will be unprecedented prosperity, peace, justice, and spiritual blessing will be the norm. Poverty, disease, and injustice will be brought to an end. Labor problems, racial pressures, class differences, these are the things that tear our world apart today, but they are going to be eliminated.
And everyone will have everything they need. There won’t be a huge difference between rich and poor. There will not be classes of people. All those sociological terms will be obsolete because everybody in this kingdom will receive the same blessings and opportunities because of Christ's reign. If something is wrong, Christ will straighten it out.
3. The Contrasts of The Millennium
Now we there are some contrasts that are important for us to notice. The millennium is not heaven. One of these days, we’ll get to where we are going. But this world isn’t it and even when we live in a relatively perfect state on this world that isn’t it either.
Our loved ones who are in heaven now are in a place of blessedness and joy and they look upon the Savior. They are with the Lord but this isn't the final place where they will be either. The final place we will be is in a new heaven and a new earth that God is preparing.
In fact, there is a great contrast between any existence on this earth and our eternal dwelling place.
For instance, even though we are in the millennium, it is still just a continuation of life on earth. It’s a continuation of human history on earth. Heaven is something far different than we experience here.
Life on earth is always measured in time. In other words, it is a finite time. We can measure from Adam to the flood and from Noah to Abraham and Abraham to Jesus.
We keep time in years from the birth of Christ. We have seven years of tribulation. And even the millennium is a fixed time. But in the eternal state, nobody is going to count the years. There will be no need to count the years because nothing will change forever and forever and forever. And it will be a perfect world and a perfect place for God's people.
On the earth, you still have to deal with sin. It was true in the Garden of Eden and it is true for any period of time on the earth including the millennial reign. It is restrained to one degree or the other through the reign of Christ, but in eternity, there will be no sin.
And I want to be careful in how I say this next contrast, but I think it needs to be mentioned that during the millennium, the focus is on Jesus. But in heaven the focus is on God. the Father.
And in reality that will be the first time in all of time that has taken place. God has worked through the Holy Spirit. He has worked through Christ on earth, but God has revealed Himself to no person face to face. He will in the millennium because Jesus is God but as God the Father, in the role of God the Father, this will come to pass in the eternal state.
The millennium will be a time when resurrected believers and non-resurrected humans will routinely co-mingle in history. In other words, people will still be in physical bodies while others are glorified.
The millennium will be a time when humans will either accept or reject Christ as Savior. But in heaven all the decisions have been made.
You may have heard the term “dispensational theology”. That is the dividing of history into dispensations. Maybe you have seen those charts of history showing you all the different dispensations of time. So
First comes the dispensation of innocence with Adam and Eve. Then after that you have the dispensation of the patriarchs up through Moses.
Then you have the dispensation of the law. The law continued until Jesus came. Then you had the dispensation of the church age. And following that you have the dispensation of the tribulation. And following that you have the dispensation of the millennium. And following that you have the eternal state.
I think that is a good way to view God’s involvement in human history and get your mind around all of that. But one of these days there will be no more divisions of time and eras and dispensations when God ultimately and finally brings it all to a conclusion by allowing us to live with Him in a place that will forevermore be the same and at the same time brand new.
We read about it in Revelation 21:1-7
Kind of makes you hungry for the coming of the Lord doesn’t it?
Let’s pray
