Beginning of the 1,000 years
Some major events at the coming of Christ
by Keith Hunt There are dozens of verses and passages in the Bible that proclaim the literal Kingdom of God on earth. The book of Revelation, chapter 20, uses the phrase "one thousand years" in reference to the Messiah and the saints ruling on this earth. We shall in this study look at some of the passages that concern the coming of God's Kingdom and the time setting of the beginning of that 1,000 year reign. First, we see the Kingdom age is promised in Isaiah chapter 2, verses one to five (basically repeated in Micah chapter 4). In the last days of man's reign on earth the Kingdom of God will be established on the top of all other nations. All nations will flow to it, people will finally say that they do want to learn God's way of life and live by His laws and commandment and walk in His way. It is the time when the law of the Lord shall go forth from Zion and Jerusalem. He, the Lord will judge the people of earth, and rebuke when rebuke is needed. People will turn their swords into farming implements. Nations will no longer war against each other, neither will they have academies where war is taught and learned. When will this all take place, or begin to take place? It will be at the sound of the SEVENTH trumpet, according to Revelation 11:15-19. This seventh trumpet will sound, and a great cry will go from the beings in heaven that it is NOW the time for God to take His great power and to reign, and it is the time for the DEAD to be judged and rewards given to the saints. As we study the book of Revelation we will discover that there are ONLY SEVEN trumpets to sound, and it is when the SEVENTH trumpet sounds that God comes to destroy and punish them that are destroying the earth (and Revelation is about much of man's destruction to man and the earth) and to reward the saints, and for God to reign. This trumpet sound is mentioned by the apostle Paul in two very important passages concerning the Kingdom of God on earth. One of those passages in the famous "resurrection chapter" of 1 Corinthians 15. Paul explains many wonderful truths about the immortal resurrection of the saints and with what body they will have in that mighty resurrection. A change must come for as he states in verse 50, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. He admits in verse 51, that not all saints or children of God will be asleep in death, some will be living in their flesh and blood body. Yet in a twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP (the same trump as the seventh one in the book of Revelation), at the sound of the last trumpet, the dead shall be RAISED incorruptible and those still alive in the flesh, shall be CHANGED. This is unquestionably talking about the RESURRECTION of the saints, the FIRST resurrection as Revelation 20 informs us. It is the time when the Job knew he would be raised from the dead and CHANGED (Job 14:10-15), when the REDEEMER would COME in the latter days and STAND on the earth (Job 19:25). Paul talks about the same time in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 13-18. He wants us not to be ignorant of those who have died in Christ (verse 13). If we believe Jesus died and rose again, then those who die in Christ, will come with Him, when He returns to this earth to once more stand upon it (as Job said he would). How will they come with Him? They will come with Him, not because they are up in heaven and come with Him to earth from heaven, but, or "FOR" the connecting word, Paul goes on to tell us how they will come with Jesus to earth. Those that are alive in the flesh will not precede to meet Jesus before those which are asleep in the graves. FOR, the connecting word again, verse 16, the Lord shall descend from heaven with ...a TRUMPET sound, and the dead in christ shall rise first, and those saints alive in the flesh (shall be changed as we have seen in 1 Corinthians 15), both groups of saints, will caught up into the CLOUDS, into the AIR, to meet with the Lord (nothing here about going back to heaven, nothing here about going any higher than the clouds). Then as Paul says, we shall ever be with the Lord. What Paul does not answer here, is WHERE shall we go AFTER me meet the Lord in the clouds of the air of this earth? The answer is in another part of the Bible. Ah, yes, that is why we are to read the Bible from COVER to COVER. God often does not give us the answer to a certain truth or topic in just one place. Certainly the truths of what takes place at the coming of the Lord Messiah, is not all in one place or one passage of Scripture. The answer as to where we go after we have met the Lord in the clouds is given to us in the book of Zechariah, chapter 14. The chapter opens and we are in "the day of the Lord" and specifically when all nations are gathered to fight at Jerusalem, and the Lord (Hebrew is YHVH in verse 3,5,7,9) will go forth and fight against them. This is the same as Revelation chapter 16, and 19. Notice verse 4. It is IN THAT DAY, just spoken about in verse 1-3, that the Lord's FEET will STAND on the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem. Notice verse 5 and the last words, "...and the Lord my God (yes Jesus the Messiah is Lord and God, but so is His Father, two beings but both are part of the Godhead. See other in-depth studies on this Website about God) shall come and all the saints (or holy ones) with thee." The CONTEXT of the chapter and verses that follow, prove this is the very day of Jesus' return to earth, and in that day His feet stand on the mount of Olives. The saints are with Him! Yes, because they have been resurrected or changed to glory as we have already seen. From the meeting with Christ in the clouds of the air, we saints will continue to descend with Him, to the mount of Olives, to fight against the nations that have come up to Jerusalem to fight, which ties in with Revelation 16 and 19. NOT ALL UNBELIEVERS WILL BE DESTROYED Not all people from all nations will come up to Jerusalem to fight against Jesus and the saints on His day of return. But the main armies of the Beast power and the main armies of the men of the east, on the east side of the river Euphrates (see Rev.16:12- 16) will comprise the overall ten kings or kingdoms to unite with the man beast and fight the Lamb (Jesus) on His coming (see Rev.17:12-14). The prophet Isaiah was given the same vision of this specific day of the Lord, when the Lord will come with fire and a sword to fight (Isa.66:15-24). Notice verse 19. There will be some nations of people who despite seeing the signs of heaven, and the glory of the coming Messiah, will NOT know what is going on. They will not know the Lord. They will not understand God's word, nor will they have been shown the fame and the glory of the Lord. God will send missionaries to these people and they shall be taught the word and ways of the Lord. Again read carefully the words of Isaiah 2:1-4. People will learn and will want to come up to Jerusalem for they will have heard that God is dwelling there. They will want to know the laws and commandments of God. There are many passages on how the blindness of the spiritual veil covering the minds of people, will be lifted, from the day forward that Jesus' feet touch the mount of Olives. see my study called "Armageddon and the Age to Come" on this Website. JUDAH WILL FIGHT AT JERUSALEM Everywhere in the prophets of old where you read about the House of Judah and the House of Israel at the coming of the Messiah, you will find BOTH Houses, both the people of Judah and Israel, are in CAPTIVITY to their enemies, out of which Jesus saves them, delivers them. Some of the Jews will still be in Judea and Jerusalem as captives from the time of the last 42 months of this age, to the time of Christ's glorious coming. We find this truth in chapters 12 and 13 of Zechariah. Jerusalem is a cup of trembling to all nations, and all nations are gathered together against it (verses 2 and 3). God will again open His eyes upon Judah, and those Jews inhabiting Jerusalem will be strong again through the Lord (verses 4,5). God will save the Jews left there, he will now defend them from their enemies, and they shall become strong, as the Lord seeks to destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem (verses 8,9). Grace, salvation will be poured upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem as they look upon Him whom they pierced, and they shall weep as they now will admit Jesus the Christ was and is indeed the Messiah (verse 10). There will be mourning and weeping of repentance and joy mingled as one (verses 11-14). Chapter 13 continues with "in that day" - it is national repentance and a time when so-called "prophets" (religious leaders) admit they should have been farmers and not teachers of God's word (verses 1-5). The time has come for God to do battle against the nations at Jerusalem as foretold in Revelation 16. It is the battle of Armageddon and the battle of Jerusalem. It is time to deliver Israel and Judah out of their enemies hands. It is time to cast the beast man with the false prophet man into the fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:19-21). ISRAEL AND JUDAH UNITE AND RETURN TO PALESTINE The house of Israel and the House of Judah have been scattered into the nations of their enemies (Ezekiel 34:1-8). It is for their sins that they have been punished with destruction and captivity, and in a large part that punishment for sins came upon them because the "shepherds" (leaders - especially religious leaders) did not feed them on the truth of the word of the Lord. God will now upon his coming to earth DELIVER Israel and Judah from the nations they have been scattered into (verses 11-16). It is the time of the RESURRECTION for David is raised up to be again their king under the Messiah. It is the time when Israel shall NEVER again be a prey to the heathen. They will dwell in full safety, which has never happened in all history (verses 22-28). Ezekiel 36. What a wonderful chapter. Deliverance for Israel (all 13 tribes) from their enemies. It is a time of RESTITUTION of Israel and all good physical things. It is a time when a NEW heart is given them, a heart of flesh and not stone, a heart filled with God's Spirit. Then comes the little understood chapter 37 of Ezekiel. The valley of dry bones. It is a physical resurrection of physical Israelites that have died, especially in the last 42 months of the age of man, during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. This is clearly a physical resurrection of Israelites, the words are plain to understand. This section ties directly in with Isaiah chapter 24 through chapter 27. The Feast of Tabernacles is now a reality (chap.25:6). Blindness of the heart is removed, and death and tears are wiped away (verses 7,8). Now it truly can be said "Lo, this is our God, and we have waited for Him, and He will save us,: this is the Lord and we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (verse 9). Notice the song to be sung in the land of Judah in that day - chapter 26. Isaiah tells them, Israel and Judah, that when HE arises in the resurrection, their dead men will also rise (verse 19). Here is Ezekiel 37, a physical resurrection for Israelites, the time when the stick of Israel and the stick of Judah will be united as ONE stick. It is the coming of the Lord to raise the saints to immortality and to raise many physical Israelites back to physical life, at the last trumpet, when the angels shall go forth and gather the ELECT from the four winds, to CHANGE the living saints from flesh and blood to immortal spirit, to lead them to the clouds of the air of this world, so they can be united with their Savior, and come with Him to fight the nations gathered at Jerusalem, and to set foot on the mount of Olives that same day. It is the time to raise many physical Israelites to physical life, and to gather ALL living Israelites from the nations of the world where they have been scattered, as punishment for their sins, and to lead them back to Palestine, where they will be given a heart of flesh and God's Spirit, and everlasting peace and safety, as well as the spiritual salvation of the Lord God, who will now dwell in their midst. THE WONDERFUL ISAIAH ELEVEN AND TWELVE This has only been a short brief look at the many prophecies of the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Jesus the Messiah on earth. Isaiah chapter 11 and 12 add some more in a relative nut-shell passage of inspiring truths of promises, concerning that age to come at the glorious coming of the Messiah. Most agree that verse one of chapter 11, is talking about the Branch of Jesse as Jesus the Christ, and how He will judge the world in righteousness. When He does this it is the time of miracles among the physical animals of the world, when the lion shall eat straw like the ox. In that day the Lord shall set His hand to recover the remnant of the people of Israel from certain nations. The outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered as one people from the four corners of the earth. There will be another great Exodus as like it was when the tribes of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. It is a time of singing, praising the Lord. It is the time when HE will DWELL, literally in the midst of them. What a mighty and WONDERFUL day that will be!! .................. Written during the Feast of Tabernacles, 2004 Christ's Reign on EarthAll the prophecies about it
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