EMBRACING THE KINGDOM Part I

EMBRACING THE KINGDOM Part I

The Millennial Reign of Christ

I. THE JEWISH EXPECTATION OF THE COMING MESSIAH

Luke 24:13-21

13  Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus,

which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 

14  And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 

15  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and

went with them. 

16  But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17  And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one

another as you walk and are sad?”

18  Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the

only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened

there in these days?”

19  And He said to them, “What things?”so they said to Him, “The things concerning

Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all

the people, 

20  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death,

and crucified Him. 

21  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides

all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

II. THE KINGDOM NOW BUT NOT YET

Matthew 4:17

17  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of

heaven is at hand.”

III. DIFFERING VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

1. Three Differing Views

a. Post-Millennialism

Post Millennialism: interprets the 1000 years figuratively. This view states

that the majority of the world will be converted to Christ through the

Preaching of the Gospel. This will result in a period of universal peace and

righteousness. Thus the millennium stands for an indefinite long period of

time in which there will be a “Golden Age” of spiritual and moral prosperity.

At the close of this “Golden Age” Christ will come, the dead, both righteous

and wicked, will be raised, and the judgment will follow.

b. Amillennialism: Interprets Revelation 20:1-10 symbolically and spiritually, but

it rejects the notion of an earthly millennium altogether—whether spiritual

or material. This view believes that the Bible teaches that good and evil will

continue side by side until the end of time. Christ may come at any time.

When He does the dead will be raised and there will be a final judgment at

which the saved and lost will be separated. Then eternity begins.

c. Pre-Millennialism (This is the view I Hold)

Revelation 20:1-10 refers to a literal reign of Christ on earth. This reign will

be established when Christ comes again.

Perspicuity of Scripture- clearness or lucidity, as of a statement.

IV. THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST

The Millennial Reign of Christ is the literal reign of Jesus Christ on this earth for

1,000 years. The word millennium is a compound derivative from Latin, which

simply translates into one thousand years. It immediately follows the Great

Tribulation, which is a period of intense suffering.

1. It Begins with The Second Coming of Christ

a. Jesus Returns

Revelation 19:11-16

11  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on

him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes

war. 

12  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a

name written that no one knew except Himself. 

13  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of

God. 

14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him

on white horses. 

15  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the

nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the

winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

16  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

b. The Beast (Antichrist) and his kings will try to make war with the Lamb and

His Saints.

Revelation 17:12-14

12  “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom

as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 

13  These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the

beast. 

14  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for

He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called,

chosen, and faithful.”

c. Spirits will drive men and nations to the battle.

Revelation 16:12-14

12  Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and

its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be

prepared. 

13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the

dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false

prophet. 

14  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the

kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of

that great day of God Almighty.

d. There will be a great defeat.

Revelation 19:19-21

19  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. 

20  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. 

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.

2. Satan Will Be Bound For 1,000 Years

Revelation 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless

pit and a great chain in his hand.

2  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and

bound him for a thousand years;

3  and he cast him 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.

V. THE CHARASTERISTICS OF THE KINGDOM

1. There will be tremendous peace.

Isaiah 2:2-4

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s

house Shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted

above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.

3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of

the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we

shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of

the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; They shall beat

their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall

not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Isaiah 11:6-9

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the

young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little

child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And

the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put

his hand in the viper’s den.

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.

2. Christ alone will govern.

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be

upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty

God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

3. There will be joy unspeakable.

Isaiah 9:3-4

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You

According to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, The

rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

4. There will be childbearing and longevity.

Isaiah 65:20-23

“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has

not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner

being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat

their fruit.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat;

For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall

long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall

be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them.

5. There will be marriage.

Isaiah 4:1-3

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We will eat

our own food and wear our own apparel; Only let us be called by your name, To

take away our reproach.”

2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit

of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have

escaped. 3  And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in

Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in

Jerusalem.

6. There will be labor.

Isaiah 62:8-9

The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength: “Surely I

will no longer give your grain As food for your enemies; And the sons of the

foreigner shall not drink your new wine, For which you have labored.

9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; Those who

have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.

7. The offspring of some mortal believers may be disobedient at times.

Zechariah 14:16-21

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came

against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of

hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

17  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to

Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.

18  If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain;

they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not

come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

19  This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations

that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

20  In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the

horses. The pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21  Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts.

Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day

there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

8. There will be Holiness.

Isaiah 1:26-27

I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning.

Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness.

9. There will be Glory.

Isaiah 24:23

Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will

reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously.

10. There will be comfort.

Isaiah 12:1-2

And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry

with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is

my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ “

11. There will be justice.

Isaiah 9:7

Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the

throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment

and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts

will perform this.

12. There will be full knowledge.

Isaiah 11:1-2,9

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out

of his roots.

2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and

understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of

the fear of the LORD.

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.

Habakkuk 2:14

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the

waters cover the sea

13. There will be abundant productivity through removing of the curse.

Isaiah 11:6-9

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the

young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little

child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put

his hand in the viper’s den.

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.

14. There will be no sickness.

Isaiah 33:24

And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be

forgiven their iniquity

15. There will be freedom from all forms of oppression that presently ravage

mankind.

Isaiah 14:3-6

It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and

from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,

4  that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How

the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased!

5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers;

6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the

nations in anger.

Zechariah 9:11-12

“As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners

free from the waterless pit.

12 Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope.

Even today I declare That I will restore double to you

VI. THE LOOSING OF SATAN AND THE DECEIVING OF THE NATIONS

Revelation 20:7-9

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

8  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.

9  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints

and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured

them.