The Time Span of the Bible - Millennial Bible Study Part 1

Hi Friends!  The Lord has seen fit to lead me into a few insights recently.  I attempted to compile them all into one post but it was a discombobulated mess that seemed to go on for days!  Most of this is new territory for me and perhaps it will be for you, so I've decided to break this up into bite size parts.  Hopefully, this will allow us to spend the appropriate time, reference the applicable Scriptures, and let the Word of God accomplish what it will in our lives.  I'm excited to explore ideas, avenues and truths that are not your common Bible study fare and have not been exhausted, even among eschatology enthusiasts.  I will try to site Scriptures where new ideas are represented or to provide interesting context, I won't go into an exhaustive study on the basic doctrine.

(Note, these posts were originally published from March 1, 2015 forward.  I've amended the dates of the posts so that they will appear in order under the Millennial Bible Study Tab)

The Period of the Bible:

Have you ever wondered about the war in Heaven when the Devil and his angels fell?  Have you ever wondered who or what demons are?  Have you ever wondered what we are going to be doing for eternity?  Have you ever contemplated why we don't have that information?

Here is a clear spiritual truth:  The Bible is specific to this 7000 year period of man on Earth.

That's it, no more, no less - we don't know much about what God was doing before the Earth was created and we don't know much about eternity after the Millennium.

Before Creation:
The Lord does give us some info and primarily seems to give us information about the enemy.  Here's what we do know:

We see that the angels were witnesses to the Creation (Job 38:4-7), so we know that they were around before the Earth.

Psalm 8 appears to be written from an angel's point of view, right after the Creation because it states that God walks with man (Psalm 8:4).

We do not know the timing of Satan's rebellion but we do know that by Genesis 3, he was already the enemy of God.  We know how the rebellion began in Satan's prideful heart (Ezekiel 28:17) and we know that he sought to exalt himself above the Most High (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Jesus says that he saw Satan thrown down from Heaven like lightening (Luke 10:18) but we are not quite sure when this took place!

Eternity:
In addition, we are not told much about eternity, except the most salient point which is the assurance that the church will be with the Lord always (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Revelation 22:14-15 is totally confusing if you try to study it through the "eternity" filter.  Sin?  Unsaved people?  How can that be in eternity?

The mistake stems from Rev 21:1, the new Heaven and the new Earth.  This looks like eternity but it's not.  Like 42% of Revelation, it's taken directly from the Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22.  Taken in context this is clearly the coming age of Israel - the thousand year reign of the Lord on the Earth; the Millennium.

Once we understand that the Bible was written for yesterday, today, and tomorrow and that tomorrow only goes as far as the end of the Millennial Kingdom, we can study the Scriptures with increased discernment and understanding.

Two Jerusalems? - Millennial Bible Study Part 2

Long term Abigail and Dolley readers will know that we love Bible Prophecy here.  We need to encourage one another and reassure our troubled souls that these days might be dark but there is a plan and there is a God and we do not lose.  But let's be frank, have you ever thought, "What the heck is going on at the end of the Book of Revelation?"  I have!  Our basic text for this will be the last two chapters of the bible, read Revelation 21 and 22 to get started.

Here's today's spiritual truths:  In the Book of Revelation, there are two cities named Jerusalem.  They both come down from Heaven and the city we know as Jerusalem is largely destroyed.

Like York and New York, they are different places!  New Jerusalem and Jerusalem aka the Holy City and hereafter referred to as such are not always specified in the text which is which, so the reader has to know the context and the differences to determine which place is being referred to in which passage.  Understanding the similarities and differences make that task easier.  So here goes:

How are they alike:

• They are both physical places
• God dwells with His People in both of them (Rev 21:3 and Rev 22:1)
• They both shine with the Glory of God (Rev 21:23 and Rev 22:5)
• There is no night in either place (Rev 21:25 and Rev 22:5)
• Both have 12 gates (Rev 21:12 and Ezekiel 48:30)
• Both descend from Heaven (Rev 21:2 and Rev 21:10)

How are they different:

• Jerusalem the Holy City is on the Earth (Rev 21:3, Ezekiel 40:2, Rev 20:9)
• New Jerusalem is above the Earth (See below for Scriptures)
• The Holy City is 1 mile square (Ezekiel 48:30)
• New Jerusalem is about 1400 miles square (Rev 21:16)
• People in physical bodies can enter the Holy City (Ezekiel 46:9) (Rev 22:14)
• No one in a physical body can enter New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27)
• The Holy City gives light to the region and its neighbors (Rev 22:5)
• New Jerusalem gives light to the Earth (Rev 21:24)
• The Holy City has a functioning and working Old Testament Style Temple (Ezekiel 45:13-15,17)
• New Jerusalem does not have a Temple (Rev 21:22)
• The Gentile Nations will come and bring sacrifices to the Holy City  (Zechariah 14:16-19)
• People in physical bodies, who keep God's commandments come and eat from the tree of life (Rev 22:14)

What happens to Jerusalem as we know it today?

• For all intents and purposes, the city is wiped out during the Tribulation. (Zechariah 14:2) (Isaiah 24:3 and Isaiah 24:12)
• Zechariah 14:4 describes the gigantic earthquake that accompanies the Second Coming touch down
• Fault lines have been discovered that run under Jerusalem
• The rubble falls into the chasm and is buried forever with the living water that flows from the new temple and the new city.
• Jeremiah 4:23-28 describes the condition of the Earth at the second coming, basically destroyed.
• Isaiah 24:19-20 confirms the utter destruction.
• The latter part of Isaiah 61 describes the Millennial Kingdom and speaks of rebuilding the desolate and destroyed cities (Isaiah 61:4). 

Now for what I believe is a new revelation -

Both Cities Come Down from Heaven:

Given that Jerusalem is in ruins, I surmise that both the earthly and the heavenly cities are made by God and both descend from Heaven.  No one disputes that New Jerusalem is made by God but I've never read any teaching that states that the earthly Jerusalem is made by God and descends from Heaven but here is my opinion:

Let's look at the Scripture: Rev 21:1-3 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying , Behold , the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

We must understand the new Heaven and the new Earth; the earth is wiped out after the Tribulation.  Also, this is a quote from the Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22.  Taken in context this is clearly the coming age of Israel - the thousand year reign of the Lord on the Earth; the Millennium.  So we are talking about Israel here.  The next verse says she is adorned like a bride, not that she IS the bride.  Finally, God proclaims that his tabernacle is with men and that he will dwell with them.  We know men don't dwell in New Jerusalem.

In the same chapter, we move forward six verses to Rev 21:9-10 and the angel of the Lord takes John to another place to see the bride of the Lamb.  This is clearly a different place, a different city, yet both have descended out of Heaven made by God.

The Sheer Size of New Jerusalem make it impossible (well, nothing is impossible for God) for the city to be physically on the earth.  1450 miles square... this is equivalent to the entire east coast of the US to the Mississippi River.... Our atmosphere is only 300 miles tall, what would attaching a gigantic cube due to a perfectly balanced spinning planet?  How would the rest of the world receive light if the city was on earth? The below picture is not exactly to scale but you get the idea of how massive New Jerusalem is.

Jack Kelley put the resolution of this question quite eloquently:  With the differentiation of these two Holy Cities, the apparent conflict between Jewish and Christian eschatology is resolved. Israel was promised that one day GOD would come to Earth to dwell among them forever, while the Church is promised that Jesus will come to take us to heaven to live with Him there. Both promises come true.Since Ezekiel specifically quoted the Lord’s promise to dwell among the Israelites forever (43:7) and then described the new Holy City, while Jesus promised to return for the Church to take us to be with Him (John 14:1-3), they must have been talking about two different destinations. They were. Heaven is the New Jerusalem where we will dwell with the Lord forever, while the Holy City on Earth is Jehovah Shammah where God will dwell in the midst of His people Israel forever.. (source The Coming Temple)

(Note, we develop these ideas further in Part 3 but particularly in Part 4 where we show that Jesus makes both cities!)

How God Speaks Through the Ages - Millennial Bible Study Part 3

Hi Friends!  This is the Third Part of an ongoing study, I invite you come along while we look at the way God relates to people through the ages.

Our big spiritual truth in this lesson is:  The sealing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit is unique in all the ages and is reserved exclusively for the Church.

The Old Testament:

Pillar of Fire around the Tabernacle

God related to the Jews in the Old Testament through the prophets but also by direct contact, he poured out His Power in miraculous signs, wonders, and pillars of fire.  He spoke to the people from the Heavens (and scared them to near to death Exodus 19:19) so much so that they asked that He not do it anymore and speak through Moses, Exodus 20:19.

Christians often sit in judgment when they read about the failure of Israel in the Old Testament, but we have to consider that these people did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes they would be temporary used by the Spirit (1 Samuel 11:6) but they were not indwelt, they couldn't be without the sanctification of the blood of Christ.  David, a man after God's own heart, had the Spirit on him but not in him. (1 Samuel 16:13).

Christ's Ministry on Earth:
God continued to speak with the Jews through external sources, miracles, and the prophets until the Lord Jesus came.  Then He spoke directly to the Jews, not in a thunderous voice from the Heavens, but through His Son.  We have to realize that Christ's ministry was only to the Jews while He was on this Earth.  That's tough to swallow, especially if you come from a replacement theology background, but it is the truth.  Read Jesus own words to the Canaanite woman who was seeking healing for her daughter:  But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."… (Matthew 15:24-26)  So His ministry was not to the Gentiles of the church, it was to the Jews, period.  The Lord related to the Jews directly until Pentecost, from that point forward - the Church Age began.

Pentecost

The Church Age:
During the Church Age, the Holy Spirit spiritually enters a believer, Jew or Gentile.  Jesus called the Holy Spirit, the Helper.  Through the Holy Spirit, believers testify to the truth and are instructed to do the work of the Lord here on the Earth.  There are no booming declarations from above, no pillars of fire leading the people forth in the Wilderness, no feeding of the 5000, no parting of the Red Sea.   Jesus himself ushers in this change, this truth, with the last beatitude, "Blessed are those who have believed and not seen." John 20:29.

Today, the Lord is quieter, gentler, more subtle.  He woos his Bride with kindness and gentleness.  Those who believe in Him during this time receive the greatest blessing of the age.  The church holds the highest position of honor and power.  In no other group of people does God indwell, not the Old Testament Saints, Tribulation Martyrs, Tribulation Believers, nor those that come to faith in the Millennium.  This honor belongs solely to the Church. (Let that sink in for a minute.)

The Lord is present on the Earth through His Church but because we are in the flesh, we have never fully manifested the Power that He promised; we don't move mountains, we see healing rarely if ever, we lose more often than we win in political and cultural battles.  We are, by and large, puny in power from a magnificence manifestation perspective.  Yet the Lord himself said he would lay the foundation of the church and the gates of hell shall not prevail upon it.  I believe our power will be perfected in the Millennial age - stay with me while I explain.

The Bride of Christ at the Rapture

The Rapture and the Tribulation:
From the moment of the Rapture, the Church will depart from the Earth and with it the age of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the great restrainer (2 Thessalonians 2:7).  This will usher in a period of time where the Lord God will once again deal directly with Israel through signs, wonders, and judgement.  Through the Tribulation, God will speak and work just as He did throughout the Old Testament.  Believers will once again, hold tight to their salvation, for they will not be indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

Tribulation Saints are exhorted several times to remain faithful to the end so they do not lose their salvation.  They will be given a portion of the Holy Spirit but will have to be obedient and faithful to retain their position.  (I invite you to study the subject of Post Church Salvation by Jack Kelley)  These are the Bridesmaids in the Parable, all are given a measure of oil (the Holy Spirit) at the time of their salvation but they did not endure to the Second Coming.  Keep in mind, that the Tribulation is God's dealing directly with Israel.  What happens to the rest of the world is secondary, the age of the Gentiles will be finished and they are once again outside of the focus of the Lord.  That's another harsh truth to the replacement theology folks but one needs only to read the words to discover it is truth.

The Millennium:
The Millennial Kingdom is ushered in when the Lord descends from Heaven and touches down on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14).  The Tribulation Martyrs come back with the Lord, I believe they are the army he brings back with Him in Revelation 19:14.  He will set up His Kingdom here on Earth, abiding in the Jerusalem Temple.  There will be no prophets during this time, (Zechariah 13:3) for the Lord will deal directly with the people.  They will worship him with a shadow of Old Testament sacrifice as indicated in Ezekiel 45-46.  The Tribulation Martyrs will serve in the new Temple (Rev. 7:14-15) and rule with the Lord on the Earth during the Millennial reign (Rev. 20:4-6).

Heaven:

Where is the Church during the Tribulation and the Millennium?  During the Tribulation we are having a huge celebration in Heaven.  A 7 year Wedding Supper of the Lamb, where we will receive our crowns, be shown our new home, and be arrayed as the eternal Bride of Christ.  (Ephesians 5:25-27)

I believe that it is while we abide with the Lord in New Jerusalem that the church, who is now the Bride of Christ will come to full power.  Since we will have been perfected and operate only in the true spirit and truth fully aligned with the perfect will of God we will manifest His Power.  We will speak to the mountains and they will move, we will pray for the sick and they will be healed, we will be as Christ was on Earth completely sinless and fully surrendered to the will of the Father.  (John 14:11-13).  We will live in New Jerusalem with the Lord Jesus but we do not know what we will be doing there, whether we will come down to Earth, or exactly what our roles will be but we will soon find out!  

Redeemer of the Bread

Abigail and Dolley readers bakers will tell you, that once you learn the science of bread baking, it becomes an art.  The nuisance of flour, water, yeast, humidity, and temperature insure that no loaf of bread is identical.   Much like the daily walk of faith, we experience the richness of our lives in the variety of the bread.   We bake a lot of bread around here; the theme of bread is spread through the Scripture.   Bible believing Christians should reject the evolutionary theory diets and consider the wholesome and heady art of homemade bread; we've never looked back.

From a Biblical perspective, the rule of first mention finds the term to be one of struggle to feed.  Genesis 3:19 is where God is passing sentence on mankind and the earth for the fall.  The context of bread is that it will cause man to sweat to eat it, toil and hardship from the ground.  The world suffers from hunger and toil; the soil is cursed because of the fall.  The Hebrew word is Lechem and means bread, food, grain but the root word of Lacham means to fight and to do battle.  We also have Unleavened Bread with first mention in Genesis 19:3 of the word Matshsah, in context, Lot is hosting the two angels who have come to destroy Sodom and he feds them unleavened bread.  We also see Chametz in Exodus 12:15 used to describe unleavened bread and used in the same sentence as Matshsah.  Chametz has as it's root word Chamets which means to be cruel, sour, or red.  Manna in Exodus 16:15 from the Hebrew word Man which literally means, "What is it?" it's root word being Mah and is used the first time, when God says to Cain, "What have you done?" Genesis 4:10. Expanding further, we have Challah and Raquiyq as cakes and wafers introduced in Exodus 29:2 which was the consecrated bread of the priests.  For centuries, the Jews have celebrated the Passover Seder never realizing the Messianic significance of the breaking of the bread, the hidden bread broken and hidden away.  The matzah bread eaten on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a symbol of the pierced, stripped, and broken body of Christ.  The process that Jewish bakers employ to insure there is absolutely no yeast or rising of the bread is heroic in its adherence to the law but yeast exists in the air, it grows on our bodies; it symbolizes sin.

Conversely, in the New Testament, the word is Artos which means bread or to eat – Matthew 4:4 the first mention being made by Satan, when he tempts the Lord to turn rocks into bread.  Christ quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 where the Hebrew word Lechem is used.  Jesus tells us he the bread of life, (John 6:35) that those who would partake of his sacrifice will live and reign with Him forever.   At the Last Supper, he took the bread and broke it, the giving it to his disciples and commanding them to partake in his body, broken for them.  After His resurrection, it was the breaking of the bread that revealed his identity to the two disciples that had walked with him on the road to Emmaus.  (Luke 24:30-31).

Where man has had to struggle since the fall under the weight of sin and death, Jesus Messiah's sacrifice did what no mere man could have ever done, He redeemed the bread.

To learn more about how Jews and Christians share in this celebration, I'd ask you to watch this video:

The Coming Temple - Millennial Bible Study Part 4

This is the 4th Study in a recent series that I've titled the Millennial Study, I'd invite you to study the first three as this blog builds on the work we've already done.

I am proposing four new ideas in this study:

1. The Traditional location of the Temple is incorrect.
2. There will be two more temples - The Tribulation Temple and the Millennial Temple.
3. The Millennial Temple will descend from Heaven at the end of the Tribulation
4. Jesus builds the Millennial Temple (Zechariah 6:12-14)

Solomon's Temple:
This is sometimes referred to as the first temple, built by King David's son Solomon.  Erected around 986 BC, it stood for about 400 years and was destroyed by the Babylonians as punishment for Israel's disobedience to the Lord.  (For more facts see The First Temple article)

Scale Model of Solomon's Temple (based on the dimensions in Kings)

Herod's Temple:
Often referred to as the second temple, this was built by King Herod the Great.  Built with permission from Rome, the temple was supposed to help pacify the Jews and make them easier to rule.  This is the temple that was in operation during Jesus time.  It is of note, that while God allowed the business of the Temple to move forward, He did not occupy this temple, nor did it contain the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat.  Tradition holds that it was located on what today is called the Temple Mount, recent archaeological evidence, a reexamination of Scripture, and eye witness accounts from the first through the third century writing suggest that tradition is in error.  Before we continue, please watch the video below on this ground breaking discovery:

The implications of Robert Cornuke's recent discoveries are mind boggling and a perfect revelation for our time.  The Holy Spirit within me quickened to this video and a light bulb popped on when Cornuke points to Jesus Prophecy that no stone will be left standing, (Luke 21:6, Matthew 24:2 and Mark 13:1-2) why have we as Christians thought that was to come?  Why have we not taken the Word of the Lord literally?  I believe it is because that was closed to us, like much of what is pouring out on the Body of Christ in these times.

Consider the irony of the Jews praying at a Roman wall instead of the Temple wall - God's chosen people, so blinded, are worshiping at a wall built by the spirit of Anti-Christ to dominate and control them.  For it is clear in prophetic scriptures that the city of the seven hills is Rome and will be home to the False Prophet during the Tribulation.  Perhaps this discovery will pave the way for the next Temple, not to be built beside the Dome of the Rock but either in Shiloh (where Ezekiel describes the Millennial Temple) or in the site they have uncovered in the Old City.  I cannot say, but it is absolutely clear in Scripture, that there is another temple coming.

The Church Age Temple:
From the destruction of Herod's Temple in 70 AD, there has been no functioning temple on Earth for the Jews to offer sacrifice but is it fair to say that there has been no temple and that there is not temple here on Earth?  Consider 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, would it be fair say, in light of this passage that to assert there is no temple on the Earth now is incorrect?  I think I could make a good argument that we are the temple, the indwelt believer is the temple, where the Lord lives on Earth during this time, throw in 1 Corinthians 3:16 as a supporting Scripture and I think it's a valid point.

The Tribulation Temple:
Right now, as we speak, the Temple Institute is working and planning for the next Temple.  The miraculous delivery at the hands of God in the Ezekiel 38-39 war will draw all of the Jews home to Israel and ignite within them the essential reestablishment of Temple worship (Ezekiel 39: 21-22).  Isaiah 49:22-23 outline the nations that will assist.  Remember, at first Israel will not know that the Anti-Christ is their enemy, he will come as a man of peace and they will accept him as a great ruler.  It is the signing of the treaty with the Anti-Christ that establishes a treaty and allows for the rebuilding on the Temple that triggers the beginning of Daniel's 70th week (Daniel 9:24-27).

At the midway point in the seven year treaty, Anti-Christ will enter the temple (2 Thes. 2:4) that he has helped the Jews rebuild and will commit such an atrocity that it is called the Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15), declare himself God, and kick off the Great Tribulation.  Scriptural references:  Daniel 11:31 (the first occurrence during the Maccabees Revolt), Daniel 9:27, Daniel 12:11, Rev. 13:14-15.

The Destruction of the Tribulation Temple:
In the second part of this series on the Millennium, we looked at Jerusalem and the logic behind the assertion that Jerusalem as it exists today will be largely destroyed by the Mount of Olives Earthquake.  If you have not already done so, please refer to Two Jerusalems.

For this, portion of discussion, let's just rely on common sense and what we know about the Lord.  Do we honestly believe that during the Millennium that the Lord will take up residence in a temple that was built through a rebellious nation of Israel, approved by the Antichrist, and desecrated by Satan?  Again, God can do anything but this does not seem to jive with what we know about Him.  After he returns, he enters into Jerusalem victorious and sets up his throne in the Temple, it makes sense that this temple has been created in Heaven and is part of the new Holy City we watch descend in Rev 21:1-3.

The Millennial Temple:
As we've learned in previous study, there is no Temple in New Jerusalem but it is clear that there is one in the Holy City on Earth.  Jesus builds this temple, look at Zechariah 6:12"Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. 13"Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices."'…

The latter part of Ezekiel, regarding the Temple have always been a source of confusion for the church. Many Bible teachers completely dismiss this writing as  gibberish.  Why would there ever be a working Temple when Jesus was the sacrifice for all time?  Scripture is clear on that point (Hebrews 10:12), but the closer we get to the end of the age, the clearer the future becomes.  God does not deal in falsehoods and would not have given Ezekiel such detailed revelations had they not been for a future purposes.  For there will indeed be Millennial temple, a working temple, where a new form of Old Testament worship will again be practiced for the Jews in Jerusalem and throughout the Earth.  (We touched on this in How God Speaks Through the Ages.)  We'll look at Millennial Salvation in depth later.

Conclusion:
I hope you have enjoyed this exciting subject, it is truly an exciting time to be a believer and a follower of prophetic events!

(Homage to Bible Teacher Jack Kelley at Gracethrufaith, whose writing and insight have taught me so much.)