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Kingdom Life

Last week we talked about the future kingdom predicted by the Prophet Daniel and mentioned in Revelation 20. It begins about 75 days after the end of the Tribulation and will last 1000 years. This kingdom, promised to Israel, is mentioned over and over again in the Old Testament prophets. If you take the time to compile all the texts that deal with it, it makes for a fascinating study.

For the first time since the fall, a perfect man (Jesus Christ) in human flesh will rule the earth. The church along with all the Old Testament and Tribulation saints will be His ministers, carrying out the daily business of the Kingdom. Isaiah 11:2-3 tells us that Christ will rule with all wisdom and righteousness. The Spirit of God will rest on Him, filling Him with wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, and knowledge. In addition, Hosea 3:5 and Ezekiel 37:25 seem to imply that King David will return to his throne and rule along with Christ.

The Character of His Government

Where other human governments have failed, Christ's will succeed. Isaiah 42 tells us that He will rule with unlimited power. The government of the Kingdom will be monarchical in form. Many Americans find that shocking, because we believe that democracy is far superior to one man rule. However, let me point out that the effectiveness of any type of government is directly related to the character of those who rule. The lower that the moral character of a nation's leaders fall, the less effective that government becomes. We see that in our country today. But if the one who rules is absolutely holy and just, his government will be superior to any other.

According to Isaiah 33, Christ will assume all branches of the government: executive, legislative and judicial. He will rule without the interference of filibusters or activist judges. He will be judge, lawgiver, and king – all in one, and He'll rule with a perfect mixture of tenderness and firmness. David describes Him in Psalm 2 as ruling with a rod of iron, but in Isaiah 40, he is portrayed as a tender shepherd who gathers his lambs in his arms.

Spiritual Nature of the Kingdom

The Bible mentions at least six different aspects of Kingdom life. First, the Kingdom will be spiritual in nature. Open sin and rebellion will not be tolerated. Ezekiel 36 describes a national cleansing. All babies born during the Kingdom Age will possess a sin nature like us, but God will give each one a new heart to be able to submit to His holy rule. Those who sin will be dealt with on the spot. There will only be one worldwide faith and the nations will know more about God than anyone might think possible today.

High moral and ethical standards will be honored. Isaiah 32:5 tells us that the fool will no longer be called noble, or the rogue be spoken of as generous, as is the case today. No longer will the hedge fund operators on Wall Street hoard all the money. No longer will a Paris Hilton or Brittney Spears type be a celebrity. Goodness will prevail.

Social Changes

The social changes that are enacted during the Kingdom Age will be breathtaking. Zechariah 9 speaks of the day when war will be eliminated for good. That's something most of us can barely fathom. Industries that produce weapons and instruments of war, will switch their production to farm equipment. Swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Places like West Point will no longer train soldiers. They won't be needed anymore. Imagine a world with perfect peace and no war for 1000 years.

The kingdom will be a place where everything worthwhile will be fostered and encouraged. Not only that, Isaiah 65:21-22 says that men and women will get to keep what they produce. It will be capitalism in its purest form. No longer will an unjust government tax its people to death or take away what they earn. Those who plant their own vineyards will eat the fruit that comes out of them.

Education

Isaiah 33:6 says there will be an abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. Learning will no longer be slanted. Children will be taught ideas based on truth, and everyone will know the Scriptures.

Physical Changes

During the Kingdom, many of the effects of sin will be reversed. One such change will be the wholesale elimination of physical ills and sickness. Isaiah 33:24 says, that the inhabitants of the Kingdom shall not say, “I am sick.” He talks about the lame leaping like deer. Even widespread diseases, like cancer or TB will be things of the past.

Longer Life

People will live much longer. Originally, God created us to live forever. After Adam and Eve fell, the age of man slowly declined. Adam, Noah, and Methuselah all lived to be well over 900 years old, but after that the age of humans dropped rapidly. Today, because of the effects of sin, it is rare for humans to reach the age of 100. For example, the average world life expectancy in 2007 was 68.9 years.

In the Kingdom, that scenario will be reversed. With the effects of sin nearly eradicated, mankind will once again live hundreds of years. Isaiah 65:20 tells us that those who die at age 100 will be considered children. Verse 22 says that people will live as long as trees. Some of the trees in Sequoia National Park are more than 3,000 years old.

One reason for increased longevity of life will be the elimination of hazards and dangers that shorten human life. Ezekiel 34:25 suggests that wild animals will become docile and no longer threaten man. Carnivorous beasts of prey, such as lions, will no longer eat meat. According to Isaiah 11, the wolf will lie down with the lamb; the leopard with the goat. The lion will eat straw along with the ox. Poisonous snakes will no longer bite. Dangerous animals will again become the friendly creatures they once were in the Garden of Eden.

Geological Changes

There will also be great geological changes. New mountain ranges will be formed and the old ones will be thrown down. Zechariah 14:3-4 tells us that a fault-line will run from the Mount of Olives toward the Dead Sea, causing the saltiest body of water on earth, with a salt concentration that is 10 times higher than ocean water, to become a fresh water lake.

Climactic Changes

Areas of barren wilderness will be filled with lush plant life. Isaiah 35 says that arid regions will be filled with springs and pools of water. Deserts will blossom as a rose. There will be increased fertility of the soil. No longer will farmers have to fight the elements.

Isaiah 4:5-6 talks about a canopy, perhaps like the vapor canopy that existed before the flood. It protected the earth from harmful radiation and created a greenhouse effect that allowed tropical plants to grow in the Antarctic region. That will apparently happen again.

Psalm 72:16 talks about “an abundance of grain...upon the top of the mountains.” Having done my share of mountain climbing, I can tell you that nothing but the most hearty flowers and plants can grow above the tree line on the top of a mountain. It's too cold and inhospitable, yet during the millennium the climate will change so drastically that grain will be able to grow at high altitudes.

Political Changes

There will also be important political changes, mostly affecting the nation of Israel. Christ's kingdom will extend over the entire earth. It will include every nation and affect every area of human life, but it will represent the final culmination of God's promises to Israel. The land will finally enjoy security. There will no longer be rocket or suicide attacks. In addition, the ancient boundaries of Israel will be restored, greatly enlarging the tiny nation we know today.

Isaiah 2 suggests that Jerusalem will become the place where international disputes will be settled. Micah 4:3 says that Christ will play the role of mediator and “decide concerning many nations.”

Religious Changes

A glorious temple will be erected on the mount where Solomon's temple once stood. Ezekiel gives an exact description of the huge complex. Five different kinds of animals will be sacrificed, apparently as a memorial to what used to be required. Jesus' perfect sacrifice, once for all, has made the old sacrificial system obsolete.

According to Ezekiel 43 the Shekinah glory will also return. If you remember, God's glory used to fill the temple in the days of David and Solomon. It was like a giant cloud that appeared as a reminder that God was present. It eventually left Jerusalem in phases because of the sins of the people. There will be universal worship of Jehovah God with the temple at its center. Heresies or false religions will not be permitted. No opposition to the King will be allowed until the end of 1000 years and Satan is briefly released.

Why the 1000 Years?

Micah 4:7 tells us that the Lord will reign forever. Psalm 45:6 says that Christ's throne will last forever, so why does God begin His eternal kingdom with that first period of 1000 years? Well, for one, it's necessary to fulfill all the promises made to Israel. But even more important, it will put an end to the age old accusation that mankind has continually made against God. How can man be held responsible for his sin, if the devil is the one who entices him to do evil?

During the Millennium, Christ will rule over a nearly perfect earth, where Satan is conspicuously absent. Yet in the end, man's true nature will be revealed. Millions will reject Christ in the greatest rebellion ever known, but judgment will fall swiftly. Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire and the unbelievers will face judgment.

The Destruction of this Present World

Revelation 20 ends with the Great White Throne Judgment, and Chapter 21 begins with the description of a new heaven and a new earth. Let's take a few moments and talk about what will happen between Chapters 20 and 21. Turn with me to 2 Peter 3:10-13.

Those verses describe the destruction of this present world. It's what the Bible calls “the day of the Lord.” It's when God finally pours out His fierce wrath on the earth. That time of judgment will take place in two phases. The first phase is at the 2nd Coming of Christ after the Tribulation, and the second phase comes at the end of the 1000 years.

It will come like a thief in the night – unexpectedly; most likely in the midst of the huge rebellion that takes place at the end of 1000 years. Revelation 20:9 tells us that fire will come down out of heaven to devour those who have rebelled. Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, and the rebels along with the unbelieving dead will be resurrected and brought before the Great White Throne judgment. In the meantime, that fire from heaven seems to be the start of a fiery inferno that will eventually envelop the earth and the entire universe.

That judgment by fire was predicted by the Old Testament prophets. For example, Isaiah 34:4 says that “all the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.” Micah 1:4 tells us that “the mountains will melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.”

In His fury, God will cause a holocaust of fire to destroy the universe, the earth and everything in it. The whole physical earth as we know it, with its economic and social systems, and corruption will be consumed by fire and intense heat, and the Bible says it will literally melt like wax. Man's day will be over. That's why God's final judgment is called the “Day of the Lord.” God gets the final word, but fortunately, the story doesn't end here. Look at 2 Peter 3:13.

The New Heavens and Earth

Christ's rule will continue uninterrupted for all eternity. In verse 13, Peter mentions the “Day of God.” That's not the same thing as the “Day of the Lord.” It's a reference to a new beginning – to the formation of new heavens and a new earth that is very much like the Garden of Eden and will last forever. Isaiah 65:17 says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”

The word “new” is a reference to quality. It will be new in the sense that it will be different than anything we've ever experienced before. Isaiah writes in 60:19: “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever.”

John saw the same thing in Revelation 21:1-5: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

Revelation Chapters 21-22 describe life on the beautiful new earth that God will create. It's the place where you and I will spend eternity. Yes, our dwelling as the church is in the New Jerusalem, but as we just read, it will come down and be relocated on the new earth.

Conclusion

Here's the beautiful ending to the story. God will live with us on the new earth and His throne will be there. We will bask in His eternal sunlight, and enjoy life for all eternity on an earth that will be just as beautiful and lush as the Garden of Eden. We will work, eat, and drink, and have fellowship without any time restraint. There will be no fear, no pain and no evil. And, best of all, we will finally be home.