God's Prophetic Blueprint

Chapter 10

PEACE AT LAST

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4-6).


THE MILLENNIUM

After all of the bloodshed and heartache associated with the Great Tribulation, how refreshing it is to come to this portion of God's Word. Here is the prophecy of one thousand years of peace under Messiah's reign. Since the Latin equivalent for one thousand years is millennium, it has become acceptable among students of Bible prophecy to refer to the Kingdom Age as the millennial reign of Christ. During those days, the Lord Jesus Christ will be seated on the throne of His father, David, ruling over the affairs of men (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32). At this point in God's prophetic plan, the redeemed of all time will be on earth to enjoy the long-awaited Kingdom reign of Christ. Those in their glorified bodies will include Old Testament and Church Age saints, as well as believers who died during Tribulation days. But there will be another group of redeemed men and women who will still be clothed in their corruptible bodies. These mortals will be those who trusted Christ as Saviour during the Tribulation and did not die or were not martyred.


TRIBULATION SURVIVORS

The events of Matthew 25 enter the prophetic puzzle at this point. In that chapter, four kinds of people are introduced who will be alive following the Battle of Armageddon: wise virgins, foolish virgins, sheep, and goats.


JEWISH SURVIVORS

The "virgins" of Matthew 25:1-13 refer to Jews who are still alive following Daniel's Seventieth Week and the Battle of Armageddon. Dwight Pentecost gives six reasons for "rejecting the view that the virgins represent the church during the present age."' He then concurs with Schuyler English who wrote: "The ten virgins represent the remnant of Israel after the church has been taken. The five wise virgins are the believing remnant, the foolish virgins the unbelieving who only profess to be looking for Messiah's coming in power."' These believing and unbelieving Jews will stand before Christ in His special judgment of Tribulation survivors (Ezekiel 20:3344). They will then be separated. The believing Jews (wise
virgins) will enter the Kingdom Age still in their mortal bodies. The unbelieving Jews (foolish virgins) will be cast into Hades.

Concerning this passage, John Walvoord writes:

The annihilation of the armies that resist Christ's return will be God's judgment on the nations. After the final carnage of the Battle of Armageddon, the surviving people of the world will be judged one by one. All living Jews, the surviving nation of Israel, will be gathered from their hiding places in Palestine and throughout the world (Ezekiel 39:28). Each one will face God as his judge, and none can escape this judgment. The rebels who have not accepted Christ as their Messiah prior to this second coming will be put to death (Ezekiel 20:38). The rest, believing Jews who have survived the persecution of the tribulation period, will be allowed to enter the Promised Land as the first citizens of Christ's new kingdom on earth. Their hour of persecution will be finished forever, and they will receive all the blessings that have been promised to the children of Israel since the time of Abraham (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:26, 27).

GENTILE SURVIVORS

One other group of Tribulation survivors must be considered - the Gentiles. As surviving Jews will be divided into groups of believers and unbelievers, so Gentiles will be similarly divided. This separation of believing and unbelieving Gentiles is recorded in Matthew 25:31-46. Notice first the division: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left" (verses 31-33). Believing Gentiles, called "sheep," will be allowed to join Jewish believers as they enter the Kingdom. This truth is clearly presented beginning at verse 34: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (verses 34-40). There are those who lift this text out of its context. They would have us believe that the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned are people in our day who need to be helped in their present distress. Obviously, there are millions of needy people today who should be reached. It is not the intent of this author to undermine Christ-honoring ministries in jails, hospitals, orphanages, and rescue missions. Present-day believers should have a burden to reach people in every station of life in order to present the Gospel story to them, but the primary interpretation of Matthew 25:35 and 36 has to do with conditions during the days of the Great Tribulation.

Remember, the Antichrist will be searching for all who have professed faith in Jesus Christ. Believing Jews will be fleeing for safety (Matthew 24:16-21). As they go, they will be witnessing for Jesus Christ. It will be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. . . ." John records the results of this great world-wide missionary endeavor in Revelation 7:9: "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." Who are these Gentile believers? Verse 14 answers the question: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." It is clear that most of those who trust Christ as Saviour in Tribulation days will be martyred, but many will escape.

Now back to Matthew 25. Jesus will say to Gentile believers I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (verses 35, 36). Gentile believers will respond by saying, " . . . Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee" (verses 37, 38). Christ will clear the muddy waters by announcing: ". . . Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). When Christ speaks of His "brethren," He will be referring to His national brothers - believing Jews. As these "brethren" of Jesus Christ flee into all the world, they will be proclaiming the "gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 24:14). Actually, their message will be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is called the "gospel of the kingdom" because it will be preached just prior to the Kingdom reign of their long-awaited Messiah. Gentiles who believe their message and trust Christ as Saviour will then reach out in sympathy to their persecuted Jewish brothers. If they find a hungry Jewish believer, they will feed him. Those who are thirsty will be given drink. Strangers will be taken in. The naked will be clothed. The sick and those in prison will be visited. Please be careful not to jump to the conclusion that Gentiles will be saved because of their loving concern for Jewish believers. No one is saved because he treats Jews with respect. The only way anyone is ever born into the family of God is through simple trust in the crucified, resurrected Lamb of Calvary, but in Tribulation days, one way to manifest that new life in Christ will be to tenderly care for Jewish brothers and sisters.

It should also be noted that unbelieving Gentiles (called goats) will manifest their rejection of Christ as Saviour by their indifference and hatred toward Jewish believers. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:41-46).

With the exception of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, all unbelievers will be in Hades at this point in the prophetic blueprint. The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire following the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:20). They will be there for one thousand years before the unbelievers in Hades are cast into that horrible place. That truth will be considered in a later chapter, but the truth to be stressed now is that apart from the Antichrist and the False Prophet, all unbelievers will be in Hades when Christ sets up His Kingdom. It should also be noted that all of those on earth at the beginning of the Millennium will be true believers. This will be the third time in human history that earth will be totally populated with people who are in a proper relationship with God. The first time was in the Garden of Eden. There were only two people on the planet (Adam and Eve), and both of them were in fellowship with God. The second reference is to Noah and his family following the flood. The third time that earth's total population is redeemed will be at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

Robert Schuller, the well-known television pastor in his book entitled Self Esteem, The New Reformation, states: "When we pray, 'Thy kingdom come,' we are praying for the successful growth, the prospering enlargement, of the increase of the number of redeemed people, looking to the day when human beings will be inspired by kingdom persons to treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of race, religion, economic class, or politics."" Though the races will maintain their identity during the Kingdom Age, it should be understood that in regard to "religion, economic class, or politics," the Kingdom will be a theocracy. The Greek word "theos" means "God," so a theocracy is a God-rule.

That is exactly what the Millennial Kingdom will be. The Lord Jesus Christ will be seated on the throne of His father, David. He alone will rule, so there will be no other political system. He alone will be worshipped, so there will be no manmade religions. The concept expressed by Robert Schuller that "kingdom persons will treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of religion, economic class, or politics" is foreign to Scripture. He goes on to say: "To build self-worth in another person is the fulfillment of the prayer, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.' "' On the contrary, the fulfillment of this prayer will be the setting up of Christ's Kingdom when His will shall be done on earth as His will is done in Heaven. That condition can exist only when Christ is seated on the throne of His father, David.

At the beginning of the Kingdom Age, there will be no one on earth except those who have been redeemed in the blood of God's Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. Joy and Peace will prevail as Christ rules over the affairs of men. It will be the fulfillment of many prophecies in the Word of God. For example, Isaiah was looking forward to the theocracy when he wrote: "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4). He continues by stating: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 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" (Isaiah 11:6-9).

A brief comparison between these passages with the account of the fourth seal judgment of Revelation 6:7 and 8 will give the reader immediate insight into the shocking differences between life on earth under the reign of Christ and disaster on earth during the reign of Satan. The fourth seal judgment will result in death for 25 percent of all of the people on this planet. Satan will use war, hunger, and ravenous animals to accomplish his goal. Life on earth under the reign of Christ will be a completely different scene. There will be no war (Isaiah 2:4). For those in their glorified bodies, there could be no hunger, for food will not be required to sustain life. Those who are in their mortal bodies will certainly have no food shortage, for the implements of war will be changed into implements for farming. ". . . they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks . . ." (Isaiah 2:4). Ravenous animals will also change. No doubt the very animals that Satan will use to devour humans during Tribulation days are seen in a tranquil state during the Millennial. Kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-8).

My primary goal during our years as missionaries in South Viet Nam was to reach the Vietnamese who lived, for the most part, on the lower elevations; but now and then I was invited to preach to the tribal people of the central highlands. After a lengthy trek to a Christian village, I was asked by the tribal pastor if I would please try to kill a Bengal tiger that had been seen lurking in the area. These beautiful beasts were killing about 500 tribal people each year, and still the South Vietnamese government would not allow tribesmen to have guns! A night of walking through the jungle with my colleague, John Newman, was not productive, so it was decided that we would kill a bait and stake it at the base of a large tree several miles from the village. A few days later the pastor told me that the bait was "ripe." Believe me, it was "ripe!" I climbed the tree and sat on a small platform about twenty feet over the dead bait. That night the tiger came. I shall never forget the sound of his licking the bait. I could not see him on the dark jungle floor, but I knew he was a big one - certainly, the king of the Vietnamese jungle. Needless to say, the thought never entered my mind to come down out of the tree, pat him gently on the head, climb on his back, and take a ride through the jungle. I never entertained that thought because we are not living in the Millennium; but during the days of Christ's earthly reign, even the animal kingdom will be at peace, and the redeemed will be able to enjoy creatures that were once off-limits. My son, Dan, who was born in Viet Nam, and I are planning to visit those jungles during Millennial days. We have already made plans to find a couple of tigers and enjoy a ride through those beautiful mountains. You are invited to join us if you like. Of course, you must know Christ as Saviour, for only those who have been born into the family of God will be allowed to enter those days of peace.


THE FINAL REVOLT

It would be refreshing if God's prophetic blueprint revealed no further heartache or death, but such is not the case. The record of things to come includes Revelation 20:7-9: "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."

In the chapter that follows, the subject of Satan and his future will be dealt with, but for our present consideration, please notice that the Millennial reign of Christ will end with revolt: ". . . Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations ... to gather them together to battle . . ." (Revelation 20:7, 8). This will be Satan's final "fling," his last opportunity to influence mortals to rebel against the authority of Almighty God. The question that immediately rises is, "Where do these rebels come from?" Earlier in this chapter, it was noted that every person on earth will be saved when the Kingdom begins, but as the Kingdom ends, there will be so many unbelievers that they will number "as the sand of the sea" (Revelation 20:8).

As has already been stated, Scripture records three times when every person on earth was a true believer:

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; Noah and his family following the flood; and the entire family of redeemed saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. It should be noted that Adam's children were sinners, Noah's descendants turned from God, and some day, children born in the Kingdom will be totally depraved and, like all of Adam's children, will need to come to Christ for salvation. These will be children of mortals who survived the awful days of the Great Tribulation. Saints in their incorruptible bodies will not be producing children. In that respect they will be like the angels of Heaven (Mark 12:25).

As the Millennium progresses, mortal men will continue to reproduce after their own kind until, at the end of the Kingdom reign, the earth will be repopulated with sinful men. Since Christ will be ruling (Revelation 20:4-6), and Satan will be chained in the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3), there will be no outbreak of open rebellion against the authority of Christ. But Adam's nature will be very much alive deep in the hearts of those who are born in Millennial days. They who refuse to trust Christ as Saviour will be the ones who make up the great army that Satan will assemble as he is loosed from his prison and is allowed to return to earth for his last act of open rebellion against God. The results are found in the following verses: "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:9, 10). More will be said concerning Satan and those who submit to him in the chapter that follows.