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February 2022

Amazing Changes Coming!

The Millennium: Christ’s Rule on Earth

What will life on earth be like in

10 to 50 years?

 Upon our Lord’s return to earth, HIs first order of business is to defeat the then-current world ruler, the Antichrist and his armies.  After the Lord’s victories at the Battle of Armageddon, He will then set up His government, the Kingdom of God upon the earth.  Our Lord’s thousand years of rule (Revelation 20:4) is commonly referred to as the Millennium.  While some Christians are aware of this term, very few have a concept of what the Millennium will really be like.

Revelation 20 uses the phrases “the 1,000 years” six times to refer to this period.  Other verses repeat this same 1,000 years and also point to the Millennium being a fulfillment of the seventh-day Sabbath, a day ancient Israel was commanded to rest from their labors on.  In other words, the Sabbath day is a foreshadow or anti-type of the coming “Sabbath millennium” following six millennia that the other six days of the week foreshadow or typify.

Revelation 20:1-3, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.  And cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  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 had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

 Can you imagine a world with no fear, no Covid, no corrupt political systems, no guns, tanks, or weapons of war?  This is what our Lord Jesus promised our world would experience for 1,000 years.  The Lord Jesus would be the King and Prince of Peace of the entire world.  Former King of Israel, David, will serve with him as His Vice-President.  They will rule the world in godliness and righteousness.  All of the world will worship the one true God.  There will be no other religious groups or denominations.  The word “mille” is a word that means “a thousand” from where the millennium is taken from.  It is mentioned six times in the book of Revelation.  Our Lord Jesus will rule on the earth for 1,000 years just after the great tribulation.

 

 Who on this earth now will live here during that time?  If the Rapture of the church occurs in 2022, all the born-again believers will be taken to heaven, and they will have their glorified bodies that will never die.

 Then for those left behind there will be a period known as the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist will rule the world for seven years.  During these seven years, God will raise Moses and Elijah and 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will preach the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah — Jesus the Messiah during these seven years. The last half of these seven years will suffer terrible plagues and death.  In order for people to work and be able to buy and sell, they must take the Mark of the Beast on their forehead or hand.  Those who receive this mark will be damned to eternity with the devil and his angels.  Those living during this time who refuse the mark will be killed but will enter heaven.  At least one-half of the world’s population will die from the judgments that will come upon the world, more than four billion people.

 If someone who was thirty years of age at the beginning of the tribulation survives until the end of the seven-year tribulation period — this person can live to be 1030 in their physical body.

 With that background explained, let’s get an idea of the Millennium by looking at some of the changes that Bible prophecy describes for this time.  No more deserts, no more sick, or crippled people, no deaf, dumb, or blind people.  Amazing!

 Isaiah 35:1-7, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.  It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.  Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees.  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the dessert.  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.”

 Our Lord Jesus will Head The New Form of Government as King from his Capital City of Jerusalem: Ever since Adam left the Garden of Eden; man has been ruled by other men with very bad results and will never have peace until the Prince of Peace rules.

 The problem with men ruling is twofold:  First humanity’s natural inclination is evil.  We’re all familiar with the horrors of despots and dictators of the past and present (like North Korea).  Even good men are still corruptible with time.  Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, still turned away from God.  The benevolent rule of Jesus and his saints will be continuous.  The resulting peace and prosperity will be unprecedented and ever-increasing as it is written:

Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

 The born-again glorified saints of God will rule with King Jesus on the earth, it is written.

Revelation 5:9-12, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

 Another major change will be that Evil Spirits will be completely GONE (Not Just Satan) — Stopping evil spirits from ruling the world is a crucial change for the Millennium, but it only addresses one source of the evil control of the world today.

 It is written in Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  The problem maker and his associates will be locked up for 1,000 years.  God clearly tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Satan, the fallen angel, is the main culprit as the leader of the dark spirits who is responsible for actively deceiving everyone in the world.

 Satan does not accomplish this all by himself.  He has two types of evil spirits working with him.  First, the Bible reveals that Satan turned one-third of the holy angels against God so that they left their “first estate” or position as God tells us in Revelation 12:3-4, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”

 The second type of evil spirits helping Satan are the demons.  Our Lord Jesus and his disciples contended with them in the New Testament.  These are different from the angels.  The angels have the ability to manifest in human bodies on earth or appear as angels of light.  The demons are less powerful and seek to take over humans, even animals if need be.

 If our Lord Jesus’ first order of business upon his return is dealing with the evil human government ruling the earth, his second order of business is clearly to deal with these evil spirits:

Revelation 20:1-4, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  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.”

 It is clear that the way the fallen angels like Satan are restrained from causing trouble in the Millennium is by being kept alive in prison (to be judged later — 1st Corinthians 6:3).  The demons are dealt with differently; they are destroyed by being sent to the lake of fire, whether they have a physical body at the time or not (Revelation 19:20).

 With the current influence of the evil spirits gone, people will not be deceived or as tempted or incited to sin as they are today.  Not every evil thought or inclination you have came from your own mind.  This will go a long way in making the world a much kinder, gentler, and better place.

 Another Major Change During the Millennium — NO Militaries and ALL Weapon Production Abolished. We are told in the famous passage repeated twice in Scripture that all nations will abolish their armies and all weapons will be.  It is written:

Isaiah 2:4, “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 anymore.”

Micah 4:2-3; 5, “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more . . For all people will walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.”

Hosea 2:18, “And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely.”  No more wars, fear of wild animals, robbers, a state of bliss.

 Today there are only a few countries that have no standing army.  Costa Rica was the first to formally abolish the military.  Imagine a world where every single country does this.  All that money budgeted for defense could be reallocated to health, education, infrastructure, and other things that raise that standard of living.  The long-elusive hope of world peace, that Miss America pageant finalist has vowed to labor for, will finally be achieved when the Prince of Peace sits on his throne in Jerusalem!

 Life spans will be up to a thousand years — and disease will be GONE!

Isaiah 65:19-22, “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of the weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” 

 When I first read the Book of Genesis, I had no idea that the Bible recorded the ages of Adam and his offspring at more than 900 years.  Today’s average life span of males in the U.S. is 75.1 years.

 If one hundred years is considered a “youth”, then obviously old age must be more, even up to a thousand years.  Under God’s government, people will be generally righteous and loving instead of “desperately wicked” as Jeremiah describes them today.  Much of the curse on the earth will be removed and our organic natural food will produce a much higher quality of minerals, etc. to sustain optimum health.

 Think of it.  All nature will finally do what it was created to do.  It will exist in harmony and perfect balance.  There won’t be any earthquakes, hurricanes, or volcanic eruptions.

 These changes tell us about another major change coming:  great general health.  If premature death is rare in all age groups, then obviously sickness and disease must not be an issue in the Millennium.  How is this possible given that even modern medical science has not cured even the common cold?

 With the removal of the curse, our DNA will be able to operate to the maximum, along with the organic foods from non-polluted soil.  Our food and bodies will work as they were designed to by our Creator. Adam and Eve were told that their food was herbs, and it was only after the flood that meat-eating was introduced.

 Another major change will be among the carnivorous animals’ diet and nature. 

 We live in an animal world filled with violence and cannot imagine it any other way.  With the violence of men restrained and retrained by the new government, things in the world will be much safer.  The world’s “most dangerous predator” (humans) will be tamed.  That would leave the world’s second most dangerous predators: carnivorous animals as the greatest threat to living out your nice enhanced long millennial life span.

 Many are familiar with the time when our Lord Jesus comes back that the “lion will lay down with the lamb”.  It is quite literal, although it does not say lion, it says wolf.  And it also indicates the nature of the animals will change to also not be afraid of humans as they are today, back to how they were in the Garden of Eden.

Isaiah 11:6-8, “The wolf 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’ (serpent’s) den.”

 It is God the Creator who creates this harmony as it is written in Hosea 2:18, “And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.”  It is the Prince of Peace establishing his peace in His creation.

 More amusingly it means your pet cats and dogs will cease to eat meat.  You will be able to let them outside to graze on the lawn when they’re hungry.  No more expensive, smelly cat or dog food.

 But there will be one major part of the curse that will NOT be reversed during the Millennium — God’s rule for the serpent.  It is written:

Isaiah 65:25, “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”  The curse will remain upon the serpent!

Israel Will Be God’s Model Nation and The King of Kings, Jesus Christ Will Rule from Jerusalem.

 Most of the nations are against this tiny nation.  The United Nations constantly attempts to vote against them for any number of reasons.  Some even think that the church has replaced Israel, becoming a sort of spiritual.  Replacement Theology took a major blow with the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948.  Nevertheless, if you asked most Christians today, they would still say they believe that they have replaced Israel or that the tiny nation of Israel is never going to be great, let alone God’s model nation again.  Most denominations of churches today totally reject the state of Israel.

 God’s promise is written Ezekiel 37:22-25, “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.  Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so, shall they be my people, and I will be their God.  And David, my servant, shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.  And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever.”

 Not only will Israel be brought back into their own land, but they will also be given a place of prominence among the nations.  People from all nations will love the Jewish people and their God.  It is written:

Zechariah 8:22-23, “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”

 Imagine a World that Worships Only the ONE TRUE GOD!

 If Godzilla walks into the room and asks where he can sit, the reply is always, “Anywhere you want.”  The only One who can make this possible is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Who will ever respond to this person in an adversarial manner?  Picture this scene as it is written:

Revelation 19:11-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 

 Our Lord Jesus is the one who can ever make this happen.  Unfortunately for them, along with religion, atheism and skepticism will also be forced out.  That type of evidence of God and his power is why in that time the “religions” of atheism, agnosticism, or skepticism will disappear.  There will be no need for missionaries or evangelists during that time.  It is written:

Jeremiah 31:34, “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” 

 No one will want to follow these invented traditions of mere men anymore when the supernaturally powerful way of God himself is at last so accessible and plainly clear to the whole world.

 The few who want to cling to the old religions will be on their own for as long as they can hold out.  They will eventually be punished for their rebellion after some gentle correction first:

 As incredible as the millennium will be it is not the end.  It is not the final destination of those who established their personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and become an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ.  The millennium is an important and glorious part of God’s plan.  But it is only part of the journey and process to the ultimate finale.

 Jerusalem and the millennium: To begin, it is written in Jeremiah 33, verse 9.

 “And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.”

 Never in her history has Jerusalem been what this verse says about it.

Zechariah 12:1-3, “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.  Behold, it will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.  And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”  

 The setting for the fulfillment of these prophecies is “in that day,” which is a phrase used 16 times in the last three chapters of Zechariah.  It refers to the Day of the Lord, a time of God’s wrath and blessings that extends from the beginning of the Tribulation to the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

 Today, it seems that no other city on the face of the earth is as important as the city of Jerusalem.  All the other great cities of the earth — New York, London, Moscow, Paris or Tokyo pale by comparison.  If anything happens in that little nation or in that city, it is broadcast around the world.  Is that true of any other city? Jerusalem is indeed a burdensome stone to all the nations around her.

 But the day is coming, however, when this will all change.  One day, Israel will be the premier country in the world, and Jerusalem will be the capital city of the world.  This will not be because the Jews bring it about but because God has planned it.

Isaiah 65:18-19, describes the Lord’s work as He rebuilds Israel when the Prince of Peace rules the world from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.  He says: “But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem. and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”

 What other city can claim to be the “city of the Great King?” (Psalm 48).  God loves Jerusalem.  This was obvious way back in 2nd Chronicles 6:6, where Jehovah says, “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there.”

 Psalm 68:16 says that God has desired the mountain of Zion “for his abode.”  Psalm 132:13-14 contains a similar promise. “The Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.” 

 Jerusalem is where heaven and earth meet.  Jerusalem is where our Lord Jesus shed his precious blood.  It is from there he ascended into Heaven.  It is where Jesus will return to be crowned King of kings.  It will also be the scene of the last battle when Satan rallies nations at the end of the Millennium.  This is the only city for whose peace we are commanded to pray (Psalm 122:6).

 Yes, Jerusalem will be the capital city of the world, and the laws of Christ’s government will be issued from there.  Isaiah 2:2-4, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he shall teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  And he shall judge among the nations, and 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.” 

Two Major Changes Will Occur in

Jerusalem When Our Lord Jesus Returns

 1.) The size of the city will be greatly increased and  

2.) The topography of the city and the surrounding area will be dramatically changed.

 Jerusalem will be elevated.  The city of Jerusalem will be elevated above the surrounding area.

Isaiah 2:2-3, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”  What a spectacular scene when God’s Word will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

 The second phrase in verse 2 — “LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains” — suggests that Jerusalem will be nestled upon the highest mountain than all others around it.  This also tells us in this verse that the government in Jerusalem will be the chief of all the nations.  It certainly is true that the government of our LORD Jesus in Jerusalem will be chief among all other governments.

 Today, Jerusalem is situated with several mountains around it.  Zechariah tells us Jerusalem will be elevated to the top so that it can be seen from afar.  The prophet here in Zechariah tells us that the uneven terrain around Jerusalem will become a great flat plain.  Psalm 87:1 says the foundations of Jerusalem are in the mountains.  The Temple Mount will occupy the highest elevation, if not in the world, at least the highest in the region.

 Our Great God will also cause a river of Living Water to flow out of the City of Peace.  He will be King over all the earth and there will be no other religious system.  All the world will worship and serve the Lord Jesus. Zechariah 14:8-11 says:

 “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.  And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.  All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.  And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

 This fountain of water is not a small trickling brook.  It forms two rivers, west and east from Jerusalem.  One river will flow 37 miles west to the Mediterranean Sea.  The other will flow east 15 miles to the Dead Sea. 

 Ezekiel, chapter 40 through 48, talks about the Millennial temple and the division of the land among the 12 tribes.  Ezekiel elaborates greatly on the river that flows to the Dead Sea.  Keep in, mind, Zechariah says this river consists of “living water,” and the fact that the Dead Sea has nothing living in it. 

 Ezekiel 47:8-10, “Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.  And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live:  and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh.  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.” 

 When our Lord Jesus touches down on the Mount of Olives, an earthquake occurs, splitting the Mount, with a great east-west valley between.  This valley will be conduit through which the waters will flow, from the Temple, through Jerusalem, and on to the Dead Sea, that at present is referred to as the Dead Sea, because it cannot support any live fish.

 Can you imagine what it’s going to be like when this happens?  When the earthquake occurs, everyone will know the King of kings has arrived.  The nail-scarred hands of our Lord will have been put on the map of the earth, and He is claiming it for His own.  It is written: 

 Zechariah 12:9-10, “And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”  The firstborn referring of course to God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, and his nail-pierced hands when the Roman soldiers nailed Him to the Cross. 

 Joel 3:18, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the LORD and shall water the valley of Shittim.”

 Psalms 46:2-5 describes the New Jerusalem: 

 “Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” 

 Even though Christ has not returned to set up HIs kingdom, we see the beginning of these things.  Nations are in an uproar.  Kingdoms are falling.  Many civil wars are going on in the world.  But, in the midst of it, God’s voice comes forth.  God speaks.  He lifts His voice.  He intervenes against the forces of iniquity and evil. 

 And then God speaks a word to His people amid all the confusion and turmoil and He says, “Be still, be quiet, don’t be upset, don’t get restless, don’t get nervous.  Be still and know that I am God.  I’m going to be exalted over all nations.  I am going to be exalted in the earth.”

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone No. (918) 279-1136. The name of the original article in the February 2022 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Amazing Changes Coming!  The Millennium: Christ’s Rule on Earth!  What will life on earth be like in 10 to 50 years?” www.JohnBarela.com