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Revelation Series Part 12 – The Millennium
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time
of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Daniel 12:4
“And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is at hand.”
Revelation 22:10
The book of Daniel, that contains much of the material quoted in the Book of Revelation, tells us that this material will be sealed or kept hidden until a certain point in history arrives. This certain point is recognizable by two dramatic occurrences:
1. A time when knowledge will increase…..and,
2. A time when people will run to and fro, or, travel extensively throughout the earth (Daniel 12:4)
The certain point in history, validated by these two phenomenon, will be, according to Daniel, the end time! This term, “End Time”, means in effect, God’s last act in Israel.
There is no doubt that this is our time as, since the beginning of the twentieth century, there has literally been an explosion of knowledge upon the earth. No generation before has experienced such an avalanche of knowledge overtaking them. Also, at the beginning of the twentieth century the normal means of travel was still a horse drawn cart but just 69 years later we witnessed the the first man walking on the moon having been propelled there by a highly sophisticated Atlas Rocket system replete with a lunar orbiting module, a landing vehicle by which to touch down on the surface of the moon and a return to earth capsule. Add to this the fact that modern air travel routinely enables men and women to “run to and fro” throughout the earth, and that we have witnessed a process of restoration unfolding in Israel, then we can safely assume that we are the generation that will witness the most amazing end time events.
The book of Revelation picks up on Daniel’s statement by affirming that its contents will apply in particular to the time that Daniel pinpoints (Revelation 22:10). Daniel’s end time teaching would be sealed but the contents of the book of Revelation, which contains much of Daniel’s teaching, would be unsealed at a time when knowledge increases and people travel much throughout the earth and the Jewish people return to Canaan. This is our time, meaning that the glorious second coming of Jesus is upon us. We must prepare, get ready and warn others of the great darkness ( Jesus called this birth pangs) that is going to befall the world just before this glorious day arrives. In these studies together we have examined all of these things.
When Jesus comes back to the Mount of Olives the topography of the earth will change dramatically and Jerusalem in particular will be elevated so as to be set on a high mountain (Zechariah 14:10). From there, in great glory, Jesus will reign over the nations, as with a rod of iron, with His resurrected Church for a literal thousand years (Revelation 20:1-4). We call this The Millennium but He called it “The Regeneration” (Matthew 19:28). This one thousand year rule of Christ will:
1. Vindicate His messianic credentials and claims
2. Vindicate the role that Israel has played out for the sake of world redemption
3. Vindicate the Church and its message of salvation that it carried to the world
4. Vindicate the righteous judgement of God
5. Vindicate the natural creation and enable it to be what God originally intended for it, as recorded in the garden of Eden…..and it will,
6. Vindicate the Word of God as the only real inspired message from God upon the earth.
The Bible speaks everywhere of this glorious period that is about to break in upon the world (Isaiah 11:1-9; Isaiah 2:1-4; Zechariah 14:16-21). Most glorious of all is the fact that we shall rule and reign with Christ (Revelation 2:26-28; Revelation 20:6). That is, we who were once His enemies, wretched and sinful but who have been saved by His grace (Romans 5:8).
At the conclusion of the 1000 years of Jesus’ glorious reign over the earth the nations will be sifted once more by the Devil resulting in a final rebellion against Christ and His Church (Revelation 20:7-10). These will be judged by God, leaving only the saved nations left and the Devil, and those with him in this rebellion, will be cast into hell, the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10). There will be as well, after the 1000 year reign of Christ, a Great White Throne Judgement Day, where the ungodly of all ages will appear in resurrected bodies prepared for damnation. Having rejected the Gospel of Jesus, their names will not be in the Book of Life and therefore, they will bear in their lives and bodies the consequences of their sin and rebellion against God and be cast bodily into the lake of fire; there to endure the agonies of everlasting torment (Revelation 20:11-15).
Finally, the glorious New Jerusalem will descend from heaven and settle upon a new earth with a new canopy of the heavens (Revelation 21:1-8). The saved of all history, from every tribe and nation upon the earth, will dwell with God and His Christ in this new and all glorious heavenly city. Although, the foundations of the city will have the names of twelve Jewish Apostles inscribed upon them and, emblazoned over its gates will be the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel; all of which, serves as a reminder of the central role that the Jewish people have played out in God’s plan of world redemption (Revelation 21:12-14). The redeemed of God will dwell in magnificent mansions (John 14:1-2), they will walk in the glorious light of the Lamb, be free from death, pain and sorrow and they will rule with Christ over a kingdom that will for eternity be ever expanding (Revelation 21:3-5)(Isaiah 9:7). Indeed they will experience:
A new city
A new body
A new calling
A new heaven and earth……and,
A new order of things
No wonder we hear the refrain, “Behold I make all things new” and we are told that, “The tabernacle of God will be with men.” Most of all we are told that these words are faithful and true and can thus be depended upon or, as we say, “Taken to the bank!” (Revelation 21:5). The appointed time, of which Daniel’s sealed document has spoken, has come and we must look up because our redemption draws nigh (Revelation 22:10). We therefore must know that a great blessing will come upon us because we have together studied the book of Revelation and we have not taken anything from it or added anything to it (Revelation 22:18-19). Even so Lord Jesus come!
Malcolm Hedding
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2020 Devotionals Blog