MM#89 - MESSIAH REIGNS

THE COMING MILLENNIUM

MESSIAH REIGNS !

“How lovely on the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who announces peace

and brings good news of happiness,

who proclaims salvation, and says to Zion,

‘YOUR GOD REIGNS!’”

(Isaiah 52:7)

By DON E STANTON

MARANATHA REVIVAL CRUSADE

Australia

CONTENTS

Forward Explanation

Dictionary

Dispensations Chart

What Paradise?

Heaven On Earth ?

The Eternal Kingdom

The Kingdom Challenged

The Garden of Eden

The Messianic Plan

“We want a King! Now!”

The Promised Messiah-King

The Kingdom Announced

The Present Age Program

Satan Overthrown

The Millennial Kingdom

Jerusalem, the City of Joy

Worldwide Dominion

The Celestial Palace

“Here Comes the Bride”

Kingdom Administration

1000 Years, or For Ever?

Millennial Conditions

After the 1,000 Years?

How to be Assured of an Entrance into

the Kingdom of God ?

FORWARD EXPLANATION

YHWH is the transliteration of the Hebrew letters of the sacred Name of the

Almighty God.

The Name is used 6855 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is currently pronounced as

Yahweh or Yahwah. During the past few centuries it was inaccurately rendered as

Jehovah or Yehowah.

The meaning of Yahweh is “The Eternal One.”

Y’SHUA is the original Hebrew Name of Jesus. It is also often written as Yeshua, or

Yahshua. The meaning of Y’shua is, “Yahweh is Salvation.”

THE MESSIAH (or, The Christ) means “The Anointed One.” It comes from the

Hebrew words HaMashiach.

Y’shua is the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.

All Christians recognise Y’shua (Jesus) as the Messiah.

BIBLE QUOTATIONS

used in this book are from the Clear Preferred Version (CPV), a clear, compared

teaching version by Don Stanton. It employs modern English, and uses the original

Names of YHWH and Y’shua. Words in italics are not in the original, but are

supplied to complete or to amplify the English translation.

The scriptures used in most of our recent publications are from the CPV, but the

version is not complete or available except in our publications.

DICTIONARY

Words in this book that are followed by ~ are listed in the dictionary below. This is

for the benefit of readers who have a limited understanding of English and idioms.

ADONAI: Lord, Master.

ATTIC: small room in the roof of a house. Upstairs. The top of the head!

BOOMERANG: to return back to the user.

CONCEPTUALIZE: to picture and make a mental idea.

CORPORATE: made up of many parts or members.

CRACK: a drug; cocaine

DOLLOPS: Scoops of ice cream.

EKKLESIA: The Greek word usually translated “church,” means, the assembly of

called-out ones; the Body of true believers in Y’shua the Messiah.

EL SHADDAI: Almighty God.

FACADE: a front, outward appearance.

FAIT ACCOMPLI: accomplished fact.

LAS VEGAS: a notorious gambling city in Nevada, U.S.A.

MESSIAH: The Anointed One. Hebrew: Mashiach

MILLENNIUM: The 1000-year reign of Messiah over the earth.

PAROLE: freeing of a prisoner on condition of good behaviour.

POKER MACHINE: a gambling machine.

PORN: pornography; implicit sexual materials; blue films.

PUBS: public drinking places, hotels, beer saloons, bars.

REPUDIATE: to reject authority; to cast off; to disown.

SH’KHINAH GLORY: The Manifest Presence of the glory of God.

SOVEREIGNTY: supreme power and right to exercise it.

STAKES: opportunities, rewards, shares, offerings.

UTOPIA: imaginary state with perfect political and social conditions.

YAHWEH ELOHIM: Yahweh God/LORD God.

SEVEN DISPENSATIONS (AGES)

WHAT PARADISE?

Many people are not really interested in Paradise, unless it’s a Blue Lagoon hedged

in by pubs~, porn shops~, and poker machines~. Wild West Las Vegas~ is some

people’s idea of Utopia.~ Some guys can’t even enjoy a stroll in a beautiful, calm

garden - unless they have ‘rock’ in their attics~, beer in their bellies, and needles

jabbed into their veins. Some girls’ idea of heaven is the scream of heavy metal, the

roar of a motor bike, and a crazed trip in the fast lane on “the highway to hell.”

To some, paradise means smack, whack, crack~. To others, it means Big Macs,

lollypops, and dollops~. To certain enthusiasts, “Kingdom come” is realised at

Wimbledon, in the alluring world of Star TV, or in the United Stakes of Ameer-ika. I

said ‘stakes’~.

To some, paradise is gold, to others it is black gold. To some, it is a blackboard. To

others it is the black market, or the stock or junk market. To some, heaven is an

Olympic pool. To others it is a soak in a tub of hot water. To many it is simply a

mug of cold water. What’s your idea of “paradise”?

HEAVEN ON EARTH?

We’re talking, dear reader, about the COMING MILLENNIUM. This is not merely

a New Age, a Golden Age, or a “Paradise Restored.” Something much greater! It is,

in fact, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

But it is a very sad fact that many people are not really interested in a “religious

paradise”, or in any other type of paradise that does not provide crack~, whisky,

rock bands, dungeons, demons and dragons.

When you talk about a Paradise where holiness is pervasive, where criminals can’t

get away with crime, and where blue films are banned, the interest drops off faster

than a miser’s concern for starving refugees.

It’s hard to find many takers for worship and the will of God. But that is what the

Millennium is all about! It is the kingdom for which millions of followers of Y’shua

the Messiah (Jesus Christ) have constantly prayed; the MILLENNIUM - the 1,000-

year kingdom over which the Messiah reigns worldwide, in righteousness, peace and

glory. It will be the fulfilment of “the Lord’s Prayer”:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

(Matthew 6:9-10)

The Millennium is often called “the Reign of Christ.” It is the literal, physical reign

of the Messiah on, and over, the earth. By that, we mean it is not simply the

spiritual, eternal reign of the Almighty which is also referred to throughout

Scripture.

The Millennium will be the culmination of God’s program for the “7000-year

history of the human race.” During this final 1,000-year period, God will complete

the preparation of a vast part of mankind for sharing His plans for the eternal ages to

come.

For those who love the King of Righteousness, for those who are in love with the

Holy One, for those who are seeking to walk in the steps of Y’shua, the very thought

of the REIGN OF MESSIAH, fills their hearts with joyful anticipation. And this,

my reader, is my prayer for you as you read these pages, and take in the many

Messianic prophecies - that you might be filled with the joy of the Messiah and His

kingdom.

“I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with

power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that the Messiah may

dwell in your hearts through faith in Him. And I pray that you will be

rooted and established in love, so that together with all the saints (holy

ones, believers), you may be able to comprehend what is the width, length,

height and depth of the Messiah’s love - and to know this love which

surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fullness of

God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Before going into details of the Millennium, let’s start at the beginning. Let’s study

for a moment, the Eternal Reign of the Almighty. It is called ...

THE ETERNAL KINGDOM

No-one should challenge the fact that the Eternal God rules eternally over

everything - over all created and uncreated realms. The Scriptures make it clear:

“But YHWH is the true God; He is the living God and the eternal King.”

(Jeremiah 10:10)

(YHWH is the Name of the Almighty. It is revealed in the Bible - the Hebrew word -

. It may be pronounced as Yahweh. The meaning of YHWH is, “the

Eternally-existing One” or, “The Great I AM.”)

“YHWH has established His throne in heaven, and His sovereignty rules

over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

“YHWH is King for ever and ever.” (Psalm 10:16)

“You, O YHWH, reign for ever; Your throne endures from generation to

generation.” (Lamentations 5:19)

Yahweh, the Eternal Spirit, the Eternal Deity, is the Eternal King because of who

He is. It is, of course, hard for our finite minds to grasp the eternal reality of God,

especially if our concept is of a very old man sitting in the heavens.

“God is not a man that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19)

The Eternal Spirit, I repeat, is not a man! But He is the Eternal Personality. He is

not a vague “ghost” or “force.” And while it is impossible for us to adequately

conceptualize~ the Eternal Spirit, the Scriptures declare Him, in terms that we can

understand – His personality, His attributes, intelligence, gender, supremacy and

eternal existence.

The Eternal Spirit is much bigger and greater than the whole physical universe and

all its immense power.

I like to compare the Eternal Spirit to the sun with its burning core, and radiant heat,

energy and light. (The comparison is of course limited!) The burning core of God is

His intrinsic holiness; and from that core precedes the creative energy, the glory, the

light, the personality attributes of all-knowing intelligence, inexhaustible power and

infinite wisdom.

Like the rays of the sun which permeate creation, bringing light and warmth, the

Eternal Spirit pervades the whole created and uncreated realms with His Presence,

manifesting His glorious nature - His love, joy, peace, humility, patience and

gentleness.

The anointed King of Israel, David, had an enlightened understanding of the

Almighty. With a heart full of love for Yahweh, and with a burning desire to make

provision for a “House of God,” he cried out in the presence of assembled Israel:

“Yours, O YHWH, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory

and the majesty, for everything that is in the heavens and the earth is

Yours. Yours, O YHWH, is the kingdom; and You are exalted as head

over all. Both riches and honour come from You, and You rule over all.”

(1 Chronicles 29:11-12)

THE KINGDOM CHALLENGED

No-one should challenge the sovereignty of the Almighty. But someone did! It was a

beautiful angel called Helel.

Helel is the Hebrew word meaning “Shining One.” He is often referred to as Lucifer,

but most commonly by his later title, Satan, which means “hater, accuser and

adversary.”

A description of Helel is given in the book of Ezekiel 28. This passage actually refers

to two personalities - the king of Tyre, and Helel, the guardian angel.

“Again the word of YHWH came to me: ‘Son of man, take up a lament

concerning the king of Tyre and say to him; “This is what the Lord

YHWH says to you:

“‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;

you were in Eden, the garden of God.

“‘Every precious stone adorned you: the ruby, topaz, and diamond;

beryl, onyx, and jasper; sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and with gold,

the workmanship of your settings and mountings (or engravings) was

prepared for you on the day you were created.

(The Hebrew meaning of the last part of that verse is uncertain. Older translations

render it as: “The workmanship of your tambourines and flutes was in

you. They were prepared for you on the day you were created.”)

“‘You were anointed as a guardian cherub (angel), and I placed you there.

You were on the Holy Mount of God.

“‘You walked around in the midst of the fiery stones. You were

blameless in your ways from the day you were created until wickedness

was found in you”.’” (Ezekiel 28:11-15)

The fall of Helel was due to his pride and illegal ambition. The prophet Isaiah

described that fall. (Again, this is a passage that refers to two personalities - the king

of Babylon, and Helel, the Shining One).

“Sheol (the place of the dead) beneath is excited over you to meet you when

you come; it rouses the spirits of the dead for you, all those who were

leaders in the world; it makes all the kings of the nations to rise from

their thrones. They will all respond and say to you, ‘So you have also

become as weak as we are? You have become like us!’

“Your pomp and the noise of your stringed instruments have been

brought down to Sheol. Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you,

and worms cover you. How you have fallen from heaven, O Helel

(Shining One, Lucifer), son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the

ground - you who have ruined the nations - you who said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into the highest heaven;

‘I will raise my throne above the stars of God;

‘I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly on the utmost heights of the

north.

‘I will ascend higher than the clouds;

‘I will be like the Most High.’

“But you are thrust down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.”

(Isaiah 14:9-15)

In these five outrageous “I wills,” we see Helel’s pride leading him to illegal

ambition. He was motivated by a covetous desire to appropriate God’s sovereignty -

for himself. This sin led to rebellion against the Almighty and to Helel’s disastrous

fall. Thereafter, Helel became known as Satan, the destroyer.

Satan’s insurrection had a measure of success. His rebellion brought into existence, a

counterfeit kingdom - a kingdom of darkness. Satan was able to deceive and to enlist

the support of a horde of angels, and he became their “god.” He became the

demonic “ruler of the kingdom of the air.” (Ephesians 2:2)

These heavenly beings became demonic. Two scriptures speak of the fallen angels-

become-demons and their doom:

“... God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them down to the

deepest pits of gloom - of hell - and committed them to chains of darkness,

to be reserved for judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4)

“And angels who did not keep their appointed place, but abandoned

their proper sphere, He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting

chains for the Judgment of the Great Day.” (Jude 6)

Satan himself, of course, is included in the doom of these fallen angels. And

although many - possibly the majority - of the fallen angels are already in the

bottomless pit, the kingdom of evil is not yet totally contained. God has given

numerous angels, including Satan himself, limited permission to prowl about and

to act as the self-appointed tempters of the human race.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, for your adversary, the devil, prowls

about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

The New Age Movement and occultic philosophy refers to these demons as “the

Masters of the Universe.” That’s undoubtedly a Satanically-inspired term, for that is

what they seek to be. The Bible calls them, “rulers of darkness, and spiritual forces of

evil.” (Ephesians 6:l2). Our immediate reaction is to ask, “Why didn’t God destroy

Satan completely, first up?”

The answer is that God’s way and time are perfect. The rebellion of Helel did not

take the all-knowing Almighty by surprise. God knew that evil would enter His

creation, and He was totally adequate to deal with it. Moreover, He would turn the

works of the destroyer into a stage backdrop for the display of His mighty grace and

power.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to

those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

(Romans 8:28)

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

At the time of creation, a theocratic kingdom was established on earth. (You can call

it a “Theocracy” if you like.) A theocratic kingdom is one in which the domain and

government is under the immediate direction of God.

In Eden, Yahweh Elohim (the LORD God) was Sovereign - the Head over all. And in

that Theocracy, God delegated to Adam, authority to rule over the earth as His

chosen representative.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created

him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said

to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over

the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living creature

that moves on the earth’.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

At first it may look like Adam was appointed as a zoo-keeper, for at that time Adam

and Eve were the only humans on the earth. But the Divine will planned a vast

realm in which the descendants of Adam and Eve would live as obedient subjects of

the Kingdom of God.

God did not need robots. He wanted people with the power of freewill - the power of

volition - the power to make decisions - the power to deliberately choose the good,

and to reject evil.

But something “went wrong.” It’s what the Bible calls the “deceitfulness of sin.”

Adam and Eve were deceived; they repudiated~ the sovereignty~ of God; they

disobeyed His command, and instead, yielded to the temptation of Satan.

Adam and Eve surrendered their God-given authority to the enemy, and were thus

instrumental in setting up a kingdom of darkness in opposition to Yahweh El Shaddai.

It was a kingdom of death!

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death

through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans

5:12)

This sell-out by Adam, and the subsequent reign of death by Satan over the human

race, however, did not take the Almighty by surprise. Yahweh had already

formulated a “Messianic Plan.” The apostle Paul explained:

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind

intention which He purposed beforehand in Himself - a plan for the period

when the age has reached its fullness; a plan to sum up all things in the

Messiah - to bring everything under the headship of the Messiah, - everything

in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10)

THE MESSIANIC PLAN

Immediately after Adam and Eve’s fall, Yahweh Elohim, in reprimanding the devil,

introduced the plan for the Messianic redemption of fallen mankind.

“So YHWH Elohim said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

cursed are you. … I will put enmity between you and the woman, and

between your seed and her Seed (descendant); He shall crush you on the

head, and you shall strike His heel’.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God did not need to keep His plan a secret. Eve’s descendant, the Anointed One,

would defeat Satan. Although the Evil One would strike the Messiah, he himself

would be crushed.

Satan did not create a big problem for God. It would not have required a mighty act

on God’s part to eliminate the devil - one word would have been enough. And

indeed, God need not have created Helel in the first place, if the archangel’s rebellion

was going to frustrate the eternal purpose.

But God’s ways are much higher than our ways! Of course!! But aren’t men, in their

petty little intelligence, quick to offer their hasty ideas of what God should have

done to “fix the devil”? Poor man, he can’t think more than three moves ahead! The

Almighty thinks and plans a million moves ahead!

The Eternal Deity sees the end from the beginning; He sees every stage of history at

the same time, and He works out everything in conformity to His own glorious

purpose.

The more Satan attempts to defeat the Kingdom of God, the greater is the

demonstration of the absolute sovereignty of El Shaddai, the Almighty.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How

unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out!”

(Romans 11:33)

Before God’s ultimate plan for man could be realised, a “recovery plan” was needed.

This plan is what we call REDEMPTION. It was inbuilt in the Creator’s mind from

the very beginning. Redemption means “pardon, deliverance, extrication,

emancipation, freedom and salvation - from sin and its penalty.”

Redemption is not the total plan of God, but it is the necessary starting point for

fallen man to realise the ultimate plan, which is to “sum up all things in the

Messiah.”

The work of redemption began in Eden when Yahweh Elohim provided skins of

animals as clothes for the fallen, naked couple. They had to learn first up, “without

the shedding of blood there is no remission - no release or forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews

9:22)

An animal had to die, not only to cover their physical nakedness, but also to cover

their sins, for “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). And yet, Scripture says, “it

is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)

An animal sacrifice was to provide a provisional covering for the sinner. The real

covering that provides forgiveness, remission, cleansing and wholeness, is the blood

of the Lamb of God - the Messiah.

Throughout the Old Testament period, Yahweh El Shaddai was revealing the

Messianic plan, step by step, and the revelation He gave laid the groundwork for the

ultimate manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth. Yahweh was teaching the

people of Israel several main lessons --

1. He is the absolutely Holy One, and all sin is an abomination to Him. That’s why

He gave the Law - to show the people just how far short of the glory of God they

were. The Law is powerful in bringing conviction.

2. Standing totally condemned by his abominations, man needs redemption - he

needs to be saved from both the penalty of sin, and from the power and slavery of

sin. Man needs a way out of His hopeless bondage. But he would never find it by his

own intelligence and efforts.

The Almighty alone could show the way. And that He did, when He sacrificed an

innocent and perfect animal to provide coverings for Adam and Eve.

God showed the way to Israel, in more detail, when He instituted the temple

worship with its sacrificial rites and ceremonies. What looks like a finicky, bloody

religion to the casual reader, was in fact a detailed pattern of the Messianic plan to

redeem men, and “to bring them to glory” - to the fulfilment of God’s purpose for

them.

3. Man needs both an acceptable sacrifice, and a High Priest who can intercede and

reconcile him to the Holy One. Animal sacrifices and human priests, although they

were pictures of the true, were totally inadequate to fulfil the work of redemption.

But Yahweh El Shaddai had long before planned to meet man’s need by sending the

Messiah.

4. The promised Messiah, the Anointed of Yahweh, would fulfil three essential

roles. He would be a Prophet, a Redeemer-Priest, and a King. He would first

become the spotless “Lamb of God,” to redeem His people from their sin. At the

same time He would minister as the perfect High Priest, to reconcile men to the

Holy God. In His third role, as Messiah-King, He would manifest, and exercise,

God’s Sovereignty throughout the world.

Through this threefold ministry, the Messiah would bring redemption and eternal

fulfilment to an otherwise doomed humanity.

The work of the Messiah as Lamb and Priest was foretold in ISAIAH 53:

4 Surely He has taken up our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we

ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was bruised for

our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and

by His stripes we are healed.

6All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his

own way, but YHWH has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His

mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent

before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth ...

11 By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify many,

as He will bear their iniquities ...

12 He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the

transgressors. For He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for

the transgressors.

This touching prophecy focuses on the fundamental aspect of Redemption -

substitution - the fact that “God’s Righteous Servant,” the Messiah, would die as the

Lamb of God for the sins of the people.

The Redemptive Plan required that the Almighty manifest Himself as a human, and

as a human, to become the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.

“Therefore ... He (Y’shua) Himself shared in their humanity so that by

His death He might render ineffective (and ultimately destroy) the one who

had the power of death - that is, the devil - and deliver those who through

their fear of death, were held in slavery all their lives.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

This is the fulfilment of what Yahweh Elohim was talking about in the Garden when

He said Eve’s “Seed” would crush the serpent’s head.

Four thousand years after that statement in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh Elohim sent

a man named John the Baptist. He was the prophet and forerunner of the Messiah.

John pointed to Y’shua and cried out;

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John

1:29)

Yes, man fell into sin and depravity, but the plan of Yahweh El Shaddai did not fail.

Notice the initials of that title -- Y-E-S. He is “Yes and Amen.” His Word and

promises do not fail.

“For as many as are the promises of God, they are all ‘Yes’ in Him (the

Messiah); and through Him also is the ‘Amen’ we pronounce, to the glory

of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

God’s loving grace and perfect justice united in the Person of the Lamb of God - the

Messiah, and as a result, millions of souls have been redeemed.

This is the message that the world needs to hear and understand today - the blood of

Y’shua the Messiah, the Anointed Son of God Almighty, cleanses sinners from all

sin, when they repent and call upon His Name. (l John 1:7)

“In union with Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through

His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.” (Ephesians 1:7)

The whole course of history is the outworking of God’s glorious intention - the

documenting of His sovereignty and absolute wisdom, and the triumph of His grace

in the human race that Satan has so terribly marred.

The evil one may tempt and toss God’s people, but the greater the testing, the

greater is the sparkle of the Master’s diamonds - His redeemed, purified and glorified

people - His “new creation.”

Helel’s fall, his rebellion, and subsequent seduction and conquest of the human race,

serious and tragic as it was, will prove to be a permitted and temporary deviation

from the Divine purpose.

The Messianic plan, of course, goes far beyond the point of Redemption. It requires

the perfecting of a vast family of people who, of their own freewill, have chosen to

be part of the Eternal Deity’s plan; people who participate in the life of God;

redeemed people who have learned to love the Heavenly Father, and who have been

conformed to the likeness of His Son, the Messiah.

The Divine Purpose has also programmed an ultimate demonstration of the

Kingdom of God on earth, and at the same time, a revelation of the Bride of Christ

which would not only vindicate the ways of El Shaddai, but also unravel the mystery

of His amazing, infinite wisdom.

The mystery involves the Bride of Christ, and the Heavenly City that comes down

from Heaven and is above the earth during the Millennium. The revealing of the

redeemed, perfected, glorious Bride, along with the Messiah during the 1000 years,

will be a demonstration to all powers and authorities, of the amazing wisdom of

God. The apostle Paul explained this “mystery”:

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the

Gentiles the unfathomable riches of the Messiah, and to bring to light

what is the plan, and the meaning, of the mystery which from the

beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things

through the Messiah, Y’shua.

“His purpose is that now, through the Ekklesia - the church (the worldwide

body of those who are in fellowship with Y’shua the Messiah), the manifold

wisdom of God might be made known to the angelic rulers and

authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the

eternal purpose which He carried out in the person of Y’shua the

Messiah, our Master.” (Ephesians 3:8-11)

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How

unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out!”

(Romans 11:33)

“WE WANT A KING! NOW!”

From early times the people of Israel desired a king to rule over them; and it was in

fact God’s plan to give them a glorious Messiah-King, and a glorious kingdom. But

instead of heeding the promises of Yahweh El Shaddai, and waiting patiently for Him

to bring it about, Israel demanded a king - NOW!

The “democratically-minded” Israelites forgot that Yahweh was their Sovereign,

ruling through His representative, Samuel - “the last Judge and first Prophet of

Israel,” (ie., in the land. Moses was also called a prophet). They forgot, or didn’t

grasp the fact that Israel was intended to be a Theocracy, not a democracy. They

wanted a king like the heathen nations around them. (1 Samuel 8:5. 12:7-15)

It wasn’t long before Israel realized their grievous mistake. King Saul ended up in

disaster.

The second king, David, however, was an anointed leader, and led Israel into a time

of expansion and prosperity. He was a man who loved Yahweh with all his heart.

The Sacred Name of YHWH was continually in His mouth.

“O YHWH, our Lord, How majestic is Your Name in all the earth.”

(Psalm 8:1)

“I love You, O YHWH, my strength. YHWH is my Rock and my

Fortress and my Deliverer, My God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge

and trust. He is my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold.”

(Psalm 18:1-2)

‘YHWH is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

“Ascribe to YHWH, O mighty ones. Ascribe to YHWH glory and

strength. Ascribe to YHWH the glory due to His Name. Worship

YHWH in the beauty of His holiness.” (Psalm 29:1-2)

David also had deep Messianic expectations:

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to YHWH. All the

families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is

YHWH’s, and He rules over the nations.” (Psalm 22:27-28)

“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that

the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? YHWH

strong and mighty, YHWH mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:7-8)

Other Psalmists likewise looked forward to the coming and reign of the Messiah.

“YHWH reigns! He is clothed with majesty. YHWH has clothed and

girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it

will not be moved. Your throne is established from antiquity; You are

from all eternity.” (Psalm 93:1-2)

“YHWH reigns; let the earth be glad. Let the many islands rejoice.

Clouds and thick darkness surround Him. Righteousness and justice are

the foundation of His throne.” (Psalm 97:1-2)

“YHWH reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the

cherubim; let the earth shake. Great is YHWH in Zion, and He is exalted

above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome Name!

It is holy!” (Psalm 99:l-3)

David’s reign was a type, a foreshadowing of the reign of Messiah, but it fell far

short of what was prophesied for the Kingdom of God. And King David was not

always righteous.

Solomon’s reign began with a display of wisdom, and at times it seemed like a reign

of glory. During his reign the newly-built temple was filled with the glory of God -

again foreshadowing Messiah’s reign. But Solomon’s reign ended in personal

disaster. (1 Kings 11:1-13)

After Solomon the people of Israel were condemned to about 350 years of royal

abuse, and to foreign aggression because of their monarchs’ behaviour - the majority

of them were agents of Satan rather than anointed rulers in the hands of YHWH, the

Holy One of Israel.

But the covenant-keeping Sovereign of Israel did not give up on His chosen people,

for “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

He sent prophet after prophet, to call the people to repentance, and to draw their

hearts towards His Messianic promise. And a great river of Messianic prophecy

poured forth from these inspired men who were “mighty in Spirit” indeed.

THE PROMISED MESSIAH-KING

Foremost of the prophets was Isaiah who foretold a vast array of details about the

person of the Messiah and the Reign of Adonai YHWH.

“Therefore Adonai Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will

conceive and will give birth to a Son, and she will call His Name

Immanuel (God with us).” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will

rest upon His shoulders. His Name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to

the increase of His government and of peace.

“He will reign on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish

and uphold it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for

ever. The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

About 700 years later, an angelic messenger made it clear to Miryam that her Son,

Y’shua, would be no other than the long-awaited Messiah.

“You will conceive, and will give birth to a Son, and you are to name

Him Y’shua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most

High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and

He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; His kingdom will never

end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Confirmation that Y’shua was indeed the Messiah was also given to . . .

“a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This righteous and

devout man was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy

Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that

he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

“Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit into the temple just at the time when

the parents brought in the child Y’shua, to do for Him what the custom

of the Law required. Then Simeon took Him into his arms, and praised

and thanked God, saying,

‘Adonai, now You will let Your servant depart in peace, according to

Your word; for my eyes have seen Your Yeshu’ah (Your Salvation)

which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light for

revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel.’

“Joseph, the Child’s foster father and His mother were amazed at what

Simeon said about Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Miryam

His mother: ‘Look! This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising

of many in Israel, and to be a sign which will be spoken against - that the

thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce even

your own soul’.” (Luke 2:25-35)

John the Baptist rejected the idea that he himself might be the Messiah. And one

day, when his disciples heard John referring to Y’shua as “the Lamb of God,” they

knew what he meant:

“Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples; and

watching Y’shua as He walked by, he said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God!’

“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Y’shua . . .

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother was one of the two . . . The first thing

Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, ‘We have found the

Messiah,’ (which translated means the Anointed One).” (John 1:35-41)

The New Testament makes it very clear that the promised Messiah is no other than

Y’shua. And for this reason it refers to Him constantly as Y’SHUA HA MASHIACH -

Y’shua the Messiah - the Anointed. (“Christ” comes from the Greek word, Christos,

which means, in a Greek context, “anointed.”)

THE KINGDOM ANNOUNCED

Being the prophesied Messiah, we should expect much teaching concerning the

Messianic prophecies and the kingdom from Y’shua’s own lips. Indeed, He not only

preached about the kingdom, but declared the kingdom was near.

“From that time Y’shua began to preach, crying out, ‘Repent, for the

kingdom of heaven has come near’.” (Matthew 4:17)

The Messiah sent out the twelve disciples, and then “the Seventy,” with the same

message. (Matthew 10:7; Luke 10:9-11). But much of what Y’shua said seemed to

fall on deaf ears; much of it seemed to be puzzles and parables - the kingdom was

like a pearl, like leaven, like mustard seed, like a dragnet. How’s that?

On one occasion ...

“having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would

come, Y’shua answered them, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with

observation. Nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or, “There it is!” But

look and you will see that the kingdom of God is within and among you’.”

(Luke 17:20-21)

The Pharisees wanted to see “fireworks,” as the Americans would say; or pomp and

pageantry as the British would. But Y’shua seemed to be offering them nothing of

the sort!

Some Christians take these words of Y’shua to mean that He was offering a spiritual

kingdom rather than a literal, millennial kingdom on earth. But no! That would

have been against the prophecies of Scripture. Y’shua was saying that the kingdom

was very near, because He, the King-Messiah, was already in their midst. All that

was required was repentance on the part of the nation, and an acceptance of Y’shua

as the Anointed One, and the kingdom could be realized.

But even many of the clear straight-forward statements of Y’shua did not tally with

the Messianic conceptions of the priests, Pharisees and the people who heard them.

Y’shua was a disappointment to them; He upset their theological apple-carts! He

wasn’t doing things the way they thought the Messiah should! He was too idealistic,

too passive, too unpractical, too heavenly-minded - or vaguely-minded - to be of any

earthly use. Y’shua’s teaching about the “kingdom of heaven” just didn’t seem to

make much sense. So many thought.

(Note: “kingdom of heaven” generally means exactly the same as “kingdom of

God.” Y’shua often used the word “heaven” as a substitute word for “God.”

Kingdom of heaven does not mean just the kingdom in heaven, but the kingdom of

heaven upon earth - the Millennial Kingdom.)

Now take some statements from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) for

example:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit - the humble, those who have no trust in

themselves - for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v3)

“Blessed are the gentle - the meek and patient - for they will inherit the

earth.” (v5)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v10)

How can you construct a kingdom using humility and meekness as building-blocks?

Everyone knows you have to be powerful, aggressive, and even ruthless to get any-

where in this world. You have to face unscrupulous political-priests within, and an

evil Roman Empire outside? You have to be tough! So Y’shua’s words were not

logical to many! Can you imagine how well the following statements went over with

the religious leaders of Israel?

“For I tell you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the

Pharisees, and the Scribes (the teachers of the Law), you shall certainly not

enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Y’shua was not saying here that the Pharisees and Scribes were very righteous, and

the people were to be even better. No! He was exposing their phoney righteousness.

It was not simply that He did not have a good opinion about Scribes and Pharisees.

He had a correct estimation of them. They were like a sheet of clear glass. He could

see right through them! All their “righteousness” was like a filthy rag. And if the

above statement did not expose their rottenness, then another Y’shuan word would!

“Woe to you, Scribes (who teach the Law) and you Pharisees! Hypocrites!

For you are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside,

but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean and

rotten. Like that, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on

the inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness . . . You snakes! You

brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to Gehenna -

hell-fire?” (Matthew 23:27, 28, 33)

It’s clear that Y’shua was not seeking to win endorsement for His Messiahship from

the Pharisees, Scribes and priests!

The Messiah was like a sharp two-edged sword. He was not called “The Word”

without reason, (see Hebrews 4:12, and John 1:1). Y’shua was constantly

underscoring the truth that had earlier thundered down from Mt Sinai: YHWH El

Shaddai was the Holy One of Israel, and the people of Israel needed to repent, offer

an acceptable Lamb for their sins, and “engage” a true Priest-Messiah who would

intercede for them, save them, and bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Messiah’s ministry was not simply to usher in a prosperous kingdom and make

everything rosy for God’s special stiff-necked people. He must first prepare them; He

must teach them the principles of the Kingdom. He must change their hearts, and

make them “new.” He must put a new spirit in them - the HOLY Spirit, so that they

could fulfil the Father’s purpose for bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

The “new birth” had been promised by Adonai YHWH long before:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will

cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give

you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove from you

your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

One thing God hates in particular, is hypocrisy; and a whitewashed facade~ is not a

clean heart! The Scribes and Pharisees should have known better, for they taught the

Scriptures, including the Messianic prophecies. But they were the blind leading the

blind. They were not ready for the Messiah - and never would be!

But there were at least two Pharisees who did get converted. One was Nicodemus;

the other, later on, was Sha’ul of Tarsus (Paul). Y’shua told Nicodemus:

“No-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ... no-one

can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the

Holy Spirit.” (John 3:3,5)

(‘Water’ speaks of the Word of God. The Word applied by the Holy Spirit leads to

regeneration - new birth and cleansing. See also Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5)

At first, Nicodemus didn’t have a clue about the new birth, or what the Messiah was

talking about. But he did readily receive the Word, and the Word, applied by the

Holy Spirit, produced spiritual life in him. (Later, Nicodemus was one of the two

believers who entombed the body of Y’shua - after all the others had fled.)

There were many ordinary Jewish people though, who had a lively expectation that

Y’shua would shortly declare Himself as Messiah, and establish the New Messianic

Age.

This excited crowd cried out:

“BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE

LORD!” “Peace in heaven,” and “Glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

But a few days later, another Jewish crowd was calling out:

“Away with this Man! Crucify Him! Crucify Him! . . . We will not have

this man to reign over us.” (Luke 23:18, 21. 19:14)

There was no referendum held in Israel to decide if Y’shua was to be received or

rejected as Messiah. Justice was grossly violated. The law was murdered - and so

was Y’shua the Messiah! And yet, the purpose of God was sustained, the

righteousness of God was manifest, and the grace of God triumphed over sin, Satan,

death and Hell.

Y’shua was the Lamb of God ...

“slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)

It was central to the redemptive plan of the Eternal Deity that Y’shua should die for

the sins of the world.

Y’shua fulfilled Isaiah 53 and a book full of prophecies. He also fulfilled the Law,

and He fulfilled all righteousness. He made “new birth” possible, and He made

redemption a fait accompli~.

“He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves,

but for Him who died for them and rose again on their behalf.”

(2 Corinthians 5:15)

Moreover, by His atoning work at Calvary, and by His victorious resurrection from

the tomb, Messiah made heaven resound with praise. He made heaven the goal of

the redeemed, and He made the Millennial Kingdom an absolute certainty.

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to

open its seals, for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your

blood out of every tribe, language, people and nation. You have made us

kings and priests to our God, and we will reign over the earth’.”

(Revelation 5:9-10)

“And the seventh angel sounded his trumpet; and there arose loud voices

in heaven, crying, ‘The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdom

of YHWH our LORD and of His Anointed - the Messiah; and He will

reign forever and ever.’

“And the twenty-four elders who were sitting on their thrones before God,

fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks,

YHWH El Shaddai - LORD God Almighty, the One who is and who was,

and who is coming, because You have taken Your great power and have

reigned’.” (Revelation 11:15-17)

“The glory of YHWH will be revealed,

and all mankind together will see it;

for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.”

(Isaiah 40:1)

THE PRESENT AGE PROGRAM

The question on the lips of the disciples after Y’shua’s resurrection was . . .

“Master, is it at this time that You will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

(Acts 1:6)

Notice, Y’shua did not say, “Sorry brethren, Israel is finished! They’ve rejected the

kingdom, so you can forget it now!” And neither did Y’shua say, “Listen, you deaf

disciples; you’ve got the kingdom in your hearts, so forget a physical kingdom on

earth now!” No!

“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates which the

Father has set by His own authority; but you shall receive power when

the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the remotest part of the

earth’.” (Acts 1:7-8)

The Millennial Kingdom was postponed, but not cancelled! It would come in due

time. Because of unbelief, Israel would not immediately enter the Kingdom. As in

the days of Moses when the Israelites were very close to the Promised Land, but

were returned to “the wilderness,” Messiah’s generation had come very near to the

kingdom, but they failed to enter.

In the meantime the Messiah’s message must be preached all over the world, for the

Eternal Purpose and the Messianic plan embraced ALL mankind.

“Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and

there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; the word has gone out of My

mouth in righteousness and it will not be revoked; that to Me every knee

will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, ‘Only

in YHWH are righteousness and strength’.” (Isaiah 45:22-24)

Israel was an instrument to fulfil the Divine Plan. And, hallelu-Yah, a handful of

Spirit-filled Jewish disciples “filled Jerusalem” with Yeshua’s teaching; and soon

they “turned the world upside down.” (Acts 5:28, 17:6)

The “times of the Gentiles” had come - the time for a mighty redemptive work in the

pagan nations. And so the demonstration of the sovereignty and wisdom of Yahweh

El Shaddai is seen, in this present age, throughout the whole world. The Gentile

“Redeemed of the LORD” are “trophies of His grace,” for they were once . . .

“… separate from the Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of

Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and

without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)

Now salvation has come to their shores.

But the apostle Paul also revealed a great “mystery” - one which was almost totally

hidden in the Old Testament - that the Messiah would take a corporate~ Bride from

out of all the nations of the world, including Israel.

“This is a profound mystery - but I am speaking with reference to the

Messiah and the Ekklesia (the church).” (Ephesians 5:32)

The word Ekklesia is the Greek word used in the New Testament for the Body of

believers in Y’shua the Messiah. It is normally translated church or assembly, but as

“church” is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language, I prefer

to use the Greek word, explaining the real meaning of it.

Most Bible believers, of course, understand that ...

the Ekklesia is not a building with a steeple on top;

the Ekklesia is not something you go to;

the Ekklesia is not a religious club;

the Ekklesia is not a Christian denomination;

the Ekklesia is not the whole of Christendom.

But sadly, many Christians as well as non-Christians have a false idea of what “the

church” is. They think of everything except the true meaning.

There does not seem to be any suitable alternate English word. Of course, the words

Fellowship and Assembly are often used, but these nearly always give the sense of a

local body - political, social or religious. Assembly may also mean something like

the U.N. General Assembly.

These are inadequate expressions. So I am using the word Ekklesia, with the

following definition:

The Body of called-out people; the Assembly - local and universal, comprised of all

who have been redeemed and brought into union with the Messiah. It is also

called The Bride of the Messiah (Christ).

Now the mystery Paul speaks of is the glorious truth that the Messiah has created a

new corporate body which is called His Body, His Ekklesia, and also His Bride. And

He has planned that this Bride should be His eternal companion. “Corporate”

means, “made up of many parts or members.” The Messiah’s Ekklesia is made up of

many millions of believers.

In this passage, Paul is simultaneously teaching two things; 1. human marriage

relationships, and, 2. the relationship of New Testament believers, as the Bride, to

the Messiah.

“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the Head of the

Ekklesia - the Body of which He is the Saviour. Now as the Ekklesia is

subject to Christ, so also the wives should be subject to their husbands in

everything.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah also loved the Ekklesia

and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by

the washing of water with the Word, and that He might present the

Ekklesia to Himself, a glorious Bride, without spot or wrinkle or any such

thing - but that she should be holy and without blemish ... for we are

members of His body - of His flesh and of His bones.” (Ephesians 5:23-27,

30)

Now! The Bride of the Lamb is not what some people call “spiritual Israel.” It is the

new body, the Ekklesia, that began at Pentecost. It is made up of Jews and Gentiles.

“But now in the Messiah, Y’shua, you who once were far away have

been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He Himself is our

peace, who has made both groups into one, and has broken down the

dividing wall between us by abolishing in His flesh the enmity and the Law

of commandments contained in ordinances - His purpose being to create

in union with Himself one ‘new man’ out of the two, thus making peace,

and in this one body, to reconcile both of them to God through His death

on the cross, by which He put to death the enmity.” (Ephesians 2:13-16)

The glorious part of this “mystery” is the fact that according to the Eternal Purpose,

the Bride of the Lamb will be made up of people from every nation.

“You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of

every tribe, language, people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

The Bride is still being added to every day, and it will be completed soon - at the

time of the Rapture, when the Bride will be caught up to meet the Bridegroom in the

clouds. And then, shortly after the Rapture, there will be the Great Day of the

Marriage of the Lamb.

“ ‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the

Lamb has come and His Bride has prepared herself.’ Fine linen, bright

and clean was given to her to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts

of the saints. Then the angel said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed are those who

are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” ’ And he said to me,

‘These are the true words of God’.” (Revelation 19:7-9)

You may be asking, “What has the Bride got to do with the Millennium? We have a

heavenly destiny, not an earthly one!” Just this: to the Bride is given the awesome

privilege of reigning with the Messiah - at His side, when the glory of the LORD is

revealed, and when the Sovereignty~ of the LORD OF GLORY is displayed

universally, throughout the Millennium.

What a glorious day, the day when “Heaven comes down and glory fills my soul!”

The day when, as Paul says,

“… through the Ekklesia (through the worldwide body of those who are in

fellowship with Y’shua the Messiah), the manifold wisdom of God might be

made known to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

(Ephesians 3:10)

SATAN OVERTHROWN

Daniel’s prophecies emphasize the fact that the Satan-dominated kingdoms of the

world will be destroyed by the glorious return of the Messiah.

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that

will never be destroyed - a kingdom that will not be left to another

people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it

will itself endure for ever.” (Daniel 2:44)

Chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation gives more details of the overthrow of the

“kingdoms of this world”:

11 “I saw heaven opened, and then a white horse appeared, and He who

sat upon it was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges

and wages war.

12-14 “His eyes were like blazing fire, and on His head were many

crowns. He had a name written upon Him which no one knew except He

Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and the Name by

which He was called was ‘The Word of God.’ The armies of heaven were

following Him, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen, white

and clean.

15-16 “Now from His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword with which

to strike the nations; and He will rule them with a sceptre of iron; and He

treads the winepress of the fierce wrath and indignation of God, El

Shaddai the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He had a Name

written:

KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

17-18 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a

mighty voice to all the birds flying in mid-air, ‘Come, assemble for the

great supper of God; so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and

mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men,

free and slave, small and great.’

19-21 “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies,

assembled to make war against the Rider on the horse, and against His

army. But the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who had

performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had

received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.

These two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. The

rest were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider

on the horse, and all-the birds were filled with their flesh.

20:1-3 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key

of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the

dragon, the serpent of old who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for

a thousand years, and hurled him into the bottomless pit, and shut and

sealed it (over him, so that he could not deceive the nations any longer,

until the thousand years were completed. After that he must be released

for a short time.”

So here we see Satan overthrown, and totally contained, during the 1,000 glorious

years.

THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

Messiah’s return from heaven, and the commissioning of the Millennial kingdom, is

described in DANIEL:

“In the night visions, I kept looking, and suddenly there was One like the

Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven. He came up to the Ancient

of Days and was presented before Him.

“Then to Him was given authority, glory and a kingdom, that all the

peoples, nations, and men of every language should serve Him.

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and

His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

A question that naturally comes up as we study the prophecies of the millennial

reign is: Who, actually, is the King reigning in Jerusalem during the Kingdom of

God on earth?

At first, several scriptures seem to be contradictory. Some passages say the Messiah

reigns. Other passages say David reigns. Some Scriptures say God reigns, while yet

others say YHWH is the King. Let’s look at some of the prophecies.

EZEKIEL says that the shepherd-king, David, will be prince and king in the future

kingdom.

“Then I will place over them one shepherd. My servant David, and he

will feed them; he will take care of them and be their shepherd. And I,

YHWH, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among

them. I, YHWH, have spoken.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24)

“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one

shepherd; and they will walk in My laws, and will respect and keep My

decrees. They will live in the land I gave to Jacob My servant, the land

where your fathers lived. They, their children, and their descendants will

live there for ever, and David My servant will be their prince for ever.”

(Ezekiel 37:24-25)

JEREMIAH prophesied regarding the Branch - the Messiah who would be king:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I shall raise up for

David a righteous Branch.

“A King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.

“And this is His Name by which He will be called, ‘YHWH Tsidkeinu’

(YHWH our Righteousness).” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

ZECHARIAH presents the two comings of the Messiah, and leaves no room to

doubt that the One who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey was the King of Zion.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of

Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and having

salvation, humble, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a

donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Zechariah also presents the Messiah as the builder of the temple of God, and the fact

that He would fulfil the duel office of priest and king:

“Then tell him, ‘This is what YHWH of Hosts says: “Look, here is the

Man whose Name is the BRANCH - for He will branch out from His

place and will build the temple of YHWH. Yes, it is He who will build

the temple of YHWH, and He will be clothed with glory, and will sit and

rule on His throne. He will be a priest on His throne, and there will be

harmony between the two offices.”’” (Zechariah 6:12-13)

In the Book of Hebrews we read that Y’shua the Messiah is that Royal-Priest after

the order of Melkizedek. (6:20)

In other passages Zechariah presents YHWH returning as the King:

“This is what YHWH says: ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the

midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and

the mountain of YHWH of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”

(Zechariah 8:3)

“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion! Look! For I am coming

and I will live among you, declares YHWH.” (Zechariah 2:10)

“And YHWH will be King over all the earth; in that day it will be

acknowledged - YHWH is one; and His Name the only one.” (Zechariah

14:9)

ISAIAH also says Yahweh will be King:

“YHWH will be there for us, the Majestic One! It will be a place of broad

rivers and streams. No galley with oars shall sail there, and no mighty

enemy ship will pass by - for YHWH is our Judge! YHWH is our

Lawgiver! YHWH is our King! He will save us!” (Isaiah 33:21-22)

“Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout joyfully,

for when YHWH restores Zion they will see it with their own eyes. Burst

into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for YHWH has

comforted His people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 52:8-10)

ZEPHANIAH also rejoices that it is Yahweh, “the Mighty to Save,” who is in the

midst of the kingdom:

“Sing with joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! ... The

King of Israel, YHWH, is in your midst; never again will you see disaster

... YHWH your God is in your midst, the Mighty One who will save.”

(Zephaniah 3:14,15,17)

MICAH presents both MESSIAH and YHWH as the Ruler in Israel. He locates the

birthplace of the Messiah, but reveals that the Anointed One is not a mere man. His

origins are from eternity.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be noticed among the clans

of Judah. From out of you will come forth for Me the One who will be

ruler in Israel. His origins are from of old - from eternity ... And He will

stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of

the Name of YHWH His God. And they will live securely, for then His

greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And this One will be their

peace.” (Micah 5:2, 4-5)

“YHWH will reign over them in Mount Zion from that day and for

ever.” (Micah 4:7)

How can we reconcile these differing prophecies?

First, regarding MESSIAH and YHWH; there is no conflict or contradiction when

Scripture says MESSIAH REIGNS, and YAHWEH REIGNS, for Y’shua the

Messiah is the physical manifestation of Yahweh the Eternal Deity. Messiah and

Yahweh, you can say, are one and the same! We don’t believe in two Gods, or

three Gods. God is one!

“Hear, O Israel! YHWH is our God, YHWH is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Yes, the Eternal Deity is manifest as three divine Persons - and sometimes all three

at the same time, as at the baptism of Y’shua. But they are in essence, One.

Y’shua said, “I am My Father are one.” (John 10:30)

Y’shua is the physical manifestation of the Deity, the One in whom ...

“… all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9)

YAHWEH is presented as the Heavenly Father, but He is not seen with the eye.

Y’SHUA is presented as the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6), but He has been, and will

be seen.

“He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.” (Revelation 1:7)

But there are not two Fathers, two Lords, two Saviours, two Sovereign Kings and

two Deities. He is One. We refer to Him as Yahweh, or we refer to Him as Y’shua

to distinguish the different roles. But there are times when Yahweh and Y’shua

merge into one single role - such as when He reigns as Sovereign King over all the

earth. Here the two Names also merge into one - YHWH-SHUA.

“YHWH is my light and my salvation.” (Psalm 27:1)

“My eyes have seen Your Yeshu’ah (Your Salvation).” (Luke 2:30)

Now, concerning David, you may ask, “How can David reign when the Messiah is

clearly the King? And is it even possible for David to be raised to life to reign in

Jerusalem once more?”

It is very clear, David is not the Messiah, but it IS possible for him to reign as a

regent under the Messiah. Yes, it is possible for a resurrected saint to reign on the

earth. We read in Revelation of the resurrected Tribulation martyrs reigning:

“Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom authority

to judge was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded

because of their testimony for Y’shua and because of the Word of God -

these had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his

mark upon their foreheads or upon their hands. They came to life and

reigned with the Messiah for the thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)

The resurrected ones seen on thrones here are rulers under the Messiah who is

Sovereign above all. The resurrected rulers are part of the administration of the

Kingdom, but they are not necessarily earth-bound. Because of their resurrection

bodies, they have access into the heavenly city, and evidently they can come and go,

in much the same way as angels do.

When the Scriptures say MESSIAH REIGNS, it is to be understood that He has

subordinate rulers, kings, princes, elders, administrators, and ambassadors under His

sovereignty.

“Then the moon will blush and the sun will be ashamed, for YHWH of

Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His

appointed elders in power and great glory.” (Isaiah 24 :23)

The disciples of Y’shua were told they would, at a later time, sit on thrones judging

Israel:

“Y’shua answered them, ‘I tell you the truth; in THE

REGENERATION - the Messianic renewal and restoration of the world -

when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have

followed Me will also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes

of Israel’.” (Matthew 19:28)

We read also of another great company (and dear reader, I trust you can see yourself

included in this vast body), who will reign as kings and priests on the earth:

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to

open its seals, for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your

blood out of every tribe, language, people and nation. You have made us

kings and priests to our God, and we will reign upon the earth’.”

(Revelation 5:9-10)

Yes, this Body comprises the Bride of the Lamb who naturally reigns with the

Messiah-King, at His right hand. (The Scriptures do not refer to her as Queen).

So we see the Bride of the Messiah, and also administrators, elders, princes and

kings reigning in the Millennium under the sovereignty of the King of Kings. Some

of these are resurrected and glorified, but others are appointees from the saved on

the earth who have not yet been glorified. So it is quite possible that David will be

the Prince-king ruling as Regent over Israel itself.

Some people who don’t believe in the Millennial kingdom have an objection. They

ask, “How can glorified and non-glorified people mingle and live together in the

same society - some material, the others spiritual? And if all the resurrection

believers from past dispensations converge and live on earth, how can the planet

accommodate them all?”

Good question! We’ll come to the answer in just a few minutes. First, let us look at a

few more essential details.

JERUSALEM - THE CITY OF JOY

The MILLENNIAL CAPITAL, on earth, will be Jerusalem, in Israel. It is also

called Mount Zion.

“YHWH will reign over them in Mount Zion from that day and for

ever.” (Micah 4:7)

“Great is YHWH; He is worthy of great praise, in the city of our God,

His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is

Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the Great King.”

(Psalm 48:1-2)

“In the last days the mountain of the House of YHWH will be

established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the

hills, and all nations will stream into it.

“Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain

of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways,

so that we may walk in His paths.’ For the Law (instruction) will go out

from Zion, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3)

Mount Zion is one of the mountains of Jerusalem. It is where David built his palace

- a little south-west of Mt Moriah where the temple was built later. The name Zion

(Hebrew Tziyon) was extended to the temple mount; but it is often used to mean the

whole of the city.

JERUSALEM will become the “joy of the whole earth” after “all Israel is saved!”

(“All Israel” of course, refers to great multitude of believers who receive Y’shua

during the Tribulation - the ‘one-third’ of Zechariah 13:9). And as Israel is blessed, it

will become a great blessing to all other nations:

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brethren, lest you

be wise in your own estimation; a temporary hardening has happened to a

part of Israel which will continue until the full number of Gentiles has

come in. And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The

Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’.”

(Romans 11:25-27)

“But Israel will be saved by YHWH with an everlasting salvation. You

will never be put to shame or humiliated for ever and ever. All men will

come to Him, and all who raged against Him shall be put to shame. In

YHWH all the descendants of Israel will be justified - they will be found

righteous and will glorify Him.” (Isaiah 45:17, 25)

“I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting

covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and will put My

sanctuary in their midst for ever. My dwelling-place will be with them; I

will be their God and they will be My people. Then the nations will

know that I am YHWH who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is

among them for ever.” (Ezekiel 37:24-28)

“In that day Israel will be the third - along with Egypt and Assyria - a

blessing at the centre of the earth, whom YHWH of Hosts will bless,

saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria My handiwork, and

Israel My inheritance’.” (Isaiah 19:24-25)

WORLDWIDE DOMINION

Although the central kingdom of the Millennial Reign will be Israel, after the Great

Tribulation the saved remnants of the Gentile nations will form the new nations that

will share in Messiah’s kingdom. The extent of the kingdom will be nothing less

than world wide.

Egypt and Assyria are mentioned by name in Isaiah 19:25, above, and again . ..

“In that day a great trumpet will sound, and those who were perishing in

the land of Assyria, and those who were scattered in Egypt, will come

and worship YHWH on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 27:13)

Zechariah looks forward to the time when the Gentile nations will seek Yahweh

who is reigning from Jerusalem. It is Messiah speaking here:

“Many nations will join themselves to YHWH in that day and will

become My people. I will live among you and you will know that

YHWH of Hosts has sent Me to you.” (Zechariah 2:10-11)

“Many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek YHWH of Hosts

in Jerusalem and to entreat YHWH.

“YHWH of Hosts says: In those days ten men from all languages and

nations will take firm hold of a Jew by the edge of his garment and say,

‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’.”

(Zechariah 8:22-23)

Isaiah’s prophecies revealed that not only would Israel come into blessing, but the

Gentile nations also would share in the salvation of God.

“YHWH has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; that all

the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10)

“I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim, and the war-horses from

Jerusalem; the bows of war also will be destroyed. He will speak peace to

the nations; and His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the

River Euphrates to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:10)

“He will judge between the nations, and will settle disputes for many

peoples.” (Isaiah 2:4)

THE CELESTIAL PALACE

While there will be a royal palace on earth from which the kingdom administration

is directed, the Messiah Himself will reign over all, from a celestial (heavenly) palace

which is called the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. This is the heavenly place that

Y’shua said He would prepare for His people:

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I

would have told you, for I am going there to prepare a place for you. And

if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and receive

you to Myself, so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

The Revelation describes that glorious place, and equates it with the Bride of the

Lamb:

“And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of

heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully adorned for her

husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘See now, the

tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell among them, and they

shall be His people, and YHWH Elohim Himself shall be with them - their

God’ . . . ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’

“Then in the Spirit he conveyed me away to a great and high mountain,

and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven

from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very

precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (Revelation 21:2-3, 9-11)

At first it may seem that the city is the Bride herself. No! The Bride is the glorified

Body of the Messiah. The city is her dwelling place - a magnificent palace. It

includes various groups of inhabitants, but the Bride is very prominent there. But far

more prominent than the Bride is - YHWH-SHUA Himself.

“But I saw no temple in the city, for YHWH El Shaddai, the LORD God

Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need of the sun

or the moon to shine upon it, for the Sh’khinah glory of God gives it light,

and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:22-23)

As well as the Almighty, the Lamb and the Bride, there will be a great company of

other redeemed and glorified servants of God in the city.

“There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb

will be in the city, and His bond-servants will serve Him. They will see

His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 3:3-4)

As the members of the corporate Bride are also called servants, some mistakenly

believe that only the Bride lives in the heavenly Jerusalem. But Revelation 21:12-14

suggests the heavenly occupants are the redeemed from both Israel and the Ekklesia -

the Ekklesia being the one “new Body” that the Messiah created on the day of

Pentecost - believers both Jews and Gentiles.

“It had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates were

twelve angels; and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on

the gates . . . The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on

them were the twelve names of the apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation

21:12-14)

As well as being the Hope of the Ekklesia, the Heavenly Jerusalem also fulfils the

aspirations of Abraham and many other faithful saints in the Old Testament who

were . . .

“looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and

builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)

At the gates of the city there are twelve angels; and inside, there are myriads of

angels in the service of Yahweh, especially around the throne. (Isaiah 6:1-3,

Revelation 5:11)

“HERE COMES THE BRIDE”

“And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of

heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully adorned for her

husband.” (Revelation 21:2)

Some prophecy teachers have believed and taught that the heavenly city comes

down and settles on the earth - on the site of old Jerusalem. But the Scripture does

not say that. It simply says the city “comes down out of heaven.”

Some see the city hovering over the earth. I see it as being in proximity to the earth,

like the sun or moon, but not necessarily in a physical orbit.

Look at the following description and notice that the nations walk in the light of the

heavenly city:

“The nations - those who are saved - will walk by its light, and the kings of

the earth shall bring their splendour into it. Throughout the day its gates

remain open, and as there will be no night there, its gates will never be

closed! They shall bring the splendour and honour of the nations into it;

but nothing that defiles or profanes, nor anyone who practices

abominations and falsehood, shall ever come into it, but only those

whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelation

21:24-27)

In studying Revelation 21:1 to 22:7, we could easily be confused as to whether this

passage is referring to the eternal heaven, or whether it is speaking about the

Millennial city.

In this passage we can see the overlapping of the millennial and the eternal, as

well as an overlapping of the physical and the spiritual.

The nations on earth are millennial, but the heavenly city is eternal. The earth is

physical, but the heavenly city is spiritual (heavenly). By spiritual we don’t mean

ghostly or intangible. It is very real, but of a different quality to our known physical

realm.

I think of the heavenly city as spiritually-physical, like the future bodies of the

redeemed. That’s a quality we don’t yet experience, but it is a quality that existed in

the body of Y’shua, after His resurrection.

During those 40 days before the Ascension, there was an overlapping of the physical

and spiritual as the Saviour met with His disciples. We see an overlapping also in the

appearances of angels. They are spirits, and yet they can be visibly manifest in the

physical world.

Likewise, during the Millennium, the Sh’khinah glory – the glorious manifest

Presence of YHWH the Holy One - will be displayed from the celestial city, and will

be literally seen above the earthly Jerusalem, by those living in Israel.

“Your eyes will see the king in His beauty; they will view the far-distant

land.” (Isaiah 33:17)

Several scriptures suggest the light of the celestial city will replace the light of the sun

and moon - at least for some time - at the beginning of the Millennium. Remember,

our Master quoted Isaiah, and spoke of the sun turning to blackness at the end of the

Great Tribulation - that is, just prior to the Kingdom.

“Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, THE SUN WILL BE

DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT [Isaiah

13:10], the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of THE HEAVENS

WILL BE SHAKEN [Haggai 2,6. Joel 2:10]. Then the sign of the Son of

Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will

mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE

CLOUDS OF THE SKY [Daniel 7:13] with power and great glory.”

(Matthew 24:29-30)

The darkening of the sun is alluded to also in Isaiah 24:

“Then the moon will blush and the sun will be ashamed, for YHWH of

Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His

appointed elders in power and great glory.” (Isaiah 24:23)

And there’s this explicit prophecy Isaiah 60:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come! and the Sh’khinah~ glory of

YHWH has risen upon you. Look! Darkness will cover the earth, and

thick darkness the peoples. But YHWH will arise upon you, and His

glory will be seen over you.

“The Gentile nations will come to your Light, and kings to the

brightness of your Rising ... The sun will no longer be your light by day,

nor will the brightness of the moon shine upon you; for YHWH will be

for you, an everlasting Light, and your God will be your Glory. Your sun

will no longer go down, and your moon will wane no more; for YHWH

will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be

finished.” (Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-20)

The darkening of the sun may be caused by a collapse of the core of the sun. A

scientist has told me that such a collapse is now overdue - gauging by the increase of

helium in the sun.

KINGDOM ADMINISTRATION

Now to answer that question that came up earlier: How can glorified and non-

glorified people mingle together? And how could the planet accommodate them all?

Firstly, all the glorified saints are not going to come to live on the earth. They will

reign with Messiah from the Celestial City.

Secondly, the King-Messiah will depute certain resurrected saints to the earth for

governmental and administrative purposes. King David, as we have seen, is said to

reign as a shepherd to the nation of Israel, while the twelve disciples will be

commissioned as judges - maybe something like Supreme Court judges. Martyred

tribulation saints will also reign under Messiah, with administrative responsibilities

in various parts of the world. Other glorified saints, I expect, will be appointed to

head up certain vital projects.

“ ‘Well done, good servant,’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been

faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten cities’.” (Luke

19:17)

The actual governing by resurrected, glorified saints may be largely in an advisory

capacity. They will be able to teach the nations of the ways of the Messiah, and the

Divine principles for the functioning of the kingdom. Under the heavenly princes or

advisers there will be earthly governors, and a spiritually-wise and structured form of

administration.

After the chaos of the Great Tribulation, there will be an enormous amount of work

to be done. It will be a starting all over again - like Noa