The Fourth important question we asked in our first lesson was, "Is the Kingdom present or future?" Admittedly this is a very vague question and could be very confusing to someone who has done very little study in the Word of God. Why? There are many Kingdoms mentioned in the Bible. The two major Kingdoms are the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. All of the other Kingdoms in some way are subsidiaries of these two. (Jn. 3:3; Matt. 4:17; Mark 4:11; Matt. 13:13). The answer to question four largely depends on our treatment of question five, "Is there a difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven?" At first glance these Kingdoms appear synonymous however there are at least eleven references in Matthew and fourteen references in Luke where the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are not equated. The Kingdom of God is the all encompassing spiritual Kingdom. God is the head ruler and potentate (I Tim. 6:14,15) over all created spiritual beings, powers, authorities and principalities. As King over the Kingdom of Heaven, He is King and sovereign over all created beings, all planets, suns, constellations, galaxies and nebula. (Ps. 148; 100:3; Isa. 40-48)

As King over the Kingdom of Heaven, God has the power to delegate authority where He chose and when He pleased.

Generally speaking the Kingdom of Christ refers to the future millennial reign of Christ that will begin when the Lord Jesus returns the second time to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At that time both Kingdoms will be present.

Messianic Kingdom Scriptures:

2 Sam. 7:12,13,16	Jer. 31:31-37
Psalm 2	Dan. 2:44
Psalm 24	Dan. 7:13,14
Psalm 72	Micah 4:4-8
Isa. 2:1-5	Zech. 14:9
Isa. 11:1-12	Luke 1:30-33
Isa. 35:1-10	Luke 19:27
Jer. 23:1-8

The Book of Revelation

In denying the literal reign of Christ on the earth, the amils of necessity must also deny a literal interpretation of the Great Tribulation. One school of amils teaches that the events in the book of Revelation are all in the- past, and were fulfilled at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Church of Christ amils point out that the Lord Jesus Christ said seven times in the Revelation, "I come quickly." They reason that since He said this, it is folly to say that the second coming of Christ has been put off for nearly 2,000 years as the premils say.

Other amils teach that the events in Revelation cover the entire period from the first coming of Christ to His second coming. They teach that the book of Revelation was written to encourage the New Testament saints who were passing through the Great Tribulation in the form Of persecution.

Premils teach that Revelation 1:19 gives the outline of the book, past, present, and future. They teach that chapter one tells about the past; the things has seen. Chapters two and three tell about the present.

The premils makes a fourfold application to these chapters:

[1]. local to churches actually addressed;
[2]. admonitionary, to all churches in all times;
[3]. personal, "he that hath an ear, let him hear";
[4]. prophetic, covering the seven periods of church history.

Verses on the Great Tribulation

Psa. 2:1-6	Zeph. 1:14-18
Isa. 2:10-21; 13:9-13; 24:21-23; 26:20-21	Zech. 14:1-47
Isa. 34:1-8; 63:1-6; 66:15-24	Matt. 4:21,22
Jer. 25:29-38; 30:4-8	1 Thess. 5:1-8
Eze. 20:33-38	2 Thess. 1:7-9
Dan. 12:1	2 Pet. 2:4-10
Joel 1:15; 2:1-11	Rev. 6-19

The Millennial Reign of Christ - (Rev. 20)

[1]. Satan will be bound a thousand years.
[2]. He will not deceive the nations until the thousand years are fulfilled.
[3]. After that he must be loosed a little season.
[4]. The tribulation saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
[5]. The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years are finished.
[6]. All who have a part in the first resurrection will reign with Christ a thousand years.
[7]. After the thousand years, Satan will be loosed and will go out and deceive the nations again.
[8]. The devil will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ and the Millennium

It is evident that there can be no earthly theocratic Kingdom apart from the personal manifested presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. This whole age depends upon His return to the earth as promised. All that exists in the millennium has its "origin" in the King who is revealed.

The names and titles applied to Christ in the Millennium:

The Branch - (Isa. 4:2; 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8-9; 6:12,13).

A name of Christ, used in a fourfold way:

[1]. "The Branch of Jehovah" (Isa. 4:2), that is, the "Immanuel" character of Christ (Isa. 7:14) to be fully manifested to restored and converted Israel after His return in divine glory (Matt. 25:31).
[2]. The "Branch of David" (Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15), that is, the Messiah, " of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3), revealed in His earthly glory as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
[3]. Jehovah's "Servant, the Branch" (Zech. 3:8), Messiah's humiliation and obedience unto death according to Isa. 52:13-15; 53:1-12; Phil. 2:5-8.
[4]. The "man whose name is the Branch" (Zech. 6:12,13), that is, His character as Son of man, the "last Adam," the "second Man" (1 Cor. 15:45-47), reigning, as Priest-King, over the earth in the dominion given to and lost by the first Adam.

The Lord of Hosts - (Isa. 24:23)	The King - (Isa. 33:17)
The Lord our Righteousness - (Jer. 53:6)	The Judge - (Isa. 11:3-4)
The Ancient of Days - (Dan. 7:13)	The Lawgiver Isa. 33:22
The Lord - (Mic. 4:7)	Messiah the Prince - (Dan. 9:25,26)
The Most High - (Dan. 7:22-24)	The Sun of Righteousness - (Mal. 4:2)
The LORD - (Isa. 2:2-4)	The Shepherd - (Isa. 40:10-11)
The Rod of Jesse - (Isa. 11:1)	The Stone - (Isa. 28:16)
The Tender Plant - (Isa. 53:2)	The Light - (Isa. 60:1-3)

The Spiritual Character of the Millennium

A. The Kingdom characterized by righteousness

The key words of Christ's millennial reign are righteousness and peace, the former being the root of which the latter is the fruit ... Messiah's people "shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places (Isa. 32:18). Zion's officers shall be peace, her exactors righteousness (Isa. 60:17). For "In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth" (Psa. 72:7). Then shall be fulfilled in truth the prophecy, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psa. 85:10).

Because of the presence of Messiah, Jerusalem shall be the source from which all millennial righteousness will emanate in dazzling glory. Her righteousness shall "go forth as a brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory" (Isa. 62:1-2). Zion shall be called "the city of righteousness" (Isa. 1:26) and shall be filled with judgment and righteousness (Isa. 33:5).

Righteousness will be the descriptive term characterizing the rule of the Messiah as Christ will be a king reigning in (Isa. 32:1). Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins (Isa. 11:4; Cf. Ps. 72:104), and in judging and seeking judgment He shall be swift to bring about righteousness (Isa. 16:5). It will be proclaimed among the Gentiles, "Jehovah reigneth! He shall judge the people righteously". (Psa. 96:10)

B. The Kingdom characterized by obedience

The doing of the will of God in the millennium will be greatly facilitated for a number of reasons:

[1]. Through fulfillment of the new covenant, Israel will experience a renewed heart and mind that they may have God's law in their inward parts (Jer. 31:33).
[2]. The Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh to indwell, fill, and teach (Jer. 31:33,34; cf. Joel 2:28-32; Ezek. 36:25-31).
[3]. Satan will be bound, evil doers will be cut off (Psa. 37:9-10; Jer. 31:29-30), and the wicked social, religious, economic, and political systems of the Satanic cosmos will be liquidated.
[4]. Instead of disunity in Israel, unanimity will be such that they will see eye to eye again in Zion (Isa. 52:8).
[5]. Universal knowledge of the Lord will eliminate the inadvertent opposition to God's will through ignorance.
[6]. There will be a widespread Gentile submission to the authority of Christ (Psa. 22: 27-28; Mal. 1:11).

C. The Kingdom characterized by holiness

The Lord will make bare His holy arm (revelation of Messiah) and gain the victory over His enemies (Psa. 98:1; Isa. 52:10). The holy seed shall be the nucleus of the restored Jewish nation (Isa. 6:13). All those remaining in Zion shall be called holy, having had their filth washed away (Isa. 4:3-4). A way of holiness will be raised up to allow the rest of the ransomed of the Lord to return to Zion (Isa. 35:8-10). God will speak in holiness, allotting the land to His people (Psa. 60:6). The Lord will inherit Judah his portion in the land now rightly called holy (Zech. 2:12), and Jerusalem shall be holy (Joel 3:17). A holy oblation dedicated to the Lord will be especially reserved for the sanctuary and its ministers (Ezek. 45:1- 5). The Lord will exalt His holy mountain (Psa. 48:1; Jer. 31:23; Isa. 27:13) and establish His holy house, the law of which shall be holiness (Ezek. 43:12). It shall be His dwelling and the place of the soles of His feet so that Israel shall no more defile His holy name forever (Ezek. 43:7), and all nations shall know that the Lord, the Holy One is in Israel (Ezek. 39:7). Christ will reign over the nations of the earth from the throne of His holiness (Psa. 47:8-9), according to the holy oath that sealed the Davidic covenant (Psa. 89:35-36). The priests will teach the people the difference between the holy and profane (Ezek. 44:23), and they shall appear before the Messiah in holy array (Psa. 110:3). In that day upon the bells of the horses will be inscribed "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD," and all the pots in Jerusalem and Judah shall be just as holy as the sacred vessels in the Lord's house (Zech. 14:20-21),

D. The Kingdom characterized by truth

Jehovah will betroth Israel to Him in faithfulness, and they shall acknowledge Him (Hos. 2:20). Christ, Jehovah's servant, will bring forth judgment unto truth (Isa. 42:3) and reveal unto Israel abundance of peace and truth (Jer. 33:6). Truth shall be met together with mercy and spring out of the earth (Psa. 85:10-11). Then shall Israel say, "He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel; all ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God'' (Psa. 98:3). The throne shall be established and Christ shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David (Isa. 16:5). Faithfulness will be the girdle of His reins (Isa. 11:5), and He will judge the peoples of the world with His truth (Psa. 96:10). The faithfulness of Jehovah will insure that in the presence of the once despised one, Kings shall see and arise and princes shall worship (Isa. 49:7). Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city (Isa. 1:26), for "Thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth" (Zech. 8:3).

Conditions Existing Within the Millennium:

A. Peace - (Isa. 2:4; 9:4-7; 11:6-9; 33:5,6)
B. Joy - (Isa. 9:3,4; 12:3-6; Zech. 8:18,19)
C. Holiness - (Isa. 1:26,27; Ez. 36:24-31; Zeph, 3:11)
D. Glory - (Isa. 24:23; 40:5; 60:1-9)
E. Comfort - (Isa. 12:1,2; 30:26; Zech. 9:11,12)
F. Justice - (Isa. 9:7; 32:16; 42:1-4)
G. Full Knowledge - (Isa. 11:1,2; 41:19,20)
H. Instruction - (Isa. 2:2,3; 12:3-6; 49:10; Mic. 4:2)
I. Removal of Curse - (Isa. 11:6-9; 35:9; 65:25)
J. Healing - (Isa. 33:24; Jer. 30:17; Ez. 34:16)
K. Healing of Deformed - (Isa. 29:17-19; Jer. 31:8)
L. Protection - (Isa. 41:8-14; 62:8,9; Amos 9:15)
M. Freedom from Oppression - (Isa. 14:3-6; 42:6,7)
N. Reproduction by Living People - (Jer. 30:20; Ez. 48:22)
0. Labor - (Isa. 62:8,9; 65:21-23; Jer. 31:5)
P. Economic Prosperity - (Isa. 4:1; 35:1,2,7; Amos 9:14,15)
Z. Light - (Isa. 4:5; 30:26; Zech. 2:5)
R. Unified Language - (Zeph. 3:9)
S. Unified Worship - (Isa. 45:23; 52:1; Zech. 13:2)
T. Pouring out of the Spirit - (Isa. 32:13-15; 41:1)
U. Perpetuity of the Millennial State - (Joel 3:20; Amos 9:15; Ez. 37:26-28; Jer. 32:40)