Why a Millennium? – Continued
Purposes for a Literal Millennium
Now, I will look at some passages in the Old Testament that reveal much more about the Millennium than we have in the New Testament. These Old Testament passages will speak of “the day of the Lord,” Christ “coming to judge,” Christ “smiting the nations,” and other like phrases that make it clear that the second coming of Christ is being referenced. Then, these Old Testament passages will speak of a kingdom and describe it. In these descriptions, you will see reasons for a literal Millennium upon this present earth.
A Literal Millennium Restores That Which Was Lost in the Fall of Man
In Genesis 1, God created a world that He called “very good.” Yet, because Adam sinned two chapters later, we lost some things. However, God made THIS EARTH to be pleasant, fruitful, and under man’s dominion. But since man sinned, we lost much of this. But man WILL rule THIS EARTH just as God intended. Let us look at some things that we lost in the fall of man that God will restore in the Millennium.
MAN’S DOMINION OF THIS EARTH WILL BE RESTORED
The first thing man lost in the fall was his dominion over ALL the earth. Let us look at God’s intent for man to rule this world.
Genesis 1:26 – “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
God gave man dominion over the earth – all of it. Yes, man has dominion now, but we have dominion in no way like God intended. Look at the above verse. God gave man dominion over “the fish of the sea,” “the fowl of the air,” and over “the cattle, and every creeping thing.” You could say it this way – God gave Adam dominion over “everything in the water,” “everything in the air,” and “everything on the ground.” This is the kind of dominion that God intended for mankind to have. Man, because of Adam’s sin, does not have this kind of dominion. But there will come a day when the saints of God will possess the dominion that was lost in the fall. I am not talking about dominion in the new earth of Revelation 21; I am talking about dominion over THIS EARTH, just like God intended. Notice:
Daniel 7:18 – “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.”
Notice the wording here – “the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom.” He is talking specifically about the fourth kingdom that Daniel saw. The fourth kingdom will be the last kingdom given to man upon THIS EARTH. The saints will take that fourth, EARTHLY kingdom for themselves, and reign upon this earth for a thousand years, and then in the new earth FOR EVER. Notice again:
Daniel 7:21, 22 – “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
Daniel 7:27 – “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Why have a literal Millennium? Because our dominion of THIS EARTH was lost in the fall. We cannot lead a lion by the neck. But one day we will have dominion over THIS EARTH in a literal Millennium.
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD WILL BE RESTORED AS IT WAS IN EDEN
When God placed man in the Garden of Eden, He had fellowship personally with Adam and Eve. This fellowship was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Notice the Bible’s description of this fellowship:
Genesis 3:8 – “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”
You may say, “Yes, I know that man’s fellowship with God has been disrupted, but didn’t Jesus die to reconcile us to God? Christians can have fellowship with God NOW, without a Millennium, can’t we?” My answer to you is, “Yes, Jesus bridged the gap, reconciling us back to God.” However, even after being reconciled to God, there are still things in the world to hinder us in our relationship with God. But in the Millennium, no devil will hinder our fellowship with God; no world-system will hinder our fellowship with God; and no flesh will hinder the Christian’s fellowship with God, as we will have glorified bodies. We will have uninterrupted fellowship with God IN THIS WORLD, as it was meant to be.
Micah 4:1-7 – “But in the last days [that is, the last days of THIS EARTH, not the new earth] it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths [“He will teach;” “We will walk” – this is restored fellowship]: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations [Judgment of nations] afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.”
THE CURSE OF ENMITY BETWEEN SATAN AND THE WOMAN WILL BE LIFTED
Let us look at the curse that God put on the serpent in the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 3:14, 15 – “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Satan has always fought the seed of the woman. In the Old Testament, it was the nation of Israel that Satan fought, because Christ would spring from there. In the gospel writings, it was Jesus he fought. In the book of Acts and throughout church history, it was the church that he fought, because the church was born of Christ’s Spirit. But in the literal Millennium on this earth, there will be no enmity between Satan and the seed of the woman.
Revelation 20:1, 2 – “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”
THE CURSE UPON THE WOMAN WILL BE LIFTED
As a result of sin, the woman was cursed.
Genesis 3:16 – “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
It is not “childbearing” that is the curse, but “pain in childbearing.” It is “bringing forth children in sorrow,” He calls it. The sorrow in childbearing will be lifted in the Millennium.
Isaiah 66:7, 8 – “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
Now, I do understand that this passage deals with Israel becoming a nation in one day. It deals with the regathering of Israel at the coming of the Lord. But look at the analogy – “Before she travailed, she brought forth.” Isaiah is comparing Israel’s sudden birth as a nation to a woman bringing forth a child before any travail whatsoever. I believe this comparison is made because in the Millennium, the woman will do just that – bring forth children without travail.
THE CURSE UPON THE MAN WILL BE LIFTED
Man, because of sin, is also cursed. That curse will be lifted in the Millennium.
Genesis 3:17-19 – “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
“Cursed is the ground for thy sake.” That is the first curse with which man must deal. The ground is cursed. Work is toilsome. The ground will not bring forth as it did before. But the ground will yield, upon THIS EARTH, what it would have had Adam not sinned.
Isaiah 35 – “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly [that is, the desert and solitary place, will blossom. The curse will be removed from the ground], and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance [this is the Lord coming to judge, showing us that these promises will take place at that time, when the kingdom is set up], even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped [The curse, to some extent, upon every natural body will be lifted]. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
STILL NOT FINISHED…
