Kingdom Come

“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…that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

And I saw…the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years…This is the first resurrection…But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” (Revelation 20)

Naturally, there is controversy over taking this passage literally.

The three main schools of Christian eschatological thought are all related to the controversial theme of the Millennium.

1. Pre-Millennial – dating from the early Church Fathers, states that when Jesus returns He will establish His kingdom upon the earth for 1,000 years.
2. Amillennial – also dating from the early Church Fathers, states that the earthly millennium described in Revelation 20:1-7 can’t be taken literally. Satan is currently bound in the sense that he cannot prevent people from hearing the Gospel. How does this fit with the biblical viewpoint that the only thing preventing people from hearing the Gospel is the failure of God’s people to tell them?
3. Post-Millennial – dating from the time of the church’s incorporation into the state about 300 AD, popular with the Roman Catholics and Puritans, states that the church brings about a era of great peace, not necessarily a literal 1,000 years. 

If we can’t take any part of the Bible literally, can we take any of it literally? The same prophet who

1) substantiates Jesus the Christ’s claim to be God’s Savior from sin and death

2) also describes an era of restored human rule over mortal / dying humans prior to the passing away of this old earth, exactly in the same sequence as Revelation.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind…for the child shall die an hundred years old…he wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 65)

We can deduce from these clues that the initial restoration of human dominion is a redo of the original state of our current earth, before there was violence in nature and when mortals lived to about 1,000 years. While Isaiah does not specify 1,000 years, Isaiah’s details connect his prophecy to the Millennial Reign referenced in Revelation.

There is no justification for controversy over the start of the Millennial reign reported in Revelation.

“we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (II Corinthians 5:10, 7:1, )

As detailed in previous posts, the Apostle Paul himself defines the church / assembly of saints of God as the Hebrew Commonwealth of Israel.

“ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion…I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:” (Galatians 1:13)

“I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (I Corinthians 15:9)

“ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:” (I Thessalonians 2:13-15)

As detailed in preceding posts, Moses is still the primary source for all things biblical. His take on judgment is where we should start.

“And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up…Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them…

• He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
• And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
• And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
• Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 19:20, 21:1-25)

And so on. We can recognize that judgment is exactly as we understand it in “Law and Order.”

What! That’s completely against Christian doctrine! Jesus paid the price of my sin!

Death for death, yes. But Christians are not  immune from obeying human laws against murder, drunk driving, theft, etc. are they? What makes you think that there are no consequences for breaking God’s laws? And in fact, scripture explicitly states that there are.

The logic that Paul uses to explain that salvation by grace is different from payment for works can only be true if the reverse is also true – we get paid for our work.

• “if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
• But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

• If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
• If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself.” ((Romans 11:6, I Corinthians 3:13-18)

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not.” (I Corinthians 15:34)

“I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

Can we not understand that salvation is not a “get out of jail free card?” Deliverance from the law of sin and death is achieved through being merged with the source of life.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk / live daily life not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law / authority, control of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-6)

It is a privilege to be identified with Creator God. He doesn’t take it lightly when that privilege is abused.

“if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31)

Do you really think you can get away with accepting the Son of God’s tortuous death on your behalf just to keep on sinning against God with impunity?

This perspective of salvation from sin is completely at odds with the pervasive belief that saying a prayer absolves one of all sins, including unrepented sins in which one plans to continue engaging. Do you think its OK for a pedophile’s case to be dismissed at court on his witness that “I’m a Christian, I don’t have to account for my sins anymore.”? Do you really think state court standards are higher than God’s?

I don’t think so. I’ve heard of too many cases where harden criminals took the law into their own hands when a pedophile was incarcerated with them. They didn’t think a prison sentence was punishment enough.

Sinners saved by grace still need a good lawyer.

If you’ve ever had occasion to solicit the services of an attorney at law, you understand that the primary service they give is advice. What to do, what not to do, and what to stop doing. 

As our advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous doesn’t sweet talk the Father into letting us off the hook. He recounts our change of heart as demonstrated by our change of behavior.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for…the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know / are united with him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (I John 2:1-6)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)