The Messianic Kingdom

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“THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM”
Part I
WHEN JESUS MESSIAH REIGNS ON EARTH!
After the King Comes, Glory for Israel, and All Believers!

EXPLANATION.
Did you realise that when you pray as Yeshua/ Jesus taught us to, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” He was asking us to pray for His Return to Earth to set up His Kingdom? The truth of this concept is very obvious to Bible reading Believers, who understand something of the wonder, first, of God’s great creative acts as given in Genesis. When God made this Earth to be the home of mankind, He was hoping to be here with us! But as we know, sin came in and spoilt God’s original plan, (although of course He knew it would happen.) Then, later on, the understanding that God would one day be able to come back to rule the Earth under a Messianic King, gradually came through the Jewish Prophets of the Tanakh/ O.T. Then, when Yeshua/Jesus came the first time, He often talked about the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, or the ‘Kingdom of God’ and the Jewish people were already longing for that to happen. The puzzle for them was ‘when’ and ‘how’? Yeshua/ Jesus and the information in the Letters of the New Testament would explain that clearly.

So now we are now going to look at the Scriptures, which clearly describe that distinct and special period of time. It will be very special time of joy for all who are members of God’s royal Family! Those who believe in Yeshua/ Jesus by faith.

THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM.
Names used to describe this.
The best and most beautiful name is ‘The Messianic Kingdom’ or as some Jewish writers describe it, ‘The Days of Messiah’. However, because the actual length of this time is given in Revelation chapter 20: 2,3,4 & 7, as 1000 years, it is very commonly called, ‘The Millennium’. Perhaps the even better title might be: ‘The Millennial reign of Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus on Earth.’ As any good name should do, this actually sums up the special character of this time. It is these special features we will look at in this article and one other, called “The Messianic Kingdom, Part II, - Heaven on Earth”.
May you find it a great blessing!
However we want you to check the references for yourself.

The length of this time.
Just as almost every concept in the Scripture comes under scrutiny and has variations in the understanding of it, so does this one. However there is enough agreement, even by Jewish scholars for us to take it in the literal sense of 1000 Earth years, (as reckoned by any calendar), as it says four times in Revelation 20. “Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, who had the key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the Dragon that ancient Serpent, who is the Devil and Satan [the Adversary] and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, locked it and sealed it over him; so he could not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years were over… Then I saw thrones and those seated on them received authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for testifying about Yeshua/Jesus and proclaiming the Word of God, also those who had not worshipped the Beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They came to life and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead, [unbelievers] did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the First resurrection. Blessed and holy is anyone who has part in the First Resurrection; over him the second death has no power. On the contrary, they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will rule with Him for the thousand years.”

As we will see this fits totally as we would expect with the other descriptions, in the O.T./Tanakh, especially. (Note that by contrast the New Heavens and the new Earth described in Revelation 21 and 22, will truly last forever.) The period of one thousand years of Messiah’s reign is further thought of by some Rabbis and teachers as a seventh millennium since Creation, matching Shabbat - a seventh, sacred Day of rest- as the final phase of the Earth’s history.
This is a very worthy concept.

Above all it is when Jesus the Messiah, is King on Earth!
Two of the key words to understanding this time is, 'ruling' and 'reigning'. Who will be the ruling power, and who they reign over.

IMPORTANT REASONS FOR THIS TIME.
The commencement of this time.
It is our belief that the Millennial reign of Messiah cannot begin until Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus returns to the Earth at His Second Coming. If we were using doctrinal descriptions we would be called ‘Pre-millennialists’. This means, that we, as Christian/Messianic Believers, believe firmly that Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about Himself as the suffering, redeeming High Priest and sacrifice to make us one with God, as His true people of Faith, at His First coming 2000 years ago.

So now it means we expect Him to come to Earth from Heaven, in the Second Coming and then, after He has come as the glorious Reigning King He will set up His victorious Kingdom on Earth. This is why it is called ‘Pre-millennial’ – Yeshua/ Jesus comes down here to Earth and then the Millennium Kingdom will start.

(Some people believe we Christians set up the Kingdom, and then after that, Yeshua/ Jesus will come to take it over. This is called ‘Post-millennialism’ – not to be confused with pre- or post- tribulation. A different set of events, entirely.) It is not clear how long it will take for Messiah to set up the Kingdom. But we believe that even though He will return to a very devastated world after all the trumpet and bowl judgements, (described in Revelation 16 –18), the One who first created this world in 6 days, could certainly re-create it in a very short time. Do you agree?
[We will try to describe it in Part II, “Heaven on Earth”]

To commence a Righteous Kingdom of God on Earth.
1 Corinthians 15:24 & 25 explains, ‘after having put an end to every rulership… for He has to rule until He puts all His enemies under His feet.’ When God made this Earth to be the home of mankind, He gave Adam dominion (rulership), over it. He desired for it to be the place of perfect peace, prosperity, and harmony in a joyful, loving partnership between Himself and the people He had made. This was to include the plants and every living creature in it. The tragedy was that sin came in and not only spoiled God’s plan, because Adam still had dominion, but now man was in chosen partnership with Satan! It was this that cost ADONAI the patient centuries of preparation, before He could send His Son to live and die to redeem mankind. ADONAI God then ensured that victory in the glorious resurrection of Yeshua/Jesus.

For two thousand years, God has waited again, this time for the moment when He could send Yeshua back to Earth to restore it to the marvellous realm He always wanted for us. When Yeshua/Jesus comes He will set up His Kingdom and reign over a restored world, as told to us in the Scriptures we are now considering. (There is a wide range of ideas on this concept: of an Earthly reign of Yeshua/ Jesus.) But we want to keep to one simple line of thought of a literal, actual fulfilment.

This is God’s way to bring special comfort and encouragement to all God's true people, especially in the light of much discouragement in this life. Surely it is like a loving Heavenly Father to give us something very special to look forward to, isn’t it? This time, especially, which we can imagine, after Yeshua’s Return when He reigns with us for 1000 years! Yes, it is possible to visualise and appreciate at least some aspects because there is a lot in the Bible about it!
See Isaiah 32: 1 & 2. Psalm 45, especially verse 16, and Psalm 67.

So we have:
Reason one, to fulfil His original purpose for us.
Reason two, encouragement now, as we look ahead.
Reason three, to prove to angels and men that this world can be ruled in love and truth and justice!

KEY EVENTS MARKING THIS TIME.
The end of the tyranny of Evil.
This is an important concept linked with the Second Coming of Messiah Yeshua, which is, that not only will it begin a new age in the history of the world, but it also ends the evil reign of sinful man - especially one evil man, the False Messiah, ‘at the end of the age’. Revelation 12: 10 says, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Messiah, for the Accuser of our brothers, who accuses them day and night, has been hurled down.” It would be good for you to stop and read the whole of Revelation chapter 19 right here.

You see, Elohim/God took the great risk at creation of giving mankind the very precious gift of freewill- the ability, and right to make moral choices for himself. This was meant to be total dominion of the world under God’s powerful and benevolent reign, in a partnership of wisdom and righteousness. Sadly, man used that gift of freewill to choose to come under the cruel, stupid and evil rulership of Satan. Since then, mankind as a whole has continued to choose that Usurper’s wicked ways. This is of course the answer to the often asked question, “Why does God allow all these sad things to happen in the world?" ADONAI God never wanted or intended all the wars, pogroms, holocausts, murders, persecutions, natural and man-made disasters, personal and national tragedies, pollution and corruption of all kinds! Never! But, having given such a precious gift; in His righteous justice, ADONAI God has been patiently redeeming, refining, and preparing individuals to again choose Him as their Sovereign 'El Shaddai' -yet also their loving, Royal Abba/Father! This is why He will not return until every people group has been given an opportunity to turn to Him for salvation. “This Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven must be made known in all the world and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14.)

ADONAI still has a special yearning in His Heart for the Jewish People, as a Nation to call out to Him as He said they would: “Baruch Ha Ba B’Shem ADONAI. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.” (See the last verse of Matthew chapter 23, coming immediately before the record of chapter 24, perhaps very significantly, in this Jewish Writing!) When Israel chooses to make Yeshua their King, He will soon return to them, gladly restoring the world through all Believers. Perhaps we need to pray, "Your Kingdom Come"- into our hearts and onto this wicked, weary world more urgently! We certainly long for the reign of evil to end forever, and we know it will, as the Scripture clearly says! The saints, (all God's people), sing very loudly about it:
“Like the roar of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying,
“HALLELUJAH! ADONAI, God of Heaven’s armies has begun His reign!”
See the whole of the song in Revelation 19: 1-7.

Therefore, time-wise it is clearly, 'at the End of the Age'.
It is necessary for us to understand the term used in several Scriptures, and indeed by Jesus Himself, about 'The End'. We take it to mean the end of the period of mankind's' sinful dominance, marked by the return of Jesus to this Earth, (not the end of the planet). It is also the time of the resurrection of all who have trusted in Him, throughout the whole of history. God sets the time and only He knows when He will send Yeshua/ Jesus back to this Earth. However for us at this time in history as we see the world deteriorating in every area, with declining moral values, fear of terrorism or natural disaster, plagues, and sorrows of many kinds, it is good to know God has a time of conclusion. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is comforting to know that, although He is so patient, He will step in and fulfill every good plan and promise He has made for those He loves so much! (Read Revelation chapter 1 again!)

It is interesting to notice that it was the Disciple Peter who emphasised these thoughts in his first letter. He had hoped that his friend, Yeshau/Jesus the Messiah would bring the long hoped for Kingdom that his Jewish friends expected would come while Yeshua/ Jesus was still with them – overthrowing the cruel Roman control. But Peter quickly learnt, in that crucial time between the crucifixion of His Lord, and Yeshua/ Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, that it was for another time. So Peter understood how the suffering Christian/ Messianic Jewish Believers of his day felt. So he wrote to them: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Messiah! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Yeshua/ Jesus Messiah from the dead. [This will bring us] into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept [at present] for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” We can be comforted to know that there will not only be an end to all evil in this world, but a wonderful, joyful time of enjoyment of all that God originally intended for us.

All the saints from every age are included in this Kingdom!
This writer believes that Yeshua/Jesus died and rose victorious over death and hell to make all His children, by trusting, to be one. One ‘body’, one Kingdom of priests, one ‘Bride’, one chosen people, one ‘olive tree’, ALL ONE IN MESSIAH! Just as saints, both of Israel, such as Abraham, Moses, and all the saints of the Tanakh/O.T. (even some who were not of Israel), were reckoned righteous by trust in a future perfect sacrifice; so all the saints by trust in that sacrifice after it was made by Yeshua/Jesus are counted as members of God’s royal family, also. (We do hope that includes you who are reading this!)

There are teachings that separate the ‘church’ from Israel in a tragic way.
Yes! God has dealt with each in a separate way over the past 2000 years. But Israel will yet glorify God in a most precious way in a separate Holy nation here on Earth before the return of their Messiah. They will be a blessing on the whole world before the Second Coming of Yeshua/Jesus. Also, in this time of Messiah’s reign Jews will have a special place in the Land of Israel as promised to them, with Jerusalem as the Capital of the world.
But at that time all the resurrected Believers will be One in their relationship with Yeshua/Jesus and with each other.

Neither will there be some special elevated group of Christians, but just God’s saints who lived honest, godly lives day by day, in their day- whether it was 3000 or 300 years ago, just where they lived at that time. In Daniel and Revelation, though there are clear references to Israel and the Jews at significant places, other Scriptures refer to; ‘the saints of the Most High’. So the clear implication is, of true Believers, ‘saints’ or ‘the elect’ finally being all God’s people in His Kingdom of Love.

RESURRECTED SAINTS REIGNING WITH THE KING.
The exciting part is that Yeshua/Jesus will not reign alone!
This is just what we would expect, as we dimly understand the Love that made us in the beginning. He wants to be with us, to work with Him, fellowship with Him, to rule with Him in love. Part of one of Yeshua/ Jesus’ parables says, “It will be good for that servant who the Master finds doing [good service] when He returns. I tell you the truth, He will put him in charge of all His possessions.” Luke 12:43 & 44.

You may like to look closer at some other of Yeshua/Jesus’ parables. They make so much sense when we understand this time. Someone wrote a wonderful book, about not wasting our sorrows, or experiences in this life, because we are ‘destined for a throne’ and this life is as he put it, ‘on the job training’.
[Paul Bilheimer’s books are published by Bethany House Publishers.]

We hope these thought are an encouragement to you. In a separate article in
Part II, we will write about what having a resurrection body will mean.
Also we will look at what kind of world it will be.
It is exciting – and it is all TRUE – Praise God!

[Read Part II, “Heaven on Earth”]

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