Thy Kingdom Come

At last the prayer of the saints of all ages is answered. Christ has Come and, His Kingdom is set up, and He (the seed of woman) has bruised the serpent’s head (confined Satan to the bottomless pit). The usurper of God’s authority has been overthrown, and the government now rests upon the shoulders of the earth’s rightful ruler (Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 11:15; 1 Tim. 6:15; Ps. 72:1-19). The thorn-scarred brow now wears the Crown. The nail-pierced feet now mount the Throne. The nail-pierced hand now holds the Scepter. The kingdoms of this world are now the kingdoms of our Lord, and He shall reign forever and ever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The swords of the nations will be beaten into plowshares, and there will be war no more. The earth, which now groans under the curse, shall be restored to its former beauty and shall yield its fullness. The fearfulness that exists among the animals because of the fall of man and its’ subsequent penalties, will be restored, and once again the wolf will lie with the lamb, and the beasts of the forest will eat straw like a cow. As for the nations, Israel, who once was hated by so many, will be restored and converted at Christ’s coming. Israel will be a channel of blessing and evangelism among the nations, as their previously rejected Messiah now rules the nations. Ezek. 47:6-12; 48:35; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-15; Isa. 35:1; 55:13; 11:6-9

The End of the Thousand Years

At the end of the thousand years of peace on earth, Satan will be loosed by the permission of God, and immediately his evil influence is felt on earth. He quickly fans the old flame of revolt against God. He finds willing rebels to join him across the whole earth. Gathered together by Satan’s last deception, they attack the beloved city, Jerusalem. This last revolt against God is quickly brought to an end by the Almighty’s own display of power with fire from Heaven, which consumes the revolting armies, while the Devil receives his long deserved doom in the Lake of Fire. (Rev. 20:7-10)

God’s Patience Throughout the Ages

God has dealt patiently with man throughout the ages, and man has miserably responded to His patience and grace. We are now brought to the truth that in spite of mercy, longsuffering, and undying love, man has failed God in every age of the past. The Age of Innocence ended with willful disobedience and its penalty of physical and spiritual death. The Age of Conscience ended with universal corruption and the near destruction of the race. The Age of Human Government ended by ruling God out and building for self, which ended in confusion of languages and being scattered across the face of the earth. The Age of Promise ended with God’s people out of the promised land in slavery and oppression. The Age of Law ended with man crucifying the Messiah. The Age of Grace ended with war against God and Christ. In the Kingdom Age, there is a season of open rebellion against God, even after having experienced what God’s rule is like for a thousand years. The lesson of history is that man’s heart is evil continually (Gen. 6:5). We see that man’s nature (without Christ coming in and regenerating it) has not changed from Eden to Magog. But thanks be to God, throughout the ages, as many as received Christ, He gave them the power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). The blood of Jesus Christ is the only hope and remedy to set men free from the curse of sin, and the resulting rebellion against God.

The Last Earthly Scene

The last even of human history is the resurrection of the dead who do not belong to Christ. They were not a part of the first resurrection (at the rapture of the sons of God). Everyone is present before God, and the books are opened, including the Book of Life, and if your name is not written therein, you are doomed to everlasting punishment, which is the second death. Rev. 20:7-15; 2 Pet. 3:7-12 So the earth ends with the final judgment, the Great White Throne.

The Beginning of Eternal Life With God in Heaven

All the saints of all the ages have anxiously waited for the day when they could see God face-to-face, worship Him, and be free from pain, cares, worry, fear, etc. Heaven is a reality, and we get a glimpse of it as the Bible closes its final chapter. Rev. 21:1-8

Application Questions:

1. What do you imagine to be different about how things are now with what it will be like when Christ rules during the Millennium?

2. Of all the things doomed by the curse of the first sin, what do you look forward to the most when the curse is lifted in the Millennium?

3. Why do you think Satan has such success of inciting a large rebellion in such a short time at the end of the reign of Christ?

4. Why do you think man has such a hard struggle in wanting to know God through the ages, yet has been in rebellion against Him throughout history?

5. Do you fear Judgment Day, or are you at peace with your position with God?

6. What do you look forward to most when you think about Heaven?