Ages (Part IV)

Lesson Content

VI The world to come or the Millennial Reign: The Word of Go d tells us of a world to come. This is the thousand year reign of Christ and His saints on the earth itself, after it is renewed. It is also known as the kingdom of the saints. In it, creation will be restored to Edenic perfection. The governments and king doms of this world will be destroyed and Jesus will rule on this earth for a thousand years with the saints of the Old and New Testaments who will take part in the first resurrection. The Jews and the remnant of the Gentiles that survive the Tribulation will be the subjects in it (Zech.14:16; Jer.4:27; Isa.24:6). The earth will be freed from curse and enmity (Isa.55:13; 11:6; 35:9; 65:25; Rom.8:19-21). Satan would have been bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Rev.20:2,3). The enmity between animal and animal, and between man and man and man and animal will be removed and the earth will be freed from its curse, and there will be perfect peace. The

earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isa.11:9; 2:3; Micah 4:2). People will have long life (the days of a man will be as the days of a tree) (Isa.65:22). The new heavens and the new earth mentioned in Isaiah chs.65 and 66 are not the same as that mentioned in Revelation ch.21. The former shows the condition in the Millennial Reign while the latter points to Eternity. However, the present heaven and earth are reserved to be burnt by fire. Only after they are burnt, will eternity begin. VII The Latter Eternity: In the Latter Eternity, the purpose of God concerning man will be tot ally fulfilled. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (I Cor.15:26). The last two orders of resurrection, namely, the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked, take place after the Millennial Reign. Before the White Throne, the righteous are judged first and then the wicked (Rev.20:11-15). The new heaven and the new earth seen in the Millennial kingdom (Isa.65:17) will pass away and there will be a New Heaven and the New Earth which are altogether new (Rev.21:1). There wil l be no sea. All things will then be made new (Rev.21:5). There will be no night, curse, sorrow, crying or pain. Satan will be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. There will be nothing that worketh abomination. All will be seen in their resurrected bodies (I Cor.15:44). With this the eternal kingdom will be established and delivered to God the Father (I Cor.15:24-28).

Moral

Adam lost the blessings that he had in the garden of Eden, and thereafter sin, iniquity and injustice abounded in the world. Yet God’s plan remains the same even now and He is working in a group of people whom He has chosen, and to us who obey the gospel of grace now, will be restored all the blessings which Adam lost.