Zechariah 14:1-21
During the Tribulation Period Jerusalem will be sacked by the Gentile nations led by the Antichrist. Jesus will save His remnant, and then at the end of the Tribulation Period He will return, and we (all those who have died in Christ up to that point) will return with Him.
Zechariah 14:5b (NKJV) “…thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You.
Jude 14 (NKJV) “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.”
After the Tribulation Period and the return of Christ, King Jesus will rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years (the Millennial Reign).
Zechariah 14:9 (NKJV) “And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be ‘The LORD is one,’ and His name one.”
King Jesus’ return will make changes in the heavens (Zechariah 14:6-7) and the earth (Zechariah 14:8), living waters will from from Jerusalem.
Today, Jerusalem is a heavy stone, almost a ticking time bomb, you never know when there will be an uproar in city or at the Temple Mount. Many Arab nations are enemies to Israel and refuse to acknowledge Jerusalem as its capital. But imagine the day when Jerusalem will be safely inhabited (Zechariah 14:11), only during the Millennial Kingdom.
Zechariah 14:12 describes the judgment upon the enemies of Jerusalem, and the plague they will experience (Genesis 12:3).
During the Millennial Kingdom, homage to the LORD will be expected of all people. If the nations (or national representatives) refuse to keep the Feast of Tabernacles then they will be disciplined by God – rain will be withheld from their lands. This gives us an indication of what the “atmosphere” will be like during the Millennial Kingdom. One would figure that the people of the world would believe and bow down to their Lord, but for many (if not most) it will only be a superficial commitment because they were in one sense, forced/expected to honor the King. These people choose their sin over their Savior. This explains how at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, when the devil is released to test the people of the world (Revelation 20:3, 7-10), he is able to muster up a rebellion against Christ…for many will merely have gone through the motions/expectation during Christ’s reign. (heartbreaking)
How critical it is that “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” be engraved not only on the bells of the horses (Zechariah 14:20), but on the tablets of our hearts.
Revelation 20:1-15
For many of us, it’s a prayer we’ve been praying our entire lives:
“…Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
It’s the Millennial Kingdom – King Jesus has come. Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. That means that the devil and his demons won’t be around to tempt and torment for an entire millennium. During this time, Jesus will rule from Jerusalem as King and we will rule with Him in different cities. Our future jurisdiction as blood-bought believers will be based on our present faithfulness; we recall Jesus’ words in:
Luke 19:17, (NKJV) “And He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’”
And in:
Luke 19:18-19, (NKJV) “And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise He said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’”
(see also Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:3; Revelation 3:21).
The Bible is filled with many passages that paint wonderful pictures of the Messiah’s reign. It will be a time of peace and prosperity; if anyone gets out of line, it will be dealt with swiftly as Jesus rules with a “rod of iron.” Death can take place, but for the most part, people will live hundreds of years. Dangerous animals will be tamed as described in:
Isaiah 11:6-9 (NKJV) “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
What a wonderful time it will be! “Many aspects of the curse (Genesis 3:15-19) will be reversed. People will live to a great age, but death will still occur. As before the flood, animals will revert to vegetarianism and will no longer fear man. Living waters will flow from beneath the sanctuary of the Millennial Temple bringing life to the regions they water.” (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:20, 25; Ezekiel 47:8-12; Zechariah 8:4; 14:8; Revelation 21:1-2)” – BibleStudyTools.com
It will be a wonderful land when the Lord physically and literally reigns from Jerusalem…but at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released one last time to test the heart of man – for love must always be tested. Tragically there will be many who despise Christ reigning over them (Luke 19:14) – they will follow Satan and his soldiers to a futile resistance where fire comes down from heaven and devours them. FINALLY, the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire where the Antichrist and False Prophet are, and all whose names are not written in the Book of Life, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Imagine that Great White Throne – where all non-believers will stand before Jesus to be judged (John 5:22). Is your name in the Book of Life? If you’re not sure, I pray you would receive Christ today, as your Lord and Savior, and then join in on this mission to pull as many people out of the fire as we can (Jude 23).
Psalm 148:1-14
The Psalmist begins with an encouragement to Praise the LORD from the heavens.
The angels, the hosts, the sun, moon, and stars.
Psalm 148:5 (NKJV) “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.”
But then he moves on to tell us to Praise the LORD from the earth.
The elements of nature, the fire and hail, snow and clouds, the wind…all fulfill His Word. The mountains and trees, beasts and domestic animals, creeping things and flying fowl all bow before Him.
If all creation praises and obeys God then…shouldn’t we? Earthlings? Destined for heaven? Kings, princes, judges, and all people – young and old – you and me, let’s be sure to praise the Lord!
As Christians we have been grafted in, to be so near and dear to Him (Psalm 148:14) – what a an awesome God He is. Let’s settle it in our hearts, therefore, to live a life of praise to God!
Proverbs 31:8-9
Proverbs 31:8–9 (NKJV) “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
Of course we know this is applicable to many victims of injustice and poverty in our days, but I can’t help but think of the abortion issue, the 125,000 babies who are slaughtered every single day, by their parents – legalized, pushed, and propagated by our government.
Here we see that all of us, and especially leaders have a responsibility to be an influence for good, not evil, to save, not take lives! We must open our mouths (repeated phrase), judge Biblically, and plead passionately for the needy.
Proverbs 31:8 (NET) “Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying.”