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Post by Cindy on Oct 25, 2016 11:45:23 GMT -5
In the Bible study we're doing now are some appendices, and I'd really like to share this one with you as it gives us a really good picture of what our lives are going to be like and I thought you all would enjoy it. This is a bible study and not just an article so I'm only going to post one part of it every day till it's done.
Heavenly Father, please open our spiritual eyes and ears that we may see and understand Your Truth as we study Your Word together. Help us to apply what we learn to our own lives so that we might grow to spiritual maturity and do the works you've planned for us since the beginning of time. We want to be people who hear Your Word and obey, producing fruit for Your Kingdom 100 fold. Please establish Your Truth fully & firmly in each of us, & establish each of us, fully & firmly in Your Truth. Guide us as we study Your Word today. Thank You Father! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
LIFE AFTER DEATH
PROLOGUE
God has graciously deepened my consciousness of the glories and marvel of His plan for eternity as I have meditated on its wonders while writing study guides on the various books of the New Testament. My appreciation of the power and reasonableness of what Christianity offers every human being has grown immensely. This appendix emphasizes the advantages inherent in the offer that God extends to every human being, so is thus in keeping with the biblical depiction of God’s character, for Scripture first presses His loving concern for man, and then, after appealing to man’s rational faculty, invites him to accept God’s offer. I am thoroughly convinced that biblical Christianity is always reasonable and logical, and never capricious or arbitrary.
The biblical presentation of eternal life is so alluring that no man in his right senses would pass up an opportunity to secure it. It is much more than simply living for ever, it is a life of endless delights with no distress whatever, a life preserved in a mantle of universal righteousness (which is the only logical way to ensure no distress), and with a perfect, and necessary, safeguard against boredom. These dimensions are seldom presented in any depth in the contemporary church, so this brief appendix attempts to remedy some of this void.
My purpose in this appendix is to strengthen the believer’s confidence in Christianity. It also comes with the prayer that, by being better informed, it will equip him or her to better present Christianity’s offer to those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. We have an astonishingly powerful and wonderful offer to make; there is absolutely nothing that even starts to compare with it, and it is absolutely free! No informed reasonable person would turn this offer down, and all can afford a free gift! It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to present this offer as plainly and attractively as possible. I pray that this appendix will be of some help in this direction.
INTRODUCTION
John 3:16 may be the best known verse in the New Testament: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His unique Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Footnote: The Greek word ‘imonogenes,’usually rendered ‘only begotten,’also means ‘unique’which avoids the tension of suggesting a beginning for God the Son, who, as He is divine, must be without beginning (an NASB marginal note confirms this option). This verse plainly states that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation have eternal life, so it is incontrovertible that Christianity promises eternal life to those who follow the divine mandate. It is thus appropriate to ask just what this eternal life is that Christ promises His followers, for this promise lies at Christianity’s very core. God’s covenant with man is this: trust Jesus Christ as Savior, and He will give you eternal life. However, it is also fair to ask for proof that this stupendous offer is valid.
Sadly, most people have a very limited grasp of this subject of eternal life. Indeed, many Christians leave the impression that this topic is wrapped in mysticism, for, when pressed, they seem to have little understanding of it. One hears of God needing another angel in heaven, of a soul going to heaven forever, of an ethereal existence-seated on a cloud, playing a harp. But what is the truth? Where can we find authoritative information on “eternal life”?
As Christianity makes the offer of eternal life, it must be allowed to define its own term. We must therefore consult Scripture, for it is the only definitive statement of true Christianity’s teachings. This makes practical sense, for surely only someone familiar with eternal life can explain it, and Scripture claims to be God’s revelation of Himself and His ways to man. (Footnote: 2 Peter 1:21 says of Scripture, “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Spirit spoke from God” ; 1 Peter 1:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. and 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) — 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, as examples, confirm this.) Axiomatically, no mortal has experienced eternal life, so the best any man can do on his own is speculate. Unarguably, God is the only authority on this subject, for, as we shall see later, the arena for eternity has yet to be created so exists only in His mind. Therefore, He alone can explain it. So, with full confidence, we can turn to Scripture as the only valid source for this definition.
THE ULTIMATE PERSPECTIVE
In order to keep this question in its proper perspective, we do well to ask what God’s perspective of things is. Logically, God’s focus must be on the coming eternal state, not on this temporal state, for it is axiomatic that eternity must be more important than any temporal state. After all, temporal means “temporary” and eternal means “permanent,” so their relative importance is beyond dispute. It is therefore clear that God’s plans must center around His coming eternal creation, and that this present temporal creation can only be properly understood within the context of how it contributes toward the coming eternal creation. The Genesis report of creation indicates God’s purpose in creating man, for it is clear that He created Adam for eternal company. The fall destroyed that relationship, but Jesus Christ restored it, albeit in a restricted form during this temporal life. However, in the coming new creation, regenerate man will fill God’s intended purpose, for he will then give God the full pleasure of the closest of relationships, that of a perfect father and perfect son.
Recognizing these truths pays proper tribute to God’s sovereignty; as He is the Creator, all created beings (that, axiomatically, is every other being) should do so, for this is only admitting an unalterable fact. We must face facts, the most basic of which is that, like it or not, we are caught up in our Creator’s plan. The is no escaping His plan (indeed, we cannot even escape His creation), so sensibility dictates that we seek to understand it and then see how we can fit in with this divine plan. On investigating the plan Scripture reveals, it becomes clear that no thinking person would want to be excluded from God’s plan, but would rather do anything possible to benefit from it, for its promises are so alluring and delightful. The only valid question then becomes, “Is our information on this plan true?” Scripture address this question by asserting that Jesus Christ’s resurrection establishes the veracity of all His teachings.
The biblical teaching on eternal life presents a logical transition from the present temporal state to a coming eternal state. This is practical, for, as we shall see when considering the coming resurrection of believers, it is God’s plan that all who enter His yet-to-come eternal creation will do so together. This teaching on the believer’s life-to-come neatly divides into four phases:
Phase 1: The intermediate state-between death and the resurrection.
Phase 2: The resurrection of the redeemed and the rapture.
Phase 3: Jesus Christ’s millennial reign.
Phase 4: The eternal state.
We will subdivide our study under these four heads, confining it to the revelation that effects believers, as this is our present concern.
Our purpose in this study is to explore the New Testament teaching on eternal life for us believers with the object of deepening our grasp of the topic in the hope that this thrilling future will encourage us in our Christian walk, deepen our confidence in Christianity, and motivate us to interact with those not yet blessed with the assurance of eternal life.
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record.
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Post by Cindy on Oct 25, 2016 11:58:45 GMT -5
Lord, we ask that You would help us today as we study Your Word, guide us into all Truth and show us what You would have us learn. Help us to apply it to our lives and grant to each of us a deep, abiding, passionate desire for a deeper, more personal relationship with You and a tremendous hunger and thirst for Your Word that we can't deny. Help us to each grow toward maturity in Christ today through Your Word. Thank You Father! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
THE INTERMEDIATE STATE
We all know from experience that when people die their bodies remain on earth and soon decay and disintegrate. Christianity teaches that a person is more than a body and also has a soul; this is indisputable, for when Christ said to the thief on the cross, “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), the “you” and “Me” can only have referred to their souls, for their bodies remained on earth.
FOOTNOTE: Jesus’talk of going to Paradise on His death (Luke 23:43 (ESV) — And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”) causes some to question the reliability of Scripture, for three days after His death He told Mary Magdalene that He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17 (ESV) — Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ). How could He have been in Paradise three days earlier and yet not have been to Heaven (which the phrase, “Our Father, who is in Heaven,”[Matt 6:9] makes clear is where God is)? Is this contradictory?
Paradise and Heaven must be distinct, for that harmonizes Jesus’ soul going to Paradise six weeks before He bodily ascended to Heaven, there to seated at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) — 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ). 2 Corinthians 12:2 (ESV) — 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. calls Paradise “the third heaven”, thus revealing there are several “heavens”and allowing this interpretation of Jesus’ whereabouts between His crucifixion and resurrection. So Paradise is one “compartment”of Sheol (a collective noun describing the abode of the dead); Hades is its other compartment-Paradise accommodated the justified dead before Jesus’ ascension; Hades accommodates the unjustified dead until the final resurrection. Luke 16:19–31 describes both; Luke 16:22 (NIV) — 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. “Abraham’s bosom” is the Israelite sector of Paradise, as indicated by the Old Testament phrase, “gathered to his fathers.” (Some scholars debate whether Luke 16:19–31 is a parable or a factual report, but it seems unarguable that it is the latter, for no identified parable names its characters, while this passage names Lazarus.)
It seems that the necessity for Paradise before Jesus’ ascension lies in the fact that until God accepted Jesus’ blood as atonement for sin (Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) — 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ), the sins of Old Testament saints (like Abraham and David) had not been paid for, so they could not be allowed into a holy God’s presence. Their salvation, like ours, depends totally on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, and their temporary separation from God after death absolutely affirms this fact (this is why David could deplore his death as a separation from God [Psalm 6:5 (ESV) — 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? ; Psalm 30:9 (ESV) — 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? ], and yet be sure that he would go to his deceased son [2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” ]). Paradise, then, was a holding station for the souls of Old Testament saints who there awaited Christ’s remission of their sins (”apart from the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins”-Heb 9:22). When Christ ascended on high, He took this vast host of “captives” with Him (Ephesians 4:8–9 (ESV) — 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ) as trophies of the victory He had won over sin, Satan, and death. His entry into Heaven was no solitary affair, but the grandest triumphal entry imaginable; every other victor’s triumphal entry pales into nothingness!
So Jesus was talking of their essential essence, their souls, being transported to Paradise. Moreover, this statement is proved true by the fact that Jesus returned from Paradise to re-inhabit His resurrected body. So in one simple yet significant theological stroke, God both demonstrated the fact of the continued existence of man’s soul after death and the certainty of the coming resurrection of all men, for Christ averred that He will resurrect all men (John 5:25–29 (ESV) — “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. ).
So what happens to his soul on a saint’s death?
Scripture does not leave us to extrapolate our knowledge of the destiny of souls at death from Jesus’ promise on the cross, for Luke 16:22 (ESV) — The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, reveals that at death angels escort a saint’s soul into his new spiritual abode, while 2 Corinthians 5:8 (ESV) — Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. and Philippians 1:23 (ESV) — I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. make it plain that in the Christian era saved souls are escorted right into Christ’s presence, for these verses state unambiguously that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Indeed, Acts 7:55-56 (ESV) — But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” , It even suggests that our Lord stands to welcome His saints! So immediately at death, angels escort the soul (the spiritually cognitive part) of every saved person right into Jesus Christ’s presence, and as He is seated at the Father’s right hand, this also means into God’s the Father’s very presence. I find it marvelous that God even spares us the concern over of how our soul is to find its way into His presence! Incidentally, talk of “soul sleep” is erroneous, for it is incompatible with the Scriptures we have considered.
We encounter the mystery of the soul as distinct from a person’s physical body. At first this seems strange, for experience leads us to think of body and soul as an inseparable unit. This is certainly true in our mortal life, yet men instinctively feel that the soul and body are nevertheless distinct and that the soul is eternal-this is why man is universally religious. Medical science, too, points in this direction, for transplanting vital organs from one person to another does not alter personhood (an aspect of the soul). Scripture confirms this instinct, for the Old Testament speaks of, for example, David going to be with his deceased infant son at death (2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” ). The New Testament speaks of disembodied souls under a heavenly altar (Revelation 6:9–11 (ESV) —When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. ) in a tone which indicates that they long for reunion with their physical bodies. So the Creator has revealed that man does have a soul distinct from his body, a soul that never dies and passes into eternity at death. Luke 16:19–31 The Rich Man and Lazarus, graphically affirms this.
What, then, is death to believers? For them, death is but a transition, a passing of life from this temporal realm in which man lives into the eternal realm in which God lives. Psalm 23:4 (“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me”) lays bare this bogy we call death. It talks not of “the valley of death,” but “the valley of the shadow of death”; for believers, then, death is but a shadow, and a shadow holds no terrors. The sun shines both before and after a shadow; this shadow is simply a brief, momentary gloom. In the case of a believer’s death, the sun shines ever brighter on the other side of that brief shadow, for thereafter he or she basks eternally in the radiance of God Almighty.
1 Corinthians 15:54–55 (ESV) — When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” repeats this Old Testament elation at this victory in a glorious cacophony based on Isaiah 25:8 (ESV) — He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. and Hosea 13:14 (ESV) — Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. :
Death is swallowed up in victory!
Oh death, where is your victory?
Oh death, where is your sting?
No wonder, just a short while later, when comparing this temporal life with the life to come, Paul was inspired to write, “what is mortal will be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor 5:4) which graphically re-expresses the concept of 1 Cor 15:54: “when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality.”
For the informed Christian, the bogy of death has lost its terror; death is merely a chariot to transport him into the very presence of his Lord from whom he will never ever be separated. This concept of being with the Lord after death lies at the heart of Jesus’ definition of eternal life: “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life, then, is not so much being reunited with departed regenerate loved ones (though this is unquestionably true; e.g., Luke 16:23 (ESV) — and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ; 2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”), for even this marvelous prospect will be utterly eclipsed by the wonder of having a never-ending, personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son (consider the word portrait Rev 1:10–17 gives us of the glorified Christ, for no other being, except only God the Father, even starts to compare with Him). Revelation 1:13–17 (ESV) — and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last. From the moment of death, it is the believer’s eternal privilege to be inseparably bonded to this perfect, divine Person-his Savior and God!
But this transport of the soul into Heaven is just the first of many wondrous events that await believers, for it is only the first phase of eternal life. It is but a necessary first step to lead into eternity proper, the state which will eternally satisfy God.
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record.
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Post by Cindy on Oct 26, 2016 8:58:02 GMT -5
Father, help us to put spiritual/eternal values above earthly ones and to keep You first in our lives above everything and everyone else as You have commanded us to. Help us to realize that we can only do that when we also place Your Word first in our lives. Please protect our study time with You so that it's not interfered with by people or circumstances. Remind us that You have exalted Your Name and Your Word above all things and have promised us Your Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to understand what we study. Sharpen our spiritual eyes and ears to Your guidance today. Thank You Lord! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
This part is going to start out with 2 long passages of scripture, so rather then try to fit that into the paragraph after the first sentence, I'm just going to post those scripture first:
THE RESURRECTION AND THE RAPTURE
1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (ESV) — “But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
1 Thess 4:13–18 (ESV) — “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
The Bible teaches several resurrections, but as our present focus is on the believer’s life-to-come, we will confine ourselves to their resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (above) details the significance of this fabulous coming event, and 1 Thess 4:13–18 (above) explains the event itself. These passages, together with others such as John 5:26–29 (ESV) — For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. , assure us that a time is coming when Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven, accompanied by the souls of those who have died in Him (1 Thess 4:14 (ESV) — For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ); He will then resurrect their bodies (Thess 4:16 (ESV) — For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ) and reunite their souls with these bodies. Their resurrected bodies will be immortal and imperishable (1 Cor 15:52 (ESV) — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ), like the body Jesus now has (1 John 3:2 (ESV) — Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ). While this body is spiritual (1 Cor 15:44 (ESV) — It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ), the reports of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances reveal that it has all the attributes of a physical body, yet none of its limitations (Luke 24:39–43 (ESV) — See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. ). This resurrected body will be imperishable, glorious, and powerful (1 Cor 15:42–43 (ESV) — So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ). This new imperishable body is necessary to participate in the imperishable kingdom that God is yet to create because that kingdom will be physical, not purely spiritual like the present Heaven (1 Cor 15:50 (ESV) — I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ).
The fact that this resurrection is logically necessary for regenerate souls to enter God’s coming eternal kingdom in physical bodies poses the question of what will happen to the generation of believers alive during this resurrection. Will they die so as to be resurrected? 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (ESV) — Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. and 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 (ESV) — For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. explain that that generation (who may well be us!) will be transformed in an instant, a split second after the resurrection. So, in a moment of time, all Christ’s saints, dead and alive, will be clothed with immortal, imperishable bodies. In this moment the first phase of a new creation will be born, for this metamorphosis will precede God’s creation of the new heavens and a new earth by a millennium, which is why James 1:18 (ESV) — Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. calls believers “the first-fruits among His creatures.” In contrast to the first creation in which physical man was the last act of God’s temporal creation, spiritual man will be the first act of God’s coming new eternal creation. Theologians call the translation of the generation of Christians alive at Jesus’ coming for His church “the rapture.” Footnote: “Rapture” derives from the Latin word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV) — Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.; however, the word itself is not found in English versions.
The rapture will be a startling event for onlookers, for they will see all the saints simply float into the heavens, just as Jesus ascended visibly into heaven (Acts 1:9–10 (ESV) — And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,), just as Elisha watched Elijah ascend into Paradise (2 Kings 2:10–13 (ESV) — And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ), and just as the world will watch the two Tribulation witnesses ascend into heaven after their bodies have been resurrected (Revelation 11:12 (ESV) — Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.). Footnote: ”In the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor 15:52 (ESV) — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ) refers to the speed of transformation into a regenerate body, not to the rapidity of the saints’ disappearance, as is often mistakenly taught. Every similar instance reported in Scripture was a visible, gradual departure, so there is no reason to imagine that the rapture will be different. Indeed, even Enoch’s departure must have been visible for it to be known that “God took him”(Genesis 5:24 (ESV) — Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. ); how did they know he had not fallen into a well, or been eaten by a lion? But imagine what it will feel like for the generation of believers who are raptured. Imagine the surge of energy that will transform one’s body into immortal substance; imagine the relief of eyesight perfected and glasses discarded; imagine your teeth restored and disgorging the fillings; imagine the vitality as mortality is banished and replaced by an eternal life force; imagine the relief as all pains, aches, and handicaps disappear instantly and eternally. Imagine the flood of strength as we become stronger than angels. Imagine the sense of release as our intellect expands exponentially. And wonder of all wonders, imagine the spiritual relief as one’s sin nature is eternally excised, and then the excitement of knowing that one is about to meet the glorious Jesus Christ, enter Heaven, and there meet our awesome, loving Father! Think, too, of witnessing and participating in the incredible triumphal entry into Heaven as Jesus Christ escorts back with Him the multiple billions of souls, now in their regenerate bodies, whom He has saved. Heaven’s curiosity in just what we, God’s newest and highest order of creation, will be like (Romans 8:19 (ESV) — For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ) will at last be satisfied as we parade through Heaven’s gates in Jesus Christ’s train!
The resurrection of believers marks the beginning of a sequence of wondrous events in eternity, the full significance of which mortal mind simply cannot grasp. We can but list the events and wait to learn their full marvel in the glorious eternity that God has in store for us! The first event will be what Revelation 19:7 (ESV) — Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; calls “the Wedding Feast of the Lamb” (Psalm 23:5 alludes to this in “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”). The first divine act in this new era is that Christ, after He resurrects believers, will join Himself eternally to His Bride, the Church. We, the true Church, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, will be eternally one flesh with Him, united in a perfect, indissoluble bond of love. And as Christ is eternally united with the Father, we, through Him, will be eternally united with the Father (John 17:21 (ESV) —that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ).
A major feature of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb will be a stupendous awards banquet at which the Father will remunerate each saint with glory (2 Cor 4:17 (ESV) — For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ) for every righteous act we perform in the cause of Christ from the time of our conversion to the time of the rapture (Matthew 10:42 (ESV) — And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” ; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (ESV) — According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. ); this is the treasure saints store up in Heaven (Matthew 6:20 (ESV) — but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.). Another aspect of this awards banquet will be the conferral of eternal status or rank in the coming eternal kingdom. This rank and fund of glory (“treasures in heaven”) will be the means which believers will use to glorify Christ and the Father eternally.
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record.
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Post by Cindy on Nov 4, 2016 12:10:07 GMT -5
Father, we come before you today, asking again that You would guide us as we study Your word; help us to understand and apply what You would have us learn today. Remind us that you know & love each of us intimately, just as You know and love each person who's name is listed in our study today. Remind us Lord that every word in our Bibles is there for a reason just as Jesus told us. You know Lord that we tend to zone out when we read lists, so please help us to think of each name as a real person--a person You loved enough to die for. Let each name stand out to us as our very own brother or sister who we will be spending eternity with. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen
Again there will be a lot of scriptures posted, some of them quite long. But that's the mark of a good bible study and it's what we should want to see. We want to know what God's Word says, not what someone else says it does. Remember what we learned in the other study too: keep things in context, look at the meaning of words you might be unsure of, and check the scriptures for yourselves (which is why they're posted!) don't just assume that what you're being told is correct, and ask questions. If you don't understand the relevance of a verse, check the meaning of the words, or if you need help with that, I'll be happy to help you.
JESUS CHRIST’S EARTHLY REIGN
Following the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, the whole body of saints will accompany Jesus Christ as He returns to set up the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth (Revelation 19:14 “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” ). This is the Age of Righteousness spoken of in the prophets in which the Messiah will reign with a rod of iron (i.e., impose righteousness on the mortal human population). The most significant feature of this era will be Christ’s reign on earth; of major importance is the fact that it will be an Age of Righteousness, and of lesser importance is its duration of 1,000 years. It seems that a purpose of this millennial Age of Righteousness is to prove beyond question that God made no mistake when He created this present earth, but that all its woes are attributable to man choosing to follow Satan rather than God.
The first event in our Lord’s return to earth will be the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:14 — “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” reveals that the saints, now in their eternal (reconstituted) bodies, will accompany Jesus Christ, each mounted on a white charger. Footnote: This indicates that there are animals in heaven, so also in eternity; so if you have wondered whether pets “go to heaven,”this may provide your answer! So we believers will be at Armageddon, and will watch our Lord destroy all His enemies by the power of His mouth-presumably simply by His word! This suggests that He who spoke humanity into existence, will simply speak them out of existence. Both the New Testament (e.g., Revelation 19:11–21 — Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. ) and the Old (e.g., Zechariah 14:12–16 — And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.) describe this event; the latter passage suggesting that at our Lord’s behest, their flesh will simply melt off their bones. Thereafter, we will be His administration, ruling with Him for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4 (ESV) — 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ). We will see the world in the perfect, divine state which God intended at creation, so see the folly of sin demonstrated by contrast, and see it thus for 1,000 years!
What will conditions be like in this Age of Righteousness? Scripture gives us glimpses of a world restored to some of its primordial perfection in this coming glorious messianic age. First, the earth’s topography will be significantly altered; its crust will be flattened (Revelation 16:20— And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. ); thus apparently restoring it to a similar condition to that which Genesis 2:10 — A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. describes. Footnote: The fact that the river that flowed from Eden divided into four rivers requires that the terrain was very flat. In our day rivers converge and do not divide, except in the flat land at deltas. This will mean that the climate will be more uniform and the earth more verdant than at present (the absence of mountain ranges will mean there will be no deserts in their lee). Then Isaiah 11:6–9 — The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. tells us that God will effect a marvelous transformation in the nature of the animals-the wolf and the lamb will live in harmony, as will all predators and their previous prey. There will be such perfect harmony between man and beast that little children will have “wild” animals, even erst-while predators, as their playmates. Snakes will lose their venom, and animals that are now carnivorous will become herbivores. So all will live in peace and harmony, just as it was in the beginning.
Man’s physical circumstances will apparently be similar to those that prevailed before the flood. Infant mortality will be a thing of the past, and death from disease will be rare. Longevity will be so greatly increased that it will be thought tragic and unnatural for a person to die before reaching 100 years of age. Indeed, 100 years of age will be viewed as still being in one’s youth. Life will be wondrous and joyful. Under Jesus Christ there will be no distress or ill health. There will be domestic and economic stability. The earth will have returned to the calm, peaceful existence that God created, a state disturbed by man yielding to Satan. All this is revealed in Isaiah 65:18–25 — But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. . During this period Satan, the source of all trouble, will be incarcerated (Revelation 20:3 (ESV) — 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. ).
This is when Israel will be the world’s leading nation (Acts 1:6 — So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ). Jesus will reign over all humanity, and the resurrected David, or one of his descendants, will rule Israel (Ezekiel 37:24 — “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. ). This will be Israel’s moment in the sun; she will be the world power of the age, a power not vested in might or wealth, but in spiritual leadership (Isaiah 11:10 — In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. ). Israel’s territory will be enlarged (Ezek 47:13–48:35), (This is very long so I will post it at the end of the study along with some maps and diagrams) and a magnificent new temple in Jerusalem will be the center of man’s religious practice; and its focus, worldwide, will be on God Almighty.
When this period draws to a close, God will release Satan who will spark a rebellion (Revelation 20:9 (ESV) — 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,) which God will quash and then bring this temporal era to its end. The temporal creation will then have served His purpose of providing Him with a righteous people, a people who have freely chosen to subject themselves to Him and who have placed their absolute faith in Him-a people who have chosen to love Him. Only then will He have the kingdom He desires, a kingdom in which love, not law or any duress, will rule. Indeed, this perfect love will ensure that this will not be a kingdom of disparate persons, but a single, immense family, united by perfect love! Only after the temporal era has ended, will God set about implementing His final plan, His eternal plan, which is where eternity proper, the true eternal state, comes into being.
It seems that the purpose of Christ’s coming earthly reign is to vindicate this creation, proving that its troubles are attributable to sin. His reign will prove several important truths and address questions that need answering so that they can eternally be laid to rest before God takes His redeemed souls into eternity proper. For instance, it will prove how perfect this world is when run God’s way, and therefore that God made no mistakes in His creation. This is why our Lord’s coming reign will be “with a rod of iron,” a metaphor that means He will enforce righteousness for the period of His reign. The perfection that will flow from enforced righteousness will prove that Satan is to blame for all the ills of this world, and that they are not the result of any defects in God’s plan. This latter point seems necessary to ensure that absolutely no doubt in God’s perfect ability goes into eternity, for any such doubt would ultimately prompt the same rebellion that brought this present creation into distress.
Satan’s guilt in the present sinful and therefore chaotic state will be thoroughly demonstrated in his release from incarceration at the close of the Age of Righteousness (Revelation 20:7 (ESV) — 7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison ), for he will again deceive unregenerate man and lead them in rebellion against God. In this way, man’s need for absolute reliance on God will be demonstrated eternally. Even after schooling in the advantages of righteousness for 1,000 years, after enjoying the unmitigated benefits of living in righteous conditions for 1,000 years, unregenerate man will still yield to his sin nature and flock to Satan in the hopes that he can give them independence. In this way God will demonstrate for eternity that man is absolutely dependent on Him for his well-being. Man cannot be independent, but must have God at the center of his life to ensure stability, peace, happiness, and fulfillment.
So, with all possible doubts about His ability and perfection fairly and rationally laid to rest, God will be ready to implement His eternal plan, and take His people into the final eternal state.
What we have spoken of above is plainly revealed in Scripture. However, Scripture hints at other nuances of Jesus Christ’s temporal reign. As this reign takes place after the regeneration which appears to be an aspect of the resurrection of the saints (Matthew 22:30 (ESV) — 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ), it seems that we saints will have entered into our eternal functions at this stage, which includes ruling over angels (1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV) — 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! ). This means that not only will we participate in Jesus Christ’s earthly rule, but we will also rule over the unfallen angels in the heavens. Just what locale this involves Scripture does not reveal, but it makes a mysterious (some may say vague) connection between angels and stars, so there is license to suppose that we will be involved in some sort of interplanetary rulership. This may sound fantastical and far fetched, but is anything impossible for God? (Luke 1:37 (ESV) — 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” ). Further, is it likely that God will leave our natural curiosity about this universe unsatisfied? Moreover, this grand scale means that Christ will reign over all His creation, and also explains how billions of saints will be employed in the millennium (earth would be grossly over staffed with resurrected saints if we all [maybe 12 billion??] were crammed onto it). We can ignore the problems of space travel as we now understand it, for we will not be controlled by the present laws of physics as we will not be physical beings in the present sense of the word, but the firstfruits of a coming new order of creation governed by different laws. It seems that we will not be limited by the speed of light, but will be able to project ourselves at the speed of thought (after all, is that an analogy of how fast God can move through His creation?). Again, we will be sons of God in our regeneration, and as sons will we not be like our heavenly Father and Christ in many respects? (1 John 3:2 (ESV) — 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ). Nehemiah 1:9 (ESV) — 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ talks of man in ‘the remotest part of the heavens,’ so allows scriptural warrant for this hypothesis.
On the subject of numbers of believers, God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5 (ESV) — 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ). This suggests tenuous support for the hypothesis advanced above. Yet there are physical limitations to how many humans God could have expected when He gave Adam the command to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28 (ESV) — 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ). Conventional wisdom is that this earth can sustain about 12 billion people based on its renewable physical resources. Astonishingly, it is quite feasible to posit that there were 12 billion people on earth at the time of the Noahic flood. So man had fulfilled God’s command to him, but when God came to inspect the human race He found it rotten. How long would it have taken Adam and Eve and their descendants to fill the earth? Assuming that 12 billion is a valid number, recognizing that there was no death in the original order of things, it would only take 1,000 years to reach 12 billion. Footnote: This calls for each mother to bear a fertile daughter every 12 years; i.e., children spaced 6 years apart with women bearing, on average, 60 children (Jewish tradition is that Eve bore 56 children) We can note, too, that there is a mysterious link between 1,000 years and a day in God’s sight (2 Peter 3:8 (ESV) — 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.), and this explains what God did when He rested on the seventh day-He left His creation in man’s hands for that ‘day.’
It seems from 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) — 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. that God is waiting for His ‘earthful’ of righteous people before the rapture. Logic requires that this ‘quota’ be met, otherwise Satan will have thwarted God’s intent, and that must be a theological non sequitur. Notably, if this hypothesis is correct, God will reap several harvests of earthfuls of souls from this planet-at least one before the rapture, a substantial bonus’ during the Tribulation, and one during the Millennium, so even Satan’s rebellion will be turned to God’s glory. God simply cannot be thwarted, and every attempt to do so ultimately results in His greater glory!
(me: remember this scripture too: Romans 11:25 (ESV) — 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.)
The Restoration of Israel and the boundaries of the land during the Millennium:
Ezekiel 47:13–48:35 (ESV) — 13 Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance. 15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad, 16 Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side. 18 “On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side. 19 “On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side. 20 “On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side. 21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God. 1 “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. 3 Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. 4 Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. 5 Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. 6 Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. 7 Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion. 8 “Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. 9 The portion that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth. 10 These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst of it. 11 This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. 12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. 13 And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000. 14 They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord. 15 “The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, 16 and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. 17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. 20 The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city. 21 “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. 22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin. 23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. 25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. 26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. 28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God. 30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”
The Temple during the Millennium as seen by Ezekiel:
Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record
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