The Watchman
In Revelation 20:1-6, we read about the 1,000-year kingdom. The Messianic age, or Messiah Kingdom, is the future period of time when the Messiah will reign and bring universal peace to the Earth.
In Isaiah 9:6-9, Isaiah gives a future prophecy concerning God’s son. It says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Verse seven says, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This means God with us. What a day that will be.
There will be no permanent universal peace until then. Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:6-9, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Verse seven says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” There will be no lasting peace until Jesus returns to set up his kingdom on earth.
Christians believe the Messiah is Jesus Christ, who came to earth previously, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose again. For those who will believe, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I believe.
Many Jews believe that the Messiah has yet to be revealed but will make himself known to all the world in the future. You may say, when will this take place? The Bible tells exactly when this will take place. Matthew 24:29-31 says in verse 29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.”
I believe in a premillennial view of the end times. You may disagree, and that’s all right. If you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are my brother or sister in the Lord. I believe the Messianic age comes after the second coming of Christ. During this time, Jesus returns in his glory to the Earth. He will defeat his enemies and judge the remaining inhabitants of the Earth. He will set up an earthly kingdom and bind Satan for 1,000 years.
The Messianic age will be ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ and the saints with him. Acts 3:21 says that heaven must receive him until the time comes to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
The time is getting close, but the next thing to take place is the rapture of the church. You may say the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. That’s true. The word rapture comes from a Greek word, harpazo, which means to snatch, seize or take away — caught up. That’s exactly what happens when the rapture takes place.
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18. Verse 16 says, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Verse 17 says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.”
At this time, Jesus only comes to the air, the space above the Earth, to receive his bride, the church. Then the tribulation will take place on the Earth for seven years. At that time, the church, which has been taken from the Earth, will be in heaven with the Lord.
In the book of Revelation, chapters 1 through 3, the church is mentioned, I believe, about 19 times. After chapter 3, the church is not mentioned again. You may say, why is this? Because it’s been removed from the Earth, caught up to heaven.
In Revelation 4:1, John said, “After this I looked.” What is “after this”? After the church age is over. He saw a door open in heaven, and the first voice he heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with him, which said, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
Hereafter what, you may ask? The church age. From chapter 4 of the book of Revelation, he sees what’s going on in heaven and the seven-year judgment taking place on the Earth — 21 major judgments poured out on the Earth.
Then, after the seven years of tribulation, John said in Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Verse 14 says, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses.” In that army of angels are also the saints of the living God.
Zechariah 14:4 says, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem.” Verse five says, “And all the saints with thee.” This is known as the second advent. The Lord has returned, as prophesied by the prophets, to judge the nations.
Matthew 25:31 says that before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate and judge them, with the saints beside him. Remember what the apostle Paul told the church in 1 Corinthians 6:3: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” We shall judge the world and angels, fulfilling Daniel 2:44-45. Verse 44 says, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
It’s coming soon. Are you ready? If not, all you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you and live for him.
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