After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” (Matt. 17:24-27)

Who Are We, Really?

The Bible doesn’t give us very much detail about the Church in the New Jerusalem. Most of what we can read about the Kingdom Age (Millennium) is in the Old Testament and concerns Israel’s life on Earth during that time. But the New Testament does contain two models of the Church. One is the Bride of Christ and the other is the Royal Family. Most of us are more familiar with the Bride model, probably because it’s more pertinent to our earthly relationships.

The other model, that of a Royal Family, is actually more relevant to our life in the Millennium. For example, I think the phrase “rule and reign with Him” really describes the Royal Family model. Although the Bible has more to say about the Royal Family than it does about the Bride, most of aren’t as familiar with what it says. For this reason I want to focus on the Royal Family model in this study.

This idea has been running around in my mind since I did some additional research on Rev. 5:9-10 recently for my series on Rapture References. There’s no question that verse 9 describes the church. At issue is whether verse 10 should be read as “Kings and Priests” or as “a kingdom and priests”.  (I’ll compare the two versions for you later.)  As the Mathew passage above shows, there’s a big difference between being part of a kingdom and being in the Royal Family. And it’s not just about paying taxes. The life of the Royal Family is very different from that of other members of the kingdom.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

The first time we were born we were merely part of the vast creation. But when we were born again we received the authority to become members of God’s own family. Paul said it like this.

“When we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir” (Gal.4:3-7).

Just so you would know he was serious about being one of God’s heirs, Paul said it again.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ … (Romans 8:17).

Think about that for a minute. Co-heirs with Christ. What does that mean? Remember, in the Temple Tax incident above Jesus didn’t say “The Son is exempt,”meaning Himself, but “The sons are exempt,” including us.

In Psalm 2:8 God said to Him, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

If Planet Earth is His inheritance and we’re co-heirs with Him, then everything that comes from it will accrue to our benefit. Royal Families don’t have to worry about supporting themselves. Their support comes from the proceeds of the kingdom. Since the Earth is our inheritance, should we expect the people of Earth to support us in the Millennium? Let’s ask John.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. (Rev. 21:22-26)

The splendor, glory and honor of Earth will be brought to us in the New Jerusalem. The very best the planet has to offer during a time when there’s no more curse to inhibit its production will be reserved for us.

It was always in God’s mind that His Church would become His Royal Family. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29)

Do You Work Here?

People often ask me, “What are we going to do in the Millennium?” or “What kind of work does God have in mind for us?” Here’s where Americans have to read our world history again. Did royals ever work? No. They always pursued the finer things of life. One of the reasons they’re called nobility is because their lives are devoted to more noble pursuits. They get the best of everything and their every need is met in a luxurious way. Because they’re fallen, sinful beings some of them have wasted their lives and disgraced themselves, but you and I will be divested of our sin nature. We’ll be pure and perfected, and instead of acting in a manner that’s beneath us like some earthly nobles do, we’ll aspire to be our very best. And the prototype for the very best is King Jesus, to whose likeness we will have been conformed.

As John wrote, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

Paul always encouraged us to see ourselves that way now, like royalty in training. He wanted us to start living our destiny immediately by becoming worthy of our calling now. “Only let us live up to what we have already attained,” he said. (Phil. 3:16)

And Peter agreed.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Calling us a royal priesthood is the same as saying we’ll be Kings and Priests.

And that brings us full circle to the verse that started me thinking along these lines in the first place. So what do we think? Should it read,

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10 NIV, etc.).

Or does this version seem to be more consistent with the other Scriptures we’ve looked at,

You have made us to be kings and priests to serve our God, and we will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10 KJV, YLT)

Remember, the Greek word for King and Kingdom is the same, differing only by gender.  King is the masculine form, and according to Strong’s concordance it’s the one used in Rev. 5:10. In 118 appearances in the New Testament it’s never translated Kingdom, which is the feminine form of the word and has a different Strong’s number. So the verse is more grammatically and theologically correct when it’s translated Kings and Priests, which defines only the Church, rather than a kingdom and priests. The Royal Family model gives us an another exciting glimpse into the nature of our eternal destiny.

This Is Your Life

For a good part of the Kingdom Age life on Earth will be a very pleasant, trouble free existence, especially in Israel.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. (Amos 9:13-14)

“Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” (Zechariah 8:4-5)

Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. (Micah 4:4)

But life in the New Jerusalem will exceed this by such an order of magnitude that there’s no comparison. I’m convinced that the reason the Bible doesn’t say much about what’s in store for us is because it defies description. We simply could not believe it.

As it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” – but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:8-10). We can only imagine. 03-06-10

Table of contents for Saved From the Worst

1. Saved From The Worst But Kept From The Best?
2. Who Are The Overcomers?
3. Understanding The Olivet Discourse Parables
4. Understanding The Olivet Discourse Parables Part 2

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

A few weeks ago I received several questions concerning a book recently published by a well known Christian author. The questions so concerned me that I bought the book to have a look for myself. (I’m not going to mention the name of the book or the author to avoid giving either any unintended publicity.)

Right off the bat I was shocked to read to very first sentence in the foreword, which says, “I believe that most Christians who get to heaven will be seriously disappointed.” Well, that got my attention. Imagine our Blessed Assurance being the source of serious disappointment.

The basic premise of the book is that while salvation is enough to keep you out of Hell, it’s not enough to get you into the Kingdom. Only those found worthy will become the Lord’s bride, and the rest of the Church will spend the Millennium in “the outer darkness” banished from the presence of God and disqualified from reigning with Him. In the Outer Darkness, says the author, believers will experience unimaginable regret, remorse and a sense of shame during the 1,000 years they’ll spend looking back over their unsanctified lives. They’ll remember every detail of their failures causing much weeping and gnashing of teeth. (According to recent surveys, this could be the destiny of as many as 93% of all born again Christians alive in the US today. There are no estimates available for previous generations, or for those from other countries.)

This view is not new, by the way. It’s been around for a generation or so, and is based largely on Matthew 8:11-12, 22:13, 24:50-51, & 25:30, the four places where either the Outer Darkness, or weeping and gnashing of teeth, or both are mentioned. Toward the and of the book the author refers to them saying, “Always remember the ones who were not able to inherit” and, “These passages are all talking about Christians! And yet none of them inherited the Kingdom. Yes, they were all in it. But they were in some other region, some other place -the darkness outside – and thus separated from the light of the Lord’s presence.”

As do the ones before it, this book makes it clear that all true believers are still saved and still go to Heaven, but because they did not follow Christ faithfully on Earth they will dwell in a part of Heaven away from Him and forfeit any rewards of reigning with Him in His Kingdom. It’s a middle position that was originally developed to refute the idea that you can lose your salvation, without giving believers who don’t live victorious lives a “free pass” into the Kingdom. I think of it as a kind of “half way house”, not prison but not really freedom either.

I’m convinced that those who hold this position have misinterpreted all four of the “outer darkness” passages. Here’s how I think these four references to the Outer Darkness should be understood.

Outer Darkness Reference 1. Matt. 8:5-12.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Here Jesus is clearly speaking to Israel, not the Church. It was at least two years before Pentecost and well before Israel had rejected His offer of the Kingdom. He was criticizing them for letting a Gentile Roman soldier demonstrate a stronger faith in Him than they had. He said that their lack of faith would result in people from all over the world (Gentiles) inheriting the Kingdom, while the Jews, who were the subjects of the Kingdom, would be thrown into the outer darkness.

Israel was then (and will be again) God’s Kingdom on Earth. The Lord repeated this warning in Matt. 21:43 when He again said to the Jews, “Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” It’s obvious that the Lord believed they were the subjects of the Kingdom or else why would He threaten to take it away from them?

This reference is a warning to Israel that at the End of the Age Gentile believers, like the Centurion, would join their patriarchs at the Wedding Feast while they sat outside in the darkness for failing to recognize their Messiah.

Outer Darkness Reference 2. Matt 22:1-14

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

This is the parable of the Wedding Banquet, and the one ejected is a last minute wedding guest. The Bride is not a guest and could never be thrown out of her own wedding.

To accept the author’s view that this parable is about the Church you have to start with the belief that some of the Church is the Bride of Christ and some isn’t. But the Bible never even implies that. You can only come to that conclusion by departing from a literal interpretation if Scripture to make it say what you want it to say.

For example the Lord has imputed our righteousness to us by faith, and not works (Romans 4:5) Isaiah described man’s righteousness as filthy rags (Isa 64:6) and the Lord’s as “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” (Isa 61:10) where the acquisition of these qualities is likened to clothing given us at a wedding. But the author wants us to believe that there’s a difference between Salvation Righteousness, which comes from belief, and Kingdom Righteousness that comes from the works we do on Earth. Therefore the guest was a born again believer who was not only excluded from being the bride but was thrown out of the banquet into the outer darkness because he had no Kingdom Righteousness.

Here’s how I see it. In Rev. 16:15, just after the 6th Bowl judgment and long after the church has departed, the Lord said, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

He was alluding to the fact that the Doctrine of Eternal Security expires with the Rapture, a fact that Jesus taught in the Parable of the 10 Virgins. Tribulation believers will be responsible for keeping themselves saved. Still, their righteousness is symbolized by clothing.

The man ejected from the banquet was a last minute guest, a tribulation believer not part of the Church. He was trying to receive the blessing of those invited to the wedding feast (Rev. 19:9) at least 7 years after the Rapture. He hadn’t kept himself pure and had lost his salvation. When the Lord returned, he tried to gain entrance into the Kingdom in his own clothing (on the strength of his own righteousness) without the righteousness imputed to him by faith (the wedding clothes). He was discovered and ejected.

Notice that the Bride is never mentioned in this parable. It’s not about us. It’s about the guests at the end of the age.

Outer Darkness References 3-4. Matt. 24:50-51 And Matt. 25:30

Matt. 24:50-51 concludes the parable of the wise and wicked servants, and Matt. 25:30 does the same for the Parable of the Talents. I’ll mention them together because they both contain judgments, but they don’t take place in Heaven at the Bema Seat where the Church will be judged. Along with the Parable of the 10 Virgins which they bracket, the location and timing of the judgment is identified as being on Earth after the Lord’s return. This was established as early as Matt. 24:29-30 making every thing that follows pertain to believers on Earth at the 2nd Coming. In other words, these parables describe the destinies of Tribulation Survivors who didn’t keep the faith. Again, they don’t involve the Church. You can easily confirm this by looking at Matt. 24:36-37, Matt. 25:1, & Matt. 25:14. As I said before, the Doctrine of Eternal Security expires at the Rapture, and so Tribulation believers are in danger of falling away and losing their salvation. (Rev. 14:12 & 16:15) These passages in Matthew demonstrate that fact in no uncertain terms. The Lord’s final Olivet Discourse teaching, the Sheep and Goat Judgment, which also takes place on Earth after the 2nd Coming, closes His case on the disposition of Tribulation Survivors. (Matt. 25:31-36)

To apply any of these teachings to the Church, one would have to believe that the Rapture and Bema Seat judgment take place after the 2nd Coming, but a detailed color chart in the book clearly shows that the author believes in a pre-Tribulation Rapture which is followed immediately by the Bema Seat judgment.

All that said, I think the biggest problems with this “half way house” view concern certainty and motivation. To accept this position you have to be willing to believe that the Lord is not going to give you any assurance about how you’ll spend the next 1000 years until after it’s too late for you to do anything about it. For example, in the author’s take on the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, the guest thought he belonged there and was speechless when told that he didn’t.

And 1 Cor. 4:5 says the Lord will judge the Church according to the motives of our hearts. How could our motives ever be pure if we know that our works here will determine our participation in the Kingdom? Our hearts are incurably wicked and will always go to self interest. Greed would replace gratitude in every believer’s heart and make it even less likely that anyone would survive the judgment intact.

In Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Cor 1:21-22 Paul said that our inheritance was guaranteed the moment we first believed. Was the inheritance he spoke of 1000 years of unimaginable regret, remorse and a sense of shame unless we work to improve it? Is that what we’re assured of?

I have no problem with there being a certain amount of inequality in the Kingdom. Not every one can live next door to Jesus, or be the king of some country or even the leader of a small group. And although the Bible clearly admonishes us to go beyond salvation to achieve victory over this world, there’ll be many who won’t win the crowns that are promised to believers for doing so. But to say that most of us won’t even participate in the Kingdom Age, but will be consigned to 1000 years of abject misery defies reason. How does that equate with the promise that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life? (John 3:16) Who would want such a life, even if it only lasted 1000 years?

Through out the history of the Church scholars have held that there are two possible destinies for humanity, Heaven or Hell. To introduce a third one, where we’re saved from the worst but kept from the best, after the fate of all but one generation of believers has been sealed, is remarkable to say the least. And I must confess I’d give a lot more credence to this view if there wasn’t such a complete disregard for context and timing in providing supporting verses. That tells me that there aren’t any that really fit. And that makes it bad theology. Selah 08-02-08

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

We’ve all noticed differences in friends and family members that can’t be attributed merely to genetics or environmental conditioning. Things like shape and color preference, for example. Cosmetologists and fashion experts describe these preferences in terms of the four seasons when choosing colors for make-up and clothing that will help us look our best and make us most attractive to others. Decorators customize our surroundings to increase our comfort at home or in the office by using the shapes, colors and textures that suit our personalities. While there are many common perceptions we share, we are distinguished from each other by our individual preferences.

We also come from the womb with unique traits and quirks that we display almost from birth, having had no opportunity to learn them. One’s cautious, another’s adventuresome, one enjoys solitude another prefers company. Energy levels, basic outlook, drive and ambition differ remarkably even among siblings who share both genetic and environmental factors. Remember Jimmy and Billy Carter?

When seeking a mate we prefer those who share some of our preferences, but eventually grow tired of those who are just like us. “Vive la difference,” the French say. How boring it would be if we were all the same: cookie cutter companions.

What’s The Point?

And yet when considering eternity (when they think of it at all) some Christians see us all becoming alike. They believe we’ll all be 33 years old because they think that was the Lord’s age when He went to Heaven. They see us all in white robes, with blue eyes and brown hair, sitting on a cloud with our harps, attending some endless worship service. Really!

Behaviorists say the reason that children are generally happier than adults is that children spend most of their time gaining new skills, knowledge, and experience. The problem with most adults is that we grew up, and the thrill of living has been greatly diminished because of our now predictable world. Some of us haven’t had even a new thought in years, let alone a new experience.

Will You Grow Up?

Some people retain their child like enthusiasm by dramatically changing their lives every so often. I think of my friend Pratt who has built and sold businesses on a regular basis, becoming an engineer, designer, builder, champion auto racer and ocean going sailor along the way. He and Brenda began married life at 17 in the cab of a dump truck, the only thing they owned. He designed and built the trailers for their trucks, their home, and his winning race cars. I mean built: from the ground up, with his own hands. A few years ago they bought a 50-foot catamaran and sailed it across the Atlantic. Alone.

Bud, another friend, was the same kind of guy. If you play racquetball you play on a court he designed and use a variation of the racquet he invented. But he also designed and built airplane parts, golf clubs, restaurants, hotels, homes and churches. He was the first one ever to water ski barefoot, and some of the speed and distance records in that sport he set during his days as a pro at Cypress Gardens still stand. His family’s construction company dredged Pearl Harbor, making it a deep water port. He was a pilot and a sailor and a builder. At his funeral he was described as having achieved more in his lifetime than a dozen ordinary men.

Been There, Done That

Heaven’s going to have to be pretty amazing to hold these guys’ interest. They’re among the happiest men I’ve known, having refused to grow up and settle down, and I mean that in the most positive sense. And remember: they didn’t start out just to have a lot of fun. They continually expanded the limits of their skills, knowledge and experience, creating products, jobs, and millions of dollars in economic benefit along the way. Happiness is a by-product of their life experiences, not its purpose. Are they now going to be content with the heaven I described above, with white robes and harps? I think not.

Imagine That

Billy Graham was once asked if there would be golf courses in heaven. “If they’re necessary for our happiness,” he replied, “They’ll be there.” That’s the criteria: Whatever is necessary for our happiness.

Take a minute to imagine your eternity based on that criteria. Now please don’t let your imagination be limited to something like the greatest amusement park ever. Happiness is not about meaningless diversionary activity, it’s about expanding your mind with new knowledge, skills and experience. So let your mind go free to wander among the possibilities.

For example, John gave us only the basics of the New Jerusalem, foundations, gates, overall exterior dimensions and such, so we don’t really know what it’ll be like when we get there. Suppose our eternal environment was designed with our individuality in mind and actually mirrored our uniqueness. What if each of us found it to be painted in our favorite colors using our favorite shapes, sizes and textures and what if it expanded before us like a giant kaleidoscope so that as we grew familiar with it, it grew too, always stimulating and exciting and never boring FOREVER.

What if we could attempt anything we could imagine without the possibility of failure? What if we could amaze and astound ourselves with newfound capabilities that were always there within us, but had only become available because the Lord’s sacrifice of love had finally released them from the limitations imposed on us by our Earthly existence.

I like the mountains. My wife prefers the beach. What if our eternity suited both of us so that we could experience our favorite places together at the same time? Think about that. I would be in the mountains and she would be on the beach. But we would also be together. I would see everything in my favorite shapes and colors and she would see everything in hers, but we’d both be looking at the same things.

“But wait a minute,” some say. “We’ll all be different there from the way we are here.” Maybe so, but we’ll also be the same unique person we’ve always been. We don’t get some huge lobotomy to dumb us down and keep us passively content like they did in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Certainly we’ll spend lots of time worshiping God, just as we do here, giving thanks for all He’s given us. But the earthly bonds that restrain us will be released, our brains energized, our senses sharpened, and our unique capabilities revealed, not only for worship, but for all our experiences. We’ll finally become all that we were created to be, God’s work of art: the highest example of His creative ability. Got any idea what that means? Got any idea how thankful you’ll be?

Eternity has to be enough to thrill even those who have experienced life on earth to its fullest, and not for just a day or two, but forever. It has to take each of our unique preferences and interests to the max, while doing the same for everyone else and at the same time.

Like Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9). Even in your wildest imagination you can’t come close to describing the joy awaiting you. Remember Paul actually went there and saw it (2 Cor. 12:2-4). He should know.

(The Story Tim And Jerry Should Have Written)

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

I recently read what I assume is the last book in the Left Behind series. Theologically I’ve been right with the authors through the whole series … until now.

It always surprises me how many commentators still hold to the traditional treatment of the last three chapters of The Revelation. By doing so, they miss the fact that there’s a 1000 year gap between Rev. 20:6 and Rev. 20:7. The reason for this gap is that beginning with Rev. 20:7 and continuing through the end of the chapter, John carried his thoughts about the disposition of Satan and the final judgment of unbelievers to their ultimate conclusions, both of which take place at the end of the Millennium. Then he went back to the beginning to finish his description of the Kingdom Age. Rev. 21 deals with the New Jerusalem, home of the redeemed, and Rev. 22 begins with a brief look at things on Earth following the restoration of Israel. There’s nothing in the book about Eternity because the Bible is written for the Age of Man, which began with Adam and ends with the Millennium.

We know this is so partly because John’s description in Rev. 22:1-5 is almost identical to Ezekiel’s more detailed view of the same scene, (Ezekiel 47:1-12) which then continues with the dimensions and workings of the Millennial Temple and the division of the land at the outset of the Kingdom Age. Simply stated then, Rev. 21 & 22 need to be inserted into the gap between Rev. 20:6 and Rev. 20:7 in order for the end of the book to make sense.

What’s The Alternative?
If we don’t view Rev. 20-22 in the way I’ve described, we’re required to push the arrival of the New Jerusalem back 1000 years to a time after the Millennium ends, and disconnect John’s view of the restored Israel from Ezekiel’s nearly identical one. And that causes lots of problems, one of which is having to place the Church in their perfected state, among believing Jewish and Gentile Tribulation survivors who are not.

This means that for the first 1,000 years of our eternal state of bliss, we’d be required to live shoulder-to-shoulder with a growing population of unrepentant sinners, and watch helplessly as what began as a near Utopian society once again sinks steadily into the cesspool of its own sin, just like every one that has preceded it. After waiting so long to enter the Kingdom, we’d find that soon it would be little more than a repeat of our earthly lives, only a lot longer. And that’s the best reason that Rev. 20-22 can’t unfold the way scholars have traditionally seen it.

On the other hand, viewed the way I’ve suggested, the Church will return with the Lord to occupy the New Jerusalem at the beginning of the Millennium after enjoying our 7-year heavenly honeymoon. On the way, we’ll watch excitedly as our Bridegroom defeats His enemies with nothing more than the word of His mouth. We’ll see Satan brought cringing before Him, chained and led by a single angel, to receive and begin his 1,000-year prison sentence. We’ll see the anti-Christ and the False Prophet cast into the lake of fire. We’ll observe the Sheep and Goat judgment where Tribulation survivors are separated, believer from unbeliever, to either be ushered into the Kingdom where they’ll rebuild Earth’s society and re-populate the nations, or swept away into the outer darkness, gone forever. (Rev. 19:11-20:6 & Matt. 25:31-45)

We’ll see the Temple cleansed and the Shekinah Glory return after 2600 years to once again take up residence among God’s people. We’ll watch the triumphant procession of Tribulation Martyrs as they begin their duties as His servants in the Temple. We’ll stand in awe as the Earth is restored to its pre-Adamic state with its year-round sub-tropical climate where no storms ever blow and no harmful rays ever shorten life again. We’ll see the water of the River of Life bubbling from beneath the south side of the Temple in Shiloh to flow southward into the giant east-west valley created by the earthquake that the Lord’s return triggered. This earthquake will have split the Mount of Olives in half and forever changed the topography of Jerusalem. As it fills the valley with torrents of bubbling living water it becomes a mighty river that buries forever the remnants of the polluted Jerusalem Temple mount with its pagan houses of worship lying in ruins at its bottom. It will flow both directions along the valley, half to the Mediterranean in the West and half to the Dead Sea in the East, bringing it to life again. Fish from the Mediterranean will swim and jump in the Dead Sea in such abundance that fishermen will line both banks, their catch never exhausting the supply.

Along both banks of the river we’ll see the fruit trees that will grow in abundance there. Before our eyes they’ll sprout from seed to maturity with fresh fruit weighing down their branches. They’ll grow a new and different crop each month for the refreshment of God’s people, and the touch of their leaves will prompt immediate healing. (Ezek. 43:1-9 & 47:1-12, Zech. 14:4-8, Rev. 7:14-17 & 22:1-5)

Welcome To Your New Home
And then we’ll take up residence in our New Jerusalem homes where there’ll be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain. We’ll walk along streets of gold so pure as to be almost transparent in an atmosphere of total peace and tranquility. Our eternal home will be a spacious paradise, one-sixth the size of Earth, and will orbit in its proximity. There’ll never be anything to fear so its gates will always be open. We won’t need a temple, because the Lord Himself will dwell among us and be our Temple. We’ll no longer need the sun or moon because He’ll be the source of our light, and from us this light will shine forth to illuminate the Earth. Finally, the Church will truly be the light of the world, just as He promised us. (Rev. 21)

From our mansions in the sky we’ll venture forth with newly acquired abilities that are beyond imagining. All we know now about the extent of these abilities is that they surpass the limits of our current understanding and that they’ll approximate those of our Lord from whom they come. If so, we’ll not be confined by either time or space and will be able to plumb the depths of a universe designed specifically for our exploration and endless enjoyment. We’ll have boundless energy, limitless power, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Having been released from the bonds of our sin nature, we’ll finally achieve our destiny as beings created in the very image of God with all that entails. We’ll be more creative than Da Vinci, more brilliant than Einstein, with skills surpassing all of history’s greatest athletes, engineers, artists and musicians combined. We’ll begin at our peak and never lose our edge. There’ll be no end to our potential and no one to hold us back. We’ll love with out reservation, worship without hesitation and live without limits forever. (1 Cor. 2:9 & 1 John 3:2)

Meanwhile, Back On Earth
On Earth things will start out almost as good. The curse will be gone so the earth will become a lush garden giving forth its bounty joyfully. The mountains and hills will fairly sing with relief at being freed from the curse. There’ll be peace among the animals and between animals and man. The notion of a food chain will be forgotten. No longer will one have to die for another to live.

The people of Earth will return to the agrarian society that brought such peace and satisfaction in times past, only this time there won’t be any weeds and thistles to contend with. Everyone will have fertile land to call their own without anyone conniving to take it from them, and a home free from mortgage. Children will play in the streets without fear, and will find no environment in which they aren’t safe. There’ll be no war, no need for armies or even police departments. The relationship between effort and reward will be clear and proportional, and no one will labor solely for the benefit of others. It will be as near to a utopian society as is humanly possible.

Everyone will be healthy, happy, and hearty and will live a long, productive and fulfilling life, free to follow his or her own unique dream under the benevolent care of the Almighty. (Isaiah 2:2-5, 35, 55:12-13 & 65:17-25, Micah 4:1-4)

Natural man will still be contaminated by the sin nature and although at the beginning everyone will be an enthusiastic believer, by the end of the first century the children they bear will reach a time when they’ll have to decide whether or not to accept the Lord’s death as payment for their sins just as you and I have. They’ll have this Utopian society as an example of the benefits of belief, the experiences of their Tribulation surviving parents to learn from, and regular Temple observances to remind them of the deadly effects of sin and the life giving remedy that the Lord’s shed blood has made possible.

At the beginning most will choose life, but even in these enviable circumstances a few will reject the Lord and die the death of the accursed. In each generation there’ll be a few more who reject the Lord, and little by little the number of unbelievers will grow. As this happens the society of Earth will begin to show the effects of this increasing contingent of rebellious ones among them. As it does, the Earth of the future will look more and more like the one of the present.

As the 1,000th year comes to a close, Satan will be freed and once again a great multitude of unbelievers will join him in his final effort to defeat the Lord. But this time there’ll be no more chances, and the Lord will show no patience. Those who’ve sided with Satan will be immediately swallowed up by the fire the Lord sends and Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be tormented day and night forever. (Isaiah 65:20, Ezek. 45:19-46:24 & Rev. 20:7-10)

The contrast couldn’t be more vivid. On one hand, the perfected Church shining forth in the New Jerusalem, and on the other the unbelievers of Earth, reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes. What a difference the Lord makes.

Why Even Have A Millennium?
If you hold to a dispensational view, you know that the Millennium will be the seventh time that God has tried to bring sinful man into a working relationship with Him, and each one has ended in failure, just like He knew it would. So why will He allow it again? Why not just go straight into Eternity after the 2nd Coming? No one knows for sure, but I think it will be done to eliminate the three main excuses that man has thrown at God in a pathetic effort to justify his failures.

The first one is as old as the human race. It’s all Satan’s fault that we can’t behave. This one started with Eve in the Garden.

Through out the Millennium God has Satan bound, removing his bad influence from Earth.

Man’s second excuse has been the unhealthy example of unbelievers. This one originated among the Israelites after they gained the Promised Land. Having failed to drive out all the pagans, they soon succumbed to their influence and adopted their ways, just like the Lord warned them would happen, and within one generation their miraculous escape from the bondage of Egypt had been all but forgotten. (Judges 2:1-3, 10-15)

When the Millennium begins, God has all living unbelievers removed from the planet. No more bad influence from them either.

And the third one actually began with the Church. “Lord, you went away and left us to fend for ourselves. How could you expect us to live up to your standards on our own?”

In the Millennium The Lord will dwell among them, and rule over them.

So then, here’s Man’s challenge for the Millennium. Can natural man live a life pleasing to God with the devil bound, all the bad influence of an unbelieving world wiped away, and the Lord Himself living in their midst?

And the answer is? A resounding NO. As soon as Satan is freed, there’s a multitude waiting to follow him. And so in seven different attempts, God has made it completely clear. There’s no circumstance in which natural man can live a life pleasing to Him. Only when you put a Redeemer into the mix is it possible. And that Redeemer has to be God Himself. (Mark 10:26-27) Aren’t you glad He agreed to do it?

I’ve tried not to embellish the Bible’s references to the Millennium in describing it to you. With a little study, you’ll find that the verses I’ve cited confirm everything I’ve written. Imagine if you can the amazing account that two talented fiction writers could have built upon this foundation. This is the story Tim and Jerry should have written. Had they done so we all would have learned that where the Lord is concerned, fact is often more exciting than fiction and their incredible series could have ended on the high note it deserves. 07-14-07

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

(This article is dedicated to a dear friend who recently left to be with the Lord a little bit ahead of schedule. We’ll see you again real soon, Lisa.)

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. (Psalm 110:1-2)

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matt 22: 41-46)

It’s pretty clear that both the Lord and the Pharisees he was addressing believed that Psalm 110 referred to the Messiah and that the Holy Spirit had inspired King David to write it. Where they differed was in their understanding of the Messiah’s origins. The Pharisees believed he would be a human descendant of King David. Nothing more. The Lord knew He was also God in the flesh, and quoted Psalm 110 to remind them that David knew this too.

Many translations show the first appearance of Lord in Psalm 110 all in caps and the second one in lower case except for the first letter. This is to show that David was writing of a conversation he overheard, through the power of the Holy Spirit, between the Father and the Son.

We know this first because Lord is a title one uses in addressing a superior, and only two were superior to the King. One was God the Father, represented by LORD and the other was God the Son, called Lord. In effect Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David would have referred a merely human descendant as his son, not as his Lord.

Also, in Hebrew the “word” translated LORD is YHWH, the four initials of the un-pronounceable name of God, and used only of Him, while the one translated Lord is a different word, Adonai.

Responding truthfully to the Lord’s question would have forced the Pharisees to agree with David, something they weren’t prepared to do. Not then, not ever. At His trial before the Sanhedrin, the Lord’s declaration that He was the Messiah and that they would all see Him seated at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven is what stirred them to convict Him of blasphemy, a capital crime. (Matt. 26:64)

Pilate wasn’t concerned about the charge of blasphemy. That was an internal matter among the Jews. But in admitting that He had called Himself a King, Jesus was confessing to treason under Roman law, also a capital crime (Matt.27:11).

King Jesus, Our High Priest

David had written that the Messiah would be both king and priest just like Melchizedek had been. From Genesis 14:18 we learn that Melchizedek, whose name means King of Righteousness, was both a priest of the Most High God and the King of Salem, a Jebusite city that became known as Jerusalem following Abraham’s interrupted sacrifice of Isaac there. (In honor of the prophecy he was acting out, Abraham symbolically re-named Mount Moriah as Jehovah Jira – in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen. Sometime later the adjacent city of Salem, pronounced Shah-lem in Hebrew, became Jira Shalem, and eventually Jerusalem. When David conquered the Jebusites he made Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and purchased the land on Mount Moriah where Abraham had stood for the Temple location.)

Never since the founding of Israel had one man been both King and Priest. It was forbidden. Kings came from the tribe of Judah, while priests were descended from Levi. A king who tried to function as a priest earned the Lord’s immediate displeasure, and serves to illustrate the point. Daring to offer incense in the Temple, King Uzziah immediately contracted leprosy and was quarantined till his dying day. (2 Chron. 26:16-26) Some prophets were also priests, Ezekiel and Zechariah for example, and King David was also a prophet. Even so, no one was ever both King and Priest in Israel.

But there’s a prophecy in Zechariah that says the two offices will be united when Messiah comes and that He will be both King and Priest. (Zech. 6:9-13) And of course in the Book of Hebrews Jesus is called our King (Hebr. 1:8) and Our High Priest (Hebr. 4:14).
This is possible because Jesus is not a priest in the Levitical sense but in the higher order of Melchizedek. Hebrews devotes all of chapter 7 to this issue.

I know I Am But What Are You?

In Exodus 19:6 Israel is called a kingdom of priests but in 1 Peter 2:9 we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” He’s speaking to the church, calling us a royal priesthood. Only Kings are considered royalty.

And in Revelation 1:5-6 it’s even clearer. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)

Some of the modern translations prefer the word kingdom over kings in the passage above, and it’s true, the Greek word there can be translated either way. They try to compare the Revelation passage with Exodus 19:6 to bolster their replacement theology bias, making the church look like Israel. But to most conservative scholars it’s clear that both the context and the grammatical structure of the passage require that the Greek word be translated kings. (The same is true in Revelation 5:10.)

Kings Of What?

Some have asked, “But if we’re all kings and priests, who’s left for us to rule over?” It reminds me of the old Honeymooners episode where Ralph yells at Alice, “I’m the King. Ya hear that Alice? I’m the King! And you’re nobody!” Alice calmly responds, “Big deal. King over nobody.” Was Alice unknowingly describing us, too?

The Bible doesn’t have a clear answer for this, being the Handbook for the Age of Man. But there are a couple of hints. First, in Ephesians 2:6-7, Paul wrote And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. The “coming ages” alludes to multiple periods of time beyond the Millennium where we’ll serve as living examples of the incomparable riches of His grace. (Don’t forget we’re here for eternity, not just a thousand years.) This could easily include making us rulers of some sort in some yet to be disclosed ages.

And second, the universe is a huge place, all of it created by God. The Bible only speaks of Earth, but if it’s the only planet of consequence to the Lord why are there whole galaxies out there? He’s not wasteful, and He doesn’t do things just for show. Nor was any of it created by accident. Maybe the rest of the universe is waiting for us so its purpose can be fulfilled. Maybe we’re each going to be ruling part of it. Not as gods, like my Mormon friends would have us believe, but as kings and priests of the One True God.

Does all this tax the limits of your imagination? Of course it does. That’s why Paul called it “the incomparable riches of His grace.” But don’t try to make God small enough to fit into your minds. If you do you’ll make Him too small to solve your problems. He’s promised us eternal bliss and that means a lot more than sitting on a cloud with a harp in an endless worship service. Like sheep, humans are high maintenance and require a lot of stimulation to keep them from wandering off. Remember, Paul also said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The old saying goes, “The sky’s the limit,” but maybe in our case it’s the entire universe. I can hardly wait to find out. Selah 10-02-05.

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? (Hosea 13:14)

A friend died last week. Old by earthly standards (75) and having battled cancer for 11 years, today he’s young and in perfect health, very much alive and filled with awe at the extent of God’s love as he starts the adventure of an eternity.

Beginning to know as he’s been known, (1 Cor. 13:12) he finally has a glimmer of understanding of Paul’s promise that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

Are You Happy Now?

It’s said that the average child is happier than the average adult, and one reason is that children spend most of their time gaining new knowledge and learning new skills, while adults spend most of their time repeating what they’ve already learned. Another is that children haven’t experienced much failure and therefore have little or no fear.

If that’s true, imagine how happy my friend Bud is now. He’ll spend all of eternity gaining new knowledge (like interviewing the authors of the 66 books he’s spent so much time studying and receiving the insights of the One Who guided their thoughts as they wrote), and learning new skills (like how to travel back and forth through time at the speed of thought and how to access the 1/3 of his brain for which science has found no earthly use.) Bud never was very fearful, but what little fear he had is now gone and the concept of failure is foreign to his new existence.

Having escaped the bonds of space and time, been divested of the sin that contaminates us all, and received the reward of that single decision that fulfilled the purpose of his life, he is at last becoming that which he was created to be; God’s work of art (Ephe 2:10).

Wait a Minute … Something’s Missing

There’s really only one thing Bud’s still longing for even more than while he was here on Earth: The Rapture. You see Bud’s sprit – that part of him that’s really him, his mind will and emotion- is with the Lord, but his body has returned to the earth and awaits the Rapture. Paul taught, “as long as we’re at home in the body we’re away from the Lord. We live by faith not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:6-8) “For from dust you came and to dust you will return,” said the Lord. (Gen. 3:19)

But at the Rapture all that changes. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thes. 4:16). At that moment Bud will be re-united with 2 things he really loves and misses: his body, re-created, upgraded and perfected, and his loved ones here on Earth. For after that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we be with the Lord forever (1 Thes. 4:17).

Now I’m Happy

Then Bud’s joy (and ours) will be complete. We were created to be physical beings and need a physical body to fully experience all that eternity has in store for us. The dead are not reincarnated into another even similar body, but resurrected into their own, perfected ones. As Job declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns with in me!” (Job 19:27-29) Paul agrees. “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor 15:53). Even the Creation, cursed by the sin of our first parents, cannot be liberated from its bondage until we are raptured and receive our perfect bodies. For the Creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. (Rom 8:18)

Though many of Bud’s most admired earthly accomplishments have been exposed in the fire of judgment as wood hay and stubble (1 Cor 3:12-14), of no significance in his standing before God and forgotten even in his mind, he hasn’t forgotten the loved ones he left behind and having had a glimpse of what awaits us all, longs even more than we do for our reunion.

We love you Bud, and miss you too. But you haven’t seen the last of us. As in life you always wanted to get there first, but any day now we’ll be together again, this time forever.

(For more insight read )

My recent articles on our life in the kingdom age combined with the prophetic nature of our study on Micah have prompted numerous questions about the promises made to Israel and the Church, and the role and destiny of three groups of “saints”; Old Testament, Tribulation and Millennial.

Let’s take Israel first.

In Jewish eschatology God promises to one day return and live among the Jews in Israel on planet Earth forever (Ezek.43:6). This will be accomplished at the outset of the Millennium following the re-dedication of the defiled temple (read ) and the topographical changes made to Earth by the earthquakes and other upheavals that characterize much of the last phase of the Great Tribulation. These “natural disasters” serve a dual purpose; to bring judgment upon the inhabitants of Earth who have rejected God, and to begin the Earth’s restoration to the condition it was in when Adam was given dominion over it. Its axis has to be righted, it’s rotation altered, and the time it takes to circumnavigate the Sun shortened. The water vapor canopy that deflects harmful ultra-violet rays and that collapsed during the Great Flood must be replaced to permit the long lives predicted for the Millennium (Isa. 65:17-25), and the mountains and sea floors that were altered to contain the floodwaters must be returned to their original form. The excess water not needed for the canopy will return to “the fountains of the deep” from whence it came.

The English translation of John’s comment that he sees a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1) is somewhat misleading. In the original language the word translated “new” actually refers to condition rather than age and means something closer to refreshed or renewed, and the word heaven refers to the firmament (atmosphere), the visible arch of the sky where the clouds move. This is consistent with both the Lord’s reference to “the renewal of all things” at the beginning of the Kingdom age (Matt. 19:28) and also the Old Testament view (Isaiah 65:17).

Once this is accomplished, God will finally take up residence among His people Israel, never to leave again. The Old Testament saints, those who died in faith of a coming redeemer who would expiate their sins, will come to life and join Him there fulfilling the promise He made to them repeatedly over the generations. From other studies we’ve done (read ), we know that before the cross the dead went to Sheol, the abode of the dead, sometimes called paradise or Abraham’s bosom, to await this redeemer. When Jesus died he went there and released them, taking them with Him into God’s presence (Matt. 27:52-53). Since in the time before the cross salvation for gentiles was only available through conversion to Judaism (John 4:21-24 & Acts 15:1), these Old Testament saints include both Jews and converted Gentiles.

What About The Church?

The Church, on the other hand, has always been promised that we would go to “heaven” to live with Jesus (John 14:1-3). This is fulfilled at the rapture when we who are alive join the resurrected dead in receiving our perfected bodies and populate New Jerusalem, which I believe is a low orbit satellite hovering in the proximity of Earth but not part of it (read ). Whether Jew or Gentile anyone who comes to faith between the cross and the Rapture automatically becomes a member of the Church and receives all the unique blessings accruing there from. At the moment of belief, they become part of nothing less than a new race of human, neither Jew nor Gentile, the only ones qualified for residence in New Jerusalem.

Tribulation Saints

At the Rapture the age of the Church, sometimes called the Dispensation of Grace, closes and the world returns from a time of belief by faith alone to a time of belief by evidence. As it was in the Old Testament, the world will be regularly treated to awesome and undeniable signs of God’s presence. Those who come to the Lord during this time will have correctly interpreted these signs as coming from Him, and will bow in obedience, but since their allegiance to Him will not be motivated solely by faith in things unseen, but by hard evidence of His existence, their destiny, while highly desirable, is not the same as the church’s.

These are the Tribulation Saints spoken of in Rev. 7:7-17. Read the passage carefully and you’ll see that they aren’t the Royal Bride of Christ, but servants of God who serve Him day and night in His Temple. Having refused their earlier calls to faith, but being persuaded by events of the Great Tribulation, they have “washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Many will be martyrs for their faith. Since there is no temple in New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22), the only reference to a temple being the one in Israel, they must spend much of their time there. Being perfected through death and resurrection, however, they will have access to New Jerusalem.

Millennial Saints

At the beginning of the 1000 year Kingdom Age, the world will be populated solely by believers, some natural having survived the Great Tribulation and some perfected having been resurrected into the promise of Israel. A case can be made from the sheep and goat judgment (Matt. 25:31-46) and from the Lord’s promise that He will use the Great Tribulation to purify Israel (Jer. 30:1-11 & Zech 13) that nearly all natural survivors will be gentiles. These gentile believers will conceive and bear children re-populating the many nations that will also occupy the planet. Since Earth will have been restored to its pre-flood condition, long life spans will again characterize these new generations and many millions will be born into a world of peace and plenty. Not much else is said about their destiny, but from our knowledge of the consistency of God, and from descriptions of life in Israel given us in the last 7 chapters of Ezekiel we can infer some things.

Inhabitants of Earth, having been born of natural parents, will be sinners and Temple rituals will again be used to expose their sin nature. Ezekiel speaks in great detail about these rituals, similar in many respects to Old Testament Judaism, but conducted as memorials to remind the inhabitants of Earth what God has done for them rather than as predictions of what He would do. I see nothing in Scripture that would indicate a departure from the need for a personal relationship with the Lord as a means to forgiveness and salvation and these memorials are designed to introduce those born during the Millennium to their Lord and Savior. Through the witness of Israel, they’ll be given the same choice you and I and everyone since Adam was given: accept the pardon purchased with the Blood of Christ and receive eternal life with God or reject it and endure eternal separation and condemnation. This is the way it’s always been, and this is the way it will always be (Isa. 43:10-13).

The reward side of this equation has changed from Israel to the Church to Tribulation saints, but the penalty side has remained constant. We’re not told what the Millennial saints will gain, but the loss suffered by those who reject the offer of pardon seems clear: They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Rev 20:10).

No More Excuses

I’ve often been asked the purpose of the Millennium. It’s clearly not the first chapter of eternity, since time still exists and by definition eternity is the absence of time. And since there’s still sin on planet Earth as evidenced by the need for sacrifices (Ezek. 45:13-25), the hints of death (Isa 65:20) and the rebellion that brings it to a close (Rev.20:7-10), the final solution to man’s sin problem obviously hasn’t been fully implemented.

I think the Millennium is God’s final response to all man’s excuses. We can’t be good because of Satan’s influence. Fine. He’ll bind Satan for the whole 1000 years. We can’t be good because of the influence of unbelievers. Fine. He’ll remove all the unbelievers and give us a fresh start. We can’t be good because God is so far away and doesn’t intervene. Fine. He’ll come back and live among us and rule the nations with an iron hand. And even with all these excuses gone, at the end of the 1000 year period there’s still enough rebellion in the hearts of unregenerate man to mount a huge army against God at the first opportunity.

As for eternity, the Bible being the handbook for the Age of Man doesn’t address it directly. Just as precious little is offered to describe events before the first man was born, so it is with events after the last man chooses his destiny. All we know for sure is that whichever destiny we choose, and there are only 2 options, we’ll enjoy (or suffer) the consequences forever.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

We’ve all noticed differences in each other that can’t be attributed merely to genetics or environmental conditioning. Things like shape and color preference, for example. Cosmetologists and fashion experts describe these preferences in terms of the four seasons when choosing colors for make-up and clothing that will help us look our best and most attractive to others. Decorators customize our surroundings to increase our comfort at home or office by using the shapes, colors and textures we prefer. While there are many common perceptions we share, we are distinguished by our individuality.

We also come from the womb with unique traits and quirks that we display almost from birth, having had no opportunity to learn them. One’s cautious, another’s adventuresome, one enjoys solitude another prefers company. Energy levels, basic outlook, drive and ambition differ remarkably even among siblings who share both genetic and environmental factors. Remember Jimmy and Billy Carter?

When seeking a mate we prefer those who share some of our preferences, but eventually grow tired of those who are just like us. “Vive la difference,” the French say. How boring it would be if we were all the same: cookie cutter companions.

What’s The Point?

And yet when considering eternity (when they think of it at all) some Christians see us all becoming alike. They believe we’ll all be 33 years old because that was the Lord’s age when He went to Heaven. They see us all in white, with blue eyes and brown hair, sitting on a cloud with our harps, attending some endless worship service. Really!

Remember the reason most children are happier than most adults is that children spend their time gaining new skills knowledge and experience. The problem with most of us is that we grew up, the thrill of living gone because of our unchanging nature. Some of us haven’t had even a new thought in years, let alone a new experience.

Will You Grow Up?

Some people retain their child like enthusiasm by dramatically changing their lives every so often. I think of my friend Pratt who has built and sold businesses on a regular basis, and at the same time become an engineer, designer, builder, champion auto racer and ocean going sailor. He and Brenda began married life at 17 in the cab of a dump truck; the only thing they owned. In addition to building businesses he also designed and built the trailers for their trucks, their home, and his winning race cars. I mean built: from the ground up, with his own hands. Last year they bought a 50-foot catamaran and sailed it across the Atlantic. Alone.

Bud, the fellow whose death I spoke of last week was the same kind of guy. If you play racquet ball you play on a court he designed and use a variation of the racquet he invented. But he also designed and built airplane parts, golf clubs, restaurants, hotels, homes and churches. He was the first one ever to water ski barefoot, and still holds speed and distance records in that sport from his days as a pro at Cypress Gardens. His family’s construction company dredged Pearl Harbor, making it a deep water port. He was a pilot and a sailor and a builder. At his funeral he was described as having achieved more than a dozen men.

Been There, Done That

Heaven’s going to have to be pretty amazing to hold these guys’ interest. They’re the happiest guys I’ve known, having refused to grow up and settle down, and I mean that in the most positive sense. And remember: they didn’t start out just to have a lot of fun. They continually expanded the limits of their skills, knowledge and experience, creating products, jobs, and billions in economic benefit along the way. Happiness is a by-product of their life experiences, not its purpose. Are they now going to be content with the heaven I described above, white robes and harps? I think not.

Imagine That

Billy Graham was once asked if there would be golf courses in heaven. “If they’re necessary for our happiness,” he replied, “They’ll be there.” That’s the criteria: Whatever’s necessary for our happiness. Take a minute to imagine your eternity. Now please don’t let your imagination be limited to something like the greatest amusement park ever. Happiness is not about meaningless diversionary activity, it’s about expanding your mind with new knowledge, skills and experience. Let your mind go free to wander among the possibilities.

For example, what if our eternal environment was designed with our individuality in mind and actually mirrored our uniqueness. What if it was painted in our favorite colors using our favorite shapes, sizes and textures and what if it expanded before us like a giant kaleidoscope so that as we grew familiar with it, it grew too, always stimulating and exciting and never boring FOREVER. What if we could attempt anything we could imagine without the possibility of failure. What if we could amaze and astound ourselves with our capabilities and realize that they were gifts from the One Who created us, always there within us, and finally available because of His sacrifice of love.

I like the mountains. My wife prefers the beach. What if our eternity suited both of us so that we could experience our favorite places together at the same time? Think about that. I would be in the mountains and she would be on the beach. But we would also be together. I would see everything in my favorite shapes and colors and she would see everything in hers, but we’d both be looking at the same things.

“But wait a minute,” some say. “We’ll all be different there from the way we are here.” Maybe so, but we’ll also be the same unique person we’ve always been. We don’t get some huge lobotomy to dumb us down and keep us passively content like they did in “One Flew Over The Cookoo’s Nest.” Certainly we’ll spend lots of time worshipping God, just as we do here, giving thanks for all He’s given us. But the earthly bonds that restrain us will be released, our brains energized, and our senses sharpened, and our unique capabilities revealed, not only for worship, but for all our experiences. We’ll finally become all that we were created to be, God’s work of art: the highest example of His creative ability. Got any idea what that means? Got any idea how thankful you’ll be?

Eternity has to be enough to thrill even those who have experienced life on earth to its fullest, and not for just a day or two but forever. It has to take each of our unique preferences and interests to the max, while doing the same for everyone else and at the same time.

Like Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9). Even in your wildest imagination you can’t come close to describing the joy awaiting you. Remember Paul actually went there and saw it (2 Cor. 12:2-4). He should know.

“Be good, and when you die you’ll go to Heaven to live with Jesus.” I’ll bet millions of other little boys and girls have heard that same thing from well-intentioned moms. I didn’t realize until much later that I was getting some works based theology there, and I’m sure my mom didn’t intend it that way. She was just trying to get me to behave. But I woke up this morning recalling a dream in which someone asked me to write about Heaven and I remembered her instruction. I won’t claim the dream was a message from the Lord, but it did stick in my mind, so here goes.

I’m not going to spend any time on the theological orientation of her instructions. The Bible is clear: we get to Heaven by God’s grace, not our behavior. Even Jesus, who came from Heaven and was the world’s only perfect man had to sacrifice His life for us in order to get back. If being good wasn’t enough for Him, where does that leave us? No, hearing my mom’s voice again re-focused my interest in Heaven’s location and condition, not its price of admission. If we’re going there someday, then where is it? And more important, what’s it like?

Where Are We Going, Exactly?

Surprisingly, the Bible offers no clear answer to those questions. 410 references in the Old Testament and 273 in the New simply identify Heaven as God’s dwelling place. The Hebrew and Greek words rendered as Heaven in the English literally mean “sky.” In the Genesis creation account the Hebrew word for heaven refers to the earth’s atmosphere; the visible arch of the sky, where the clouds move. Same with the New Testament Greek. (Paul did use a form of the word that means “above the sky” to describe the extent of God’s influence over His creation in Phil 2:9). We’re told to store up treasure in Heaven (Matt 6:20), and that there is an inheritance reserved for us there (1 Peter 1:4). But no where is its location identified. Nor is there a description of its attributes or features.

Mansions in the Sky

We’re also told that Jesus went there (Acts 1:10) and that when believers die their spirits go to be with Him (2 Cor 5:8). He said He was going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us and will return to take us there (John 14:1-3). That event is described in 1 Thes 4:16-17 where heaven, clouds, and air are all used. As in the English, three different Greek words are employed, and none of them tells us anything about our destination. The spirits of departed believers will be reunited with their newly perfected bodies, joining living believers (whose bodies are also perfected) all headed for this secret location. I believe we’re going there for 3 reasons:

1.

To escape the Great Tribulation (Rev 3:10),

2.

To receive our rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15), and

3.

To practice using our new supernatural powers (1 John 3:2).

Meanwhile the Great Tribulation brings final judgement upon unbelievers and begins Earth’s restoration (2 Peter 3:10, Romans 8:18-22). The next time people on Earth see the Lord, He’ll be coming from Heaven with His armies (Rev 19:11). Since He promised that we’ll always be with Him (1 Thes 4:17), and since He’s coming here to establish a 1000 year Kingdom (Rev 20:4), and since we’re going to help administer His kingdom (Rev 20:6), we’ll be joining Him. This is born out in Rev 21 by the appearance of the New Jerusalem “coming down out of Heaven.”

Are We There Yet?

In reading about the New Jerusalem, we finally get a glimpse of our new home, and it’s a lot like the heaven we’ve heard about. Streets paved with gold, eternal life in the presence of the Lord, peace and tranquility forever. We read of it coming down out of Heaven, but never are we told that it actually reaches Earth. Apparently we come close but never touch down, perhaps like a huge low orbit satellite. People from Earth bring things to us, but no one impure can ever enter, even though our gates are always open. The Lord cannot dwell in the presence of sin, so only the perfected believers of the Church Age will live there (Rev 21:27). So New Jerusalem is the heaven promised us; the great “mansion in the sky” where we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Things will really change on Earth, too. The curse will end, restoring its “Garden of Eden” beauty, with long life again the order of the day. Folks there will work for a living (but enjoy it), have children, own their property, and live in peace, but even with Satan bound sin and death are evident, signifying natural beings (Isa 65:17-25). Sadly, as the 1000 years pass natural man’s sin nature causes steadily increasing decay and disobedience on earth, until at the end when Satan is released wholesale rebellion threatens the Kingdom. But Satan and his armies are destroyed, peace restored, and the Age of Man comes to an end.

And Then What Happens?

What follows the Millennium? God only knows. The Bible, being the handbook for the Age of Man speaks neither of events before its beginning nor after its end. It instructs us on only three things of eternal duration. God Himself (Isa 43:10), life for believers (John 3:16), and punishment for unbelievers (Matt 25:46). The rest is left for us to wonder about, and for God to reveal as it suits His purpose.