The Kingdom Study : Lesson 8 The Real Kingdom with the Real King
In the previous lesson we saw how that during the 7 year tribulation which takes place right after the rapture of the church, that the anti-christ would come forth and set up a fake kingdom. The peace that is present will be short lived and then there will literally be hell on earth. At the end of the tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth and destroy the armies of the anti-christ that are gathered to destroy Jerusalem.
In this study we are going to see how that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns at the 2nd Advent he will set up his millennial reign which is the kingdom of Heaven literally on this earth for 1000 years. Remember at the beginning of this study we said that the Kingdom of Heaven is always connected with the earth and someone reigning over it. During the 1000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ we have the kingdom of Heaven on earth with its true and rightful king on the throne ruling with a rod of iron.
The Millennial Reign :
In Revelation 19:11-21 we see the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ and the destruction of the anti-christ and his armies. In Revelation 20:1-3 we see that Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years. In Revelation 20:4-7 we see the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people do not even believe that Jesus Christ will reign for 1000 years on this earth but here we see the term 1000 years 6 times in the first 7 verses.
During this reign Jesus will fulfill what Luke 1:31-33 says in regards to Jesus reigning on the throne of David. Israel will be the lead nation on the earth and Jesus will be king. This also fulfills the promise made to Abraham about his seed inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. So now we see what Israel wanted the first time Jesus came which was to set up his kingdom. Israel could have had this but remember they rejected it.
Some characteristics of this kingdom :
1) The physical surface of the earth is regenerated (Matthew 19:28 ; Acts 3:20-21)
- Jesus spoke of this and Peter preached about it before Israel rejected the kingdom for the 3rd time in Acts 7.
- The earth needs to be regenerated as we can plainly see right now with our own eyes. Remember it was cursed as a result of Adam’s sin. (Genesis 3:17-19)
2) Animals and Nature will be changed (Romans 8:18-25 ; Isaiah 11:1-11, 65:17-25 ; Amos 9:13)
- In these passages we see that the animals are also waiting for the earth to be regenerated.
- In the millennium animals will not attack or eat each other or humans.
3) Gentile world powers are done away with (Daniel 2 ; Micah 4:3 ; Revelation 11:15, 19:15)
- During the millennial reign Israel will be the head of the nations with Jesus Christ as king.
- Jesus Christ will rule the world and there will be peace because he is righteous and the only king that could accomplish this feat.
- Mankind has been trying to rule the earth every since Adam sinned and the reason it never works is because he is not righteous outside of Salvation, but even a saved man is still in his unrighteous flesh and will sin. Therefore you must have true righteousness to have lasting peace (Isaiah 32:17).
4) Israel becomes the chief and head of the nations and the Capitol of the world is Jerusalem with Jesus as its King (Revelation 20:1-6 ; Isaiah 2:1-5 ; Hosea 2:14-23)
- Remember how we said that Jerusalem means city of peace but it has been the most fought over city in the world. In the millennium it will truly be the city of peace because the king of peace will be in charge.
5) Saved people from the church age will get their inheritance as heirs (Galatians 5:21 ; Ephesians 5:5 ; Colossians 3:24 ; 2 Timothy 2:12)
- Part of earned rewards for a person who was saved and lived in the church age is reigning with Jesus Christ in the millennium. This is spoken of as an inheritance and is received during the millennium.
What about the Kingdom of God in the Millennium?
We have said that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom into which a person gets put into by being born again spiritually during the church age. Therefore it is a spiritual kingdom (Luke 17:20-21 and Romans 14:17).
Now in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ those who are saved from the church age will be present with Jesus Christ on this earth, we are the bride of Christ. Therefore in the millennium the Kingdom of Heaven is on earth and the Kingdom of God is also on earth. So during the church age it was a spiritual kingdom that one could not see but during the millennium it is still a spiritual kingdom but it can be seen because we are here reigning with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus spoke of it being both seen and entered into in John 3:3,5.
Now from passages like 1 Corinthians 6:10 and Galatians 5:21 it seems like a person in the church age could lose their salvation because the term kingdom of God is used. The key word in understanding what the passages are saying is “inherit”. Remember salvation is the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) therefore one cannot inherit it. So what the passages are really discussing are losing your reign with Jesus Christ during the millennium. Note that Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:24 make this very clear. Reign with Jesus is an earned reward even though salvation is not. If you lose your reward you will still be in the millennium with Jesus but you will not a have position of authority with him.
This is made clear in 2 Timothy 2:11-14. Many use this passage to say that if you deny Jesus Christ he will deny therefore you lose your salvation, but that is not what the passage is saying. What is denied is the reign look carefully at verse 12. What is given for suffering is a reign and what is lost for denying is a reign. To make it even clearer in verse 13 it plainly says that Jesus cannot deny himself. If you are saved you have the Lord Jesus Christ living inside you and he cannot deny himself.
Therefore the Kingdom of God is on earth during the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ with saved people from the church age inheriting a reign with him based upon their works after salivation.
After the Millennial Reign :
In Revelation 20: 7-10 we see that Satan is loosed from the bottomless pit and he goes out and deceives some people into following him for one last attempt to take the Kingdom of Heaven which he lost and has tried for ever to regain. In these verses we see that fire comes down from heaven and destroys the ones he gathers and Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is most likely the place where God destroys the earth with fire (2 Peter 3:10-12). So when people speak of global warming it is true one day it will come but not in the way that they think.
In Revelation 20: 11-15 the Great White Throne Judgment takes place and then in Chapters 21 and 22 we see the new heaven and the new earth created with eternity beginning.
Now the Bible has come full circle and we are back where God intended it to be mankind on the earth living for ever in a perfect environment with no sin. So as we said at the beginning of this study we have the kingdom as the main theme of the Bible and looking at it in this light we should have a new understanding and a better respect for the word of God.
The Kingdom Study Lesson 8 : Handout
The Real Kingdom with the Real King
1) What is a good reference for the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ?
2) List the characteristics of the Millennial Reign. Give scripture.
3) What kingdoms are on the earth during the Millennial Reign?
4) List 2 verses that discuss inheriting the kingdom of God.
5) What are these 2 verses really talking about?
6) List some verses for showing that our reign with Jesus Christ is an earned reward.