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The Legacy Standard Bible
The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).
THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION
1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
2. They shall be grammatically correct.
3. They shall be understandable.
4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.
PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE
In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.
The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.
PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION
Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.
There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.
In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.
Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.
Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.
THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE
The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.
The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.
The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation
For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/
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Millennial Signs - KING JESUS - Audio Link
KING JESUS
Text: nSelected Scriptures from the NKJV
Prayer: Heavenly Father, above all else, we
want to meet with You today. Let this message not just be about You, but may it
be a time with You. Let Your presence fill this room. Let Your voice speak
deeply and clearly to us. Let our hearts burn within us as You reveal Yourself
through the Scriptures. May this be more than a teaching time – let it be a
divine encounter. May the Holy Spirit touch us, heal us, and speak to us. Let
this be a sacred moment where heaven touches earth, and we leave saying, “Surely
the presence of the Lord was in this place.” In Jesus’ sovereign name I pray.
Amen.
Introduction: In today’s world, kings (and queens) are few and
far between; they’ve become scarce. It is far more common today to have
presidents and prime ministers lead the governments of nations rather than
kings. Only 43 monarchies are left on earth, most of which are just ceremonial
in nature. Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British
history. She was a legendary figure, which is why all the world paused when
word came of her death.
Queen Elizabeth spoke openly about her faith in Christ, especially during her annual
Christmas messages to England. In her 2011 Christmas broadcast, she said, “Jesus
was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds
with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not,’ they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the
City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.’”
In that same message, the queen said, “It is through this lens of history
that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.”
Do you ind if I change a word in the Queen’s statement? I think it is more accurate
to say, “it is through this lens of prophecy that we should view the
conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.”
Yes, our history is important. The Christian faith is grounded in historical facts like
the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But anyone can look
backward. The only ones who can truly peer into the future are those of us who
study what God has said in His Holy Word. In the Bible, He tells us what will
happen in the coming days.
The same Jesus who died and rose from the dead will come again and reign in this world,
and He will reign far longer than Queen Elizabeth, who occupied the throne for
a remarkable 70 years, 214 days. But imagine a King who will occupy His throne
on this planet for one thousand years!
Understanding the return of Christ and His millennial reign is what helps us understand the
conflicts of today, and it gives us hope for tomorrow.
When we see what’s happening today in America and Europe, in Russia and China, and
especially in Israel and the Middle East, we realize the history of our day is
moving in a prophetic direction. Perhaps sooner than we realize, this world
will be under the political control of just one King: Jesus. Do you know Him
today? The Scripture presents Him not just as Savior, not just as Messiah, but
as a King who at this very moment is already sitting at the right hand of the
throne in heaven.
This morning, let’s talk about the glory, the majesty, the power, and the authority
of our King and His kingdom.
[READ Mk. 10:45]
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Even so, Jesus did not enter our world as a prophet or a
teacher or a shepherd or even a carpenter. He came as our redeeming King. We
can see this in the royal titles ascribed to Him throughout the Scriptures.
KING OF THE JEWS
He is first of all King
of the Jews. During two periods of His life Jesus was called by this
title: His birth in Bethlehem and the end of His life in Jerusalem. Oddly, this
phrase occurs nowhere in the OT, nor do we find it in the epistles. It occurs
only in the Gospels at the birth and death of our Lord.
At Jesus’ birth, the wise men inquired …
[READ Mt. 2:2]
2a “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
Some thirty-three years later, this leads us to the death of Christ. When Jesus stood before
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor asked Him,
[READ Mt. 27:11]
11 “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
Then, addressing the angry mobs before him, Pilate shouted,
[READ Mk. 15:9, 12]
9 “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” … “What then do you want me to do with
Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
And do you remember what their response was? “Crucify Him!” (v. 13).
So, Pilate handed Jesus over for crucifixion, along with a strange order for the executioners. A
sign was nailed to the top of the cross bearing the words: “THE KING OF THE JEWS” (v. 26).
This was our Lord’s title in His birth and in His death – one uttered by the magi, the magistrates,
the mob, the markings over His cross, and by the Master Himself.
KING OF ISRAEL
In a similar way, Jesus is called the King of Israel. The first person known to
have recognized this was the disciple Nathanael, who said …
[READ Jn. 1:49]
49 “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Approximately three years later at the Lord’s triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, large numbers of the
people celebrated His arrive in Jerusalem saying,
[READ Jn. 12:13]
“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
Five days later, as Jesus suffered on Golgotha, one of His enemies shouted sarcastically,
[READ Mt. 27:42]
42 “If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”
According to these and other scriptures, Jesus Christ is the only rightful everlasting heir to the
throne of David.
As far as I am aware, there is not a throne anywhere in Jerusalem today. But the design of Jesus’
millennial throne is already in the mind of God, and one day the streets will
be filled again with people shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” I want to see that with my own
eyes; don’t you?
KING OF KINGS
Jesus is also known as the King of kings. This is our Lord’s title of ultimate royal
honor, as we learn in Revelation 19.
[READ Rev. 19:16]
16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Yes, we live in a disturbed world. But remember, none of today’s politicians, leaders, villains,
or rogues will ever gain supreme authority. Not even the coming Antichrist. All
will falter and fail, for only Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
[READ Rom. 14:11]
11 “As I live,says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
KING OVER THE WHOLE EARTH
The prophet Zechariah added another title to our Lord when he described His return to earth with these riveting words …
[READ Zech. 14:9]
9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be -- “The Lord is one, and His name one.”
If you’ve had the opportunity to travel much, then you know our world is huge. There are so many
landscapes, bodies of water, and people groups that nobody could possibly visit
everything interesting in a single lifetime on this side of the grave. Yet
Jesus will rule over every inch, every grain of sand and every ocean drop.
KING OF GLORY
The last royal title I’ll mention to you today is the wonderful phrase found in Psalm 24. Jesus is
the King of glory.
We know Psalm 22 as the Crucifixion Psalm, which predicts in vivid detail our Lord’s brutal
execution. Psalm 23 is the Shepherd Psalm, in which we exalt the Lord as our
Good Shepherd. And Psalm 24 is the Coronation Psalm, which describes the King
of glory ascending to heaven and taking His seat on the throne next to His
Father to await the moment of His return.
[READ Ps. 24:7, 10]
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall
come in …. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is
the King of glory.
So beloved, Jesus is King of the Jews, the King of
Israel, the King of kings, the King over the whole earth, and the King of glory!
II. THE REIGNING KING
As it has already been stated in the first point of
today’s lesson -- when Jesus came the first time, He came as the Redeeming
King. But the Bible is full of passages that speak of the kingdom of God in the
future tense. After the Tribulation, Jesus will return to this earth, establish
His kingdom, and reign over His subjects in righteousness.
Among the famous monarchs of history, only a few have
been known as “the Great.” These characters are like monuments on the
pages of time – kings who wielded extraordinary power or left an unusual mark.
From the biblical era, we have Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, Xerxes the
Great, and Herod the Great. Between the OT and NT, the world was changed
forever by the swift conquest and rule of Alexander the Great. Europe also came
under the sway of Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, the first
emperor of what became known as the Holy Roman Empire.
Most of these men, I’ve just mentioned, were not as great
as they thought they were. They were full of pride, character flaws, and were
often guilty of heinous crimes.
But here’s the interesting thing: the greatest King in
history isn’t listed among them. Jesus was never called “Jesus the Great”
or “Christ the Great.” He is, of course, great and greatly to be
praised. But His greatness isn’t derived from a comparison with other
kings. He’s in a class all by Himself. He stands alone in history as well as
the future.
Christ is the King whose power is absolute, whose reign
is infinite, and whose throne is unconquerable. He is an indescribable King,
for He reigns eternally without beginning of days or ending of life. He is the
epitome of humility, yet the Bible calls Him “the Ruler over the kings of
the earth” (Rev. 1:5).
Yes, Christ is our Messiah, our Intercessor, the
Compassionate Servant, the Humble Teacher, and the Selfless Savior. But never
forget He is Christ the King! Without His supreme and sovereign rule, our lives
would sink into chaos. Nothing can stabilize our emotions like remembering His
royal reign. He commands and He controls, and nothing is exempt from His
preeminent power. That’s why so many people rely on Him as the anchor of their
souls.
Robert Strauss was a brilliant political strategist who
served under several presidents from Jimmy Carter to George H.W. Bush. He’s
quoted as saying, “Everybody in government is like a bunch of ants on a log
floating down a river. Each one thinks he is guiding the log, but really, he’s
just going with the flow.”
The same can be said of all the rulers of history. All
have died or will die, and none has risen from the dead. All of them have
dominated the headlines for a period, but none has divided history in two like
Jesus has. The rulers of this world enjoy limited authority for a short amount
of time. Only Jesus possesses infinite authority for all eternity. Although many
rulers have improved the quality of life for their subjects, there is only One Ruler
who gives His followers eternal life.
Beloved, this is what we’re looking forward to! The only
way we can make sense of our world and find hope for today is to remember what
the Lord has promised about tomorrow. Except for King Jesus, all leaders are
flawed. Many have unleashed wars, triggered riots, annihilated opponents,
bankrupted treasuries, and acted like fools.
A few others have exhibited great courage and
demonstrated legendary leadership. After Abraham Lincoln died, the secretary of
war, Edwin Stanton, looked down at him on his deathbed and said, “Now he
belongs to the ages.”
But there is only One who belongs to eternity.
Jesus reigns peerless in both time and eternity. He is the King of an endless
empire. He rules above the stars and within the heart. He’s the King of kings
and Lord of lords.
As our politics and democracies have devolved, the world
has deteriorated. One global think tank issued a report in December of 2023
that said, “2024 will be a year of ballots and bullets. The elections held
in more than 70 countries will serve as a stress test for the democratic
system. … The erosion of international norms is more acute than ever, and
events … more unpredictable.” And it has only snowballed since then!
However, there is one event we can predict with
certainty. One day the world’s throne will be occupied by Jesus Christ – King
of the Jews, King of Israel, King of kings, King over the whole earth, and King
of glory. Remember, it is through the lens of biblical prophecy that we should
view the conflicts of today and find our hope for tomorrow.
A travel magazine recently ran an article for people who
want to visit the seven most beautiful thrones in the world. Two of them are in
India, one is in Iran, another is in Russia, and there’s the Dragon Throne in
China. The sixth, is St. Edward’s Chair at Westminster Abbey in England, and
the seventh is the Silver Throne in Sweden. The Silver Throne is designed to
express purity, and it’s a stunning sight with its silver, blue, and white
trappings. You can find it in the Hall of State at Stockholm Palace.
Yet none of these seven thrones is all that significant
in the scope of history. Some are used for ceremonial occasions, and the others
are simply for tourists to see. The glory has faded, and the power has seeped
away.
Conclusion: But I want to end today’s message by
describing another throne. The throne that should matter the most to each of
right now, is the throne that God has placed in our own hearts.
Of all the kingly titles possessed by Jesus Chrtist, the
one that is most personal to you and me is when we say, “Lord, You are my
King. I vacate the throne of my heart and give it to You. I want You to rule
and reign in my life. Under my own control, I make too many blunders and
mistakes. Forgive me for ever thinking I could be my own monarch and chart my
own destiny. In the words of the old hymn, I say ‘King of my life, I crown Thee
now. Thine shall the glory be!’”
The moment we receive Jesus Christ as Lord; a coronation
takes place inside of us. Jesus becomes the King of our lives, and we give Him
the glory. Beloved, I encourage all of you to let Jesus Christ rule and reign
on the throne of your heart today.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Master of all creation,
we humble ourselves in awe before You. All glory, honor, and praise belong to
You. We thank You for life and for everything You have done for us through
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Thank You for blessing us to see
another day and for allowing us this great privilege to worship You once more
with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We surrender ourselves to Your perfect
will committing ourselves totally and wholeheartedly to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We ask You to produce within each of us a Christ-like thinking, character, and
behavior. We desire to walk in love and humility, and to live lives which
reflect the image of Christ. Empower us to do the work to which we’ve been
called. Use us for Your glory and the establishment of Your kingdom. Triune
God, we ask You to order our steps and give us wisdom and understanding. We
commit our time, talents, and resources to You for Your holy use. We pray that
every good seed we plant will yield a rich harvest of souls, righteousness, and
blessing. Finally, dear Jesus, we are so thankful for Your loving
sacrifice. You have made salvation, healing, deliverance, peace, and so
many wonderful things available to us, so we commit ourselves to Your Lordship
with joy and thanksgiving. For it is in Your worthy and exalted name I pray, Amen.
Invitation # 175: “Hallelujah, What a Savior!” (5 vs.)
Benediction: Beloved, God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, and having
all that you need, you will abound in every good work God has called you to. Be
encouraged! The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people
with peace. Amen! (2 Cor. 9:8; Ps. 29:11)
KING JESUS - Study Guide
SIGNS: Millennial Signs (Pt. 5, Lesson 32) ¿ Sept. 13, 2026 ¿ Rev. Alan Cousins
TEXTS: Zech. 14; Ezek. 47; and other texts from the LSB & NIV
INTRODUCTION: Perhaps sooner than we realize, this world will be under
the political control of just one King: Jesus. Do you know Him today? The
Scripture presents Him not just as Savior, not just as Messiah, but as a King
who at this very moment is already sitting at the right hand of the throne in heaven.
This morning, we will be looking at
the glory, the majesty, the power, and the authority of our King and His kingdom.
I. THE REDEEMING KING
THE KING OF THE JEWS
Matthew 2:2; 27:11; Mark 15:9, 12-13, 26
THE KING OF THE ISRAEL
John 1:49; 12:13; Matthew 27:42
THE KING OF KINGS
Revelation 19:16; Romans 14:11
THE KING OVER THE WHOLE EARTH
Zechariah 14:9
THE KING OF GLORY
Psalm 24:7, 10
II. THE REIGNING KING
Revelation 1:5
CONCLUSION: The throne that should matter the most to each of us right now, is the throne that God has
placed in our own hearts.
Is Jesus ruling and reigning on the throne of
your heart today?
Millennial Signs - Jerusalem Gets a Makeover - Audio Link
JERUSALEM GETS A MAKEOVER
Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask You to prepare our hearts for the Word we are about to hear.
Soften the places within us that have become calloused or resistant. Break
through the walls we have built -- walls of pride, fear, and unbelief. Till the
soil of our hearts so that the seeds of truth may take root and bear lasting
fruit. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and a spirit that understands. Help
us not just to hear with interest, but to be transformed by truth. Let every
word penetrate deep into our spirits and awaken a hunger for more of You. May
Your message heal our wounds, correct our paths, strengthen our faith, and draw
us into Your presence. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Introduction: Maybe some of you remember the 1974 movie Earthquake,
starring Charlton Heston. It is about an earthquake that destroys Los Angeles,
leaving survivors wandering around devastated. The Great Los Angeles
Earthquake is a 1990 movie in which a seismologist tries to warn officials
that LA is about to be flattened. The 1997 movie Volcano features a
massive earthquake beneath Los Angeles that triggers a dormant volcano under
the La Brea Tar Pits. The 2015 movie San Andreas is about an earthquake
that destroys San Francisco.
These and the many other earthquake movies like them, are scripted to keep audiences on
the edge of their seats. But is there something more that draws us toward
disaster films? Perhaps there’s something in the human heart that warns us of
coming convulsive changes to our world.
Jesus predicted an increase in the severity of earthquakes and other natural disasters in the last days.
[READ Mt. 24:7]
7 … In various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
After the Rapture of the church, horrendous natural and supernatural disasters will shake
the globe. The last half of the Tribulation will see unprecedented natural
catastrophes and cataclysms. The Bible tells us that during the Tribulation, a
worldwide earthquake will destroy the great cities of the world – including the
capital city of the Antichrist, Babylon (Rev. 16-18).
None of these disasters will stop the Antichrist. Not yet. As we discussed in previous
messages in this series, the armies of the world will defiantly converge around
Jerusalem in Satan’s final attempt to destroy the nation of Israel. Jerusalem
will be surrounded and attacked. Everything will seem lost.
That’s the moment when Christ will return. Jesus’ feet will touch down upon the Mount
of Olives as He returns to the earth. As I have mentioned many times in this
study, the Mount of Olives is the very place from where He ascended into heaven
in Acts 1. He will save His people, destroy His enemies, and establish His
kingdom.
This morning, I want to tell you about three incredible topographical changes that
will occur when Jesus returns. These three changes will establish the geography
for the Messianic kingdom.
I. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL TRIGGER AN EARTHQUAKE
[READ Zech. 14:4]
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the
Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of
Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so
that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward
the south.
The Mount of Olives is a 2.2-mile-long ridge located on
the eastern side of Jerusalem. In every photograph collection of Jerusalem,
there is always a view from the Mount of Olives looking out over the Kidron
Valley and the walls surrounding the Old City. It is one of the most famous
overlooks in the world. You can gaze upon the ancient site of the Jewish temple
now occupied by the Islamic mosque -- the Dome of the Rock.
Large olive groves used to cover the sides of the Mount
of Olives. Some of them still exist. On the lower slopes is the garden of
Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested. Its name in Hebrew means “oil press.”
King David fled over this ridge when his son Absalom led a coup against him.
[READ 2 Sam. 15:30]
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount
of Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered and he was walking
barefoot. And all the people who were with him each covered his head and went
up weeping as they went.
A thousand years later, David’s great descendant, Jesus
of Nazareth, sat on the crest of the Mount of Olives to deliver His great
sermon about the end of the age in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25.
After the Lord’s resurrection, He spent 40 days appearing
periodically to His disciples, then He ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet
as His disciples watched in amazement (Acts 1:11-12).
Ever since the days of Zechariah, the Jewish people have
expected the Messiah to descend to the Mount of Olives, and that’s why today
the slopes of the ridge are covered by a massive Hebrew cemetery. Pious Jews
want to be buried near the prophesied place of the Messiah’s arrival.
Zechariah describes the battle of Armageddon with details
we find nowhere else in Scripture. As we’ve seen, the Tribulation will end with
a climactic battle in which the Antichrist will seek to destroy once and for
all the Hebrew people and the Jewish state. This man of lawlessness will lead
the forces of the world against Israel, encircle Jerusalem, and attack the
Jewish capital.
Let’s look at Zechariah’s description of that moment in its fuller context.
[READ Zech. 14:2-5]
2 Indeed, I will gather all the nations against
Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the
women ravished, and half of the city will go forth in exile, but those left of
the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then Yahweh
will go forth and fight against those nations, as the day when He fights on a
day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the
Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of
Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so
that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward
the south. 5 And you will flee by the valley of My mountains,
for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; indeed, you will flee just
as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then
Yahweh, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!
II. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL UNLEASH A RIVER
But that’s not all! The earthquake that forms an escape
route for the besieged Jews in Jerusalem will also unleash the vast underground
aquifers that will erupt and form a river.
[READ Zech. 14:8-9]
8 And it will be in that day, that
living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea
and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in
winter. 9 And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; in that
day Yahweh will be the only one, and His name one.
This river will divide at some point south of Jerusalem.
Half will flow into the Mediterranean Sea, but the other half will replenish
the Dead Sea and transform the ecology of the Judean desert.
The prophet Ezekiel devoted an entire chapter to
describing this perpetual river that will flow from beneath the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem.
[READ Ezek. 47:1, NIV]
1 The man brought me back to the entrance to
the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple
toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from
under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
According to Ezekiel, this river will grow stronger,
wider, and deeper as it heads south toward the Negev Desert.
[READ Ezek. 47:8-9, NIV]
8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the
eastern region and goes down into the Arabah [the Jordan valley], where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the
sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living
creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of
fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where
the river flows everything will live.
The Dead Sea is actually the lowest spot on land in the
entire world. Except for very scant rainfall, the only source of water for the
Dead Sea is the Jordan River, the waters of which are now being diverted for
domestic use. That’s why the Dead Sea appears to be, well, dying. The water
level is constantly dropping.
This strange lake has no outlet, which means the water
simply evaporates in the intense desert heat, leaving behind all its minerals.
Its mineral levels are so high that humans can float on the surface of the
water like a cork. Nothing can live in this thick brine except a handful of
microscopic aquatic organisms. Trying to fish in the Dead Sea is a waste of
time. But all of this will change when Christ comes to establish His kingdom.
According to Ezekiel …
[READ Ezek. 47:10, 12, NIV]
10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En
Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of
many kinds -- like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea … 12 Fruit
trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not
wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because
the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and
their leaves for healing.
The prophet Joel also chimes in.
[READ Joel 3:18, NIV]
18 In that day … all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.
The rugged, blistering Negev Desert will become a
paradise watered by the river unleashed at the return of Christ.
Oh, and one other thing about this river: it’s a preview
of the crystal river that flows from beneath the throne of God in the New
Jerusalem, watering and invigorating the entire new earth (Rev. 22:1-2).
So much of what we will see in the Millennium will be a preview of the eternal
ages.
III. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL LIFT THE CITY
But there’s still more! The power of Christ’s return will
trigger an earthquake, unleash a river, and cause a geological change in the
altitude of Jerusalem. The entire city will be lifted up even as the surrounding
area becomes a level but lower plain. This may seem impossible, but remember ...
[READ Ps. 90:2]
2 Before the mountains were born or You brought
forth the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
So, for God to change the topography of an entire city is not a big challenge for Him.
Isaiah hints at this when he says,
[READ Isa. 2:2]
2 Now it will be that in the last days the
mountain of the house of Yahweh will be established as the head of the
mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations will
stream to it. [see also Mic. 4:1-2]
The prophet Zechariah gives us some more specifics.
[READ Zech. 14:10-11, NIV]
10 The whole land, from Geba [6 mi. north of Jerusalem] to Rimmon [30 mi.], south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah [Are-abah; desert regions]. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from
the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from
the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11 It
will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
Dr. George L. Klein, of Southwestern Baptist Seminary (Ft.
Worth, TX), writes in his commentary on Zechariah, “[These verses
provide an] overview of the dramatic changes the Lord will bring to Jerusalem
and her surrounding regions on that great eschatological day…. God will elevate
the city of Jerusalem while leveling her environs. Geographically, Jerusalem
sits nestled beneath the gaze of mountains on every side. These mountains
offered the city limited defensive advantages…. Since the city will no longer
need any defense other than the Lord, God will remove its natural
fortifications. Miraculously, the Lord will transform Zion from one of the most
vulnerable locales on earth to the most secure.”
Klein goes on to say, “The Lord will lower the
elevation of these sites [outside Jerusalem] so that they would become ‘like
the Arabah’…. The distinguishing feature of the Arabah is its flatness….
Analogous to the lowering of the surrounding cities, the Lord promises to
elevate Jerusalem.”
Nathaniel West [Presbyterian pastor, 1826-1906]
wrote in his book The Thousand Years in Both Testaments, “Jerusalem
and Mount Zion, by means of physical convulsion and geological changes suddenly
effected through disruption, depression, fissure, and elevation, at the Lord’s
coming, shall be exalted or lifted high above the surrounding hills, and the
adjacent region be reduced to a plain.”
In other words, the terrain of the promised land will be
altered at the second coming of Christ. The Mount of Olives will be fractured
at the end of Armageddon, opening a wide and accessible lane for the residents
of Jerusalem to flee the besieged city for safer places. The foundations of the
city will shift to such a degree that rivers of healing water will flow through
it. The elevation of the city will rise as the surrounding countryside levels
out.
Why such changes? Because the King has returned. Jerusalem
will no longer be a fortress set amid rugged terrain. Instead, it will be a
beacon on a hill elevated over large, flat plains – an open invitation to come
and see the King. It will be the capital of the earth with masses of people
coming and going. It will be “beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole
earth … the city of the great King” (Ps. 48:2).
IV. CHRIST’S RETURN CAN SHAKE YOU UP
In September of 2023, a massive earthquake struck
Morocco. Ancient towns were destroyed, and remote settlements were devastated.
One man named Haytham, age 30, had been asking questions about Christianity in
the days before the quake. He communicated with a Christian satellite
television network (SAT-7), saying, “I am from a different
background, and I want to know if the Christian religion is real or not.”
A counselor for the network made sure he had a Bible and
urged him to read it. But before Haytham could dive into the Scriptures, the
earthquake upended his life. As soon as possible, the counselor reconnected
with him, and Haytham responded, “People are exhausted and afraid to leave
their homes. We’re currently sleeping outside the house.”
Later the network contacted Haytham again. This time he
said, “I started reading the Bible. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and
Lord. I am quite happy, and I believe that my life is improving.” He told
them he had joined a local church and was soon to be baptized.
Do you remember the Philippian jailer in Acts 16? An earthquake also led to his salvation.
Conclusion: Let me suggest that, in a spiritual sense,
these coming events can be real in your heart right now. When Jesus shakes up
our lives and we let Him come and reign in our hearts, He is elevated. He is
lifted up. He rules as King of our lives. And what does He do? He unleashes
rivers of living water that flow from our lives to the dry and thirsty society
around us.
[READ Jn. 7:37-39]
37 …, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If
anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who
believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow
rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit,
whom those who believed in Him were going to receive ….
Beloved, let Jesus shake you up. Then make sure you lift
Him up and let Him make you a river of blessing for others by His Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Heavenly
Father, we know that every good and perfect gift is a blessing from You and You
have richly blessed all of us with so much. I ask that You would use all of us
to be a blessing to others who are in need or facing difficulties. Make us
channels of Your blessing, through whom Your love, peace, and joy, flow through
us to others. May we be Your hands to bless others. May You guide our feet to
places where we can go and be a blessing. May we always speak words of comfort
and encouragement, speaking the truth in love. Give us the grace to be
available when others are in need. May the blessings You pour through us to
others draw both them and us closer to the Lord Jesus. For it is in His name I
pray, Amen.
Invitation # 452: “Make Me a Blessing” (3 vs.)
Benediction: Beloved, don’t do
anything through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind esteem others
better than yourselves. With the Holy Spirit’s help, let your conversations
always be filled with grace and seasoned with salt. Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouths, but only that which edifies and ministers
grace to those who hear you. Amen! (Phil. 2:3; Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29)
Jerusalem Gets a Makeover - Study Guide
SIGNS: Millennial Signs (Pt. 5, Lesson 31) - Sept. 6, 2026 - Rev. Alan Cousins
TEXTS: Zech. 14; Ezek. 47; and other texts from the LSB & NIV
INTRODUCTION: Jesus predicted an increase in the severity of earthquakes and other natural disasters in the last days.
Matthew 24:7
The Bible tells us that during the Tribulation, a worldwide earthquake will destroy
the great cities of the world – including the capital city of the Antichrist, Babylon (Rev. 16-18).
This morning, I want to tell you about three incredible
topographical changes that will occur when Jesus returns. These three changes
will establish the geography for the Messianic kingdom.
I. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL TRIGGER AN EARTHQUAKE
Zechariah 14:4; 2 Samuel 15:30
Ever since the days of Zechariah, the Jewish people have
expected the Messiah to descend to the Mount of Olives, and that’s why today
the slopes of the ridge are covered by a massive Hebrew cemetery. Pious Jews
want to be buried near the prophesied place of the Messiah’s arrival.
Zechariah 14:2-5
II. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL UNLEASH A RIVER
The earthquake that forms an escape route for the
besieged Jews in Jerusalem will also unleash vast underground aquifers that
will erupt and form a river.
Zechariah 14:8-9
This river will divide at some point south of
Jerusalem. Half will flow into the Mediterranean Sea, but the other half will
replenish the Dead Sea and transform the ecology of the Judean desert.
Ezekiel 47:1, 8-9, 10, 12, NIV; Joel 3:18, NIV
This river is a preview of the crystal river
that flows from beneath the throne of God in the New Jerusalem, watering and
invigorating the entire new earth (Rev. 22:1-2). So much of what we will
see in the Millennium will be a preview of the eternal ages.
III. CHRIST’S RETURN WILL LIFT THE CITY
The power of Christ’s return will trigger an
earthquake, unleash a river, and cause a geological change in the altitude of
Jerusalem. The entire city will be lifted up even as the surrounding area
becomes a level but lower plain.
Psalm 90:2
For God to change the topography of an entire
city is not a big challenge for Him.
Isaiah 2:2; Zechariah 14:10-11, NIV
The terrain of the promised land will be
altered at the second coming of Christ. The Mount of Olives will be fractured
at the end of Armageddon, opening a wide and accessible lane for the residents
of Jerusalem to flee the besieged city for safer places. The foundations of the
city will shift to such a degree that rivers of healing water will flow through
it. The elevation of the city will rise as the surrounding countryside levels
out.
Jerusalem will no longer be a fortress set
amid rugged terrain. Instead, it will be a beacon on a hill elevated over
large, flat plains – an open invitation to come and see the King. It will be
the capital of the earth with masses of people coming and going. It will be
“beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth … the city of the great
King” (Ps. 48:2).
IV. CHRIST’S RETURN CAN SHAKE YOU UP
When Jesus shakes up our lives and we let Him
come and reign in our hearts, He is elevated. He is lifted up. He rules as King
of our lives. And what does He do? He unleashes rivers of living water that
flow from our lives to the dry and thirsty society around us.
John 7:37-39
Millennial Signs - The City of Gold - Audio Link
THE CITY OF GOLD
Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day You have made. We choose to rejoice and be glad
in it. Fill this service with Your presence, align our hearts with Your will,
and awaken praise in us. Let joy rise, and let Christ be glorified among us
today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Introduction: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his new wife, Devora, sailed
wide-eyed into the port of Joppa, overwhelmed that their Jewish dream was
coming true – setting foot in the Holy Land. They arranged transport from Joppa
(Jaffa) to Jerusalem by overnight horse cart and approached the city
just as the sun was rising. The large gate into the Old City was closed, but just
then the gate began to creak open.
“A miracle!” whispered Eliezer as he and Devora entered
the city they had dreamed about since childhood. But everything disoriented
them – the foul smells, the filth, the impoverished sights, and the suspicious Arabs.
They thought, “This was Jerusalem the Golden? Where were their own people? Where
was the spirit of holiness they had expected? Was this the city which had seen
so many centuries of conflict, siege, plunder, massacre, and misery? Was this
the city which men from all corners of the globe had fought over? Was this the
city in which the prophets had preached … which had been destroyed and
reconstructed eighteen times and had suffered two long periods of desolation,
and had passed from one religion to another six different times?”
The city just didn’t seem right. You see, the year was 1881. Eliezer and Devora were among
the first wave of Zionist Jews returning to the land that would later once
again be called Israel. In the years to come, Ben-Yehuda would almost
singlehandedly do the impossible – resurrect the Hebrew language from antiquity
and make it the language of the Jews once again. His son, Ben-Zion, was raised
hearing and speaking only Hebrew, which kept him from playing with other
children. But Ben-Zion became the first native speaker of Hebrew in modern
times. Eliezer believed if his own son could do it, then the entire nation
could learn the language. He, his wife, and his family dug out the remnants of
the old Hebrew language and put it back together so that the Jewish people
would have their own natural tongue. God used this family to restore the Hebrew
language to the Jewish people.
Sadly, Ben-Yehuda didn’t live long enough to see the modern state of Israel appear on the map in
1948. But like so many Zionists, he saw it in his dreams. His funeral was
attended by thirty thousand people, and you’ll find his grave located on the
Mount of Olives. Today, one of the most popular streets in Jerusalem is Ben Yehuda Street.
So, what drew the Jews back to Jerusalem, which at the time was populated by Arabs and
controlled by the Ottomans? Why is this city so strangely magnetic? Why is it
that even today, visitor’s weep when they see Jerusalem’s golden walls rising up
from Mount Zion?
Let’s find some answers as we focus today and again next Sunday on the city of
Jerusalem, including its role in history and its elevation during Israel’s Golden
Age in the time of the Millennium.
The longtime mayor of Jerusalem (28 yrs.), Teddy Kollek,
said, “Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish hope and longing. No other
city has played such a dominant role in the history, culture, religion, and
consciousness of a people as has Jerusalem in the life of Jewry and Judaism.” Kollek
continued, “Throughout centuries of exile, Jerusalem remained alive in the
hearts of Jews everywhere as the focal point of Jewish history, the symbol of
ancient glory, spiritual fulfillment, and modern renewal. This heart and soul
of the Jewish people engenders the thought that if you want one simple word to
symbolize all of Jewish history, that word would be ‘Jerusalem.’”
As Jewish author Elhanan Leib Lewinsky once wrote, “Without
Jerusalem, the land of Israel is a body without a soul.”
II. A CHOSEN CITY
Why does this desert city bring so much charm and challenge to the world?
Jerusalem was chosen specifically by God for her role in
the history of Israel, in the life of Jesus, and in the events of His return.
The Bible says …
[READ 2 Chr. 6:5-6]
5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people from
the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in
which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any
man for a ruler over My people Israel; 6 but I have chosen
Jerusalem that My name might be there ….’
Because it is God who established the city of Jerusalem
as His dwelling place, it’s known as the city of God.
[READ Ps. 87:3]
3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.
You may not realize just how prominent this city is even
in the Bible. Jerusalem is mentioned in Scripture 811 times, and to be born in
Jerusalem is a signature blessing from God:
[READ Ps. 87:5-6]
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and
that one were born in her”; and the Most High Himself will establish her. 6 Yahweh
will count when He registers the peoples, “This one was born there.”
So, if you’re born in Jerusalem, it’s like God puts a
checkmark next to your name. I don’t understand all of this, but I believe it
because that’s what the Word of God says. Also, I know it’s just another
reminder to us of the importance of Jerusalem, and a reminder to us to learn
everything we can about this city as we head toward the future.
III. A CHRIST-LOVED CITY
Jesus first visited Jerusalem as an infant when He was
dedicated to the Lord at the temple. This is where elderly Anna and Simeon
uttered prophecies about Him (Lk. 2:21-38). As a 12-year-old, Jesus
visited Jerusalem during the Passover and didn’t want to return home. It took
three days for His panicked parents to locate Him (Lk. 2:41-50).
After His baptism, Jesus was led to Jerusalem by Satan
and up to the highest point of the temple (Lk. 4:9-12). John recorded
four other visits of Jesus to Jerusalem (Jn. 5:1-47; 7-10; 12-20), and the
other Gospels add important details, particularly regarding the events of
Passion Week. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension all took place in and
around the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus loved Jerusalem, and He mourned over her unbelief, saying …
[READ Mt. 23:37]
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your
children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you
did not want it.
Though Jesus died there, don’t forget that Jerusalem was
also the city of His resurrection, and the nearby Mount of Olives was the place
of His ascension into heaven. It’s here, to this same mountain, that He will
return. The first place to feel the soles of Jesus’ feet will be the Mount of
Olives on the eastern side of the Golden City.
IV. A CHANGED CITY
There is so much to learn about this particular point,
I’m going to save it for next week’s sermon – “The Rearrangement of Jerusalem.”
V. A CAPITAL CITY
I think all of us are aware that the Bible says God
blesses those who bless Israel and He curses those who curse Israel. It is a
promise that’s included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:3).
One day, Israel, which is so criticized by everybody,
will become the capital of the whole world. The Golden City will be our Lord’s
home and headquarters throughout His reign during the Millennial kingdom. For a
thousand years, the greatest city on earth will not be Rome, Paris, Beijing, or
Washington, DC. It will be Jerusalem.
Jerusalem first became Israel’s capital by decree of King
David more than 3,000 years ago. It has remained Israel’s capital ever since.
Though other nations conquered and settled in the land of Israel, none ever
declared Jerusalem to be their capital. For many years, American public opinion
spoke in favor of moving the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,
and politicians agreed. In October 1995, the US Congress called for the move to
occur by May 1999.
Finally in June of 2017, the US Senate unanimously passed
a resolution (90-0) that reaffirmed the 1995 Congressional decision and called
on the president to implement it. Six months later, Jerusalem was declared to
be Israel’s capital, and the United States embassy was moved from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem.
I believe that event turned another key in the great lock
of biblical prophecy. In the future, every nation will acknowledge Jerusalem as
the world capital and will want their embassies there. Christ the King will
rule and reign from there, and the people of the nations will stream through
its streets, approach its vast temple, and hear the words of truth from the King.
[READ Jer. 3:17, NIV]
17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name
of the Lord.
The prophet Zechariah’s message is full of this same theme.
[READ Zech. 2:11-12]
11 “And many nations will join themselves to
Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst,
and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 Then
Yahweh will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose
Jerusalem.
Randall Price writes in his book, Jerusalem in
Prophecy: God’s Stage for the Final Drama: “Jerusalem is the city at
the center. It is the center of mankind’s hopes and God’s purposes. God loves
it, Satan hates it, Jesus wept over it, the Holy Spirit descended in it, the
nations are drawn to it, and Christ will return and reign in it. Indeed, the
destiny of the world is tied to the future of Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem is the place that God has put His finger on. It is His chosen city. It is the city of God.
VI. A CONTINUING CITY
Almost all of the Christ-centered events in the future
will take place in Jerusalem. Without Jerusalem, these events would be
impossible. But that’s only the beginning. The everlasting capital city of
Jesus throughout eternity will be Jerusalem – but a different city to be sure.
Our eternal capital is “the New Jerusalem.”
Earthly Jerusalem, to which Jesus will return and from
which He will reign 1,000 years, is the prelude to another Jerusalem – a city
with exquisite foundations whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10). New
Jerusalem is the Celestial City, currently existing in the highest heaven,
which will descend to its rightful place on the new earth at the dawning of the
eternal state.
This is the city anticipated by Abraham (Heb. 11:16),
promised by Christ (Jn. 14:28), and awaited by the saints (Heb.
13:14). This is “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem”
(Heb. 12:22). This is the “Jerusalem that is above” (Gal.
4:26, NIV).
The city of New Jerusalem is the place Jesus is preparing
for us (Jn. 14:1-6), and the Bible draws to a close with a breathtaking
description of the city’s dimensions, streets, vast river, wondrous throne,
translucent gold, and glittering light. Don’t worry we will take a much closer
look at New Jerusalem later in this series.
Going back to the Millennial Jerusalem, Frederick
Buechner describes the city’s life like this: “Everything is gone that ever made
Jerusalem like all other cities -- torn apart, dangerous, heartbreaking, seamy.
You walk the streets in peace now. Small children play unattended in the park.
No stranger goes by whom you cannot imagine as a fast friend.”
So, the city of Jerusalem has a great future ahead of it.
VII. A CHALLENGING CITY
I want to end today’s sermon by sharing with you two
challenges for all of us concerning the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.
DETERMINE TO LOVE ISRAEL
First of all, in our own hearts, no matter who we are or what our background is, if we’re
Christians, we should determine to love Israel and its capital city.
[READ Ps. 122:6-9]
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. 7 May peace be
within your walls, and tranquility within your palaces.” 8 For
the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within
you.” 9 For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God, I will seek your good.
God will prosper those who love Jerusalem and seek her peace.
Let’s pray for the international safety of Israel and Jerusalem. Modern Israel has been forced to
maintain a continual state of warfare. Someone described it as living in a very
nice house in a very bad neighborhood. This nation, this city, and her
residents require our prayers. As we pray for the secular peace of Jerusalem,
and even miraculous peace, we also need to pray for her spiritual peace with
God. This can only come about when the Jewish people claim the Lord Jesus
Christ as their Messiah, repent of their sins, and accept Him personally as their Savior.
As we’ve already learned, this will be the most important outcome of the Tribulation as the two
witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish missionaries call lost Jews and Gentiles to
come to Christ for their salvation.
DETERMINE TO LEARN FROM ISRAEL
Secondly, there’s a lot we can learn from this city and its people. Each year a research-based
report is released as the World Happiness Report. It ranks the 150
nations of the world on the basis of their “happiness.” The researchers
used a “ladder with steps numbered from 0-10.” The top of the ladder
represents the best possible life for you, and the bottom of the ladder
represents the worst possible life for you. Those who participated in the
survey were asked to rank where they considered themselves to be.
The Israelis – specifically those living in modern-day Israel – more than any other people in
the world, placed themselves on the best possible part of the ladder.
Think about this for a moment: Israel is a country surrounded by enemies determined to wipe them
from the face of the earth. Every citizen under forty, whether male or female,
is automatically enlisted in the military. The average apartment in Israel costs
150 times the average salary. The cost of living in Tel Aviv is more expensive
than anywhere else on earth. And Israel is a country inwardly divided in ways
that few can explain and even fewer can understand. There are hawks and doves;
Jews from the East and Jews from the West; Jews and Arabs; modern Jews and
Orthodox Jews; friendly Palestinians and hateful Palestinian enemies.
How could such a nation be considered one of the happiest nations in the world? Here’s what I
discovered. Every year in America, families gather on the fourth Thursday of
each November to feast and to offer thanks. It’s Thanksgiving Day in the United
States.
In Israel, they don’t do this every year. They do it every week! Every Friday afternoon at the
beginning of Shabbat (the Sabbath), Jewish homes gather to feast and
offer thanks. They have Thanksgiving every single week. According to one
source, “The celebration includes singing, blessings for the children,
prayers and a well-set table of foods. At this meal, you will find not only
whole households but grown children and their families … extended families, as
many members who can be accommodated.”
So, no matter what is happening in their world, every Friday these families pause to be with one
another and to express their gratitude to God. Even on the Friday after the
atrocities of October 7, 2023, Shabbat was celebrated.
Senator Joe Lieberman was one of the most congenial and respected leaders in America. Most of you
know, of course, that Lieberman was a Jew. He wrote a book entitled, “The
Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath.” In it he wrote,
“I love the Sabbath and believe it is a gift from God that I want to share
with everyone.” He also wrote, “We live in a culture of hard work where
people are desperately in need of rest – not just rest to recharge our
batteries so we can work harder but to recharge our souls so we can live
better. For me the answer to this need has been the Sabbath. It has anchored my
life, revived my body, and restored my soul.”
Beloved, there is a lot we can learn from the original people of God – our Jewish friends.
Conclusion: As Christians we don’t observe the Sabbath.
We observe the Lord’s Day. But many of the things that are said about the
Sabbath could surely be said about the Lord’s Day. When we set aside time to go
and honor the Lord, we not only honor Him, but the Lord honors us.
If you want God to bless you in your life, be a man or a
woman of the church. The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembling of
ourselves together (Heb. 10:25). And we should especially obey this
command as we see the day of the Lord drawing near.
The local church should be crucial to us as God’s people.
And even more so because we live on this side of the cross. We know the Messiah
has come, and as we have been learning, He’s coming again. When He comes, He
will set all things right. And we will live for 1,000 years under the reign of
King Jesus!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the fantastic joy that’s in our hearts as we
contemplate the millennial kingdom. Lord, we recognize that we will not be a
part of Christ’s glorious kingdom because we deserve to be there. We will only
be there because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ and Your infinite grace and
love for us. Lord God, we thank You for the wonderful promise of being a part
of such a glorious kingdom, as well as the promise that we will be there in
glorified bodies enjoying every minute of it. Dear God, I pray that if there is
anyone under the sound of my voice today who is not ready for Jesus’ return, who
has never given their life to Him, may this be the day when they do so. To this
end we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Invitation # 239: “Jesus Is ComingAgain” (3 vs.)
Benediction: Beloved, be encouraged by our Lord’s promise: Blessed and holy are those who have a part in
the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no authority, but they
will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand
years. Amen! (Rev. 20:6)
THE CITY OF GOLD - Study Guide
SIGNS: Millennial Signs (Pt. 5, Lesson 30) - Aug. 30, 2026 - Rev. Alan Cousins
TEXTS: Various Scriptures from the LSB and others
INTRODUCTION: Today our focus is on the city of
Jerusalem, including its role in history and its elevation during Israel’s
Golden Age in the time of the Millennium.
I. A CONFLICTED CITY
For 3,000 years Jerusalem has been at the
forefront of geopolitical struggles, biblical history, and prophetic
prediction. Even today, it’s the centerpiece of the world’s three major
religions, and ground zero for international political maneuvering. For
generations, Jerusalem has been a place of pilgrimage and pillaging, miracles
and mayhem.
II. A CHOSEN CITY
Jerusalem was chosen specifically by God for her role in
the history of Israel, in the life of Jesus, and in the events of His return.
2 Chronicles 6:5-6
Because it is God who established the city of
Jerusalem as His dwelling place, it’s known as the city of God.
Psalm 87:3
Jerusalem is mentioned in Scripture 811
times, and to be born in Jerusalem is a signature blessing from God.
Psalm 87:5-6
These things are reminders to us that we
should learn everything we can about Jerusalem as we head toward the future.
III. A CHRIST-LOVEDCITY
·
Jesus first visited Jerusalem as an infant
when He was dedicated to the Lord at the temple (Lk. 2:21-38).
·
As a 12-yr.-old, He came to Jerusalem
to celebrate Passover with His family and didn’t want to return home (Lk.
2:41-50).
·
After His baptism, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem by Satan to tempt Him (Lk. 4:9-12).
·
John recorded four other visits of Jesus to Jerusalem (Jn. 5:1-47; 7:10, 12-20).
·
The other Gospels add important details, particularly regarding the events of Passion Week.
·
Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension all took place in and around the city of Jerusalem.
·
Jesus loved Jerusalem, and He mourned over her unbelief.
Matthew 23:37
·
Jerusalem was also the city of His resurrection, and the nearby Mount of Olives was the place of His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9).
·
It’s to this same spot that He will return (Zech. 14:4).
IV. A CHANGED CITY
V. A CAPITAL CITY
One day, Israel, which is so criticized by
everybody, will become the capital of the whole world. The Golden City will be
our Lord’s home and headquarters throughout His reign during the Millennial
kingdom.
Jerusalem first became Israel’s capital by
decree of King David more than 3,000 years ago. It has remained Israel’s
capital ever since. Though other nations conquered and settled in the land of
Israel, none ever declared Jerusalem to be their capital.
In the future, every nation will acknowledge
Jerusalem as the world capital and will want their embassies there. Christ the
King will rule and reign from there, and the people of the nations will stream
through its streets, approach its vast temple, and hear the words of truth from
the King.
Jeremiah 3:17, NIV
Zechariah 2:11-12
Jerusalem is the place that God has put His finger on. It is His chosen city. It is the city of God.
VI. A CONTINUING CITY
Earthly Jerusalem, to which Jesus will return
and from which He will reign 1,000 years, is the prelude to another Jerusalem –
a city with exquisite foundations who builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10).
New Jerusalem is the Celestial City,
currently existing in the highest heaven, which will descend to its rightful
place on the new earth at the dawning of the eternal state.
This is the city anticipated by Abraham (Heb.
11:16), promised by Christ (Jn. 14:28), and awaited by the saints (Heb.
13:14). This is “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem”
(Heb. 12:22). This is the “Jerusalem that is above” (Gal.
4:26, NIV).
VII. A CHALLENGING CITY
Determine to Love Israel
In our own hearts, no matter who we are or what our
background is, if we’re Christians, we should determine to love Israel and its
capital city.
Matthew 23:37
Jerusalem and her residents require our prayers. As we
pray for the secular peace of Jerusalem, and even miraculous peace, we also
need to pray for her spiritual peace with God.
Determine to Learn from Israel
Senator Joe Liberman wrote: “We live in a culture of
hard work where people are desperately in need of rest – not just rest to
recharge our batteries so we can work harder but to recharge our souls so we
can live better. For me the answer to this need has been the Sabbath. It has anchored
my life, revived my body, and restored my soul.”
CONCLUSION: Many of the things that are
said about the Sabbath could surely be said about the Lord’s Day. When we set
aside time to go and honor the Lord, we not only honor Him, but the Lord honors us.
Millennial Signs - OVERVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM - Audio Link
OVERVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM
Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Prayer: Gracious God, I pray for clarity in my
thoughts and words as I share Your Word today. Remove every form of confusion
or stumbling of speech. Help me to articulate Your truth in a way that is
simple, powerful, and understandable. Let every illustration, every scripture,
and every word point the way to You, Lord. Silence distractions in my mind and
give me focus. May the message flow with ease and grace, touching hearts and
transforming lives. Lord, speak clearly through me today. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Introduction: Isaac Watts began writing poems when he was seven, and,
after his college years, he began writing hymns. Isaac lived in a time when
hymns were frowned upon. Many British believers only sang the psalms in church.
But Isaac wrote hymns anyway, and he is remembered today as the father of
English hymnody. He also served as a pastor in London and wrote textbooks on
logic used by the major universities of his day. He was small in size,
eccentric in habit, and great of heart. Even now more than two hundred years
later, many of his hymns are widely sung, including his great Christmas carol, “Joy
to the Word.”
But Watts would be mortified to know “Joy to the World” is sung today as a
Christmas carol, because he wasn’t thinking about the birth of Christ when he
wrote it, but of our Lord’s return and the golden age that would follow the
second coming.
This hymn first appeared in a 1719 hymnbook, in which Watts took many of the biblical
psalms and paraphrased them through the eyes of the NT. “Joy to the World” is
based on his interpretation of Psalm 98, and the words don’t refer to the birth
of Christ at all. Let me urge you to put it to a test. Read through all of the
verses of “Joy to the World” and see if you can determine what they are
really talking about. Ask yourself -- Did these things happen when Jesus came
the first time to be wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger? Did
the earth receive her King? Was nature transformed – field and floods, rocks,
hills, and plains? Did thorns stop infesting the ground? Was the curse lifted?
Did sin and sorrow cease, and does Christ currently rule the world with grace
and truth? Do the nations of the world acknowledge His righteousness and the
wonders of His love?
I expect you will find these statements reflect biblical promises, but they are not
about the first coming of Christ, they reference His Second Coming and the
glorious Millennium that will occur when He returns. Just so you know, I don’t
intend to stop singing “Joy to the World” at Christmas, but as I sing
the words I’ll be looking forward to Jesus’ return and the era of peace He will
establish on the earth. I’m eager for the day when earth will receive her King;
when every heart will prepare Him room; when thorns stop infesting the ground;
and when Christ will rule the world in truth and grace. That is what will
happen during the 1,000-year reign of Christ, which comes after His Second
Coming. Only then will the words of “Joy to the World!” be truly fulfilled.
The word millennium doesn’t actually occur in most of our English Bibles, yet this topic is one of
the Bible’s premier subjects; and it is astonishing to notice how many chapters
and verses describe this golden age of Christ, which will last for a 1,000-years on this planet.
Biblically speaking, the Millennium is an actual period
of a thousand years, which is scheduled for the future and will begin when
Jesus comes again at the end of the Tribulation to establish His earthly
kingdom.
FOUR PURPOSES OF THE MILLENNIUM
Of course, all this raises very good questions. Why did God plan it like this? Why have a
Millennium at all? Why not begin the eternal ages at the moment of Christ’s
return without having to wait another thousand years? I don’t know all the
answers to this question and others like it, but I am fully confident that God,
in His infinite wisdom, knows exactly what He is doing and why. But from our
study of Scripture, we can determine several critical and obvious purposes for
the Millennium. Let me share four of them.
1) To Reward the People of God
The first purpose of
the Millennium is to reward the people of God. Scores of biblical promises
reassure God’s people they will receive rewards for faithful service. For
instance, turn to Isaiah 40.
[READ Isa. 40:10]
10 Behold, Lord Yahweh
will come with strength, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is
with Him and His recompense before Him.
[READ Mt. 16:27] Jesus said …
27 For the Son of Man is
going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay
each one according to his deeds.
[READ Mt. 25:34] A little later He added …
34 “Then the King will
say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”
[READ Rev. 22:12] John quotes Jesus saying …
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work.
The Bible teaches that when we serve the Lord here on earth as Christians, we will be rewarded
when we get to the kingdom with the opportunity to serve Him in a new and special way.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus taught that our role as servants and rulers will be based upon
our faithfulness. Remember the words we want to hear from the Lord when we get to heaven?
[READ Mt. 25:23]
23 … Well done, good and
faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge
of many things, enter into the joy of your master.
Our opportunity is to “rule over many things.” These words will be part of our millennial
experience. In the Millennium we will be ruling the earth with Jesus. He will
be our King and we will serve Him, not as a punishment but as a reward.
Randy Alcorn writes in his book, “Heaven”: Service is a reward, not a punishment. This
idea is foreign to people who dislike their work and only put up with it until
retirement. We think that faithful work should be rewarded by a vacation for
the rest of our lives. But God offers us something very different: more work,
more responsibilities, increased opportunities, along with greater abilities,
resources, wisdom, and empowerment. We will have sharp minds, strong bodies,
clear purpose, and unabated joy.
Imagine the wonder of helping Jesus rule and reign on earth for a thousand years!
2) To Respond to the Prophets’ Predictions
During the 1,000-year reign of Christ, the prophecies and promises of the OT prophets will be
fulfilled, and that is another major purpose of the Millennium. It’s difficult
to make sense of large parts of the OT if we erase the Millennium from God’s
program for the ages. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost wrote, “A larger body of
prophetic Scripture is devoted to the subject of the millennium, developing its
character and conditions, than any other one subject.” Many of the promises
God made to Israel have yet to be literally fulfilled, but they will be –
during the Millennium. Let’s look at a few examples:
[READ Ps. 72:11]
11 And let all kings bow down to Him, all nations serve Him.
[READ Isa. 9:7]
7 There will be no end to the increase of His
government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and
forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.
[READ Isa. 60:21]
21 Then all your people will be righteous; they
will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands,
that I may show forth My beautiful glory.
[READ Lk. 1:32-33]
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the
Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of His
kingdom.
Without the coming kingdom age, none of these could be
fulfilled. Biblical prophecy is full of predictions of a coming day when King
Jesus will rule over the earth with His saints as co-regents with Him. The
first time, He came to redeem us, but the world rejected Him. When He comes the
second time, He will come to rule this world in righteousness; and during this
period the great predictions of His earthly kingdom will be fulfilled. Kings
will fall down before Him. Nations will serve Him. He will sit on the throne of
David and establish His kingdom with justice and judgment. His people will be
righteous, and Israel will inherit its land. War will be suspended, and the
Lord’s dominion will stretch from sea to sea.
The greatest prediction of all may have to do with the
factual promise that a descendant of David will sit on Israel’s throne, in
keeping with the covenant God made with David.
[READ 2 Sam. 7:16]
16 And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me
forever; your throne shall be established forever.
What about the promise Gabriel quoted to Mary concerning her miracle Child?
[READ Lk. 1:32-33]
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the
Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of His
kingdom.
Jesus has not yet reigned as an acknowledged King over
the house of Jacob, but that will change when He returns.
3) To Receive the Answer to the Disciples’ Prayer
The Millennium is also the time when the Lord’s Prayer (also known as the Disciple’s Prayer,
or the Model Prayer) will be completely fulfilled. Jesus taught us to pray
…
[READ Mt. 6:10]
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Every day, millions of Christians utter this prayer,
in hundreds of languages, in thousands of diverse settings and situations.
Someone, somewhere, dispatches this plea heavenward every hour of every single
day, and we have done so for the last two thousand years. God can answer our
prayers in intermediate ways now; but the ultimate fulfillment awaits the
Millennium. That’s when the kingdom will come in its fullness, and His will will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.
4) To Reemphasize Man’s Depravity & the Necessity of
Christ’s Death
We also need the Millennium to create the conditions necessary for the end of history, the final
judgment, and the dawn of the eternal state. The Millennium is necessary to
reemphasize human depravity and to demonstrate the utter necessity of Christ’s death.
Here’s what I mean – an incredible statement in Revelation 20 tells us how the 1,000-year reign of
Christ will end. It’s one of the most unexpected and shocking realities in
Scripture. Let’s look at what John wrote.
[READ Rev. 20:7-9]
7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan will
be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the
nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather
them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and
surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from
heaven and devoured them.
According to the earlier verses in this chapter, when
Jesus comes again Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a
thousand years. But at the end of the Millennium, the Devil will be temporarily
released to start one final worldwide rebellion. This tells us things will not
be absolutely perfect during the Millennium. Death, though rare, will occur.
Sin, though diminished, will still be possible. And the human heart will still
be capable of rebellion. When Satan, newly released and furious, goes out into
the world, he will deceive the nations again – demonstrating with absolute
finality the utter inability of human beings to chart their own course and save
themselves. This will be the final proof of the hopeless depravity of the human
heart apart from grace. The generations have a way of spiraling downward into
corruption because our biggest problem isn’t our environment. After all, Adam
and Eve were in a perfect garden at the heart of a sinless world, yet they
sinned. The population of the earth will enjoy a thousand years of teaching and
testimony and peace, yet it will still end in rebellion. Our primary problem
isn’t our environment, but the sinful nature we inherited from our first
parents.
The Millennium will prove God’s righteousness when
those at the Great White Throne Judgment say, “Lord, God, I just didn’t have
the right environment.” And the Lord will reply, “I gave you a
thousand years of peace and righteousness, yet you still rebelled. Depart from
Me; I never knew you.”
FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM
Let’s shift gears now
so we can end today’s sermon on a positive note. I want to share five wonderful
facts about the Millennium with you. What will it be like? How will we enjoy
it? Imagine what it would be like on this earth if all sin were removed; if all
rebellion were removed; if all unrighteousness were removed. These are the
sorts of blessings the Millennium will bring, and the resulting conditions will
be characterized by peace, prosperity, purity, prolonged life, and personal joy.
1) It Will Be a Time of Peace
First, the Millennium will be a time of great peace. If you visit the gardens of the United Nations
in New York City, you may see the sculpture by Soviet artist Yevgeny Vuchetich depicting
a figure of a man holding a hammer aloft in one hand and beating a sword into a
plow. The sculpture depicts Isaiah 2:4 and suggests that one of the missions of
the United Nations is converting implements of war into implements of peace and
productivity. But the United Nations has utterly failed in its intent to do
this. That mission cannot happen by human effort, for the passage in Isaiah
talks about the millennial reign of Christ. He alone can bring peace to the
planet. The Bible repeatedly speaks of the reign of peace that will
characterize this vast expanse of history called the Millennium.
[READ Ps. 72:7]
7 May the righteous flourish in His days, and abundance of peace until the moon is no more.
[READ Mic. 4:2-3]
2 And many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh and to the house
of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us from His ways and that we may walk
in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from
Jerusalem. 3 And He will judge between many peoples and will
render decisions for mighty, distant nations. And they will hammer their swords
into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up
sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.
[READ Isa. 11:6-9]
6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the
calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a young boy will lead
them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will
lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 And
the nursing baby will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will
put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will do no evil nor act
corruptly in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge
of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.
War will be utterly unknown during the earthly reign of Christ. Not a single armament plant will be
operating. Not a soldier or sailor will be in uniform. No military camps will
exist; not one cent will be spent on a military budget. Even wild animals will
become dear friends, so to speak. Can you imagine such an age in which all the
kingdoms of this world – and even the animal kingdom – will be in perfect
peace; when all the resources of the earth will be available for enjoyment; and
when all industries will engage in the manufacture of articles of peaceful
luxury? Is that really possible? Not here, not now – but when Jesus comes.
2) It Will Be a Time of Prosperity
The Millennium will also be a time of prosperity. The whole world will be economically healthy, and
the land of Israel will flourish beyond anything imaginable. Once again, let’s
look to the Word of God.
[READ Ezek. 34:26-27]
26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down
in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the
tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its produce,
and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am Yahweh,
when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand
of those who enslaved them.
[READ Ezek. 36:29-30]
29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it,
and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 I will multiply the
fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you will not receive
again the reproach of famine among the nations.
[READ Amos 9:13]
13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper and the
treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine
and all the hills will flow with it.”
3) It Will Be a Time of Purity
The Millennium will also be a wonderful time of holiness and purity. Sin will be kept in check and
disobedience will be dealt with. Let me show you some verses about this.
[READ Isa. 11:9]
9 They will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the
knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.
[READ Isa. 66:23]
23 “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to
worship before Me,” says Yahweh.
[READ Zech. 13:2]
2 “And it will be in that day,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of
the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also
cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass away from the land.
4) It Will Be a Time of Prolonged Life
Another feature of the millennial reign of Christ will involve human lifespans. This is an
interesting study in the Bible. Before the Flood of Noah’s day, people lived to
incredible ages. According to Genesis 5:27, Methuselah lived to be 969 years
old. Some scientists believe the climate of earth was so different, the genetic
pool was so young, and the grace of God was so fresh that people lived for many
centuries. Many people believe the Flood changed the nature of the earth.
Before the Flood, perhaps a vapor canopy protected us from the ultraviolet rays
of the sun and enhanced longevity. The climate of the world was the healthiest
in history but some experts believe the vapor canopy collapsed during the Flood
and from that point onward, human lifespans were just a fraction of what they
were before the Flood. Now, according to Psalm 90:10, our lifespan is about
seventy or eighty years, give or take a few. Despite the best efforts of our
medical experts, there’s little chance any of us will end up being a Methuselah.
But in the Millennium that will change, and human longevity will return to pre-Flood levels. It’s as
though history will come full circle.
[READ Isa. 65:20]
20 No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not
fulfill his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred, and the one
who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed.
5) It Will Be a Time of Personal Joy
Finally, the Millennium will be a time of personal joy, an exhilarating era of happiness and
contentment. It will be the answer to many of the anguished prayers of the Jews
and many of the hopes we harbor in our hearts today. Once again, let me offer
some Scriptures to show you the extensiveness of these truths in the OT.
[READ Isa. 9:3]
3 You shall multiply the nation, you shall make great their gladness; they will be glad in Your
presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the
spoil.
[READ Isa. 12:3]
3 Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.
[READ Isa. 14:7]
7 The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into shouts of joy.
[READ Isa. 25:8-9]
8 He will swallow up death for all time, and Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, and He
will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for Yahweh has
spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our
God in whom we have hoped that He would save us. This is Yahweh in whom we have
hoped; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
These are just a few of the verses we run across as we read the Bible – especially the OT – and
notice the endless references to the golden age of Jewish history, a promised
period of peace, prosperity, purity, prolonged life, and personal joy. During
this 1,000 years, King Jesus will rule and reign on the throne of His ancestor,
David, in the city of Jerusalem. And out of Jerusalem will flow this wonderful
reign of peace over all the world as we know it today. Can you imagine? Isn’t
it interesting to see what God has planned?
But here’s the main thing. All of this is simply the prelude to heaven and the overture of the eternal
ages. Whenever you go to an elaborate musical, the orchestra begins with an
overture that has little strains and snippets of all the different songs in the
program. Listening to the music gives you inklings of what is to come. The
Millennium is an overture of heaven. It will give us a limited, advanced
snapshot of what heaven will be like. The millennial earth will simply be a
precursor of the new earth – not as perfect, wonderful, or spectacular as the
eternal earth, but a preview of some of its coming features.
Conclusion: Jesus came the first time to become our
Savior, and He’s coming the second time to be our King. The coming of Christ to
set up His kingdom will be so much different than when He came before. Let’s
consider some of the contrasts between His first and second comings.
Ø He entered the world the first time in swaddling clothes;
He will reign the second time in majestic purple.
Ø He came the first time as a weary traveler; He will
return the second time as the untiring God.
Ø Once when He came, He had nowhere to lay His head; When
He comes back, He will be revealed as the heir of all things.
Ø Once He was rejected by tiny Israel; When He returns, He
will be accepted by every single nation.
Ø Once He was a lowly Savior, acquainted with grief; Then
He will be the mighty God, anointed with the oil of gladness.
Ø Once He was smitten with a reed; Then He will rule the
nations with a rod of iron.
Ø Once wicked soldiers bowed the knee in mockery; Then
every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
Ø Once He received a crown of thorns; Then He will receive
a crown of gold.
Ø Once He delivered up His Spirit in death; Then He will be
alive forevermore.
Ø Once He was laid in a tomb; Then He will sit on a throne.
When Jesus comes again, there will be no doubt and no
delay. He will be “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).
We need to prepare our hearts now by installing Him as King of our lives. The
Bible says one day “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
On that day we truly will sing with fresh meaning and
everlasting exuberance: Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us a book
like the Bible. While it is filled with so much mystery, at the same time it is
filled with so much hope. Thank You that we can trust every word of it. We
thank You that by Your grace You have redeemed us from the judgment to come. O Father,
give us compassion for those who have not yet been saved. Please, give us the
opportunity to speak the saving truth of the Gospel to them. We praise You,
Lord, that history ends with Christ. We are so grateful that there is coming a
day when the world will be the way it should be, when justice prevails and
righteousness and goodness are the rule. We look forward to Christ’s Kingdom
where there will be total lasting peace, where joy reigns, where health is
widespread and food is plentiful. But much more than any of these things, we
anticipate the kingdom where we will be ruled by our loving, saving, and perfect
King Jesus. Lord, we pray that His kingdom will come soon, that Christ might be
exalted and we with Him. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Invitation # 125: “Joy to the World!” (4 vs.)
Benediction: So then, beloved, since you are looking forward to Jesus’ second coming, make every effort to be found
spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. Arise, shine, and give God the
glory, children of the Lord! Amen! (2 Pet. 3:14 & Isa. 60:1
OVERVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM - Study Guide
SIGNS: Millennial Signs (Pt. 5, Lesson 29) - Aug. 23, 2026 -Rev. Alan Cousins
TEXTS: Various Scriptures from the LSB and others
INTRODUCTION: This morning we going to begin a segment of our Signs
Series on the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. Unfortunately, you hear very little
solid biblical teaching on this future period of time. Many who have been
Christians for a long time have an interesting eschatology that mixes the
Millennium, Heaven, and the Eternal Ages altogether, not understanding that
these are separate time periods each with their own distinguishing events.
The word millennium doesn’t actually occur in most of our English Bibles, yet this topic is one of the
Bible’s premier subjects; and it is astonishing to notice how many chapters and
verses describe this golden age of Christ, which will last for a 1,000-years on this planet.
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM?
There are four primary purposes that are
essential for you to know in order to have a basic understanding of the Millennium.
TO REWARD THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Isaiah 40:10; Matthew 16:27; 25:34; Revelation 22:12; Matthew 25:23
TO RESPOND TO THE PROPHETS’ PREDICTIONS
It’s difficult to make sense of large parts of the OT if we erase the Millennium
from God’s program for the ages.
Psalm 72:11; Isaiah 9:7; 60:21; Luke 1:32-33
Without the coming kingdom age, none of these could be fulfilled.
The greatest prediction of all may have to do with the factual promise that a descendant of
David will sit on Israel’s throne, in keeping with the covenant God made with David.
2 Samuel 7:16; Luke 1:32-33
TO RECEIVE THE ANSWER TO THE DISCIPLES’ PRAYER
Matthew 6:10
The Millennium is when the kingdom will come in its fullness, and His will will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.
TO REEMPHASIZE MAN’S DEPRAVITY & THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST’S DEATH
We need the Millennium to create the conditions necessary for the end of history, the final
judgment, and the dawn of the eternal state.
Revelation 20:7-9
According to the earlier verses in this
chapter, when Jesus comes again Satan will be bound and cast into the
bottomless pit for a thousand years. But at the end of the Millennium, the
Devil will be temporarily released to start one final worldwide rebellion. This
tells us things will not be absolutely perfect during the Millennium. Death,
though rare, will occur. Sin, though diminished, will still be possible. And
the human heart will still be capable of rebellion.
When Satan, newly released and furious, goes
out into the world, he will deceive the nations again – demonstrating with
absolute finality the utter inability of human beings to chart their own course
and save themselves. This will be the final proof of the hopeless depravity of
the human heart apart from grace; and it will vindicate the righteousness of
God.
II. FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM
I want to share five wonderful facts about
the Millennium with you. What will it be like? How will we enjoy it? Imagine
what it would be like on this earth if all sin were removed; if all rebellion
were removed; if all unrighteousness were removed. These are the sorts of
blessings the Millennium will bring.
IT WILL BE A TIME OF PEACE
Psalm 72:7; Micah 4:2-3; Isaiah 11:6-9
IT WILL BE A TIME OF PROSPERITY
The whole world will be economically healthy,
and the land of Israel will flourish beyond anything imaginable.
Ezekiel 34:26-27, 29-30; Amos 9:13
IT WILL BE A TIME OF PURITY
Sin will be kept in check and disobedience will be dealt with.
Isaiah 11:9; 66:23; Zechariah 13:2
IT WILL BE A TIME OF PROLONGED LIFE
Before the Flood of Noah’s day, people lived
to incredible ages. According to Genesis 5:27, Methuselah lived to be 969 years old.
Now, according to Psalm 90:10, our lifespan
is about seventy or eighty years, give or take a few.
In the Millennium that will change, and human
longevity will return to pre-Flood levels.
Isaiah 65:20
IT WILL BE A TIME OF PERSONAL JOY
It will be the answer to many of the
anguished prayers of the Jews and many of the hopes we harbor in our hearts
today.
Isaiah 9:3; 12:3; 14:7; 25:8-9
All of this is simply the prelude to heaven
and the overture of the eternal ages. The Millennium will give us a limited,
advanced snapshot of what heaven will be like.
CONCLUSION: Jesus came the first time to
become our Savior, and He’s coming the second time to be our King. The coming
of Christ to set up His kingdom will be so much different than when He came
before.
When Jesus comes again, there will be no
doubt and no delay. He will be “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev.
19:16). We need to prepare our hearts now by installing Him as King of our
lives.