Posted by AU on 12/15/2001, 8:08 pm

Posted by Author Unknown on 10/16/2001, 2:04 pm , in reply to "Re: One more small sample, please pray for this work—More" The body of Christ jointly connected will reign in this millennial kingdom as one shepherd to the flock. Here are just a few verses to demonstrate that the saints will rule with Christ in the Millennium: “until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom” (Daniel 7:22, NIV). “If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us” (II Timothy 2:12, NIV). “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High” (Daniel 7:27, NIV). “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6, NIV). We will also be in a glorified form, for “just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” (1Corithians 15:49, NIV). The millennial rule of Jesus and his saints will be a time of teaching. This will be a time of shepherding the flock. All we have to do is look at the first manifestation of Christ on earth as an example of what the future holds; Jesus desired to gather Israel under his wings. Christ came as a teacher and a healer. He was a helper to man, guiding his followers on the straight path to glory, pointing out the pitfalls for their own safety. That will be the course of our governance in the new age. The battle that now rages between good and evil is within the hearts of men. At this present time, Jesus does not force mankind to worship him. In this coming kingdom of God, the disobedient and the sinner will not be forced to worship Christ either. Complying with the laws of the kingdom will still be a matter of choice. However, with the devil out of the way, man will soon recognize that God's blessing and cursing will be swiftly administered. The sinner will be accursed whereas righteous men will find divine favor. Mankind will learn to taste what is sweet and to leave the bitter dregs alone. Many of the wicked will choose death over living in an age where righteousness abounds. Spiritual thorns will replace the thorns now manifest in our natural realm for those who strive against the spirit of Christ. There will be 1,000 years of peace on earth. Yet this peace will not last forever. The devil has one more season ahead in which to deceive man. In this paradise, the multitudes of men and women who have populated the earth will be lacking in one quality: spiritual fortitude! God, out of divine wisdom, will provide a temptation at the end of the Millennium to bring these fledglings into maturity. Without such a day of adversity and a trial of their faith, these millennial Christians would miss out on what the rest of mankind throughout the ages has experienced; that would not be fair to them, for without the trying of the Christian's faith, there can be no great reward. Also, this time of deception will be necessary to weed out the ungodly. This next passage demonstrates that much of mankind will not be content with God's administration in paradise. Many will choose to follow the devil in his final attempt to overthrow the Kingdom. “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:7-10, NIV). It is interesting to note how easy it will be for Satan to get a large following to rebel against the governing body of Christ in this kingdom—especially considering this forewarning from Revelation will be proclaimed throughout the earth. Yet if history teaches us anything, it teaches us how blind the eyes are and how dull the hearing is of men and women who have forsaken the knowledge of God. The Great White Throne Judgment The next event in the schedule is the Great White Throne Judgment. This day will be the sum culmination and recompense of man's deeds. This will be a day when God is vindicated. No man will be able to accuse God of any wrongdoing. For the Christian, this will be a day of reward. God has not espoused us to Himself just to turn around and parade our faults before the entire human race. Our sins are covered, never to be mentioned again. Like dross that is burned away in the fire, our sins are gone. Only the gold will shine through for the Christian. The unbelieving will finally believe! On this day, many fearful individuals will have serious misgivings about attitudes they've held their entire life—attitudes that have kept their hearts from seeking God, decisions they have made that have put salvation aside so they could pursue other avenues. Many religious men and women will be amazed. They will be perplexed that the religion they have followed from their youth was not able to save their souls. Yet these same religionists will understand on this day that they lacked a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Destruction of This Creation “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (2Peter 3:10 and 12, NIV). This whole universe was created for man. Why did God create such a vast system of stars and space just to fold it up and start over when man's time on this earth was over? Because he could; that is how vast our Creator is. The Father wanted to show us his glory in this creation. God is not limited in his power. As Christians we should see the implication of this design. If God created such an awesome temporary realm for man in this life, we can be sure that the permanent spiritual realm He has for us will far surpass our wildest dreams.