End Times - Week 27

Thursday Evening Bible Study

Series:  the End Times – Bible prophecy about future events and periods

 

Teaching Summary for Week 27

The Kingdom and the Covenants

 

Part 6.  The future Messianic Kingdom in Old Testament prophecy

The Old Testament prophets wrote extensively about the future Messianic Kingdom.  In fact,  the future Kingdom is referred to by nearly every Old Testament prophet.

We now turn our attention to the facts about the Kingdom that the Old Testament prophets describe. 

 

The Government in the future prophesied Kingdom

 

Five major subjects in the future prophesied Kingdom

The five major subjects in the Millennium

  1. The Enemy – satan will be bound for the 1,000 years
  2. The Messiah –our Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed to earthly people in all His glory
  3. The Land – Palestine, the promised land
  4. The City – Jerusalem, the world capital
  5. The Temple (worship)

 

  1. The Enemy – satan will be bound for the 1,000 years
  2. The Messiah –our Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed to the people on earth in all His glory.
  3. The Land – Palestine, the promised land

 

  1. The land will be Israel’s inheritance:

Eze 36:6-12

 

  1. The land will be enlarged:

 

Isa 26:15

Oba 1:17-21

 

  1. The topography of the land will be altered:

 

Mic 4:1

Zec 14:4

Zec 14:8-10

 

  1. Rainfall will be plentiful

 

Eze 34:26-27

26 "I will make them and the places 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 increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

 

Isa 35:6-7

6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,

And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.

For waters will break forth in the wilderness

And streams in the Arabah.

7 The scorched land will become a pool

And the thirsty ground springs of water;

In the haunt of jackals, its resting place,

Grass becomes reeds and rushes.

 

Joe 2:21-24

21  Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,

For the Lord has done great things.

22 Do not fear, beasts of the field,

For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,

For the tree has borne its fruit,

The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion,

And be glad in the Lord your God;

For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.

And He has poured down for you the rain,

The early and latter rain as before.

24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,

And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil

 

  1. The land will more fruitful and highly productive:

 

Isa 32:13-15

13  For the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up;

Yea, for all the joyful houses and for the jubilant city.

14 Because the palace has been abandoned, the populated city forsaken.

 Hill and watch-tower have become caves forever,

A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks;

15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,

And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,

And the fertile field is considered as a forest.

 

Isa 35:1-2

           1The wilderness and the desert will be glad,

And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom;

Like the crocus

2 It will blossom profusely

And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

The majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They will see the glory of the Lord,

The majesty of our God.

 

Isa 51:3

3 Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion;

He will comfort all her waste places.

And her wilderness He will make like Eden,

And her desert like the garden of the Lord;

 Joy and gladness will be found in her,

Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.

 

Eze 36:29-36

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 disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 "I am not doing this  for your sake," declares the Lord God, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"  33 'Thus says the Lord God, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34 "The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 "They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.'

 

Amo 9:13

13 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord,

"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 be dissolved.

 

Joe 3:18

18 And in that day

The mountains will drip with sweet wine,

And the hills will flow with milk,

And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water;

And a spring will go out from the house of the Lord

To water the valley of Shittim.

 

  1. The land and the cities will be rebuilt after their devastation:

 

Isa 61:4-5

4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,

They will raise up the former devastations;

And they will repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

5  Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,

And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

 

Eze 36:33-38

33 'Thus says the Lord God, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34 "The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 "They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' 36 "Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it."

 

37 'Thus says the Lord God, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. 38 "Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord."'"

 

  1. The land will be apportioned to the twelve tribes of Israel

 

Eze 48:1-29.  Let’s read this passage together.

 

  1. The City – Jerusalem, the world capital
    1. Note: Zion is another name for Jerusalem

 

  1. The 12 gates of the city will be named for the 12 tribes of Israel. 

 

Eze 48:30-35

30 "These are the exits of the city: on the north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, 31  shall be the gates of the city, named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. 32 "On the east side, 4,500 cubits,  shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. 33 "On the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 "On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 "The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ' The Lord is there.'"

 

  1. The boundaries of the city will be greatly enlarged:
    1. The Hebrew word translated here as “cubits” does not mean cubits. It means measures.
    2. According to Eze 40:5, one measure equals 6 “cubit plus a handbreadth” s.
    3. Using 20.24 inches for one cubit, and 4.5 handbreadths per cubit, results in 148.4 inches per measure.
    4. Doing the math, each side of the city is approx.. 10.5 miles.
    5. So  the area of the city of Jerusalem in the Millennial Reign will be about 100 square miles.
    6. Even assuming that one measure equals one cubit, each side of the city would be 1.44 miles, resulting in an area of about 2 square miles.
    7. In King Solomon’s day, the size of the city was about 0.2 square miles, and had grown to 0.7 square miles in Jesus’ day.

 

Jer 31:38-40

38 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when the city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 "The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah.

40 "And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever."

 

  1. Jerusalem will be the center of the entire earth.

 

Isa 2:2-4

 Now it will come about that

 In the last days

The mountain of the house of the Lord

Will be established as the chief of the mountains,

And will be raised above the hills;

And all the nations will stream to it.

3 And many peoples will come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

To the house of the God of Jacob;

That He may teach us concerning His ways

And that we may walk in His paths."

For the law will go forth from Zion

And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 And He will judge between the nations,

And will render decisions for many peoples;

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.

 

Also Mic 4:1-2

 

  1. The Millennial Jerusalem is not the same city as the New Jerusalem described in Rev 21:10-18.

 

  1. Jerusalem will dwell in peace and security (safety). The city will be protected by the power of the King.

 

Isa 26:1-4

26  In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

 

"We have a strong city;

He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

2 "Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,

The one that remains faithful.

3 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts in You.

4 " Trust in the Lord forever,

For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

 

Isa 33:20-24

20  Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;

Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation,

 A tent which will not be folded;

Its stakes will never be pulled up,

Nor any of its cords be torn apart.

21 But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us

A place of rivers and wide canals

On which no boat with oars will go,

And on which no mighty ship will pass — 

22 For the Lord is our judge,

The Lord is our lawgiver,

The Lord is our king;

 He will save us — 

23 Your tackle hangs slack;

It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,

Nor spread out the sail.

Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;

 The lame will take the plunder.

24 And no resident will say, "I am sick";

The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.

 

Zec 14:10-11

10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's wine presses. 11  People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.

 

 

  1. The city will be glorious.  Jerusalem will reflect the glory of the King.

 

Isa 60:14-21

14 "The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you,

And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet;

And they will call you the city of the Lord,

The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated

With no one passing through,

I will make you an everlasting pride,

A joy from generation to generation.

16 "You will also suck the milk of nations

And suck the breast of kings;

Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior

And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 "Instead of bronze I will bring gold,

And instead of iron I will bring silver,

And instead of wood, bronze,

And instead of stones, iron.

And I will make peace your administrators

And righteousness your overseers.

18 " Violence will not be heard again in your land,

Nor devastation or destruction within your borders;

But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

19 "No longer will you have the sun for light by day,

Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;

But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,

And your God for your glory.

20 "Your sun will no longer set,

Nor will your moon wane;

For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,

And the days of your mourning will be over.


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