The Promised Land

God's Nation Is Physically Blessed

Book of Ezekiel Chapter 36 Verses 5-11, 17-19, 22-28

Early in this Chapter of the Book of Ezekiel we see where the Babylonians had destroyed the lands of Israel as they marched toward Jerusalem.

We see that others from the adjacent lands, the enemies of these Jews, had helped these Babylonians to destroy the land of Israel and Judea.

We see that war destroys not only people, but also the land those people live on and depend upon.

Had by chance the Jews defeated Babylon, they could not have even recovered from such devastation.

Reminds us of Japan and World War 2, how the lands were devasted by just two nuclear bombs and Japan would never have recovered without the help of the United States.

In fact many nations would have had great trouble without the help of the USA, but these things are now forgotten by most.

The truth of Israel, and Judea, and Jerusalem:

*****Eze 36:5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed "my land" into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

Eze 36:6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:

Eze 36:7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

Eze 36:8 But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.

It seems that the governments of this world just do not realize just how much Jehovah God loves the Holy Land of Israel and the people He placed there so many years ago!

Zep 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Notice how God, who promised land, which many now call Palestine, had already given this to Israel, but He still says it is His land!

Idumea is the name given by the descendants of Esau, and they have been the enemies of the Jews then and are still now.

They hate the Jews, all the descendants of Jacob who was the twin brother of Esau!

These heathen, are to be considered, all the unbelieving people of the world, as compared to the Jews who are believers, and who are God's people set aside for His use.

Jehovah said to Ezekiel, be sure to write these things down for all the world to know, that this promised land is very special to our Holy God.

The land that is the "promised land" belongs to Jehovah God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit(Ghost)!

We speak of God's wrath, that we will miss out on, but God is giving us a small view of what His wrath looks like.

Jehovah will not allow His land to suffer because of the "heathen"!

Those who put shame and reproach upon God’s people, though God may have made it serve a purpose to His end, will sooner or later have it turned upon themselves.

We should understand that few lands have been attacked and ravaged more than the Holy Land given to the Jews.

Each time God has given this land back to the Jews! This is why to them it is still the "Promised Land"!

It's time for the world to recognize this fact!

Zep 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Zep 2:2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.

Zep 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

As Israel has borne the shame of reproaches and taunts of the heathen for so many years, so they when God's wrath comes, will still bear the shame of God's wrath upon His enemies!

Israel will bare that shame because none of these things would have ever happened, had the children of Israel remained faithful to Jehovah God all these years that have passed since the time of Abraham.

This world would have been an entirely different place, had the Jews remained faithful all these years!

We have seen the land of the Jews blossom from desert to a place of beauty, but this will be nothing compared to how all the world will blossom, when the Lord Jesus Christ will sit upon His throne in Jerusalem.

At this time in history, the 70 years of captivity was coming to an end, and Ezekiel is warning all those who claimed Judah that the Jews were soon coming home as prophesied by Jeremiah.

What happens when the Jews are on the promised land? These desert lands will be tilled and sown.

*****Eze 36:9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:

As we have seen since 1948, the land of Israel has become a garden and now the world sees the value of this land, when it was nothing more than a desert waste land that no one upon this earth wanted, because it had no value.

But even greater things are in the future for those who turn to the Lord!

Zec 8:12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

Zec 8:13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.

This is the truth of the land when the land is not occupied by the people of God.

This is also the truth of that lost soul!

The lost soul is but a waste land if it is left alone without our Savior!

A creature that lives without his Creator will die a horrible death!

God looks upon the heart of man as a field in need of plowing and sowing, so it can blossom and produce fruit.

The heart that is not plowed or sown, will produce something, but it will resemble weeds that must be removed by the root and burned that they are destroyed.

Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

If we cannot allow the Lord to come into our heart, then we will become a waste land!

If we can ask the Lord to come into our heart by our faith, then we can produce the fruit of life!

*****Eze 36:10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:

What we see is, when the Lord is living within us, we will produce life.

Notice here again, God knows where all the tribes of Israel are located.

At the time of Ezekiel we know that it was just the house of Judah and Benjamin that returned only to a small portion of the promised land.

Most all the other tribes were scattered too far, or they were too poor, or they were slaves with human masters unwilling to let them go.

When Israel became a nation again, there was an open invitation for all the tribes of Israel to return home.

Until the return of Christ to His throne in Jerusalem, this prophesy will not see its ultimate fulfillment!

All the house of Israel even all of it, the Holy Spirit says will one day go home!

The cities will be bustling with people, all the waste places will be built upon, and the land will produce enough food for them all!

But only if they will call upon the LORD. His name is Jehovah!

Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

We know this has not taken place, yet it is still in the future.

Only those who call upon the Lord God Jehovah, can see these wonders of the rebuilt earth!

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Only those who call upon the Lord will be able to see the ever greater, glories of the New Jerusalem!

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

This time has not yet come, but we can see just a taste of it in the revival of Israel today!

*****Eze 36:11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

From a meager beginning in 1948, Israel now has a population of nearly 9 million people and growing about 10,000 people each year. There are more than twice as many births as there are deaths in Israel.

God is still multiplying the people of Israel, but keep in mind that there were estimates of at least a million Jews who left Egypt in the time of Moses and God later scattered them all around the world.

What we see is, that with all the things that happened to this tiny nation, there is still a great future that awaits them!

We also see even in adverse conditions these people continue to multiply.

This land will be more prosperous than it has ever been before, because Jehovah has chosen this land for His own!

From previous lessons we know that Jehovah is able to do everything He says He will do!

From the time of Noah we know that this land has been defiled.

Defiled meaning polluted, corrupted, violated.

We can just imagine that this is what the Lord thinks of all our lands today, and He will cleanse all the lands of this earth one day and that one day may be soon coming!

*****Eze 36:17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

It’s a sad thing when we pollute the lands we live upon, but the Lord is not talking about this type of pollution.

It is the worship of pagan gods whose human sacrifices are an abomination to Him!

It is the worship of all false deities!

It is the massive killing of unborn children.

It is all those still running in Sodom and Gomorrah.

I can just imagine how the Lord feels about the abortion of so many babies throughout the world today, which is nothing but a mockery to the laws of God.

The Lord God Jehovah is even more tied to the land promised to Israel, but remember, all that we see and all that we cannot see, are God's creation!

Uncleanness is best described as filthiness and we live in a world that parades its filthiness before God's people every day!

In fact uncleanness describes sin!

Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

What is the difference of those who walk with the Lord from those who do not?

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

What does God think about uncleanness? Look at the example given to us of Israel.

*****Eze 36:18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:

Eze 36:19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

The question we should ask ourselves is, since God will punish people, then what makes the world think God has changed in His ways?

What had these people done that God would do such a thing?

They lived unclean lives in the filthiness of sin.

They committed violence in the promised land.

They polluted the promised land with idolatry.

Remember Jehovah God said this was His land!

The world should be very careful with the decisions they make about God's land. All creation belongs to our Holy God, but this land given to Abraham, every place he placed his feet, God has chosen for Himself!

God may be slow to punish, but we can be sure God will punish all those who make a mockery of His Words!

Rom_12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

We should also understand that the stroke of judgment from the Lord is like a lightening flash, it is irresistible, it is fatal, and it kills in the twinkling of an eye.

Eze_33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The "judgment" and the "chastisement" of the Lord will be according to the doings of that guilty person or that guilty nation!

The truth is, when God punishes you, it is because you are guilty. Jehovah has never made a mistake and He never will!

Since Israel wanted to be like the heathen nations, then Jehovah scattered them among the heathen nations to live, and He scattered them well!

This punishment was to help them see the error of their ways!

This punishment was to rid the promised land of idolatry and corruptness!

*****Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

Jehovah did also show the world that He will not tolerate sin from His chosen people!

What is the truth?

From the time of Abraham, the Israelites had professed to know the only "Living God".

When their land was destroyed and they were exiled, the world mocked their claim, and this is still the truth of today!

The world is still mocking Jehovah God!

In 1948 the nation of Israel was "Born Again" according to prophesy.

Isa_66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

The true Israelites are now returning to the "Promised Land"!

This one prophesy opened the eyes of the world and the world seeks to defy Jehovah as if He does not exist, but this time the tiny nation of Israel will be protected by the "right arm of God" the arm of power, until the Lord returns to set things in order.

Mic 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Mic 4:6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

Mic 4:7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

The world may still be mocking Jehovah, but many see the fulfillment of God's promises are in the making!

*****Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Israel is being restored not because they have ended all their sinful ways because they have not completely given themselves to Jehovah, because they still reject the Son of God.

Israel is being restored because Jehovah does exactly what He says and no power on earth can stop Him!

Israel is being restored to show the world that Jehovah is a Holy God and that He alone is the Lord of this world!

We see all those who hate Him raise up their voices, but God has always had this one saying for the world.

Gen_12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

We are more in this period now than we have ever been!

The nations who are against the Lord are gathering together and the nations that help Israel are also assembling and this taking place today.

As the Church we must know that the Lord will take us home before these things reach fulfillment!

What does Israel lack?

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This healing has not happened as of yet, because Israel has not yet humbled themselves before the God they used to claim!

*****Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Eze 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

After many years, the Jews are still returning to God's land some 10,000 each year.

To be a true resident of Israel, then they must be a child of a mother who is in the bloodline of a Jew, just as it was with Sarah and Abraham.

Gen_21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The Muslim may claim Abraham and they should, but they cannot claim the covenant God made with the descendants of Sarah and her son Isaac unless they also claim the Lord Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and the true Messiah!

They, just like all others, can be a part of the covenant with Isaac if they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the true Son of God, and therefore much more than a prophet and a good man, but Jehovah God in the flesh!

Notice how all that are not part of the scattered tribes of Israel, are called heathen!

Notice also how God's land is now called the land of the Jews (their own land)!

How will God cleanse these people?

No one can come to God until they are cleansed from sin!

It is sin that clogs the heart and keeps out the 'Love of God"!

You see Jehovah will give them a new nature.

Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Eze 11:20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

They will meet the Savior!

1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1Jn 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

1Jn 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

There is no other way to be cleansed from sin, and without this cleansing there will be no new heart, only with a new heart will God's blessing bear fruit!

*****Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Eze 36:28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

As we can see, Jehovah makes things so simple.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center of all spiritual activity and all the operations of human life.

The heart is the home of the personal life!

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Psa 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Psa 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

The heart is the seat of our conscience!

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

When we were living among the lost souls of this world, how could we describe our hearts?

Jer_17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

So the salvation process must begin with the heart!

It is called faith that brings repentance with it!

A new frame of our soul.

A mind changed from sinful to holy, from carnal to spiritual.

A heart that can have the law of Jehovah written upon it.

Our own spirit will not ever be suitable, so we must have the Spirit of Jesus!

Php_1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Which is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost!

The Spirit of God will come to live in every believer! He will never live in a filthy heart!

It is only these things that will cause a disposition of holiness!

We will be willing:

We will be able:

We will walk:

We will keep the judgments of Jehovah and walk in the statutes of Jehovah and we will live in holiness because these are the ways of Jesus Christ!

For Israel they will live freely in their land for 1000 years with King Jesus upon His throne in Jerusalem, as promised by Jehovah.

Then we all will live in the New Jerusalem throughout eternity.

Amen

Let's Pray

The Millennial Reign Of Jesus Christ

The Millennial Reign Of Christ

Our text:

Revelation Chapter 20

What is a Millennium? A thousand years; a word used to denote the thousand years mentioned in Revelations 20. during which period Satan shall be bound and restrained from seducing men to sin, and Christ shall reign on earth with his saints.

The phrase a thousand years is used six times in Chapter twenty. There is no reason to believe that it does not mean a "literal" one thousand year period.

There are a great number of Old Testament passages that refer to Christ's future millennial reign on this Earth!

Just to name a few.

1.) Christ as King in Jerusalem ruling over all Nations:

Psa 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Psa 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Psa 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

2.) The returning King from His Victory:

Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

3.) Christ as the Son in His Governmental rule:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

4.) Christ reign will be a reign of Justice:

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jer 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

Jer 23:8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Again:

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

a.) A peaceful reign:

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

b.) A rule over restored Israel and the nations of the world:

Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isa 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

Isa 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

Isa 11:15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

Isa 11:16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

5.) Christ will reign in Jerusalem:

Isa 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

6.) Christ will bless the land again:

Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Isa 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Isa 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

7.) Christ will rule over "all" people:

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

8.) The Enemies of Israel will be destroyed!:

Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Zec 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

Zec 14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

Zec 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Zec 14:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

Zec 14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

Zec 14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Zec 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zec 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Zec 14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

There is no doubt what the scriptures say Christ will rescue His people!

Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

Zec 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Jesus Christ has taught us all to pray for this day to come:

Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth].

This day is not so far off! It will begin at the very end of the Great Tribulation Period!

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Our Text:

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

We are going to see four main things in this chapter:

1.) The binding of Satan. Satan will be bound in the Bottomless Pit for one thousand years.

2.) Jesus Christ will reign and the Saints for one thousand years.

3.) Satan will be loosed for a little season to test those that will be born during the Millennium.

4.) The "judgment" of the wicked dead.

Back in Revelation 1 verse 18 we saw that it is the Lord Jesus who has possession of all the keys.

Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Then this must be the Lord will bind Satan. By placing His Seal it shows that Christ has taken on His role as King. It is His "government that is now in control on Earth. (Thy will be done on Earth as in Heaven)

We can see in verse two, four names of Satan.

1.) Satan = The Enemy of Christ

2.) The Devil = The Deceiver

3.) The Dragon = Cruelty

4.) The Serpent = Guile and Cunning

We can see how the Holy Spirit again refers us back to the book of Genesis.

Gen 3:1 [Now the serpent] was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

We can see the Satan is indeed a person and not just some evil influence.

Until this chapter Satan has been the prince of the power of the air:

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The god of this age:

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The ruler of the powers of darkness:

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It was Michael that tossed him out of the heavens(where the stars are) but I believe that it is Jesus that locks him up. The Almighty God can stop the Devil in his tracks at any time.

The term after that refers to after the one thousand year period.

Our text:

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Who is sitting on these thrones?

1.) 1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

It is the Church, the Saints of God that will judge the world.

1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

and

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

2.) It is the Apostles that will judge Israel:

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

There will no conflict in judgment because we all have only one King.

Verse four tells us that everyone that died in the name of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period(all seven years) will be resurrected at this time. This is not the Church which was resurrected at the time of the Rapture.

Luk 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

Luk 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Verse five tells of the wicked dead of all ages that will not be resurrected until the end of the one thousand years. This will be the "White Throne Judgment".

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Only the righteous will be raised in the Rapture:

Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, [and now is], when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

The phrase "and now is" is referring to the time we call the Age of Grace, the Church Age.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him].

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Peter describes the ruling Church:

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Verse six tells us that death will never have power over these saints of God. Eternal Life!

The resurrection of the wicked is not a resurrection unto life but unto eternal damnation.

What will it be like on Earth during this one thousand years?

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

We've already seen what Isaiah said but Amos also tells us:

Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Amo 9:15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Our text:

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

We can see again in this verse a thousand years will expire before Satan will be released from his prison. We might ask why was Satan released when God had him bound.

1.) God is no respecter of persons:

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

In the time of the Millennial Kingdom there will be children born. The Prophet Ezekiel wrote of this time:

Eze 47:21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

Eze 47:22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, [which shall beget children among you]: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

Eze 47:23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

Many saved at the end of the Great Tribulation will be in their natural bodies and they only, can have children. The Church, now the Bride will come back with Jesus but will be as the angels and no children will be born of them.

Luk 20:34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

Luk 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Luk 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Now God will prove just as He has said. Every one in the flesh are born with a sin nature.

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

Job 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; [for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth]; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and [were by nature the children of wrath, even as others].

2.) Everyone will be Tempted of the Devil:

Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, [he is able to succour them that are tempted].

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; [but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin].

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These are no different even though they be born in a perfect world.

Notice when Satan was loosened from his chains he found them. They were as far away from God as they could get.(four quarters of the Earth). It did not take him long to convince them that with him leading the way they could defeat the Lord Jesus as He sat as King.

Ezekiel 38 and 39 tells us of this battle. Notice the horses. All the military hardware had been converted to farm equipment at the end of the tribulation.

Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

Verse 9 tells us that this may be the shortest battle of all time. God will not allow this to go on because The King Of Glory is sitting on the throne ruling in righteousness.

Satan will be sent to the burning lake of fire and will never tempt anyone again. The torment he has earned will will begin and will never end. Angels cannot die but he will not be a ruler here. The false prophet and the beast have already been there for a thousand years.

Our text:

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Who sits on this throne?

Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

The Earth and it's heavens(the place of our air and where the birds fly and the place of the stars and the galaxies) will dissolve and melt away.

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Jer 4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Jer 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

Jer 4:25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

Jer 4:26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Who are these dead?

This group of people are all those since the beginning of time that have rejected God! Everyone of these have been in Hell.

Our text:

Rev 20:5 [But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished]. This is the first resurrection.

What are some of the books?

1.) The Bible:

2Ti 3:16 [All scripture is given by inspiration of God], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and [receiveth not my words], hath one that judgeth him: [the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day].

Now you can throw that Bible down, or you can find one that suits your life style but these are the words of Jesus Christ and the WORD OF GOD.

2.) The Book of Idle Words:

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

3.) And the Lamb's Book of Life:

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

And there are other books.

4.) The Book of the living:

Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of [the book of the living], and not be written with the righteous.

If you are a child of God your name will never be removed from this book but all those that do not accept the Lord Jesus Christ before they die a natural death, their names will be removed.

Jesus will say of these:

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There are other Books so there will be NO doubt even to your own self. God will judge a righteous judgment.

All those buried at sea.

All those in Hell.

All those that had died.

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Finally Death and Hell will be cast into the Burning Lake of Fire:

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and [his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him]. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Death is the place where the body goes!

Hell is the place where the soul has been since death!

That old body(not a glorified body) and that tormented soul will be reunited before these are cast into the Lake of Fire.

IS YOUR NAME WRITTEN IN THE LAMB' BOOK OF LIFE?

ARE YOU SURE?

Whosoever will come can be saved but whosoever chooses not to come will be cast in the Eternal Fire Forever.

Let's Pray!