W is for Worshipful
Micah 4:1-2
“In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all – – the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. There, he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths.’ For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 14:16-17
“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.”
Asher: Two Jewish temples have stood in Jerusalem. A third will be constructed just before or near the start of the 7-year Tribulation period. The fourth and final temple to stand in Zion will be created by the great king Himself! It will measure 1 mile on each side and be the glory of the entire world! The prophet Ezekiel required 7 chapters (40-48) just to describe its dimensions and details. Worship of the One True God will be a way of life for all the King’s subjects around the world, but every visit to God’s 4th Temple will be a life-changing event because King Jesus will be there to personally receive us!
Seth: The chapters of Ezekiel which Asher named above have long been debated by students and scholars alike. We believe that the very best interpretation of these chapters is just to understand them literally. The intricate details with which the form and function of the Temple are described lead me to believe that the 4th Temple will be just as glorious as it is portrayed. Some Christians may be appalled to learn that animal sacrifice will be reinstituted, but the Lord always has a good reason for everything he does!
Part of the explanation may be that here in the Church Age, we are surrounded by violence and serious sin every day, so we can easily understand the need for the blood sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Yet, in the dispensation of the Millennial Age, there will be so little suffering that it is sensible to believe Christ will need to use animal sacrifice to illustrate for many millennial citizens what he endured and accomplished for them on the cross.
X is for Xenial (Hospitable)
Isaiah 25:6
“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines.”
Psalm 23:5-6
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Asher: The Psalm 23 passage used for this heading is not specifically a Millennial prophecy, but I have used it here because it depicts the sweet, hospitable nature of our Great Shepherd, Yeshua. In a truly Millennial passage, the prophet Micah describes the Messiah-King to come in chapter 5, verse 4:
“And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.”
Since the Lord is portrayed as a loving Shepherd by David (1000 B.C.), Micah (700 B.C.), and Jesus Himself (John 10:11), I believe that it is biblical for us to conclude that, in His Millennial Kingdom, there will be a continuous feast for the flock of God; for our heavenly host is King Yeshua, who is the “same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
That feast will not only be for yesterday’s saints and today’s saints, but for all those future saints who will seek to know Him during the Tribulation time and on into the Millennial Reign of Christ! You see, it will always be the very nature of the King to be “xenial,” as Jesus Himself has invited us:
“Come unto me all you who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Seth: In the Jewish custom of Jesus’ day, two cups of wine were shared between a bridegroom and his bride. The first was drunk to seal the marriage covenant agreement (“Kitubah”), and the second cup was postponed many months or years later when the actual marriage was celebrated. During the “Last Supper” (the Jewish Passover meal), Jesus lifted up his cup and declared,
“I tell you that from now on, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18).
Some scholars believe that this cup would be equivalent to that same “Cup of Betrothal” with which Christ announced a covenant of marriage to His Bride, the church, a covenant he would soon seal with his own blood! But why would Jesus wait to drink the second cup?
Several important prophecy teachers like Thomas Ice and Arnold Fruchtenbaum believe that the first great event of the Millennial Age will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It is then that the Lord will share the “second cup” with his bride, the church. How xenial is our Bridegroom to prepare us a seat of honor as His own beloved bride at the table of his “wedding party”! Have you accepted his invitation yet?
Y is for Youthful
Isaiah 40:31
“…those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
“No longer will babies die when only a few days old.
No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
Only the cursed will die that young! (Isaiah 65:20).
“For my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains” (22b).
Asher: Those who believe that an earthly Millennium will follow the 7-year Tribulation are those who tend to understand the Bible mainly by its literal meaning. Reading scripture by this rule, the verses above teach us that the residents of planet Earth in the Millennial Age will be extremely long-lived, healthy and vital. Infant mortality will be unheard of. People will be supernaturally endowed with energy and youthfulness.
There are olive trees blooming in Israel today that were first planted 1,000 years ago. As it is written in Isaiah 65:22 above, the people born during the Millennium who choose to serve the King will do the same! Of course, if you are reading this page and have already decided to serve the king, you will live longer than that…you will live forever…and forever young!
“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die’” (Jn.11:25-26a).
Seth: For centuries, men and women have searched for the “fountain of youth.” From plastic heart valves to plastic surgery, everyone is looking for ways to live longer and look more youthful! Sadly, the Adamic curse on our bodies has made the blessings of youth impossible to maintain in this present fallen world. As soon as we reach our peak maturity, we start the process of growing old. Youth is increasingly appreciated as it slips away. People in their 40s long for their 20s, and people in their 60s think, “Oh, to only be 40 again! But in the Millennial Kingdom of God, we who have trusted in Christ will be revitalized beyond our wildest imagination! Isaiah 40:31 promises that:
“…those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Z is for Zionistic
Jeremiah 31:4-7
“I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’
“Now this is what the Lord says:
‘Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations!
Shout out with praise and joy: Save your people, O Lord, the remnant of Israel!’”
Zechariah 8:22-23
“Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem
to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.”
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
“In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Genesis 15:18
“On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.’”
Asher: One of the greatest surprises to many of the King’s Gentile subjects will be the favor and blessing which He bestows upon the physical (and spiritual) descendants of Abraham during His 1,000 year reign on Earth. Most of Ezekiel 34 tells of the many great blessings God has in store for His Jewish sons and daughters in Millennial days.
I counted at least 17 glorious promises He gives to His first-born son, Israel. Millennial Israel will extend from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq! All nations on Earth will be required to honor Israel as part of their service to the Lord Jesus. Those who do not will be severely consequated.
Like two sons of the same loving father, both Jewish believers and Gentile believers will receive their own fair share of the inheritance, but their portions will not be identical. The Bible teaches this concept in numerous places: Gen. 15:18, Isaiah chapters 60 and 61, Amos 9:11-15, and many more. God will not do this to magnify the Jewish people but to magnify His own integrity by keeping the ancient promises that He gave to them.
If Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, then His promise given to them in Jeremiah 31:36 still holds true:
“I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
I wonder if those who support replacement theology have noticed that gravity is still in force and the sun, moon and stars are still up in the sky!? It is this steadfast trustworthiness of God to His promises that should make every Gentile Christian rejoice.
For the same One who keeps His promises forever to Israel, His “first-born son” (Ex. 4:22) is the same One who keeps His promise to His adopted children as well! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness, for He hath said:
“I will hasten after my word to perform it.”
Seth: Two of the most passionate believers I have had the honor of learning from come from a Jewish background. The views these two men have shared with me on scripture prove that a rich understanding comes to Gentiles by way of the Jewish perspective. By having a foot in both worlds, my two friends have shown me (and many others) the beautiful harmony which results from different brothers who are bonded together in peace because they share the same father. Each son loves their father, but each has distinct, earthly promises to be fulfilled and unique roles to play in the Millennial Kingdom in the Eternal State to follow. Truly, Psalm 133:1,3 says this:
“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!…
…Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing…”
The article above was taken from the book “The Marvelous Millennium from A-Z!” written by Robert Asher Mandel and Seth Burkhart. It is up on Amazon Kindle. There is an extensive appendix including additional Millennial prophecies, maps, colorful photographs illustrating each of the 26 descriptors, a children’s version, and much more. The link to the book is here:
https://www.amazon.com/Marvelous-Millennium-Picture-Seekers-Truth-ebook/dp/B01M3VXDXP
Hope you enjoyed all 7 parts to this series. (Sorry the last one took so long to post!)
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at is53@att.net