In this study guide, Kingdom Foreshadowing Kingdom, we are going to delve into the similarities and distinct differences between the Messianic Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom.

We will be citing several Tanakh (Old Testament) passages for the Messianic Millennial Kingdom and primarily utilizing Revelation 21 and 22 for the Eternal Kingdom, comparing the similarities and distinct differences between these two kingdoms within several topical subheadings.

All underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.

Regeneration vs. New Creation

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: When Christ comes back at the end of the Tribulation, He will restore or regenerate Earth, the heavens, and men and women’s bodies to immaculate conditions.

“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.” – Matthew 19:28

The animal kingdom will also have an Edenic-like restoration.

“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.

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

“And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

“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.” – Isaiah 11:6-9

Messiah Yeshua’s regeneration of the heavens and Earth foreshadows God’s new creation of a new heavens and a new Earth in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: After Satan’s release from prison and the last rebellion at the conclusion of the Messianic Millennial Kingdom – followed by the Great White Throne Judgment – God will create a new creation, evidently based upon the originally exceedingly perfect creation He created in the beginning.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea…

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” – Revelation 21:1, 3-5

This is the Kingdom we should all long for – where “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Jerusalem vs. New Jerusalem

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: Earthly Jerusalem will be where Jesus rules and reigns from during His Messianic Millennial Kingdom

“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem…” – Jeremiah 3:17

Messiah Yeshua, the Lord God, will come to Jerusalem to set up His mighty Throne.

“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

“Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” – Isaiah 40:9-10

Jesus Christ’s righteous rule from earthly Jerusalem in Israel in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom foreshadows the New Jerusalem that will descend from the new heavens to the new Earth in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: The detailed beautiful description of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, can be found in Revelation 21:12-23.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…

“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal…” – Revelation 21:2, 10-11

What a Holy City this will be!

Temple vs. Throne of God

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: The Millennial Temple will be present in the Messianic Kingdom. Ezekiel chapters 40-43 give the physical details of this Temple.

“And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.” – Ezekiel 41:23

The Messianic Millennial Temple in Jerusalem foreshadows the Throne of God within the New Jerusalem in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: In the Eternal Kingdom, there is no Temple, as “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of” the Holy City, New Jerusalem.

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” – Revelation 21:22

Since “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of” the New Jerusalem, our Lord’s promise to the church at Philadelphia takes on an even greater meaning:

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” – Revelation 3:12

In God’s eyes, we will be pillars within the New Jerusalem. Each of us will be a pillar in the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, as the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are Personally the Temple of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, and we “shall go no more out” of our eternal home! Why would we?!?

The Messianic Millennial Kingdom will be glorious compared to our sin-drenched world today; however, the curse will not have been entirely removed, as sin will still be found within the hearts of those born into that Kingdom. And death, though rare, will also be present. The curse, in all its forms, including death, will not be found in the Eternal Kingdom.

The Throne of God, gloriously, will be present in the Holy City, New Jerusalem!

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” – Revelation 22:3-4

Consequently, in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom, the Throne of God will not be there, as God the Father will remain in heaven throughout, but Messiah’s Throne will be present, for it is His Kingdom!

“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.” – Matthew 19:28

“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…” – Matthew 25:31

“And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” – Luke 22:29-30

The Messianic Millennial Kingdom is Messiah’s and Israel’s Kingdom. As such, Yeshua promised His Jewish disciples that they would judge the twelve tribes of Israel and eat and drink at His table in His Kingdom in Jerusalem.

In the Eternal Kingdom, however, “the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [New Jerusalem]” (Revelation 22:3), just as John “heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

Now that is a Kingdom I cannot wait to be a part of!

Nations Coming to the Temple vs. Nations Coming to the Holy City

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: Those flesh and blood Gentile human beings who survive the Tribulation and are found worthy to enter into our Lord’s Messianic Millennial Kingdom – the Sheep of the Separation of the Sheep and Goats Judgment – and their subsequent offspring will all come to Jerusalem and its Temple to worship the King for 1,000 years.

“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.” – Zechariah 14:16

Israel will be the leading nation of all nations, Messiah, the world’s King, and Jerusalem the Messianic Millennial Kingdom’s capital.

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” – Micah 4:1-2

Israel, as promised, will be the head and not the tail any longer.

The nations that will come to Jerusalem to worship Messiah Yeshua in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom foreshadows the nations coming to the New Jerusalem in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: The nations will come to and into New Jerusalem in the Eternal Kingdom.

“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

“And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.” – Revelation 21:24-26

The Holy City, New Jerusalem, will always be open for holy and righteous business!

Sacrifices vs. No Sacrifices

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: There will be sacrifices in the Millennial Temple, as noted in Ezekiel 45:9-25, 46:1-24, along with other ordinances.

These sacrifices are meant to be a memorial to what Jesus Christ has done in His perfect, once for all sacrifice on the cross for all people – Jew and Gentile – who come to Him by grace through faith. Those born in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom will evidently need this visual aid of an innocent substitute to fully understand the gravity of sin and to demonstrate what Christ also did for them on the cross to reconcile them back to God – for those who would believe.

Here is an example of some of the sacrifices that will be offered for Israel:

“And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.” – Ezekiel 45:17

Eternal Kingdom: Because there is no Temple and Altar in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, there will obviously be no sacrifices of any kind in the Eternal Kingdom. All sacrifices will have ceased at the close of the Millennial Kingdom and will never be needed again in the Eternal Kingdom.

River of Waters from the Temple vs. Water of Life

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: There will be a river flowing out from under the Temple in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom.

“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

“Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.” – Ezekiel 47:1-2

These waters are emanating from The House of God, The Messianic Millennial Temple. Ezekiel 47:3-6 shows the size and depths of the waters, and Ezekiel 47:8-11 gives the details of the teeming aquatic life that will be within the waters.

The river of waters that issue out from the Messianic Millennial Temple in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom foreshadows the Water of Life that will issue out of the Throne of God in the New Jerusalem in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: There is no mention of aquatic life in the “pure river of water of life” in the Eternal Kingdom. This Water of Life in the Eternal Kingdom emanates from “the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” – Revelation 22:1

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” – Revelation 21:5-7

What promises we have in Messiah Yeshua!

Trees vs. The Tree of Life

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: There will be many trees lining both sides of the river that flows from the Temple in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom.

“Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other… And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months [literally, “their fruit every month they will bear”], because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” – Ezekiel 47:7, 12

The many trees that will be on either side of the river of waters that flow from the Temple in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom foreshadows the one Tree of Life that spans both sides of the river of the Water of Life in the Eternal Kingdom.

Eternal Kingdom: There will be one Tree of Life that spans the Water of Life that flows from the Throne of God and the Lamb within the New Jerusalem.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:1-2

Interestingly, both the trees in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom and the Tree of Life in the Eternal Kingdom will provide fruit for sustenance. The trees in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom “shall bring forth new fruit according to his months” – that is, each tree will provide its own unique fruit every month – while the Tree of Life in the Eternal Kingdom will “bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.” What an amazing Tree this will be, baring twelve different fruits every month!

Similarly, the trees in the Millennial Kingdom will provide “medicine” and The Tree of Life “healing for the nations.”

The “medicine” in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom appears to be more of a physical reliever for the human beings that will fill that Kingdom, while the “healing of the nations” in the Eternal Kingdom seems to be more spiritual and emotional in nature.

The Greek word for “healing” is θεραπείαν “therapeian” from 2322 θεραπεία “therapeia” (where we get our English word therapy), and very intriguingly is also rendered household in Luke 12:42.

This “healing for the nations” in the Eternal Kingdom will undoubtedly be a part of, and in addition to, God’s mercy when…

“… God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

What a merciful and compassionate God we have. Many of our tears will undoubtedly result from seeing our family members and close friends – or our household – who rejected God’s free gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, thrown into the Lake of Fire after The Great White Throne Judgment, which will be the last event before God creates a new heavens and new Earth for the Eternal Kingdom (Revelation 20:11-15).

Jesus, speaking to His church at Ephesus, promised them and us:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7

Since the bride of Christ will be resurrected in glorified everlasting bodies, it seems that our having access to the Water of Life and Tree of Life in the Eternal Kingdom is more of a privilege than a necessity. Truly, these are special promises from our Lord and Savior!

What a beautiful sight this Tree of Life, spanning the Water of Life flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb, in the midst of the New Jerusalem, will be!

Reigning Over the Nations vs. Reigning Over the Nations?

Messianic Millennial Kingdom: All resurrected Saints will reign with Christ over the nations in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom.

The bride of Christ shall reign over those born in flesh and blood bodies, as recorded in the letter to the church at Thyatira:

“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” – Revelation 2:26-27

Every Saint in the cumulative First Resurrection, which includes all the Saints from creation through the Tribulation, will reign with Messiah Jesus in the Messianic Millennial Kingdom as priests of God.

“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.” – Revelation 20:6

The resurrected Saints from creation through the Tribulation will rule and reign with Christ over the nations is a foreshadowing of God’s people reigning on the new Earth from New Jerusalem.

Eternal Kingdom: All Saints will reign forever and ever in the Eternal Kingdom.

“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

“And there shall be no night there [New Jerusalem]; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” – Revelation 22:4-5

Who or what shall those in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, “reign for ever and ever” over?

The Mystery of the Last Sheep

I am not a “prophetic mystery man.” I do not see a mystery under every prophetic rock, and I spurn prophetic sensationalism as best as I can. But I do see a mystery here when I consider what I have termed “The Last Sheep.”

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” – Revelation 22:14

While this passage can certainly be applied to all believers in every dispensation in general, and the church specifically – for Christ’s commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3) – there may very well be another group of believers this verse is addressing.

Everyone since creation, from the resurrection/rapture of the church up to the resurrection of those beheaded by Antichrist – referred to in totality as the First Resurrection (Revelation 20:6) – will have already attained their glorified everlasting bodies, and their right to The Tree of Life is assured.

And since all believers who have been resurrected in their glorified everlasting bodies will have their eternal home in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, itself, then this blessing could very well be for those who are the Last Sheep.

Who are they? What is their destiny? Can we know for certain, or can we at least make an educated Scriptural guess with what we do know?

Without being dogmatic, attempting to answer these questions and more are what The Mystery of the Last Sheep seeks to address.

Conclusion

One of the major reasons I put this study guide together is that recently I have come to realize that some Bible teachers – both past and present – have erroneously taught that Revelation 22 is speaking of the Messianic Millennial Kingdom. Clearly, as we have seen, this is not so.

Similar to Revelation 17 and 18, through Revelation 19:4, Revelation 21 and 22 are to be considered one unit.

As we noted in God’s Kingdoms – Part 5 – Summary and Conclusion:

When it comes to the book of Revelation, only a handful of verses are dedicated to the Millennial Kingdom, with virtually no description of this kingdom – other than its length and Satan’s imprisonment – as those narratives are provided for us in the Tanakh (Old Testament) when God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled.

On the other hand, the last two full chapters of Revelation are devoted entirely to the Eternal Kingdom. This really should not surprise us, as the Eternal Kingdom will be the culmination and consummation of God’s plan for mankind that essentially began with the Salvation Kingdom that Messiah Yeshua procured for us from His sacrifice on the cross, along with His death, burial, and resurrection. The Eternal Kingdom is the kingdom that God has prepared before the foundation of the world for those who love Him.

My prayer is that this study guide to the similarities and distinct differences between the Messianic Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom – Kingdom Foreshadowing Kingdom – has helped to alleviate any unfortunate confusions.

When the Bible student and teacher keep in mind these similarities and distinct differences between these two Kingdoms, properly cutting straight or rightly dividing the Word of Truth, they should find this of great help in their own personal Bible studies.

May our Lord and King richly bless you all as you all continue to love and serve our Lord and love and serve others. Keep reaching the lost for Christ while we still have time.

***

May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

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[34]. GOD BUILDS UP, BUT SATAN BUILDS DOWN

To build up is to edify. To edify is to improve, make morally stronger and sets one on the path to the goodness of God. Christians are to edify – to build up – not just themselves, but others. The purpose of Christians in the world is to serve and glorify the Saviour. That has a practical component where we assist the ones fallen because of sin, and assist our fellow Christians who are having a hard time.

We can have hard times because it is possible for a Christian to slip up and fall into sin. Don’t shun that person; help the one who has fallen. That is also the special role of a shepherd. We can have hard times because of testing that God allows. Why does God allow testing to encounter you, to smack you in the face? It is because He wants to demonstrate His faithfulness to you. The third reason we may go through hard times is Satan/demons buffeting us, attacking us because the evil hates the good. Those who belong to Christ belong to the good. That is the side we are on. There are only two sides.

Christians must build each other up, to strengthen our common fellowship with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another, and BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14 “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, ENCOURAGE THE FAINTHEARTED, HELP THE WEAK, be patient with all men.”

Satan will destroy the striving for excellence and decent achievement. He pulls down especially the development for morality and justice and order and decency. His opposition is to all that is of God. The Holy Spirit indwells Christians, for that is what the Lord promised when He sent the Comforter. But there is a sense where the Holy Spirit is “in the world,” and His purpose is to hold back the evil, like a dam wall holding back a large body of water. Look at these verses:

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 “For the mystery of LAWLESSNESS is already at work. Only HE WHO NOW RESTRAINS will do so until He is taken out of the way, and then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”

We are informed that lawlessness (iniquity – AV) is working in the world, but the Restrainer is holding back the full onslaught of that evil. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit, for there is nothing or anyone else who can hold back satanic evil in the world. The Holy Spirit also holds back the revelation of “the lawless one” (that is the Antichrist), but when the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way” when the Church is removed in the Rapture, then wickedness will burst on this earth, and Antichrist will be revealed.

Satan strives to destroy decency and standards, to bring the world to ruin, but the Holy Spirit is holding back the full outbreak of evil. I heard a speaker say that if our eyes could be opened in a special way, we would see a constant battle in the air above us, a spiritual battle in the angelic world where the good angels are at war with the demons. For Satan is the prince and power of the air. The angels are on our side! There is nothing to fear, and the Restrainer dwells within you!

We are seeing standards fall away and the inferior replacing what is of quality; second rate replacing first rate; sinfulness replacing holiness and piousness. Wickedness is growing. Just look at the foul demonstrations against decency all around the world, and especially against Israel. Satan builds down, and that affects everything now.

I had an incident today that reminded me of this very thing. For those of us who are older, and I am 80, we remember when tools were made of the highest quality – highest quality steel and workmanship that often came from England. We remember products were made to last, not start to fall apart the moment they struggle out of warranty. I have kitchen knives my mother and grandmother had, and they work perfectly (some of those are 100 years old). There are just so many examples I can quote.

I suppose no one knows this, but the name “Kelso” was famous in wheelbarrows, and I bought one in 1974. I still have it. I just cannot imagine how much stuff I have carried in that wheelbarrow over the years in doing up two complete yards/properties and maintaining them. I would have mixed around 20-plus tons of concrete in that wheelbarrow and probably an equal weight of concrete blocks, gravel and sand, and so much soil and stones. Yet it still is with me and is not pristine, of course, but still performs well; the wheel is a bit wobbly like me, but still wonderful.

Look at modern wheelbarrows. They are light plastic and ergonomically inferior. They don’t last.

However, I digressed from my story today. About 20 years ago, I bought a powerful water pressure cleaner, the top German brand I won’t name. Now there is water rushing from the trigger gun, indicating something inside that has come loose (I have not used it that much). I saw the agent today, and the new replacement does not fit the connections. I have to replace the whole water hose and trigger gun, and because the attachments also won’t fit the new design, I have to replace them as well. The cost for the whole replacement will be about $140 because they won’t bother to open the trigger gun and see what the problem is. Then the attachments might not fit the new part.

What is bad here is that all this is now coming from China and not Germany. Quality has been sacrificed for Chinese junk. It feels inferior, much thinner, and looks cheap compared with the original.

The second story comes from a few months ago. Because I do a lot of printing for my church Bible study group and for some church programs, I bought a HP colour laser printer for about $1,000 dollars, and it worked well. I am not a big user, with about 2 to 3,000 sheets a year. Now that it is out of warranty, something happened with the transfer belt, just a part in the printer that is not expensive to manufacture. HP wants about the same price now that I paid for the printer for a new transfer belt that is easy to install. It is utter extortion!! They are not alone in this. I had a similar experience with Fuji Xerox. They don’t care.

The quality in the world is failing, and Satan loves it. Morality is failing, as are human relationships. The Gospel has been watered down, and it is becoming inferior in a lot of places. Satan is destructive, not constructive. We are in the era of plastic wheelbarrows and non-lasting printers because there is no longer a standard for excellence. Very sadly, this is the same attitude found in a number of churches. Satan loves to replace what was solid and lasting with what is junk with no pride of manufacture, only to pull down and destroy.

God’s standards are unchangeable, for God is from eternity to eternity. We have an enemy that will eat away at the standards that originated from God. I hope you all love your nation where you live. It always used to be like that. Patriotism is a great thing, but there has been a change. We are at the end of the Church age on the eve of the Rapture and are witnessing a great increase in lawlessness in so many Western nations. In my nation, demonstrators can burn the Australian flag in the streets and raise the Rainbow flag and the Aboriginal flag and the Palestinian flag while Hamas is praised. Can you believe this?

We will not leave this point there in a negative way. There is a verse I will take out of context that we must ever have before us, and it is this – Luke 21:28 “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads because YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.” What Jesus was speaking of are the signs of His Second Coming when He delivered the Olivet Discourse to His disciples. He mentioned them as being – Luke 21:25-26 “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Christians DO NOT LOOK FORWARD WITH EXPECTATION TO THE SECOND COMING. That will be at the end of the Tribulation. Rather, we look forward with great expectation to the Rapture of the Church, the glorious hope, the blessed hope when the Lord comes for His Bride.

Titus 2:11-14 “The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, CHRIST JESUS, WHO GAVE HIMSELF for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

The world is getting darker, but our hope is getting brighter. The Lord is coming. Don’t look down at Satan’s increasing power in humanity, but look up to heaven from where the Lord will suddenly appear for us with the call – “COME UP HERE.” Revelation 4:1 “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me said, ‘COME UP HERE, and I will show you what must take place after these things.'”

We are drawing this series to a close, and the last one I will close with is a selection of events and conclusions.

[35]. DISRUPTION, CHAOS, CONFUSION, AND DECLINE

A SUMMING UP. Yes, we have considered over 30 of the schemes Satan uses to inflict his tragedy and evil on the world. All that he does is meant to bring about the destruction of goodness and man’s connection with his Creator. When the Gospel was followed more closely in the past, the nations saw a form of godliness and a lot more converted men and women. Many Christian standards were upheld, but Satan fought against that to bring the world to what we see today.

I feel certain that if you asked anyone over the age of 50 if they think the world today is a better or worse place than it was 50 years ago, then nearly all would say it is worse today. We know that decline has happened. The young generation merrily playing away on chat, social media, and games and frivolity on their phones often don’t care anyway, as they are being blinded by the god of this age.

True Christianity is real. God is real. All people will know that – those who are converted know that now, and those who reject God will know at the point of death when they suddenly find themselves in hell, lost forever. We wish that on no one and hope for repentance before it is too late.

In this whole series of articles, I covered only major issues, but constantly now on the News, we hear of horrible things happening. We hear of events that are changing the world, and authorities do not have the interest or knowledge to correct those matters. Governments pursue the wind and light without substance. I will cite a few of these happenings that show Satan increases his influence.

[A]. The Islamic demonstrations in many of the free nations of the world are alarming as these agitators call for the overthrow of the nations that gave them refuge, and for the installation of Islamic Sharia law. The whole purpose of Islamic mobs moving to all the nations is to establish Islam worldwide. As Islam is a foul practice of war and the god Allah one of the Baal gods, then this movement truly has Satan as the operative. Even more concerning is the number of non-Moslem people who march along with these supporters of terrorism, sympathizing with their mandate. That can only be blindness.

[B]. London is fallen, is fallen. Moslem agitation in England is not able to be properly controlled by the police or Government. This is very serious. It leads to disruption and eventual chaos. Satan loves both of those outcomes. The evil one hates law and order, and as I have tried to point out in a number of these 35 examples, Satan’s aim is to bring in lawlessness and consequential chaos and breakdown of society.

[C]. Gutless Governments have placated these marching terrorists. One of the worst examples I have seen is the many, many thousands of radical terrorists and activists the Australian Government (Labor Party) brought into the nation. These were chanting outside the Sydney Opera House, “Gas the Jews. Gas the Jews. Kill the Jews.” The police were there and did nothing because the Marxist Government of New South Wales wanted nothing done. If I was there with a flag chanting, “Gas the homosexuals,” there would be about a dozen charges immediately brought against me, including probable jail time. We don’t expect justice anymore because we are more and more into Satan’s rule. The Lord is coming very soon.

We will see more and more lawlessness. I am thankful that Holland will not allow these hate marches by Moslems and terrorists.

[D]. How far can we go? The Teachers’ Union (Federation) of New South Wales was encouraging all its teachers in November 2023 to go to the classroom wearing the Palestinian scarf and some insignia and showing support for Gaza (by implication, support for Hamas). This is because of the rapidly increasing hatred for Israel worldwide. It is disgusting that a Teachers’ Union can do that, as it must not be into indoctrination but proper education, but the world is becoming so evil so quickly.

It was not possible for me to accept some years ago that the world would have this attitude toward Israel, but we are seeing it. Satan HATES Jews and Israel because they are God’s earthly people. They will always be blessed. Read the great prophecies of Isaiah. Satan hates Christians because they are God’s heavenly people. We have been told that evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves (2 Timothy 3:13).

We have crossed over the line of fairness some time back and proceed onwards going from more degeneracy to more degeneracy. We are becoming lawless, but the Antichrist, man of sin, is also called the man of lawlessness; so as the Church age draws quickly to a close, more and more lawless behavior is seen but also is accepted by a deluded world. A darkness is veiling the human race; only people don’t recognize it, but it grows worse and enslaves all under its control.

[E]. The United Nations was set up to engender and maintain peace in the world without favor. As I write this today, the UN has just passed another resolution condemning Israel with the support of the large majority of member nations. The condemnation of Israel in resolutions is a constant theme of the UN body. NOT ONCE has Hamas been condemned, nor Russia which is killing thousands in the Ukraine.

Not once. The nations of the world hate Israel, and it will continue that way. I will not repeat what I have written in the past, but read my post on the Hamas-Israel war in the Eschatology Prophecy section. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/55-how-christians-must-understand-the-israel-and-hamas-situation-ron-ferguson-sermon-on-israel-276405

The world will be judged for its hatred of Jews and Israel, and God promised Abraham that those who curse him (and his offspring) will be cursed by God Himself, and the corollary – those who bless Abraham and his offspring God will bless.

The world is preparing itself for the Tribulation, which in part will be the cursing upon the world for its treatment of the Jews. A similar truth will be realized for the world’s hatred and persecution of Christians for 2,000 years.

[F]. Are you alarmed at the weapons proliferation in the world? It is no surprise. People are becoming scared because of their uncertainty, but God is certain. We know what is happening. When the Church is taken to heaven in the Rapture and pictured there in Revelation chapters 4 and 5, the earth is in shock because of the exit of many souls, including children not yet at the age of accountability. At the close of that great worship scene in heaven, the 7 seals of judgment are broken one by one.

The first seal is the rider on the white horse, the coming Antichrist, the world ruler. Then the second seal is broken – the rider on the red horse. It tells us peace is taken from the earth, and men (people) will kill each other, and there will be wars all over the world, the same event Jesus spoke of – Matthew 24:6-7 “You will be hearing of WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For NATION WILL RISE AGAINST NATION, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”

That is what the nations are preparing for, even though they do it ignorantly. They are preparing for these Tribulation wars, and Satan will love it because he wants to destroy God’s creation and people. We are not ignorant of his schemes. We know where it is all going. People are having their lifestyles ruined and costs of living crippling so many because of the great deceptive lie of climate change, all from Satan. God will answer that deceit also near the end of the Tribulation. These people who are killing lifestyles and families through debt with the lunacy of global warming, God will give them global warming:

Revelation 16:8-9 “The fourth angel poured out his bowl UPON THE SUN, AND IT WAS GIVEN TO IT TO SCORCH MEN WITH FIRE. And MEN WERE SCORCHED WITH FIERCE HEAT; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues; and THEY DID NOT REPENT, so as to give Him glory.”

[G]. Truth has been shaved. There is no truth from politicians, judges, and the judiciary, liars and deceivers. Men and women lie to one another, for Satan is the father of lies, a liar from the beginning, and the truth is not in him. The same is true of those who do not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. They are in Satan’s camp.

If you are reading this and have never given your life to Jesus Christ in repentance to receive Him into your life through faith, please do not delay. The time is very short. Come from Satan’s domain into the glorious kingdom of light in the Lord.

This ends the schemes and devices of Satan we have been studying. Part 12 will follow, and it is a poem I wrote some years ago looking at the names of Satan, and that covers his activity and schemes.

God bless you all.

ronaldf@aapt.net.au