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Tract 108
Audio download at bottom of page
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Millennial Reign?
I have felt very much impressed to give some Bible teaching on this subject, since there seems to be almost as many different beliefs as there are believers, resulting from each one putting his own Interpretation upon God’s Word, and especially by taking spiritual things as literal.
A or THE, means only ONE kingdom of God or of heaven. Where the word appears in the plural, “kingdoms” It always has reference to political or literal, and never to His SPIRITUAL.
God’s spiritual kingdom, which includes all saved people, His church, was fully set up on the day of Pentecost. In A. D. 32 (Matthew 16:18) Jesus said, “I will build my church.” And in A. D. 33 (Acts 2:47) “And the LORD added to the CHURCH daily.” It is still at hand and is being manifested through the lives of His saints, those who have been born again and have not DIED (spiritually by committing sin) who HERE and NOW enjoy the fullness of His blessings, which was foretold many years before Christ came, to be fulfilled in a future age, THE GOSPEL DAY.
In St. John 18:36 Jesus’ own words say, “My kingdom is not of this world: if MY KINGDOM were of This world, then would my servants fight. . . but now is my kingdom not from hence”—not of this world, not literal, but only SPIRITUAL.
The Scriptures in many places are written in symbols, and when so, should be spiritually applied, and not always literally. In Luke 13:32 Jesus said: “Go tell that fox.” He did not refer to a four-footed beast, but to the fox, or cunning nature in Herod. Jesus said to Peter (Matthew 16:23) “Get thee behind me Satan.” Here he referred to the satanic influence which prompted Peter to speak as he did. “A land that flows with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8), literally waist deep, would not be a comfortable place to reside; but applying it spiritually, to the good things to be found by the children of Israel when they reached Canaan after fleeing from Egypt, would harmonize with the rest of God’s Word. A Christian nation or people who really do possess the very elements of HIS KINGDOM, righteousness, peace, and JOY, are in a PLEASANT place or condition of THIS LIFE, the Holy Spirit being their teacher.
John the Baptist said the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:2) or Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15) IS AT HAND. The law and the prophets were until John; since THAT TIME, THE Kingdom of GOD. . . and men presseth (present time) into IT (singular). If we believe Jesus and HIS book of this, the GOSPEL DAY, we will have to ignore all teaching of another kingdom in some future age; since there is NO TIME, NO PLACE and NO NEED of any other.
No TIME: Hebrews 9:27, after DEATH THEN the judgment.
No 1,000 years. Time will not be reckoned after death: 2nd Peter 3:8, Do not be ignorant of this one thing, one day is as a 1,000 years and 1,000 years as ONE DAY with GOD. The 1,000 years of Revelation 20:1-7 means a long period of time, that being the largest numeral used in the Bible. The Angel was Christ and the CHAIN, His GOSPEL. It did, and still binds Satan’s power when “RIGHTLY divided” and SPIRITUALLY applied to our lives. This is not a description of literal things in some geographical location; but is a spiritual CONDITION In ANY HEART of REAL Christians, any TIME and any place on earth. The FIRST resurrection (verse 6) is when we are raised from a dead state of sin to a HOLY life, which lives on after our physical death.
No PLACE for a millennial reign. 2nd Peter 3:10 the world is to be burned UP; NOT OVER. Many scriptural proofs could be given.
NO NEED. John 19:30, IT is FINISHED. The plan of salvation. 1st Thessalonians 4: 15-18 is speaking about the saved people ONLY. TIME shall be NO LONGER. The dead In Christ shall rise first (before the living Christians ascend) then—RIGHT 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 (Up in the CLOUDS and in the AIR; not on the earth) shall we ever (forever) be with the Lord.
This is in harmony with all the New Testament, and to ignore these precious truths would make God untrue, and throw one in a state of confusion. Rev. 20:10 tells of the destiny of FALSE prophets. Revelation 21:1-11 speaks of the peaceable condition of God’s people, which is HIS church. It only mentions the literal in order to bring out the spiritual condition. LION nature made like a lamb.
Who would exchange 1,000 years in heaven for that time on earth?
In Matthew 24:14 when the gospel is preached in all the world, THEN the END of TIME.
Run references on Last, last time, last day, etc., and on END, end of time, end of the world, and you can see that when Jesus returns, it will be the CLOSING up of ALL things LITERAL.
“While false prophets are confiding in a foolish erring dream of Millennial enjoyment, they neglect the cleansing stream. O poor sinner, don’t believe them, there will be no age to come; if in life you find not Jesus, death will seal your awful doom.”
“The Lord give thee understanding,”
E. E. F.
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