Jerusalem and the Millennium

A Bible Study by Eugene Prewitt

Ideas:
1. There are two cities named "Jerusalem" in the Bible, and at least two
metaphoric uses of the word "Jerusalem" in the book of Revelation.
2. Many promises made, apparently regarding the first, are fulfilled only in
the second.
3. Christians have their citizenship in Jerusalem above.
4. The great transactions in the scatter-gather-remnant of Israel are made into
a huge metaphor regarding the history of the world.
5. Promises and threats made to/regarding Jerusalem are conditional.

The events marking the end of the world are presented in a strait-forward way by many of
the New Testament writers, and especially by Jesus. We learn from these:

1. There will be signs prior to his coming. These will follow the tribulation
of the 1260 years of papal supremacy.

Mt 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:

2. There will seven plagues prior to his coming to punish the world for their
rejection of his last warning.

Re 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven
angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of
God.
Re 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there
fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

3. Near the end of these plagues Satan will be working miracles through the
false teachers and religions of the world to deceive men into following
him in the "battle of the great day of God."

Re 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty.

4. When Jesus returns all nations are gathered before him.

Mt 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:
 5. Those that are like "goats" meet their destiny. Those that are like "sheep"
enter into the "joy of the Lord" and "everlasting life."

Mt 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:
Mt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
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.

6. But before the living righteous meet the Lord in the air there is a general
resurrection of the righteous dead.

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.

Now this picture is sustained by numerous parables, lectures, and pictures. While "evil
seducers wax worse and worse" their judgment is hastening on apace. When Christ comes
"fearfulness will surprise the hypocrites" that are in "Zion."

They will realize, too late, that everlasting fire is about to engulf them. They will mourn
knowing that only men living a holy life will be able to endure the consuming fire of
God's presence. These same holy men will be assured bread and water in a time when the
world tries to keep it from them. Then they will see King Jesus come in his beauty. And
soon after, they will "behold the land that is very far off."

Is 33:13-17 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near,
acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath
surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh
righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of
oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his
ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall
dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread
shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in
his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Now there is a question that we must settle to understand this and many other Old
Testament prophecies of the end of time. This "Zion" that is filled with a mixture of
hypocrites and holy men, is it the city now filled with Jews and Muslims? Or is a
metaphor for the Christian Church?

Jesus told a parable to the Jews of his day that pictured a traveling owner of a vineyard.
The vineyard had been given to certain men that mistreated the owners representatives
and that killed his son. Jesus asked the Jews what the owner of the vineyard would do in
response to the death of his son.

Mat 21:41-44; Lu 20:16-18

They say unto him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will
let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the
fruits in their seasons."

Jesus repeated their answer back to them for effect. As they understood what he was
saying they were horrified.

"He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the
vineyard to others."
And when they heard it, they said, "God forbid." And he beheld them,
and said, "What is this then that is written, 'The stone which the builders
rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?'
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I
unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall
be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

So the "kingdom of God' had been, at some point, given to the Jews. Their kingdom was
God's kingdom. But it was to be taken away and given "to a nation" bringing fruits to the
Lord.

This "nation" is the church. The promises made to Israel as the stewards of God's
kingdom have been taken from them and given to the church.

This is how Peter understood it. The gift of being God's holy nation, offered to Israel, has
been received by the church.

Ex 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.

These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
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:

The Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, uses a number of Old Testament people and
cities and nations that interacted with the nation of Israel. These, though no longer even
existing in his day, he uses as illustrations of future events in the history of the Christian
church. Jezebel and Balaam and Balac each show up in Revelation 2 interacting with
"my people" in the "churches" of Pergamos and Thyatira.

And in later chapters later he makes reference to Israel's old enemies, Egypt and Babylon.
But he gives plenty of hints that he is not speaking of the literal nations. He speaks of a
great city that is "spiritually" called Sodom and Egypt.

Re 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The Apostle Paul explained what is meant by Spiritual Jews. Then he asks, "what
advantage is there, then, to being a literal Jew?" The answer he gives is that the Word of
God had been committed to the Jews. He speaks of this in past tense. In his day it was
clear that the Word of God had been given to the church.

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
1 ¶ What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

He eventhat were no longer existing in his day as symbols of future events