This is the final post. It might be a long one. Lets start somewhere in Genesis…
Genesis 11 starts with a story about this tower that was built in a place called Babel. The idea is that some people decided they wanted to build a tower that would reach all the way up to heaven. When God heard news, He came down to see it (the irony is amazing).
So lets talk about that. It isn’t necessarily the “beginning” beginning, but in the first part of the Bible there is mention of mankind trying to ascend up to heaven to be gods. They build a tower that is supposed to rival the heavens. No matter how high they built it, God still was higher.
This makes me think only too much of all the church buildings and congregations (and denominations built on movements of the Spirit) that try so desperately to work something up in their midst. They try to make some sort of spiritual atmosphere with their music and excitement. Guess what… God still needs to come down. Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “We try to stir something up; God must come down.”
The reason I bring this up is to set the stage. One of the main points of the Bible is that mankind is trying to work themselves up to God, but God continuously wants to come down. He wants to be with us. We want to leave this earth and go to heaven; God wants to bring Heaven here.
In Leviticus 23, we find feasts that the Israelite people would have to perform year after year. Here is the problem: they were rituals. God meant to display something of Himself in them, but we as humans decided we would rather perform something. We find that these feasts also seem to describe the first and second coming of Christ. The last feast of the year being the Feast of Tabernacles.
The idea of the Feast of Tabernacles that God wants to get across is that He Himself is coming to this world to “tabernacle” or dwell with us. His name will be Emmanuel - God with us. Jesus’ coming is this very thing. In His first appearance, He came to restore the tabernacle of David. He came to bring forth the Kingdom of God. This establishment of the Kingdom was not in a far off place of the heavens that if we fast and degrade ourselves and treat our bodies like they are worthless that we might attain to heaven. God came here.
But Jesus didn’t stay here. After His resurrection, He ascended to the right hand of God. Jesus left with the promise of His return. I don’t want to downplay the Spirit. He sent one whom He called “the advocate.” This is the Holy Spirit. He is here now, too. And though the Spirit is not God in the flesh, He is God.
In fact, Jesus even said it is good for Him to go so that the Spirit could come. Do we really believe it? Is it really better for the Spirit to be here? (I’ll let you decide your own opinion)
In the Old Testament we find prophecies about when God comes down. We find they speak on a Messiah that will come from God and bring peace on earth. This is why the angels declared to the shepherds, “Peace on earth; goodwill toward men!” It is in these prophecies that I want to look now…
Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:3;4). Then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain (Isaiah 4:5-6).
The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open,The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. It shall come to pass in that dayThat the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones,And on the earth the kings of the earth. They will be gathered together,As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously (Isaiah 24:19-23 cross reference Revelation 20).
Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound (Isaiah 30:23-26).
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound (Isaiah 30:23-26).
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
Not one of its stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
(For the Lord is our Judge,
The Lord is our Lawgiver,
The Lord is our King;
He will save us) (Isaiah 33:20-22).
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
Not one of its stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
(For the Lord is our Judge,
The Lord is our Lawgiver,
The Lord is our King;
He will save us) (Isaiah 33:20-22).
“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord (Isaiah 54:11-17).
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord (Isaiah 54:11-17).
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time (Isaiah 60:18-22).
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time (Isaiah 60:18-22).
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and another eat;
For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
“It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord (Isaiah 65:17-25).
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord (Isaiah 65:17-25).
And it will come to pass in that day
That the mountains shall drip with new wine,
The hills shall flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;
A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of Acacias.
That the mountains shall drip with new wine,
The hills shall flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;
A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord
And water the Valley of Acacias.
“Egypt shall be a desolation,
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion.” (Joel 3:18-21)
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion.” (Joel 3:18-21)
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God (Amos 9).
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God (Amos 9).
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:16-17)
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:16-17)
And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to theLord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 14:16-21)
So, after reading all the prophets… What are they expressing here? Lets look at Revelation. In chapter 20, we find satan bound for 1000 years and Christ ruling and reigning during that time.
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
This Millennium is what the prophets were describing. This is heaven on earth. For 1000 years, we experience in full measure God with us.
Peace on earth.
Goodwill toward men.
This is heaven.
No more night.
No more war.
People who die at 100 will die young.
And yet it doesn’t remain. If we continue in verse 7, “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
For some reason, there are actually people on the earth during this time that refuse heaven. They don’t want it. The devil is released and he gathers an army to war against God at Jerusalem. And people actually follow him. So can there be sin in heaven? Well, according to this passage yes. But here is the thing. This army that rejects God is destroyed and judged. Those who reject heaven don’t make it into heaven. You want to speak and spread Hell? Then I guess you can enjoy Hellfire forever.
This passage is followed by the judgement seat.
Then in Revelation 21, we see a “new heaven and new earth.” The old has passed away. Sin has been completely purged. Creation no longer moans and groans. There are no more tears. We won’t remember our sins any longer. Everything of the past is forgotten. The description of this new heaven and new earth is the exact descriptions we find of the Millennial Kingdom. They are not one and the same, but God allows for heaven to be placed on this earth to weed out all who will reject Him in His absoluteness. When you can be confronted with heaven itself and still deny God, then you will never have any place in the Kingdom of God that lasts forever.
It is in this place where some will be given to rule over 10 cities and some over 5 cities and some won’t rule at all, but will only get into Heaven as one who escapes from the flames (1 Corinthians 3:15).
It is in this learning that we are challenged most: are you living in a way that would rule and reign with Christ, or only to get by? Those who achieved the first resurrection (of which Daniel is mentioned to be one in Daniel 12), as Paul said that he strove and we should also strive to achieve that resurrection, have no fear of the judgement seat. They aren’t even there. They don’t have to sit and wait to see if their names are indeed written in the Lamb’s book. I would rather be with those saints. I don’t know if I will achieve such things, but to not even try tells me that many probably don’t know or care about heaven anyway.
This is the fullness of the Christmas message. God is with us. And even though it seems like there is still darkness and chaos, God has not forgotten us.
He is here.
Now.
Among us.
With us.
In us.
Merry Christmas to all.
May God bless you in with every spiritual blessing in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Grace and peace.
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