Simple Salvation Church of God

Posted by: Michael Stevenson on Thu, Mar 10, 2011

WITHIN this present world of which we are living, people hear of an Utopia—a world that will be filled with great joy and peace, happiness, no more dying and great and awesome beauty and they think that such a world is impossible. But, should such a world be impossible? Why shouldn’t we have such a world of great abundance and prosperity? Why should there not be such a world of great racial harmony and great love?

 God has allowed for mankind to have six thousand years of his own ruler—under his own ways—the ways of Satan which has led this world for six thousand years. During these six thousand years, mankind has only gotten himself more and more into war, debt, anguish, heartache, turmoil and much illness. Man’s ways have proven to be unreliable. Man has sought a way that “seems right” to himself.

 Time is almost, however, for man’s rule to end! There is a new order on the horizon—the most awesome World Tomorrow—which will soon be established and it will be a thousand years of great peace and prosperity—so much that no one has ever experienced such joy, peace, happiness, and great prosperity—yet, it is just around the corner!

 We find in the Bible that it speaks greatly of this new world. It tells us that “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain (government) 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. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Micah 4:2-3. Yes, that day is coming when the Lord shall cause that God’s Government shall be established and we shall learn the ways of God.

 So then, with just what we have read in Micah, what is wrong with such an awesome World Tomorrow? Why don’t people want to live in such an awesome world?

 It is time that you knew about this coming world—the Utopia which lay ahead—a millennium of great peace and happy living—free from all the current problems which plague our present world.

Just What Do You Mean “Millennium”?

The word “millennium” is actually brought to us from the Latin which means a thousand years. Instead of the word itself being in the scriptures, we find that it actually says “thousand years” and thus, when God’s people speak of the Thousand Years, we are referring to the Millennium—so thus, either way we are saying the same thing. The only scriptures in all of the Bible which specifically mentions in terms of this period of time is Revelation 20:1-9.

 Here is a time setting for the coming Millennium.

 The Apostle John had written that he had seen an angel who “laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years…and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled”—Rev. 20:2-3.

 Did you see that? During the thousand years, Satan will not be allowed to deceive anyone! This present age in which we are living in now is not the thousand years because right now, we find Satan around the world—all the evils, all the wars, all the problems which this present age is faced with is because of the Devil! The millennium will be filled with peace—a time when the devil will no more deceive anyone!

 “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”—Rev. 20:6. So then, this thousand year period of time is going to be a time of when the saints of God are going to reign with Christ. The saints will help in the very creation of this awesome Utopia. Who are those that are saints? Those who are the ones who qualify now by their obedience to the Law of God through their faith in Christ are the ones who are the saints. Thus, they are the ones who become a part of the Church of God.

 Did you ever see this before or even hear it preached—that those who are in the first resurrection will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4)? This means that the millennium cannot take place UNTIL after the first resurrection has taken place because it is those who are in this first resurrection who will help rule with Christ!

But, When Will the Millennium Take Place?

So then, just when will the first resurrection take place?

 We find in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 that the first resurrection will take place when the second coming of Christ takes place “…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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…”

 So then, the first resurrection will happen “at the last trump; for the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”—1 Cor. 15:52.

 Since then the saints of God will not come back to life until the second coming of Jesus Christ, and since they will rule with Christ during the millennium, then therefore, the thousand years will take place after the second coming of Jesus Christ and not before! This is important to understand because there are some that teach that Jesus will not come until the end of the thousand years. But, your own Bible says that Jesus will come at the beginning of the thousand years!

 Christ is returning to earth so that He can establish real and literal world peace and make a real Utopia possible for all mankind!

 But, just what else is there at the sounding of the last trump?

 Revelation 11:15 reveals to us that at the last or the seventh trumpet blast, the dead are raised and “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”

 Here then is another awesome promise of great peace and prosperity which will begin at the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Christ is beginning His reign and the saints are already raised from the dead so that they can rule with Christ!

 But, just where will this new world going to be at?

So Then, Where Will the Millennium Be Spent?

We find the last phrase of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 telling us the answer. After the saints have met the Lord in the air, they shall “ever be with the Lord.” Since the saints will always be with Jesus Christ, then any scripture which tells us where Christ will be, will also tell us just exactly where those saints will be during that thousand years. Also a verse that says just where this will be during the thousand yeas tells us just where Christ must be ruling!

 Now then, let’s consider this. In order to reign during the millennium, there has to be someone for the saints to reign over and to govern! Over whom then does Christ give the saints power and authority to govern over? Just who is it that this government must be given authority over?

 Let’s find out! Jesus promises us that “And he that overcometh…to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron”—Revelation 2:26-27. And these nations will be ruled with a rod of iron—they will be governed. Those nations are the ones with which are turned over to Christ as we seen in Revelation 11:15—for they are those kingdoms that it is speaking of—they are literal kingdoms here on earth!

 In the final days of the rulers of this present age, “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people (not to human beings, but to the sons of God), but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever”—Daniel 2:44.

 Notice here then that it is “in the days of these kings”—it will not be a thousand years later, that God’s Kingdom is set up under Jesus Christ! For that stone in Daniel 2:34-35 which smites the image—which “became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” that will take place. It does not fill heaven, but rather, it fills the earth!

 To say then that these nations are in heaven is a complete lie. Are there such sinful nations found in heaven? Does it make sense then that the saints of God will rule in heaven over nations when there are no nations in heaven? Of course not! These nations are obviously upon the earth!

 Now then, let’s find scriptures that tell us that Christ is going to rule here upon the earth! Jesus has told us that “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne”—Rev. 3:21. So then, the resurrected saints will sit with Jesus Christ on His very throne while they rule over the nations!

 At the present moment, Christ is sitting on His Father’s throne in heave (Rev. 3:21). He is not at all sitting on his own throne. But, when Jesus leaves heaven (Acts 3:21) to return to earth for the saints, they are promised that they will have a place with Him on His throne. Jesus does not at all promise them a place on the Father’s throne in heaven, but rather, a place on His own throne, from which they, with Jesus is going to rule the nations with a rod of iron. But, where will the throne of Jesus be at?

David’s Throne Is NOT In Heaven—But, On Earth!

The throne of Christ cannot be in heaven. If Jesus’ throne were the Father’s in heaven, then He would not need His own throne since He is already sitting on His Father’s throne. So then, what throne will Jesus actually have?

 Gabriel, the angel said, as we find that Jesus “shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”—Luke 1:30-33

 So then, the throne of Jesus will be the throne of David. David’s throne is on this earth—right here (Jer. 33:17) and so then, the Father’s throne is in heaven! During the millennium, the saints of God will sit with Christ on the throne of David in Jerusalem and will rule over the nations of this earth.

 Not only is Christ going to be ruling over the house of Jacob forever, as we have seen in Luke 1:32-33, but also, we find that “Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel”—Psalm 2:7-9.

 Here then, David has said that Jesus, the Son of God, will do the very same things which He has promised those in the first resurrection will do. Of course, for the saints shall rule with Him and carry out His very will and His authority over all the nations. This is when the Kingdom of God will be restored to Israel and when Christ Himself shall also rule over the house of Jacob on the throne of David (Acts 1:6).

 When the very Kingdom is established here on earth, then we will finally have real and lasting peace—and it will not happen until then! Yes, it is going to be a real and wonderful time of an Utopia, for it is coming about in the awesome World Tomorrow!

 If all these scriptures are still not proof enough of the fact that we will reign with Christ here on this earth, and not in heaven, during the very millennium, then let’s look at another place. We find that in Revelation 5:9, it tells us that “men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them a kingdom and priests to one God; and they shall reign upon the earth” and therefore, we will for sure be here upon this earth! It is plain when we see that we shall reign right here upon the earth!

 Here, in plain English, we see that the saints of God will NOT be in heaven—but, rather, we will reign right here upon this very earth! If you believe what your own Bible says, then you must believe also that!

Just How and When Will Jesus Return to Earth?

Over nineteen hundred years ago we find the account of Jesus’ departure from this earth to heave in Acts 1:9-11. “while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men…said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

 So then, just how is it that Jesus left? He had ascended from on the Mount of Olives and it was into the clouds that He was received into heaven. Just like this He is going to again return. Let’s find a scripture that explains this very thing!

 We then read in Revelation 19 that at the second coming, military from all over the world will be gathered to battle against Jerusalem. This same time, the second coming of Jesus is found in Zechariah 14:1-3. It is in the Day of the Lord, when all the nations are come to war against Jerusalem.

 “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations…AND His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives”—Zech. 14:3-4.

 The very people that shall be left are going to be worshiping Jesus Christ from year to year in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, which is on this earth—not in heave! The Lord will be the King over all the earth (Zech. 14:9). The very next verses then show to us that He punishes the nations which are disobedient. The saints are also going to judge and correct the nations then as they sit with Christ on His throne.

 None of these events ever occur before the thousand years and not occur in heaven since there are no disobedient nations there.

 Neither will the disobedient nations be in the New Earth after the millennium. Therefore, these events all need to happen during the millennium and on this earth! These are all plain scriptures which we have shown! It is hard to believe the Bible and not believe these scriptures—they are all right from your very own Bible!

The Earth Will NOT Be Desolate

In Isaiah, we find that there are verses which some try to take the opportunity to contradict the Gospel and the plain statements of scriptures. The time setting of Isaiah 24 is just prior to the millennium. The very first verse is quoted as “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down…”

 Just quoting this, one is left with the impression that there will be no one on earth during the millennium—but, we find that this is just not true! What does God mean by the earth being made empty? Did He mean that there is not going to be anyone on earth?

 Not at all! Let’s not stop at this verse, as some do, but continue reading this entire chapter!

 What will God do? He “scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest, as with the servant , so with his master. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled…the haughty people of the earth do languish…they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”

 If you will read for yourself the entire chapter, it is going to show to you the punishments to be put forth on earth just prior to the very beginning of the thousand years—the complete destruction of mankind and “few men left.”

 There will be a real Utopia that will come only when international gangsters in high offices and others in high offices are removed from their seats of power, when their armies are taken out and when the problems that we face throughout this present age are dealt with.

 Remember what Zechariah has said about those who will be left. They will be made to go from year to year to Jerusalem so that they can worship the Eternal—for Jesus Christ will be King over all the earth and Isaiah has said that those few who are left “shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord (Isaiah 24:14)…when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem”—v.23. Yes, Jesus Christ is going to indeed reign on this earth from Jerusalem and it will NOT be in heaven, and there will be real inhabitants on this earth and this earth WILL NOT be desolate!

 Further, in Jeremiah 4:23-31, we also find that people take this out of context! If you will really study the book of Jeremiah for yourself from the beginning, you will notice that these verses are NOT speaking of the thousand years! The prophet is rather, warning Judah concerning Nebuchadnezzar’s coming “to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant”—v.7. This is rather speaking of Judah and not the earth! “The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I make a full end”—v.27!

 The problem is, people take scriptures and take them out of context—applying what they want rather than applying what God has really said in His Word!

 The same word in the original Hebrew that is often used to mean either “earth” or “land” in verse 23 is because God is speaking of the land of Judah. It rather shows to us that there are Gentiles that are still on earth who are not allowed by God to make a full end of Judah, even though they desolate the land completely! Verse 29 also shows to us that not a man shall dwell in the cities. Why? Because there are no human beings on the earth? NO! But, it is rather because the whole cities shall flee before the horsemen of the Gentiles!

 This very prophecy is NOT at all referring to anything concerning the millennium!

 Together then with these two misquoted texts, people who hate the fact that God’s Utopia is real, then turn to 2 Thessalonians 1:8 and 2:8 to try to back up their claims for their teachings!

 The very first of these is speaking of angels that will take vengeance on those that know not the true God and do not obey the Gospel. It is then assumed that this text says that all people will be destroyed, but it does not at all say that! It is only those who refuse to comply with God’s ways that will be the ones to perish! But, there will be many other Gentiles that do repent of their wrong ways and they admit that their “fathers have inherited lies”—Jeremiah 16:19. So then, we need to face facts—we need to face facts that we cannot take out of context scripture!

 The other verse often mentioned is 2 Thessalonians 2:8 which does not speak of all the wicked either! It mentions “that wicked” whom Christ shall destroy, “even HIM, whose coming is after the working of Satan”—v.9. So then, it is not all of the wicked that it is speaking of—but, rather, it is just one person—even him, that is to be destroyed! This wicked one is that very false prophet that will be destroyed—the same who is found mentioned in Revelation 19:20!

 So then, when faced with reality, none of these scriptures that we just looked at describe earth without anyone on it for a thousand years. But yet, some just don’t grasp that truth—they believe what their ministers taught them!

So Then, Just What Will the Millennium Be Like?

We find in Isaiah 11 that the millennium is described. The Gentiles are going to be seeking God (v.10) and that Israel and Judah are going to be gathered the second time from the heathen nations (v.11). This then could not be speaking of any “spiritual Israel” but rather, has to be a physical Israel. The last verses in this chapter speak of men crossing rivers and highways as they are leaving the Gentile nations and returning the second time to the land of promise!

 This is the time that is spoken of by Paul. “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”—Romans 11:25-27.

 Here then is the most awesome news that you will ever hear! This is the part of the Gospel message that many don’t want you to hear! The blindness has taken place to Israel—not forever, but until the full number of Gentiles who are to be converted during this age comes into the Kingdom. Then Israel will finally be forgiven and the vast majority of the Gentiles will then seek after God—they will turn to God’s ways.

 Imagine that! The Gentiles will finally seek God—they will finally come to God and will be converted to His ways, to His Church they will come to and be numbered with God’s people!

 Back in Isaiah we read that Christ “shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked”—Isaiah 11:4. At this very moment when He is punishing those who are wicked and “reproving with equity the meek of the earth”—at this very time, then notice that the earth will final see real peace! For we continue to read that “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid…and a little child shall lead them…and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ (adder’s) 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.

 That is what the Church of God proclaims—we proclaim a real world of real hope, real peace, a real Utopia! This cannot be in heaven. For if you will read, it is on earth! There are no humans in heaven! Children are not being sucked and weaned in heaven. Therefore, it is here upon earth! This is where it will be at!

 This cannot be in the New Earth because there will be no wicked persons there either (Rev. 21:1-4, 8, 27). These events have to take place on this earth during the millennium. Therefore, it cannot be in heaven, nor in the new Earth before the millennium ever begins! Who then is going to tame wild, carnivorous animals? Who is going to be able to be here to put their hands on the den of a snake? Remember that this cannot be in heaven because these animals are not in heaven ether! This prophecy is only for the coming millennium—it is not for any other place or any other time period! What then is a wonderful new world that we see pictured in Isaiah 11! And each of us is going to have a real part in that world! This is the message of the Gospel of which Jesus Christ came preaching as the very Messenger (Word) of God (John 1:1)—that message is the message of the Kingdom of God!

Satan Will Finally Be Bound!

The Bible also teaches us that the millennium is the very reign of the Kingdom of God upon earth! The millennium is not the Kingdom; it is merely the first thousand years’ reign of the Kingdom on the earth! Yet some people also try to tell you that during the millennium, Satan will be bound by circumstances—supposedly there will be no humans alive for him to tempt! The Bible rather does not say this! Satan is taken from the people and is bound so that he cannot deceive the nations! If there were no nations at all to deceive, then he would not have to be taken and bound and shut up in any place so that he could be restrained (Rev. 20:1-3). Thus, whoever tries to say that there will be no humans on earth obviously have not seen the truth from their own Bibles which tell us he will not be deceiving the nations!

 When Satan and his demons are taken and bound from their deception, the earth will then have the millennial “Sabbath of rest” which it deserves! The saints will then judge the world with Jesus Christ and all the nations finally will have their peace, because then for the first time, the law of God will finally “go forth out of Zion.” Yes, the Law of God will be the Law over all the earth finally!

What About the Dead During the Millennium?

Some know that the millennium will take place on this earth. But, they teach that there will be resurrections taking place during this time period. Is this a true teaching?

 They have on occasion claimed that Revelation 20:5 is not part of the Bible. This verse tells us that “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”

 This does belong in the Bible. It is found in the majority of Greek manuscripts. It is also important that we do not reject this verse because Jesus told us Himself that “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life”—Rev. 22:19.

 Thus, it is after the millennium (Rev. 20:11-15) that the rest of those who are dead will be raised from their graves. Therefore, they will NOT be raised during the millennium or before! There would be no need for a second resurrection after the thousand years!

 Yes, there is a real Utopia which will be coming—this is the message of the awesome New World Tomorrow—a world which will be the most awesome you have ever witnessed! To find out all about this new age and just how someone can qualify, we invite you to find out more about the Church which has published this booklet—the Reorganized Church of God.

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