LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN

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“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:9

Now is the time for the final feast of the year: the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Sukkot, the Hebrew word for "booths" or "tents," represents the final harvest when all nations will share in the joy and blessings of Christ’s kingdom. The Jewish people construct makeshift tents to commemorate their liberation from Egypt by the hand of God. This is also the time of year in which God judges the world for rainfall; therefore, praying for rain is essential—not only for the harvest but also for the sake of God’s judgment. 

“Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” Daniel 12:12

This first one in the new kingdom will represent a final harvest of another kind. This harvest is a gathering of all believers together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb marking the 1335th day mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel 12. This will be a great banquet including the bride, her groom and all their guests. It also marks the celebration of the first resurrection...

“And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12

There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. The Greek word translated "crown" is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means "a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor". Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament regarding the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. 

The Victors Crown (Imperishable or Incorruptible): Self Discipline  

Do your habits reflect service to God or indicate other priorities? Serving God involves narrowing our focus to those things with the highest eternal value and control of our fleshly desires.

“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

The Crown of Rejoicing: Bringing others to Christ

“For what is our hope, or joy, or the CROWN OF REJOICING? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you are our joy and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:19

The Crown of Righteousness: Longing to be home in heaven with the Lord

“Now there is in store for me the CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

The Crown of Life: Kept the faith through trial, temptation, persecution, suffering or death.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the CROWN OF LIFE that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

The Crown of Glory: Faithful shepherds of God’s people who answer the call of leadership.

“Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading CROWN OF GLORY.” 1 Peter 5:2-4 

While the Bible is silent regarding the timing of these rewards, many scholars assume it coincides with the Bema Seat judgment. I am inclined to believe that if crowns are indeed the reward, they will be bestowed at the marriage supper of the Lamb, preceding the Millennial Kingdom. Because these rewards are promised to all believers, a collective gathering provides the most logical setting for their distribution. 

Scripture to read: Revelation 20, Ezekiel 38-48

Calendar: Millennial Kingdom (lavender)

Lord’s Feasts: Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot (lavender)

“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people.” Isaiah 11:10-11

Isaiah reveals that from that stump of the line of Jesse, a new shoot will emerge into a branch that will once more bear fruit. The Lord will draw all Gentile nations of the world to Himself and extend His hand to bring a remnant of His people home to the nation of Israel, just as he had done when He freed them from Egypt. In short, the Messiah's rule will unite the world in peace because the knowledge of the Lord will cover all the earth.

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

The question of who will enter the Millennium is significant, as it determines who will experience this unique time of peace and blessing on earth. Among those redeemed will be two distinct groups of people: those with glorified physical bodies and those with natural, earthly bodies. 

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:44

A remnant of Israel, which recognizes Jesus as its Messiah during the Tribulation, will be preserved to enter the Millennial Kingdom in earthly bodies, fulfilling God's covenantal promises to the nation. This cohort will also comprise Gentile believers who come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation at the end of the church age, alongside the designated "sheep nations.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21

Among those who will enter the millennial kingdom in their glorified bodies are the Old Testament saints, New Testament saints and the believers who were chosen to be the Lamb's bride.

“And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.” Isaiah 65:9

So, those who occupy the millennial kingdom, at the start, will be the righteous of all previous dispensations: believing Gentiles in earthly bodies, redeemed Israel in earthly bodies, and resurrected/raptured believers in glorified bodies.

The unconditional covenants that Jesus promised Israel will demand a literal, physical return of Christ to establish the kingdom. The Abrahamic covenant promised Israel a land, a posterity, a ruler, and a spiritual blessing. The Palestinian covenant promised Israel a restoration to the land and occupation of the land. The Davidic covenant promised Israel a king from David’s line who would rule forever giving the nation rest from all their enemies.

The planet is exhibiting early signs of ecological recovery, evidenced by land restoration and abundant agricultural yields. Concurrently, significant physiographic alterations have occurred in the landscape surrounding Jerusalem. 

LAND OF ISRAEL:

“All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.” Zechariah 14:10-11

“But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates…” Ezekiel 36:8-11

“And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the Garden of Eden’…” Ezekiel 36:34-35

“As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 36:38

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.” Joel 3:18-20

Chapters 40 through 48 of the Book of Ezekiel provide a comprehensive, prophetic depiction of life within the Millennial Kingdom, as revealed by Christ to the prophet.

HOLY LAND OBLATION:

“The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation. And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation”. 

The "holy oblation" (or heave-offering) refers to a massive, 25,000 by 25,000-cubit sacred district in the land of Israel. The oblation area is mathematically subdivided into distinct bands.

The Sanctuary & Priest’s Land: 

The northern and primary section, housing the newly built Millennial Temple. This area is reserved exclusively for the sanctified priests of the seed of Zadok, who remained faithful during Israel's transgressions.

The Levites' Territory: 

The middle strip is set apart for the service and dwelling of the Levites.

The City Zone: 

Is a "profane" or secular area dedicated to the bustling, rebuilt city of Jerusalem. 

JERUSALEM: “THE LORD IS THERE”

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:2

STRUCTURES: 

“…The gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, “The Lord is there.” 

“A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there but the redeemed will walk there.” Isaiah 35:8-9

HEALING WATERS:

“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.” Zechariah 14:8

” And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again, he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again, he measured a thousand and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over. He unto me, these waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live.” 

FOOD AND MEDICINE: 

“…and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt." 

“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, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” 

“And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.” Isaiah 65:10

RULERS OF THE KINGDOM

KING:

“Behold, a king will reign righteously, and officials will rule justly.” Isaiah 32:1

Christ will rule as king with perfect justice and righteousness, establishing a theocratic government. The God of Israel will become the God of all peoples on earth, both Jew and Gentile. 

“And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; So that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people, and 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

Life during the Millennium will be different from the current age, as the Bible provides several glimpses into this transformative period. Satan will be bound in the Abyss, unable to deceive the nations. The curse on the earth will be lifted, leading to unparalleled peace and prosperity. 

“And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;” Isaiah 32:18

Nations will live in harmony, and wars will cease as swords will be turned into plowshares, eliminating military conflicts. This peace will stem from Christ’s righteous rule. 

“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” Isaiah 11:2-5

The Spirit of the Lord is also known as the Holy Spirit. This means that this leader will rule with these qualities. These attributes are describing the ability to make strategic decisions and act on them with strength. This king will stand apart from Israel's earlier kings, especially those of Isaiah's time. He will delight in the fear of the Lord. He won't judge people or situations by appearances that can be perceived with the senses. 

“But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore, will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name” Isaiah 65:11-15

This "fear" does not describe a life of living in terror. This is not panic or groveling at the feet of an angry deity. "The fear of the Lord" describes living with proper respect for the power and authority of God. This respect is in your actions and attitude acknowledging who God is. These are inherent, given aspects of this King's very nature. Everything this leader says and does will be characterized by righteousness and faithfulness. 

“And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 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: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.” Jeremiah 3:16-17

In addition to being God over the world, the Lord will also rule as the leader of the world from Jerusalem and Jerusalem will be the political center of the world.

PRINCE:

“And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their PRINCE forever.” Ezekiel 37:24-25

King David will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium, along with all the other Old Testament saints and David will be one of those who reign with Christ in the Kingdom. Most Bible teachers race right past those verses and generally accept them as a reference to Jesus the Messiah, who was born into a Jewish family descended from King David. They assume that those passages are referring to David's descendant, Jesus the Messiah. However, that cannot be the case when we look more closely at Ezekiel's prophecies. During the millennium, Jesus will be present as the Messiah, while David will be present fulfilling the role of the "prince".  

RULERS OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL:

The twelve disciples will rule the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, YOU who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve TRIBES of ISRAEL.” Matthew 19:28

RULERS OF THE NATIONS:

The saints will rule the nations and judge the world. 

“The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give HIM authority over the NATIONS; Revelation 2:26

“When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the SAINTS will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” 1 Corinthians 6:1-3

The authority of the saints in the Kingdom will be determined by how they handle the responsibilities God gives them in this age. 

“And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities’” Luke 19:17 

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” Jeremiah 3:15

Resurrected human beings will be like angels in one respect. Men will not marry, and women will not be given in marriage. Marriage, the pairing of couples for life, will cease to exist there. 

“For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” Matthew 22:30

As eternal beings, angels do not apparently reproduce, making marriage unnecessary. The saints will apparently exist in that non-married, non-reproducing status, as well. Jesus does not say humans will become angels after death. Angels and humans are entirely different kinds of beings. Jesus only says people will be "like" angels, and only in this one way: not being married.

This brings me to a question. If we are to be the rulers of nations, a role only possible for mature adults, what happens to the children? Do they stay in heaven? Do they mature physically when they are resurrected or changed? Will they be mature in mind, just as Jesus was at twelve years old?

While the Bible does not explicitly map out every detail regarding children in the afterlife, Christian theology and eschatology offer several widely accepted frameworks to address these questions. 

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God AND of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” Revelation 20:6 

The concept of the "royal priesthood" (found in 1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 5:10) generally applies to all believers who are part of the body of Christ. In the ancient world, priests represented God to the people and the people to God. In the eternal kingdom, this role centers on intimate access to God and serving Him. This includes every redeemed soul, regardless of the age at which they passed away.

Theologians have long debated the physical state of resurrected bodies, drawing heavily from 1 Corinthians 15, which states that our bodies are sown in weakness but "raised in glory.” A prominent historical view, held by thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, suggests that everyone will be resurrected at the peak of human maturity and perfection. This is often conceptualized as roughly 30 to 33 years old—the age of Christ during His ministry. In this view, infants and children are instantly granted fully developed, glorified bodies. 

Another perspective by those who have survived Near Death Experiences (NDE) suggests that children grow up from infancy to adulthood in heaven. They describe a building where angels care for aborted and miscarried newborns, and a garden where children play alongside angels who teach them about God. This would mean that children will continue to grow and mature  without the effects of sin, decay, or aging after being resurrected. 

First Corinthians 13:12 states, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Whether instantly or through a perfect learning process, children will possess a glorified intellect. They will be completely free from the mental limitations, confusion, and developmental hurdles of the present fallen world, making them fully capable of knowing and worshiping God. 

Because nothing in the Bible explicitly confirms the age of accountability, and my discernment has revealed that everything regarding Jesus is rooted in Jewish traditions, I predict that the age is twelve. I consider this age because twelve is when Jesus was old enough to teach in the temple. If He was old enough to teach, then He was mature enough to be responsible for what He said.

Furthermore, NDE survivors acknowledge that there is more to life in heaven than worship. Therefore, with that said and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, I am going to take this prediction further: children under the age of 12 will either stay in heaven until they reach the age of accountability, or they will return to earth to be raised by the redeemed until they reach maturity.

 LAND INHERITANCE: 

“So shall ye divide this LAND unto you according to the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God.” 

“…the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord God."

ANIMALS:

“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 65:25

“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 viper'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” Isaiah 11:6-9

Animals will live peacefully together, and the environment will be free from the corruption it currently suffers. The prophet describes one aspect of the new kingdom in this passage: peace and safety. He begins by depicting a series of impossible animal relationships. This list of animals would not exist together peacefully in the current world as we know it. Isaiah finishes making his point by stating how a mere child will lead these animals around.

“And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives only a few days, or an old person who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred, And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred will be thought accursed. And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:19-24

Human lifespans will dramatically increase, with people living for hundreds of years, much like before the flood, marking a period of physical well-being and health. Children born during the millennial kingdom will have the responsibility to exercise faith in Christ, the same as all people of past ages. Some of those born during the millennial kingdom will choose to not believe and Jesus will deal with this quickly and swiftly.

 “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. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain” Zechariah 14:16-17 

TEMPLE:

“…so, he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits. And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees. 

OUTER COURT:

"Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement." 

OUTER EAST GATE:

"Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of the same.”

INNER COURT:

"And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures. And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures. And he brought me to the north gate and measured it according to these measures. Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court." 

INNER EAST GATE:

“Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east and measured it round about. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place."

TABERNACLE:

“Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door; So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, this is the most holy place. From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.” 

PRIEST'S HOLY CHAMBERS:

"Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy. When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people."

HOUSE PRIESTS:

"And he said unto me, this chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them."

ALTAR PRIESTS:

"And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar.  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.” 

ORDINANCES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

“This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy.” Ezekiel 43:12

ATONEMENT:

To those born during the millennial kingdom, animal sacrifices will again be an object lesson. During that future time, righteousness and holiness will prevail, but those with earthly bodies will still have a sin nature, and there will be a need to teach about how offensive sin is to a holy and righteous God. Animal sacrifices will serve that purpose. As the Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the death of Christ to the Church today, animal sacrifices will be a reminder during the millennial kingdom. 

“But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year.” Hebrews 10:3

Animal sacrifices will serve that purpose. As the Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the death of Christ to the Church today, animal sacrifices will be a reminder during the millennial kingdom. Now that the heavenly sanctuary is permanently cleansed, Prince David takes over the responsibility of the daily sacrifices on earth.

In the position of prince, David will oversee the temple and its priests. The Levitical priests will be responsible for preparation of the offerings for the people and the temple purification.

“All the people of the land shall give this oblation (tithe) for the PRINCE in 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.” 

“And the PRINCE shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the PRIESTS shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.” 

“After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the Holy Chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and behold, there was a place on the two sides westward. Then said he unto me, this is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people. Then he brought me forth into the utter court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure. And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about. Then said he unto me, these are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.” 

PRIEST’S CONTINUAL (DAILY) SACRIFICE:

“Thou shalt DAILY prepare a burnt offering unto the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning. And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the Lord. Thus, shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.” 

The Continual Burnt Offering in the millennium will serve as a daily reminder of the Israelites' covenant relationship with God and their ongoing need for atonement. It symbolizes the constant need for God's presence and provision, reflecting the importance of regular worship and discipline in one's relationship with Him.

DAYS OF WORSHIP: 

“Thus, saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the SABBATH it shall be opened, and in the day of the NEW MOON it shall be opened. Likewise, the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the Lord in the SABBATHS and in the NEW MOONS.” 

HOLY OBLATIONS (Tithe): 

“This is the OBLATION that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley: Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer: And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord God. ALL the PEOPLE of the land shall give this OBLATION for the PRINCE in Israel.” 

“The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation. And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation”. 

In the Bible, an oblation refers to an offering or sacrifice made to God, similar to a church tithe, often symbolizing devotion and submission. It encompasses both physical acts of giving and the spiritual intention behind them, recognizing God's sovereignty and grace. Oblations can include various types of offerings, such as non-bloody offerings like grain or first fruits, as well as animal sacrifices. This period is seen as a time of atonement, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God.

WEEKLY SABBATH: 

“And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the Lord in the SABBATH DAY shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.” 

MONTHLY ROSH CHODESH: 

“And in the DAY OF THE NEW MOON it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.” 

SOLEMN ANNUAL FEASTS:

“But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the SOLEMN FEASTS, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it. And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth (out), shall go forth (out).” 

DAYS OF ATONEMENT (New year):

“Thus saith the Lord God; In the FIRST MONTH, in the FIRST DAY of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and CLEANSE THE SANCTUARY: And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. And so, you shall do on the SEVENTH DAY of the month for EVERYONE WHO HAS SINNED unintentionally or in ignorance. Thus, you shall make ATONEMENT FOR THE TEMPLE.” 

PASSOVER/UNLEAVENED BREAD: 

“In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah."

The purpose of Passover in the context of the millennium is significant for both Jewish and Christian traditions. Passover holds profound theological and historical significance, marking the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and highlighting the fulfillment of God's promises through Jesus Christ.

For Christians, Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, symbolizing the redemption and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and His commitment to His people, fulfilling the covenantal relationship established during the Exodus. 

In the Jewish tradition, Passover is a time for families to gather and recount the historical events of the Exodus, emphasizing themes of redemption, freedom, and the establishment of the Jewish nation. It is a time to reflect on the covenant between God and Israel, and to celebrate the birth of the Jewish people. 

FEAST OF TABERNACLES: 

“In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.” 

The purpose of Sukkot in the millennium is to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the protection provided by God during the Israelites' journey in the desert. It serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of hospitality. The holiday marks the end of the harvest season and is associated with the gathering of the harvest. It is a time for families to gather and celebrate the bounty of the land. Sukkot involves dwelling in a sukkah (temporary booths) and taking the Four Kinds, which symbolize the fragility of life and the need for community and protection. 

Historically, the festival has evolved over time, with its roots tracing back to the Second Temple period, where it was a significant pilgrimage festival. Overall, Sukkot is a time for reflection, celebration, and connection with nature and community, reflecting the values of humility, gratitude, and togetherness.

By the end of the thousand years, the world is fully populated, and there are many— "in number they are like the sand on the seashore"—who rebel against the Lord. Even after a millennium of peace, some people will still choose to reject God. Satan's release at the end of the thousand years results in a rebellion. This is a sad commentary on man's limitless ability to reject God and follow his own stubborn pride. Even after ten centuries of peace and righteousness, led by Christ Himself, so many people will be willing to follow Satan.

“…and after that he must be loosed a LITTLE season” Revelation 20:3 

The determination of a little season as 3 – 4 years is based on several references to it in Revelation. (refer to Article "Our Last Ten Years")

“And when the thousand years are expired, SATAN shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the NATIONS which are in the FOUR QUARTERS OF THE EARTH, GOG AND MAGOG, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Revelation 20:7-8

Revelation 20:8 clearly identifies "Gog and Magog" as "the nations which are in the four corners of the earth"—in other words, everyone who follows Satan and war against God and His people in the latter days, at the end of time. In both Ezekiel’s prophecies and John’s description of the end of sin, Gog and Magog are "symbols" of the forces of Satan opposed to God and His people. They picture a battle and war between good and evil, sin and righteousness, God and Satan.

“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city..." Revelation 20:9

Ok, let’s stop once again for clarity. What does the phrase “camp of the saints” mean? We already know that the twelve tribes will inherit the land north and south of the city, so where is this camp? Where will the saints live and why is it called a camp? I could not find anything in scripture detailing our housing situation. However, if we are to reign over the nations, then it is very possible that we will not have a permanent home. We may just settle in a camp outside Jerusalem to meet with the Lord. Furthermore, if we have a spiritual nature and do not need rest, we may not need a place to lay our heads. Discussions have also raised the possibility of us traveling between heaven and earth as needed.

Now that Satan has been released and the nations gathered, God sends Israel a final time into captivity for their rebellion.

WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG (Ezekiel 38-39):

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."

ISRAEL'S CAPTIVITY:

And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”   

“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the House of Israel (millennials) shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so, fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them and hid my face from them.” 

JUDGMENT OF GOG AND MAGOG:

“…and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9

“I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles; and they shall know that I am the Lord."

Once again, those who oppose God will be soundly defeated—this time, however, Satan is cast forever into the lake of fire permanently ending any communication with God or his people. 

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever.” Revelation 20:10

HOUSE OF ISRAEL'S CHASTISEMENT:

“And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.” Leviticus 26:27-28 

"So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name anymore: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.  Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken.”  

SEVEN YEARS OF REPENTANCE: (1000 years x 7 based on “1000 years as a year”)

“And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea (Dead Sea): and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog (Jordan). And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus, shall they cleanse the land.” 

REDEMPTION: AFTER 7 YEARS

“Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen”: but I have gathered them unto their own land and have left none of them anymore there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my “spirit” upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.” 

After the final defeat and punishment of Satan, the rest of mankind is dealt with. Brought back to life in the second resurrection they will stand in front of a great white throne, symbolic of purity and justice. Unlike the rainbow throne described in earlier chapters, this one is austere. 

Second resurrection: 

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

And I saw the dead (millennials), small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

Here at the Great White Throne Judgment, when all the books are opened, people will be judged according to their individual deeds. This determines whether their names are written in the Book of Life. Every person whose name is not found there will face a second death.

Second Death:

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

He will also throw death and the grave into the fire, indicating this is the final judgment. 

“For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

The millennium is the very last opportunity of salvation for the unsaved. Those surviving believers, if they've continued, will receive their glorified bodies, the same as glorified saints, which then becomes the Eternal State. At this point, the earth will be destroyed by fire and victory over death and evil is complete. Every person who followed God has been restored and rescued. Satan is gone forever…

"The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” 2 Peter 3:10

Having concluded our study of the Book of Revelation with a fundamentally renewed understanding of its contents, it is necessary to reexamine the historical prophetic teachings of our ancestors, biblical scholars, theologians, and church leaders. Rather than describing a single final judgment on humanity, the text indicates three distinct periods of tribulation, all ending within their own sabbatical cycle.

The first was a ten-year period of tribulation for the Jewish people, spanning from 63 AD to 73 AD and ending 30 sabbatical cycles. Following this, the Gentiles will undergo a ten-year period of tribulation, ending the church age at 77 sabbatical cycles. Ultimately, the Millennials will endure a final ten-year period. By ending the final sabbatical cycle on earth, they will also receive the same opportunity for grace. This framework profoundly demonstrates the patience and benevolence of the Father, providing a time during which He grants all mankind the opportunity for eternal life.