Correspondence: 1,000 Year Reign Christians; 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Christmas

From: Correspondence

Narrator: Chris Genthree

From: Young Christian: Volume 18, 1928

• 4 min. read • grade level: 7

Ques. Are all who live on earth during the thousand years of the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, born again? T. H.

Ans. In reading the prophetical scriptures it seems a mistake to think that all are saved, for it is a reign of judgment, the last part of man's trial.

In Isa. 11 the land is settled with the Jews who were saved out of the tribulation. The land is full of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; in Jehovah's holy mountain nothing can hurt or destroy (Verses 1.9; Zech. 13:9⁹And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:9)).

In Verse 11, He sets His hand to gather the rest of the Jews, and (Verse 12) He sets up an ensign for the nations, and gathers the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of the Jews. When the twelve tribes are gathered in the Land, the new covenant is made (Jer. 31:31-34³¹Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: ³²Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: ³³But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, 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 31:31‑34), and Heb. 8:8-12⁸For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: ⁹Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. ¹⁰For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: ¹¹And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. ¹²For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:8‑12)).

“And so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom. 11:26²⁶And 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: (Romans 11:26)) that is, Israel as a whole (not a remnant, nor every individual).

In Psa. 101; Isa. 32:1¹Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. (Isaiah 32:1), we find a continual every-day session of judgment. In Isa. 11:13¹³The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:13), Israel is at peace with themselves, and in verse 14 they begin to subdue their enemies,-they go to war in the Lord's battles, for it is earthly judgment (see Isa. 41:10-16¹⁰Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ¹¹Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. ¹²Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. ¹³For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. ¹⁴Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁵Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. ¹⁶Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:10‑16); Jer. 51:20²⁰Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; (Jeremiah 51:20); Mic. 4:13; 5:7, 8¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Micah 4:13)
⁷And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. ⁸And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (Micah 5:7‑8); Psa. 149). King David subdues, and Solomon reigns, as types of this time, and Melchisedec greets them on their return with bread and wine (Gen. 14:18¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (Genesis 14:18)).

Though Satan is bound, man's heart is the same, so judgment of sin and death comes in (Isa. 65:20²⁰There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isaiah 65:20); Zech. 14:12, 16-19¹²And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. (Zechariah 14:12)
¹⁶And 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. ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. ¹⁹This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16‑19)); and when Satan is loosed, an immense multitude come up in rebellion against God (Rev. 20:1-3, 7-9¹And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, ³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1‑3)
⁷And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, ⁸And 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. ⁹And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7‑9)).

The full answer to the finished work of Christ is seen in the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (John 1:29²⁹The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29); Col. 1:20²⁰And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20); Heb. 9:23²³It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23); 2 Peter 3:13¹³Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13); Rev. 21:1¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1).4), but all through the reign of Christ we can trace sin, and judgment following it. Psa. 18:44⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. (Psalm 18:44) (margin) tells us the heathen, when Christ reigns as their Head, yield feigned obedience.

Ques. Please explain 1 Cor. 6:2, 3²Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2‑3). L. A. W.

Ans. These verses are part of a rebuke against the worldly behavior of the Corinthian saints, who seem to have been going to law courts against some of themselves. This was shameful for Christians. Those who are destined to reign with Christ, and thus share in governing the world and angels in millennial days, should know now rather to suffer wrong than do such a thing. The following verses will show some instances that we will reign with Christ (Matt. 19:28²⁸And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28); Luke 22:29, 30²⁹And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; ³⁰That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:29‑30); 2 Tim. 2:12¹²If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (2 Timothy 2:12); Eph. 1:18¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18); Rev. 2:26, 27; 3:21; 21:12²⁶And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: ²⁷And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Revelation 2:26‑27)
²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
¹²And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: (Revelation 21:12). Read 1 Cor. 6:1¹Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? (1 Corinthians 6:1) to 8).

Ques. What should the believer's attitude be in regard to Christmas? Does Rom. 13:7⁷Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:7) apply to it as a custom? D. C.

Ans. Rom. 13:1¹Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1).7 and 1 Peter 2:13, 14¹³Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; ¹⁴Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. (1 Peter 2:13‑14) are secular ordinances and laws which we are to observe as citizens or inhabitants of the country.

Gal. 4:10, 11¹⁰Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. ¹¹I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. (Galatians 4:10‑11); Col. 2:16, 20-22¹⁶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (Colossians 2:16)
²⁰Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, ²¹(Touch not; taste not; handle not; ²²Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? (Colossians 2:20‑22) are religious ordinances which have no claim on the Christian as being dead with Christ and risen with Christ, and so is free from the law and all religious ordinances. We have only the Lord's supper which we observe in remembrance of our Lord in His death.

We do not find in Scripture the day or the month in which Christ our Lord was born. No registry was ever heard of that had His name in it. Even the year can only be calculated from a decree of the Roman Emperor (see Luke 2:1, 2¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) (Luke 2:1‑2)). We cannot therefore keep His birthday.

December 25 has no real claim to be it. That is a heathen feast day to their Idols when the Emperor Constantine favored the Christians. He had part of his army baptized though still unconverted. Their feast days were called church days, and the great feast day was called Christmas. It is therefore a mixture of Romanism and Paganism. Some Christians reverence the day as Christ's birthday, but with most, it seems a day of feasting and worldly pleasure. Merchants like it because of their increase of business, and the gifts increase their income. The poor too come in for a share at that time, but helping the poor should be whenever we find out their need. It is too bad to keep their gifts from them to celebrate a worldly feast. Christmas has therefore no claim on the obedient Christian (Rom. 12:2²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)).

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