The Coming and Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Age to Come, or the Millennium, Part 5

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There will not be any ark, as in the temple of old; for the prophet Jeremiah tells us, in Jeremiah 3:16-1716And 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. 17At 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), that “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.” (margin, be magnified). “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.”
“In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the rations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you” (Zech. 8:2323Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8:23)). Idolatry, which will have been forced upon the nation (and readily accepted by the mass), and also throughout the domain of the beast, will be utterly abolished by the Lord when He comes in judgment. For “in that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold. which they made each one for himself to worship. to the moles, an to the bats” (Isa. 2:12-2212For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: 13And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, 15And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, 16And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. 17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 18And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 22Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? (Isaiah 2:12‑22)).
The shekinah glory, the glory of the God of Israel, will come from the way of the east, where it was last seen when retreating from the earth, after the captivity of Judah. (Ezek. 11:22-2322Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. (Ezekiel 11:22‑23)). It will then fill the house or temple (Ezek. 43:1-51Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 3And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 4And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. (Ezekiel 43:1‑5)), which is called “the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever” (Ezek. 43:77And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. (Ezekiel 43:7)). “The Lord is great in Zion: and He is high above all the people. Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. The king’s strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost establish equity, Thou executed judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy” (Psa. 99:2-52The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. 3Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. 4The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. 5Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. (Psalm 99:2‑5)).
There will also be a prince at the head of the house of Israel, mentioned many times from Ezekiel 44-46. He must in no way be confounded with the Lord, as he is the prince of Israel, ruling as His vicegerent in the land, and offering sacrifices in connection with the temple worship; whereas Christ will reign with His saints over the earth.
The land, Israel’s ancient inheritance, now almost a wilderness, and under the dominion of the Gentiles, will then be redivided after a new order, each tribe having its measured portion, and a holy oblation foursquare in the center, divided among the priests and the Levites,1 and part for the city and suburbs. On either side of this, the residue will be for the prince. (Ezek. 48; 45:7).
Then as to the city of Jerusalem itself in that day, its glory and magnificence, as described in the prophets and the Psalms, will far surpass anything that the world has ever seen, much as men boast of the wonders they have wrought. Neither the ancient cities of Nineveh and Babylon, with all their glories, nor the modern cities of London and Paris, bear any comparison.
From Zechariah. 14:10 we find that “all the land shall be turned as a plain, from Geba (north) to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem: and it (that is, the city) shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place.” The Mount of Olives is described as cleaving asunder when touched by the feet of the Lord at His appearing. Important physical changes will take place, thus affording a most magnificent plateau for the enlargement of the city during His reign.
Well may the Psalmist sing, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king” (Psa. 48:22Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (Psalm 48:2)). And again, “Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following” (Psa. 48:12-1312Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 13Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. (Psalm 48:12‑13)). And again, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined” (Psa. 50:22Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. (Psalm 50:2)). “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah” (Psa. 87:33Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. (Psalm 87:3)). “Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city” (Isa. 52:11Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. (Isaiah 52:1)).” Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise (Isa. 60:1818Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:18)). “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken: neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (that is, my delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (that is, married): for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married” (Isa. 62:1-41For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. 3Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. (Isaiah 62:1‑4)).
These are a few of the many passages indicating the unprecedented glory and splendor of the city of the Lord of hosts, in the day of Israel’s blessing, and the earth’s jubilee. But this is not all; for not only will it be a praise in the earth for its beauty, but the center of government and blessing for the earth under the Lord’s righteous rule. “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. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:2-32And 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. 3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2‑3)). “Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto Thee” (Psa. 68:2929Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. (Psalm 68:29)). “Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him” (Psa. 72:1111Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72:11)). It is then that the government shall be upon His shoulder, and He shall reign as the true Solomon, the Prince of Peace, from the river to the ends of the earth (Isa. 9:6-76For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6‑7)).
“He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:44And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4); Psa. 46:9; 68:309He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. (Psalm 46:9)
30Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war. (Psalm 68:30); Mic. 4:33And 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 4:3)). The Mighty God shall judge the earth, and take war from it. Instead of nation arming and warring against nation as now, peace shall flow as a river; a king shall reign in righteousness, “the Prince of Peace,” and princes with Him shall rule in judgment (Isa. 33:11Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. (Isaiah 33:1)).
(Continued and to be continued).