The Bible tells us that at the end of the thousand years, Jesus Himself will physically sit on the throne of David and He will reign from Jerusalem and every nation will have to come to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14 tells you about that. There will be probably different new airlines: Air Messiah, Messiah Airline, Jesus Airways. They’re all coming. And think about it. Every nation must come because the nation that will not be there will not be having the blessing from God. God will not pour rain upon that nation. So they all will come and they will see Him and they will know that He’s King and the world will be as close as possible to what it was before the curse of sin came. As close as possible because it’s never going to be that perfect. That’s why God will have to make all things new eventually.
But think about it. Perfect, almost perfect world, perfect righteousness coming out of Jerusalem to the whole world. All of us will have our glorified bodies. No diets. You will never be late anywhere. We will reign and judge with Him. You understand that? And you would think that by then the world is convinced. But what’s going to happen when the thousand years is going to expire? Satan, the Bible says in Revelation 20, will be released from the bottomless pit for a short time. And guess what’s going to happen when he’s released for a short time? Verse 7 of Chapter 20 says, “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and he will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle whose number is of the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.”
The world that witnessed this wonderful righteousness coming out of Jerusalem is going to come and turn against it. All of this is going to happen, whether you like it or not. Through those verses I read from Ezekiel, who can you see controls the Middle East? God controls the Middle East. It’s not Russia and it’s not China and it’s not America and it’s not Iran and it’s certainly not Saudi Arabia. They know nothing. That is why Psalm 2 says, “Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together.” Eventually, what it is it? It’s against who? It’s against the Lord and against His anointed saying, what? “Let us break their bones in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” This is what the world wants. “We don’t want to live under God’s rules. We don’t want to live under God’s laws and amazing statues. We don’t. We want to do whatever we want to do. We are gods. We want to replace God.”
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
Among the many scriptural and practical ways this is proven to be true, none make it more clear than the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. After a thousand years of Satan being bound, after a thousand years of perfect justice on the earth, after a thousand years of a near Eden-like condition on the earth, this happens:
Revelation 20:7-10
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
As we watch the world degrade further and further into delusion, these verses remind us that, apart from God, the human heart remains desperately wicked. We also need to remember that remaining apart from God is the choice of billions.
Romans 1:20-22
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.
Brothers and sisters, someday all of this foolishness and its impact on our lives will end. Someday we will live in a city whose builder and maker is God. We will walk streets of gold, we will meet saints from every age and corner of the earth, we will see angels and hear the mantra of the four living creatures. Someday we will see Jesus and when we do, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).
Until that time, as we see the nations rage and the people plot vain things against the Lord, we need to remember this:
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Through Christ, our minds and hearts are guarded in a desperately wicked world. And in this season of history, as well any other, we can have the peace God.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!