The Millennial Reign (Cont'd)

by J.L. Ferguson, Barrhead | Category: The Finger Of Prophecy | Dec 1970

What will be the nature of the worship of God?

There is a progression of thought in Ezekiel 37-48 which we may not lightly set aside. Chapter 36.16-38 reveals God's future programme of unmerited favour towards Israel, not for great Name, and their own sake, but for His own holy and based on this He says "be ashamed and confounded for your ways, 0 house of Israel" (verse 32). Following this, chapter 37 prophesies the national restoration of the twelve tribes of Israel. Chapters 38 and 39 show that Gog will be the commander of the attacking hordes of the north, only to be destroyed on the mountains of Israel. From chapter 40 onwards the prophet describes how he was brought in the visions of God to Israel's land and there he saw the temple of a future day, with its ordinances of divine service, its priesthood and its law of sacrifice. He saw also the revised position of the tribes in the land, lying in great parallel bands stretching from west to east, central to this layout being, "oblation", and central to the oblation, "the sanctuary". In pursuit of this thought there has been fairly general acceptance that in Ezekiel 40 to 48 we have in view the millennial city, temple and priestly service. Central in the land will be the oblation described in Ezekiel 48.8-22.

The sons of Zadok will lead the priestly service as a reward for consecration in their day of opportunity. The Levites will again minister in holy things, albeit in a restricted way. This is all set out in Ezekiel 44. There will be an altar and a law of sacrifice although all the Levitical offerings will not be reintroduced. A notable omission, and deeply significant, is the lamb of the evening oblation (the hour of Calvary). All offerings will clearly be memorial in character, in retrospective appreciation of the crosswork of Him Who will then sit as a priest upon His throne and bear the glory (Zechariah 6.13).

We should state in fairness at this point that many devout students of the Word are so perplexed at the contemplation of reversion to animal sacrifice that they would not subscribe to the foregoing view. Rather, they consider the Ezekiel Temple and cognate matters as what might have been an "alternative purpose of God", an arrangement of things which He would have introduced during the first period of Israel's nationhood had they responded to divine entreaty that is "If they be ashamed of all that they have done" (Ezekiel 43.11). We mention with respect the viewpoint, although not subscribing to it. Other portions of the Word besides the foregoing would appear to call for reversion to animal sacrifice, as for example Isaiah 60.7, 66.20-23. If our understanding is correct, we can rest assured that no legal ceremonial will ever be allowed by God to be in conflict with the truth of the New Covenant, that "He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10.12). The whole arrangement of things will be just as precious a memorial of the Lord's death to those in that day, as are the bread and wine in all their simplicity t6 us in our day. And doubtless they will sing the precious little psalter of Messiah's reigning day, commencing with Psalm 92, a song for the Sabbath day (and what a Sabbath day the Millennium will be!) through to Psalm 100, a psalm of thanksgiving.

How does the final rebellion arise?

From such a scripture as Isaiah 65.20 it is clear that in the Millennium men and women will live very long lives. Some have seen a significance in the fact that the longest premillennial life on record (Methuselah, 969 years) was not allowed to reach 1,000 years. This honour may yet be shared by many who will enter the kingdom and in faithfulness see all of its 1,000 years. "For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people" (Isaiah 65.22), and "The child shall die a hundred years old".

The same portion teaches also that "the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed". So there will be sin in the Millennium. Those who enter the kingdom from the judgement of the living nations shall be eternally saved people. Yet they may sin, though not so as to lose their eternal inheritance. In this they are like believers today, and in one further particular, for they will have children who will be born equally alienated from God as are the children of believing parents today. So gradually in the kingdom the potential to sin will increase, and the further from the King the greater the potential. Sin will, of course, be under great restraint by reason of the firm yet beneficent rule of the King, and by reason also of the fact that Satan will be bound and unable to stimulate sin in the human heart as he had done through the hitherto course of time. But gradually in the kingdom the potential to sin will increase, for it lies deep in the human heart, quite apart from immediate Satanic temptation. Those who sin, and those who "yield feigned obedience" as foreseen in Deuteronomy 33.29; Psalm 18.43,44; 66.3; 81.15 (R.V. margin) will doubtless resent the judgements of the administration of righteousness and seek to avoid them by moving as far away as possible to the four corners of the earth.

The final tragedy of the Millennium will be the immense response to Satan on his release from the chain of the abyss. It will be the climax of proof of the fallen nature of man, unresponsive to every manifestation of divine goodness. At the close of the 1,000 years Satan will be loosed and will go in his fury to deal a final blow at all those who love God. He is said to be loosed "for a little time" (Revelation 20.3). In this brief period he will obviously spread over all the earth the deceptive propaganda he has planned in his devilish mind during his millennial imprisonment. From the four corners of the earth they will come, from Gog to Magog, duped hordes like the sand of the sea for number, drawn irresistibly to the City of the Great King. Note, it is the dwellers in earth's four corners who are thus deceived, those settled furthest from the King. The object of attack is "the beloved city" and with it is associated "the camp of the saints", just as Ezekiel saw the city within the oblation. But not a blow will be struck, for when the attacking hosts will have completely surrounded the sacred area, divine fire descends and destroys every trace of rebellion against the King.

"Then cometh the end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15.24,25).

J.L. Ferguson, Barrhead | Dec 1970
The Finger Of Prophecy