The Millennial Reign Of Christ

by G. Prasher | Category: God's Ways With Men | Jul 1932

THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY.

If there is one thought more precious than another to the lover of Christ it is surely this, that in the very place where He was so shamefully treated by man, He will be manifested in kingly glory; where shame and scorn were heaped upon Him, as He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, there He will be weighted with majesty and honour. "In that day shall the Branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious" (Isaiah 4. 2). As Branch He is seen as THE MAN (Zechariah 6. 12); as the SERVANT (Zechariah 3. 8); and as the reigning and prospering KING (Jeremiah 23. 5); and surely in Isaiah 4. we can think of Him as God. "Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold a far stretching land." There He will be seen in majesty, amidst the broad rivers and streams of that city, which, from its quiet security, is likened unto a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall the cords thereof be broken. As Judge, and Lawgiver, and King He will be ever present for salvation (Isaiah 33. 17, 20-22). Comely, indeed, it is for us to be girding up the loins of our mind, to be sober and set our hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do we not agree with Mrs. A. R. Cousin, as she says

The King there in His beauty

Without a veil is seen

It were a well-spent journey

Though seven deaths lay between!

Another has said: "His word is peace, His look is love, His hand is help, His touch is life, and his smile is heaven."

KINGS AND PRIESTS.

Not only will the throne be firmly established in the Millennium, but the house of the LORD will also be built. From Zechariah 6. 12, 13, we learn some interesting facts in relation thereto: "Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD: Even He shall build the temple of the Lord." Surely that wonderful plan for the house, given through Ezekiel, will then be followed! A temple, that will be in keeping with the glorious reign of the Christ, will take the place of that which will be desecrated by the Man of Sin. We recall that Moses was faithful in all God's house, and this both as to its erection and as to its services; but the Lord Jesus Christ hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as He that built the house hath more honour than the house; and so we know that in erecting the Millennial temple His knowledge and His faithfulness will guarantee a place worthy of the feet of God, and which becometh His place of rest. Of the Lord we read, "And He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (verse 13). In Old Testament times a clear line of demarcation was set between the kingly and the priestly families. Uzziah the king of Judah, when his heart was lifted up so that he did corruptly, and trespassed against the LORD his God in going into the temple of the LORD to burn incense, ignored this barrier, and brought wrath upon himself. What Moses might have been had he not incurred divine anger (Exodus 4. 14), and what Uzziah attempted and thereby incurred the LORD'S displeasure (2 Chronicles 26. 20), the Lord Jesus Christ will bear under the smile of the Father-the glory of King and Priest : "He shall bear the glory." This glory, too, is going to be shared by His overcoming bands. "They lived and reigned with Christ, a thousand years... they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him the thousand years" (Revelation 20. 4, and 6, R.V.M.), describes the blessing of those who overcome in the perilous reign of the Beast. In the personal view of the writer there will be

RESURRECTED MEN IN RULE

and worship here on earth; and under the Great Ruler, who will be King and Priest. The like will not have been seen before. Clothed in the vigour and youth of immortality, or incorruption, these will be immune to all the diseases that earth knows now, and to every power of man then. The rod of iron, that will characterise the rule of that day, will be effectually wielded in these ambidextrous hands. These overcoming ones will not, we suggest, come from the period of the Great Tribulation only, but also from the period we are now in (see Revelation 3. 21; 2 Timothy 2. 12; Revelation 17. 14; Matthew 19. 28).

A FEAST OF FAT THINGS.

That darkness that shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples (Isaiah 60. 2), shall speedily recede before the LORD who shall rise upon Israel, and His glory that shall be seen upon them. "Nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." "Strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favour have I had mercy on thee" (Isaiah 60.3, 10). With such words the LORD indicates the great change which is in store for His Israel people. Again, "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and aliens shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the priests of the LORD: men shall call you the ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61. 5, 6). Thus Israel will be released from the fields and the vines, and, like the tribe of Levi in the past, will attend to the work of the LORD in connection with His house. Priests of the LORD, and ministers of our God will abound in Jerusalem, and the worship of God will proceed with each recurring day; but not this alone, for where the LORD has His portion there will always be a portion for the worshipper. "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 (the teaching), and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2. 3), will be the voice of many peoples. And what will be the result? The priest's lips will then keep knowledge; and the ministers of God, who will minister the Word, will do so in closest fellowship with the KING and PRIEST upon the throne. Then shall be fulfilled the words: "And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined" (Isaiah 25. 6). How sweet to the taste, and how enlightening to the understanding, will be this provision of God for the nations! And when we remember that the veil which darkens the mind is done away, we can the better appreciate the statement, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11. 9). Then, indeed, the law of the LORD will be written on the minds and hearts of men, "And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, And every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them (Hebrews 8. 11).

LIGHT AND TRUTH LEAD TO GOD.

We have sometimes used the illustration of the lighthouse on the southern promontory of the Shetlands. Far into the darkness, and over the tidal waters, the Sumburgh lighthouse sends three flashes of light, which are followed by an interval; when again three flashes of light sweep along the waters. These tell the mariner his whereabouts, and if he is led by the light and truth of the kindly rays, he will be saved from doom on the unfriendly rocks around. But suppose that some infernal hand were to alter the mechanism of the lamps, so that, instead of three flashes followed by an interval, there were but two. What would be the result? Here would be light and lying. Just what Satan and his hosts are doing to-day-"for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11. 14, 15). Well did the sons of Korah cry,

"0 send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me:

Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill,

And to Thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God,

Unto God my exceeding joy" (Psalm 43. 3, 4).

Two things are needed if we are to be guided aright: we must get light and truth; and we must be willing to follow the light. Speaking of His Father's teaching, of which He was the exponent, the Lord Jesus said: "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching whether it be of God" (John 1. 17). In the Millennium the light and truth will be present; and there will also be the willingness to do, as note the words:-

"and He will teach us of His ways,

and we will walk in His paths."

Then "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2.14).

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

In a world of corruption, like this wherein we live, it is with difficulty that we conceive of a world in which righteousness will be enforced. Tragedy follows upon the heel of tragedy to-day, and it is alarming to read the long list of untraced murderers, not to speak of other criminals, who on earth have succeeded in evading the hand of justice. Corruption in official circles is credited with its share of guilt (in some countries this is more glaring than in others) in connection with this condition of things. The helplessness and the hopelessness of man as a ruler is borne home to us from this angle in our times: but it is refreshing to contemplate the time when, "a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment" (Isaiah 32. 1). "Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field" (verse 16). These are the very places wherein our present-day rulers find such difficulty. The vast tracts of land in America, with their wilderness solitude, are happy hunting grounds for the evaders of justice and judgment ; while the fruitful fields of industry have become sordid fields of battle, through the avarice and lawlessness of man. But the promise is true, "And a throne shall be established in mercy, and One shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David; judging, and seeking judgment, and swift to do righteousness" (Isaiah 16. 5). What will it mean to have the uprooting of all the debris of infamy, shame, and corruption in the courts of the world! (We gladly recognise, however, that the British Justiciary is the envy of the world for its righteous dealing) and no more putrid papers pouring from the press! Drawing "iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope" will cease; and the woe will fall upon "them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5. 20).

Upon Jesse's Shoot and Branch shall rest that seven-fold spirit:-

"The spirit of the LORD,

the spirit of wisdom

and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge

and of the fear of the LORD;

And His scent shall be 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: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins " (Isaiah 11. 1-5, R.V.M.). The battle of wits, so constantly in evidence in courts to-day, will have no place then; and mammon, the purchaser of the powerful advocate, will be no longer served. Instead of being crushed against the wall, the meek shall inherit the earth. "Behold My Servant," saith the LORD, "whom I uphold; My Chosen, in whom My soul delighteth: I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment in truth. He shall not fail (or burn daily) nor be discouraged (or bruised), till He have set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for His law" (Isaiah 42. 1-4).

THE EFFECT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Prussian militarism gave a rude shock to the hopes which centred in the Hague ; and recent events, connected with Japan and Manchuria, are but forebodings of the troubles that lie in wait for the League of Nations. While man remains unregenerate his covetousness will lead him to capture what his power deems his prey. "There are two things that move men, fear, and interest," said Napoleon, when he was First Consul of France. His keen insight into the motives of men, who buzzed subserviently around him, was thus made vocal. Doubtless he knew it in his inward experience too ; for as he moved step by step toward the Tuileries, the object of his interest, he was wisely steadied by his fears. Intrigue, coupled with ability, finally got him there. Men and nations are alike, and it is undeniable that fear and interest are governing factors in the world of nations. "Vanity asks, Is it popular? Experience asks, Is it safe? Conscience asks, Is it right? " But the last of these is surely at a discount in our days. This is what lies at the base of all the troubles of the world. Interest ousts righteousness, with the result that no one nation has confidence in another. Even while they grasp the hand in friendship, they spy with their secret services. Self rules the roost, and shapes both home and foreign policies. "As for both these kings... they shall speak lies at one table" (Daniel 11. 27), is a divine unfolding of the time of the end. How refreshing then, to turn from the failings of man, and consider the perfect justice of Him who is to come! For "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide concerning many peoples" (Isaiah 2. 4). And what will flow from this ? Let us listen to the remainder of that verse of Isaiah 2., "and they shall heat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Why will there be complete, universal disarmament then? To this the answer is clear and plain, and can best be stated in the words of Scripture:-

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and confidence for ever"

(Isaiah 32. 17).

"In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace, till the moon be no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; And His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: All nations shall serve Him"

(Psalm 72. 7-11).

Besides the confidence in His righteousness, which is betokened in the abolition of all military and naval schools for teaching war, and the conversion of war implements into those for agricultural uses, the wisdom and glory of the KING (the same whose "visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men") will find kings with their mouths shut because of Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand (Isaiah 52. 14, 15). Like the Queen of Sheba, these kings will have no more spirit in them. Her words concerning the wisdom of Solomon will be fitting in their mouths: "Behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard."

G. Prasher | Jul 1932
God's Ways With Men