The Universal Worship Of The Lord During The Millennium

by J. Lindsay, Hamilton | Category: Worship | Nov 1964

To those who have followed with any measure of care the series articles on "Worship" during the past year, one fact emerges clearly and that is, that God desires a house primarily that therein His people may worship and serve Him. This is true of God's house in all dispensations, whether in the past, the present, or in the future - during the glorious millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The material of the house varies, it was a curtained tabernacle in the wilderness; Solomon's temple was built of costly stones and other materials, and was "exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries" (1 Chronicles 22.5), and for which David took much pleasure in providing the materials. The spiritual house of today is composed of living stones, of such people as have tasted that the Lord is gracious, who are brought together under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to engage in divine service. The primary purpose of God remains unaltered, to have a people to worship and serve Him. Thus Paul writes

"Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2.5).

If God does not get such sacrifices from His people, through their failing to realize what is due to God in the matter of worship, there is something seriously wrong. Failure in this important matter of worship must lead to failure in other forms of service. We recall the sad days associated with Eli and the priestly family. Failure in the sanctuary resulted in one of the greatest disasters which ever overtook the armies of Israel when the LORD

"forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,

The tent which He placed among men;

And delivered His strength into captivity,

And His glory into the adversary's hand" (Psalm 78.60, 61).

So low had God's people fallen that the LORD could no longer restrain judgement.

That the present setting aside of Israel is temporary is clearly stated in Romans 11: Paul asks the question, "Did they stumble that they might fall?" Did Israel fall never to rise again, never to regain their place in the future purposes of God? Paul repudiates this thought:

"God forbid: but by their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (Romans 11.11). Israel's present state - set aside by God - is due to their rejection of Christ. Psalm 69, which is clearly a Messianic psalm, takes us to the cross.

"They gave Me also gall for My meat;

And in my thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink" (verse 21).

This is immediately followed by the sentence being passed,

"Let their table before them become a snare;

And when they are in peace, let it become a trap.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not;

And make their loins continually to shake" (verses 22, 23).

That Israel will ultimately be restored to their land and to their God is clearly stated in Romans 11.26.

"And so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

When this restoration takes place no Israelites will ever go back from the Lord.

"Let Thy hand be upon the Man of Thy right hand,

Upon the Son of Man whom Thou makest strong for Thyself.

So shall we not go back from Thee" (Psalm 80.17, 18). Again in Isaiah 59.21 we read,

"And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the LORD:

My Spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth,

shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,

nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever".

In Isaiah 62 we are told of watchmen who have to take no rest and give Him no rest till deliverance comes. They are continually to be reminding the LORD that His glory and His honour are involved in the establishment of Israel in their land and in Jerusalem becoming a praise to His name in the earth. Concerning this glorious purpose God has sworn that He will accomplish this (Isaiah 62.8). In verse 8 the Lord connects His oath with "His right hand, and by the arm of His strength". Here the arm of the LORD is introduced. It is through Christ this work will be wrought. The arm is characterized by strength. Christ is the power of God as well as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians

1.24).

The close of Isaiah 62 tells us how this work will be accomplished. The "daughter of Zion" (Isaiah 62. 11) is evidently the "very small remnant" (Isaiah 1.8, 9). This will be the God-fearing remnant of Israel who will be restored. They will be called of God and a standard will be lifted up to which they shall gather. Every stumbling block to their entrance to the city will be removed (Isaiah 62.10). This shall take place by the coming of King Messiah, who is described as their "Salvation" (verse 11). "His reward is with Him, and His recompence before Him" (verse 11). This redemption will be a vital and a spiritual reality and not just a national thing with no regard to the state of the individual. The salvation of Israel will be as much an act of mercy as is that of the Gentile.

The LORD will reveal to the tender, melted heart of Israel the truth concerning Christ and His work. Isaiah tells of the heartbroken confession of Israel as recorded in Isaiah 53, when they contrast their former false judgement with how they then will regard Him.

"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed" (verse 5).

The result of this restoration will be that Israel will become more glorious than ever before; "a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God" (Isaiah 62.3). Not only so but they will answer to God's purpose in them in a way they have never done before. They will be known throughout the earth as "The holy people, the redeemed of the LORD" (Isaiah 62.x2). Again in Isaiah we read, "But ye shall be named the priests of the LORD: men shall call you the ministers of our God" (61.6).

Few truths have been more clearly revealed in God's word or perhaps few truths more seriously ignored by so many of God's children than that God never did acknowledge at any one time more than one place of worship upon earth. Even when Israel was a divided nation the LORD refers time and again to the sin of Jeroboam in setting aside this divine principle and in setting up other centres of worship and another order of priesthood.

In the coming Millennial reign of Christ when He shall be King over all the earth and when God's will is being done on earth, as never before, there will only be one centre of worship - Jerusalem. Jerusalem will also be the centre of government from which the law shall go forth (Isaiah 2. x-3;, besides being the centre of worship unto which the nations shall go up (Isaiah 66.23). Israel in that day will be the leader of the nations in returning to God and in the worship given to Him.

In Isaiah 56, we read of the LORD'S purpose in gathering others "beside His own that are gathered" (verse 8). Of these the LORD says,

"Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar: for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples" (verse 7).

From Zechariah we learn that the temple which will be in Jerusalem during the reign of Christ will be built by the LORD, and that He will be a King-Priest.

"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; 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" (Zechariah 6.12, 13).

While we rejoice today in the words of the hymn,

"No blood, no altar now,

The sacrifice is o'er

No flame, no smoke ascends on high,

The lamb is slain no more,

But richer blood has flowed from nobler veins,

To purge the soul from guilt, and cleanse the reddest stains", it is quite clear from many portions that associated with the worship of God there will be animal sacrifices. (See Needed Truth 1960, page 128). Ezekiel chapters 45 and 46 show this very clearly. These sacrifices will be to Israel in the glorious reign of Christ a reminder of the one great sacrifice of Calvary.

We can only faintly imagine how the hearts of men will be poured forth in gratitude and praise and worship as Calvary in all its divine and abundant efficacy is brought before them. Jeremiah tells us how "they shall come and sing in the height of Zion" (Jeremiah 31.12). The goodness of God will no longer be despised by Israel but will be combined with spiritual life; "their soul shall be as a watered garden" (Jeremiah 31. 12). The universal character of the worship in the Millennial reign of Christ is clearly stated in the Scriptures, "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14.16). Verse 17 of the same chapter tells us of the judgement which shall fall on those who refuse to go up to Jerusalem to keep the feast of tabernacles. Many other precious portions of God's word testify to this great truth. It has been truly written,

"I cannot tell how all the lands will worship

When at His bidding every storm is stilled;

Or who shall say how great the jubilation,

When all the hearts of men with joy are filled,

But this 1 know, the heavens shall thrill with gladness,

And myriad, myriad human voices sing,

And earth to heaven and heaven to earth shall answer,

At last the Saviour, Saviour of the world is King."

J. Lindsay, Hamilton | Nov 1964
Worship