{"id":19246,"date":"2019-04-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/the-coming-kingdom-066\/"},"modified":"2019-04-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T05:00:00","slug":"the-coming-kingdom-066","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/the-coming-kingdom-066\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coming Kingdom 066"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[91],"series_event":[470],"sermon_service_type":[474],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-19246","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-1-corinthians","series_event-the-coming-kingdom","sermon_service_type-wednesday-evenings","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"The Coming Kingdom 066","sermon_date":"20190417","sermon_month":"4","sermon_year":"2019","sermon_notes":6569,"sermon_slides":6570,"sermon_mp3":6571,"sermon_id":"41719224131261","series_or_event":470,"service_type":[474],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":91,"chapter_and_verse":"15:23-28","sermon_transcript":"Andy Woods\n\nThe Coming Kingdom\n\n4-17-19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1 Corinthians 15:23-28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lesson 66\n\nLet\u2019s look at verses 23-28 this evening.\u00a0 And I think it\u2019s sort of providential that we would find ourselves in this chapter and these set of verses considering the week that we\u2019re in, which is Holy Week.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got Good Friday coming up and of course Sunday morning is Resurrection Sunday.\u00a0 And so this whole chapter, as you probably know, is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 And there\u2019s some verses in it that hardly get talked about, it\u2019s the paragraph there, verses 23-28.\u00a0 So let\u2019s take a look at those.\n\n1 Corinthians 15:23, Paul writes, \u201cBut each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ\u2019s at His coming, [24] then comes<\/em> the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. [25] For He must reign\u201d that\u2019s probably the key verse there, \u201cFor He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. [26] The last enemy that will be abolished is death. [27] For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. \u00a0But when He says, \u2018All things are put in subjection,\u2019 it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. [28] When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.\u201d\n\nSo really the battle is there in verse 25, \u201cFor He must reign until He has put all His enemies under \u00a0His feet.\u201d\u00a0 Is that describing a present reign or is that describing a future reign. \u201cKingdom Now\u201d theologians, as I\u2019ll s how you, basically believe that\u2019s describing a present reign of Christ.\u00a0 But I believe these verses are teaching is a future reign of Christ, primarily during the thousand year reign of Christ.\u00a0 But notice the context of this whole thing first of all. If you look at verse 24 it says, \u201cthen comes the end,\u201d\u00a0 the end<\/u> \u201cwhen He hands over the kingdom to God and Father.\u201d\u00a0 So it\u2019s pretty clear here that the context is dealing with something that will take place yet future.\n\nAnd I have this quote here from Alva J. McLain which sort of shows you the context of these verses.\u00a0 Alva J. McLain writes in his excellent book, The Greatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive Study of the Kingdom of God as Set Forth in the Scriptures (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 435.\n\nHe says, \u201cThe time of the Kingdom may be ascertained from the main subject matter of the context, which is resurrection<\/em>. Every man must be raised from the dead, we are told, but each in his own order\u2026 \u00a0This threefold order of resurrection fits the eschatological system of the New Testament; first the resurrection of Christ Himself; second, the resurrection of His saints at the Second Advent \u00a0(1 Thessalonians 4:13\u201318); third, the resurrection of the unsaved at the \u2018end\u2019 (cf. Rev. 20:11\u201315). Since the Kingdom is to be established at the second coming of Christ, and it is to be delivered up to the Father at the \u2018end,\u2019 the period of the kingdom must be located in the future between the two resurrections, as also indicated clearly in Revelation 20.\u201d\n\nSo I think he has it right there and I\u2019m going to try to show you why I think he\u2019s got the right view of verses 23-28.\u00a0 It\u2019s sort of hard to talk about how people are twisting a passage unless we understand what does the passage actually say.\u00a0 So once you understand what it says then you can see how Kingdom Now theologians twist the meaning of the passage.\u00a0 So what is this passage about?\u00a0 Let\u2019s go through this piece by piece before we talk about how it\u2019s being abused.\n\nYou\u2019ll notice verse 23, it says, \u201ceach in his own order:\u201d now the Greek word for \u201corder\u201d there is tagma<\/em>, it\u2019s a Roman illustration Paul is using, he\u2019s talking about a Roman parade.\u00a0 So when the Romans conquered a people group they had a parade, they had the conquering general out front followed by the lead officer, followed by the soldiers who were victorious in battle. And then after them would come the captives, those that had been captured in battle, they were in cages or chains, and that\u2019s sort of how a Roman parade took place.\n\nSo just as a Roman parade had different phases to it the resurrection program for the believer has different phases to it.\u00a0 Not everybody is resurrected at the same time.\u00a0 So you\u2019ll notice that Christ is the one out front, and He\u2019s called here \u201cthe first fruits.\u201d\u00a0 Now He\u2019s using a Jewish analogy; the Jews collected their harvest in three cycles, when you go through the Old Testament.\u00a0 There was something called firstfruits, and that was always a happy time when the firstfruits of the crop and so forth came in because that guaranteed the rest of the crop would come.\u00a0 So that built their confidence.\n\nAnd then would come the general harvest, and then they were told specifically, I think it\u2019s in Leviticus 19:9-10, to leave some of the general harvest unharvested so the poor could come and participate.\u00a0\u00a0 [Leviticus 19:9-10, \u201c'Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.\u00a0 [10] 'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.\u201d]\n\nSo God always gave the poor dignity, He didn\u2019t just hand them things, they had to work for it like everybody else.\u00a0 And that last phase of the harvest cycle was called the gleanings.\u00a0 And if you know your Bible you know that that\u2019s where Ruth met Boaz, at the gleanings.\u00a0 So just as a Roman parade had different phases to it, just as Israel\u2019s harvest cycle had different phases to it, the resurrection program has different phases to it.\n\nSo the first phase is \u201cChrist, the firstfruits,\u201d that\u2019s talking about Jesus Christ resurrection.\u00a0 And His is called \u201cfirstfruits\u201d because just as the initial crop guaranteed the rest of the crop would eventually come His resurrection from the dead guarantees everybody else\u2019s resurrection from the dead on the chain.\u00a0 See, everybody is going to be resurrected, Daniel 12:2 tells us both believers and unbelievers\u2019 believers unto life, unbelievers unto damnation.\u00a0 [Daniel 12:2, \u201cMany of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.\u201d]\n\nBut you\u2019ll notice that Christ\u2019s resurrection is called the firstfruits and that\u2019s what we\u2019re celebrating this Sunday.\u00a0 And usually the way this is taught is we\u2019ve got to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus because it proves He is God, and it does all that, but there\u2019s another angle to it that hardly gets spoken of; it deals with the whole issue of hope.\u00a0 Because He rose from the dead who else is going to rise?\u00a0 We are !\u00a0 So I\u2019m not stuck in this body that\u2019s decaying.\u00a0 Did you know your body is under a curse.\u00a0 Okay, I just wanted to double check.\u00a0 You say well, you know, I drink all that green stuff in the morning, I\u2019m feeling pretty good.\u00a0 Well, you got a bunch of green stuff going through your cursed body so congratulations.\u00a0 Diet and exercise is important but it postpones the inevitable.\n\nWe\u2019re all sort of in a state of decay.\u00a0 What did God say to our forbearers when they sinned?\u00a0 \u201cFrom dust you are, to dust you shall return.\u201d\u00a0 [Genesis 3:19, \u201cBy the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.\u201d]\u00a0 And if you don\u2019t believe me just take out your high school\u00a0 yearbook picture and compare it to your modern day driver\u2019s license and you\u2019ll see validation for that point.\n\nSo we are in desperate need of a resurrection body, it\u2019s still going to be you but you\u2019re going to look a lot better, and I\u2019m going to look a lot better because it\u2019s the body that God intended before the curse entered the body.\u00a0 Romans 8 talks about how everything is groaning including our physical bodies.\u00a0 [Romans\u00a0\u00a0 8:22, \u201cFor we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.\u201d\u00a0 Would you say that\u2019s true?\u00a0 You guys do any groaning when you get up in the morning?\u00a0 Do you have to drink more and more coffee just to have a certain level of energy?\n\nSo anyway, Christ is the firstfruits and that\u2019s what\u2019s spoken of there in verse 23. [1 Corinthians 15:23, \u201cBut each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming.\u201d\u00a0 And then you\u2019ll go on in that verse and it says, \u201cAfter that those who are Christs at His coming,\u201d so what would \u201cHis coming\u201d there be?\u00a0 It\u2019d be the Second Advent.\u00a0 Now He\u2019s not dealing here with the rapture; the rapture he\u2019ll start talking about in verses 50-51 which He calls a mystery. \u00a0[1 Corinthians 15:50, \u201cNow I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51] \u00a0Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.\u201d]\n\nSo the rapture is the point in time when the church age believer receives their resurrected body and He\u2019s not even dealing with that right now.\u00a0 He\u2019s dealing with the resurrection program as it\u2019s already been revealed.\u00a0 So Christ is resurrected first, then He\u2019s going to return, this is not the rapture but the Second Advent at the end of the seven year tribulation period.\u00a0 And then you continue to look there at verse 23 and it mentions the next resurrection, it says, \u201cafter that those who are Christ\u2019s at His coming.\u201d\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:23, \u201cAnd not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our<\/em> adoption as sons, the redemption of our body\u00a0 Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ\u2019s at His coming.\u201d]\n\nSo who would that be?\u00a0 That would be the resurrection of Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs.\u00a0 And there\u2019s two verses that reveal this, Daniel 12:2 talks about a resurrection at the end of the tribulation period as the millennial kingdom is just starting.\u00a0 [Daniel 12:2, \u201cMany of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.\u201d]\u00a0 And you\u2019ll also see that in Revelation 20:4-5, [Revelation 20:4, \u201cThen I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw<\/em> the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.\u201d]\n\nSo we have Christ\u2019s resurrection, then we have the end of verse 23, Him returning at the end of the seven year tribulation period resulting in the resurrection of Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs.\u00a0 And there\u2019s a nice little graph that we\u00a0 use to describe this, you\u2019ll see a seven year tribulation period,\u00a0 you\u2019ll see Jesus Christ returning that we call the Second Advent at the end of that tribulation period.\u00a0 And then you\u2019ll see the kingdom starting, Revelation 20 and there at the dawn of the kingdom is the resurrection of Old Testament saints, Daniel 12:2 and tribulation martyrs, Revelation 20:4-5.\n\n[Revelation 20:4-5, \u201cThen I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw<\/em> the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.\u201d\u00a0 Daniel 12:2, \u201cMany of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.\u201d]\n\nSo far so good, right?\u00a0 Well, here\u2019s where it gets a little tricky because it says in verse 24, \u201cThen comes the end,\u201d well the end of what?\u00a0 I believe this is talking about the end of the thousand years.\u00a0 So what it did there is just jumped a thousand years at the end of verse 23 into the beginning of verse 24.\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:24, \u201cthen comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.\u201d]\n\nAnd you say well, that\u2019s really weird, how can you just throw a thousand years like that in between those two verses?\u00a0 Well, by the way, here\u2019s our graph again, we have the second coming, we have the resurrection of tribulation martyrs and Old Testament saints, and then a thousand years pass and then comes the end.\u00a0 So how can we just throw a thousand\u00a0 years in between those verses?\n\nMichael Valch of Master\u2019s Seminary, whose writings I\u2019m going to quote a lot in this presentation, I think he\u2019s done a really good job with this passage.\u00a0 He writes this: \u201c\u201ca considerable gap of time certainly exists between the first and second resurrections,\u201d isn\u2019t that true, wasn\u2019t there a big gap of time between, oh, I don\u2019t know, Christ the firstfruits and then the rest of the verse, \u201cthose who are Christ\u2019s at His coming,\u201d I mean, there\u2019s at least 2,000 years that is happening between those two.\u00a0 Blach\u2019s point is what\u2019s the problem with having another 1,000 years after the end of verse 23 and into the beginning of verse24.\u00a0 He says, \u201ca considerable gap of time certainly exists between the first and second resurrections, which makes a gap between the second and third possible. From our standpoint in history, at least 2000 years separates these events.\u201d [Michael J. Vlach, Premillennialism: Why There Must Be a Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus<\/em> (Los Angeles, CA: Theological Studies, 2015), 96.]\n\nSo don\u2019t let prophetic gaps like this bother you, they\u2019re sort of common in the Bible, particularly when you get into prophetic material.\u00a0 It\u2019s sort of like, I guess I would analogize it this way to a [can't understand word].\u00a0\u00a0 You guys ever skip stones on a pond, and if\u00a0 you\u2019re really good\u00a0 you can get it to skip 3, 4, or 5 times?\u00a0 I can only get it to skip twice but I\u2019ve seen people just hit it right and it will skip three or four times.\u00a0 That\u2019s sort of what prophetic material does, it\u2019ll give\u00a0 you a prophecy, and then skip to another part of the prophecy in the distant future, and another part, and sort of the fun thing to do is to take all of these pieces like a jigsaw puzzle and put them together.\u00a0 And say that piece goes there, and that piece goes there, and that piece goes there, and you can\u2019t really do that unless you have the box top that tells you what the picture is supposed to look like when the jigsaw puzzle is assembled.\u00a0 The box top is the Book of Revelation; it\u2019s the only book that puts everything in chronological\u00a0\u00a0 order. What you have in the rest of the Bible is just scattered prophetic data.\u00a0 So using the Book of Revelation to help you, you can kind of see which piece goes where.\n\nAnd there\u2019s something else going on here that\u2019s very interesting; there\u2019s a Greek construction after that, verse 23, \u201cthen.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cAfter that\u201d is the Greek word epeita<\/em>, \u00a0and then \u201cthen\u201d is the Greek word eita<\/em>, so\u00a0 you\u2019ve got an epeita<\/em>\u00a0 eita<\/em> construction here and if you go back to verse 7, same chapter, you see that exact same Greek construction.\u00a0 This is speaking of Christ\u2019s appearances to various parties or groups after He rose bodily from the dead.\u00a0 He says in verse 7, same writer, same chapter, \u201cThen He appeared to James, then He appeared to all the apostles.\u201d\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:7]\n\nSo the first \u201cthen\u201d is epeita<\/em>, the second \u201cthen\u201d is eita<\/em>, just like what we have in our verses, verses 23 and 24.\u00a0 And I would think that between those two appearances there could have been some time.\u00a0 Now maybe not a thousand years but days or hours or whatever.\u00a0 So that Greek construction epeita<\/em>\u00a0 eita<\/em> basically shows you that you can have some kind of time gap.\u00a0 And so when that identical Greek construction appears in our verse, verse 23 and into verse 24 you can also, I believe, have a time gap, in this case the time gap is a thousand\u00a0 years.\n\nSo Michael Valch puts it this way:\u00a0 \u201cPaul\u2019s use of the words epeita <\/em>and eita<\/em>, which are related to \u2018after that\u2019 [v. 23b] and \u2018then\u2019 [v. 24a]. . . This understanding is also supported by a similar epeita<\/em> . . . eita <\/em>formula earlier in the chapter. In 1 Corinthians 15:5\u20138, Paul lays out a chronological order of events concerning Jesus\u2019 resurrection appearances. After stating that Jesus was raised on the third day (v. 4) he says, \u2018and that He appeared to Cephas, then [eita<\/em>] to the twelve. After that [epeita<\/em>] He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;\u201d sidebar, very quickly, that\u2019s one of the reasons you know that 1 Corinthians has to be an authentic book, because Paul is saying don\u2019t believe me, He appeared to these five hundred eyewitnesses, go check out their stories.\u00a0 Most of whom are alive right now, Paul says.\u00a0 So just think if what Paul was saying wasn\u2019t true?\u00a0 Would 1 Corinthians ever be accepted and revered and passed down through the generations?\u00a0 Absolutely not, it would have been discredited right out of the gate.\u00a0 It would be like me writing a book saying J. F. K. died of natural causes when there are people alive that saw that he did not die of natural causes, he was assassinated. So if my story doesn\u2019t check out with existing witnesses my book would be discredited just like that.\n\nAnd here 1 Corinthians was never discredited, it was passed down in church history as a respected canonical book.\u00a0 And so the Bible has these little built-in proofs to sort of authenticate its message. But that really wasn\u2019t where I was going with all of that.\u00a0 No extra charge for that by the way.\u00a0 These are just good things to know on resurrection Sunday, amen!\u00a0\u00a0 Because the world system doesn\u2019t think the resurrection happened and we\u2019re trying to explain why it did happen.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the most well-known, well documented historical events of world history and I\u2019m going to try to talk about that on Sunday morning.\n\n\u201c\u2026After that [epeita<\/em>] He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then [epeita<\/em>] He appeared to James, then [eita<\/em>] to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 [Michael J. Vlach, Premillennialism: Why There Must Be a Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus<\/em> (Los Angeles, CA: Theological Studies, 2015), 97-98.]\n\nMichael Vlach says, \u201cNo doubt that Paul is offering a chronological progression of resurrection appearances, and he uses epeita<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0eita <\/em>to reveal a progression of appearances. Verse 7 is particularly significant since, like 1 Corinthians \u00a015:23b\u201324a, this verse also offers the\u00a0epeita<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0 eita <\/em>formula and shows chronological progression with a time gap. \u00a0Jesus appeared to James and then appeared to all the apostles. In both cases the formula indicates a similar time gap: 1 Cor. 15:7:\u00a0epeita<\/em> . . . eita <\/em>indicates a gap of days in verse 7. First Corinthians 15:23b\u201324a:\u00a0epeita<\/em> . . . eita <\/em>indicates a time gap of which we know includes thousands of years (at least two thousand).\u201d\n\nAnd then he says, \u201cThe fact that the\u00a0epeita<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0eita\u00a0<\/em>formula indicates a gap of similar time in 1 Corinthians 15:7 (days) reveals the likelihood that the formula in\u00a01 Corinthians \u00a015:23b\u201324a also indicates a gap of similar time (many years) in this case. \u00a0Remember, that the main issue is whether the\u00a0epeita<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0eita\u00a0<\/em>formula allows or indicates a time gap of time, between the resurrection of those at the time of Jesus\u2019 coming and the \u2018end.\u2019 The evidence indicates that it does, not only from the immediate context \u201c remember this is all dealing with the end, \u201cbut from a similar grammatical construction in 1 Corinthians 15:5\u20138.\u201d\n\nSo what am I trying to say?\u00a0 What I\u2019m trying to say is the end of verse 23 is the second coming of Christ; \u201cthen comes the end\u201d is the end of the thousand year kingdom.\u00a0 That\u2019s the point.\u00a0 And the \u00a0epeita<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0eita\u00a0<\/em>grammatical construction used earlier in the chapter will allow that meaning. So far so good?\u00a0 \u00a0So we just went from resurrection of Christ in the first century, second coming of Christ at the end of the seven year tribulation period, resurrection of tribulation\u2026 Old Testament saints and Tribulation martyrs, at the beginning of the millennial kingdom and then we just went a thousand years into the future to the end of the millennial kingdom.\u00a0 So when it says \u201cthen comes the end\u201d\u00a0 it\u2019s the end of the thousand year kingdom.\n\nSo what\u2019s going to happen at the end of the thousand year kingdom?\u00a0 Ever ask yourself that?\u00a0\u00a0 Well He (who would that be) Jesus, who has been ruling the world for a thousand\u00a0 years, He will hand over the kingdom to the God and Father when He has abolished all rule and authority and power.\u00a0 So basically what\u2019s going to happen is the Son has been ruling the world for a thousand years is going to take His kingdom and He\u2019s going to hand it over to God the Father. In other words, the kingdom of God the Son is going to merge into the kingdom of God the Father.\u00a0 And what else is going to happen once that takes place?\u00a0 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.\u00a0 Once that happens and the eternal state begins death won\u2019t exist anymore in the universe.\u00a0 And you\u2019ll find that in\u2026 remember Revelation 21 and 22 is the eternal state, Revelation 21:4 specifically says that in that day, glorious day\u00a0 which will last forever death won\u2019t exist anymore.\u00a0 [Revelation 21:4, \u201cand He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.\u201d]\n\nSo it\u2019s the world that God intended before death entered the picture in Genesis 3, due to the fall of man.\u00a0 Now death is still going to exist in the thousand year kingdom because there\u2019s going to be a group of people called tribulation survivors who are believers.\u00a0 And you see that in Matthew 25:31-46 and other places.\n\n[Matthew 25:31-46, \u201c\u2018For I was hungry, and you gave Me something<\/em> to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something<\/em> to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; [36] naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.\u2019 [37] \u201cThen the righteous will answer Him, \u2018Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something<\/em> to drink? [38] \u2018And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? [39] \u2018When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?\u2019 [40] \u201cThe King will answer and say to them, \u2018Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even<\/em> the least of them,<\/em> you did it to Me.\u2019\u00a0 [41] \u201cThen He will also say to those on His left, \u2018Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing<\/em> to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; [43] I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.\u2019 [44]\u201cThen they themselves also will answer, \u2018Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?\u2019 [45] \u201cThen He will answer them, \u2018Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.\u2019 [46] \u201cThese will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.\u201d]\n\nThey\u2019re going to actually enter the millennial kingdom in non-resurrected bodies, have children, their children are going to have children, their children are going to have children, the earth will be repopulated, and the curse will get passed down through the genetics.\u00a0 So the curse is restrained during the thousand year kingdom but it\u2019s not eliminated yet.\u00a0 And there will be people that die during the millennial kingdom, that are descendants of the believing tribulation survivors.\u00a0 And you might want to jot down Isaiah 65:20 because it says, \u201cFor as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will wear out the works of their hands.\u2019\u00a0 Actually verse 20 and then verse 23 of Isaiah 65 talks about when someone dies at the age of 100.\n\n[Isaiah 65:20, \u201c\"No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.\u201d\u00a0 Isaiah 65:22, \u201cThey will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.\u201d]\n\nNow today if\u00a0 you make it to the age of 100 you\u2019re considered lucky.\u00a0 I as just in the dentist\u2019s office and they were doing their thing on me and they were telling me that my teeth are kind of worn because I\u2019ve always had a problem with grinding my teeth, (don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s not something that started when I came to Sugar Land Bible Church, it\u2019s because of all the stress, it\u2019s just a problem I\u2019ve had for my whole life.\u00a0 And every time I go in there they want to make sure I\u2019m wearing this night guard thing (at night I wear it) and so I just said well, you know, when they started giving me my bad report on my teeth I just said well, I just need them to last another fifty years because I\u2019d like to make it to 100.\u00a0 And everybody in the room, the dentist, the what do you call those ladies that help the dentist, dental assistant, in unison they all started laughing all at once, like there\u2019s no way your teeth are going to make it another fifty years.\u00a0 So if I do make it to100 I\u2019ll just drink a lot of milkshakes, and stuff like that I guess.\n\nAnyway, today if you make it to 100 you\u2019re considered fortunate and in the millennial kingdom if\u00a0 you die at the age of 100 people are going to kind of sit around and say wow, what a tragedy, such a young person died.\u00a0 So it shows you that death is still going to exist in the millennial kingdom, it\u2019s just the curse is sort of restrained, it\u2019s not completely eliminated.\u00a0 But once the thousand year kingdom is over and God the Son turns His kingdom over to God the Father, and the thousand year kingdom merges into the eternal state, Revelation 21 and 22, death is a thing of the past, totally.\u00a0 In other words, you\u2019re not going to have people dying at age 16, you\u2019re not going to have people dying at age 100, you\u2019re not going to have death at all.\u00a0 So it\u2019s the world that God intended.\n\nAnd then it says in verse 28 when this happens, \u201cWhen all things are subjected to Him,\u201d in other words when the Son, Jesus, turns His kingdom over to God the Father \u201cthen the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, the Son will live in perfect submission throughout the ages, as He\u2019s always lived, to the will of God the Father.\u00a0 So this is a wonderful chronology that we have here.\n\nSo we have the resurrection of Jesus in the first century, and then Jesus is going to come back at the end of the seven year tribulation period and He\u2019s going to rise from the dead, Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs, and then a thousand years will pass and then comes the end and when you get to the end of the thousand years you\u2019ve got the Son turning the kingdom over to God the Father, meaning that death will be a thing of the past.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what Revelation 21 and 22 is all about.\n\nSo the story of the Bible is from a garden to a city with a cross in between.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that a great way to summarize the Bible.\u00a0 Why doesn\u2019t God just put us back into a garden?\u00a0 Well, because in Eden man was on probation, he was being tested. There\u2019s a tree of knowledge there for man to rebel should he want to.\u00a0 But by the time you get to the end man has been put through, humanity has been put through all their tests.\u00a0 And so by the time you get to the eternal state humanity is not on probation any more and so that\u2019s why the eternal state kind of looks like the Garden of Eden in some respects but it\u2019s also very, very different.\u00a0 In Eden it was probation; the eternal state there is no probation, what is will always be at that point.\n\nAnd then what does it say here?\u00a0 \u201cFor He,\u201d now who\u2019s \u201cHe\u201d?\u00a0 Jesus, \u201cmust reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.\u201d\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:25]\u00a0 In other words, before this happens, before the Son takes His kingdom and turns it over to God the Father, you have to have an earthly reign of Christ and I believe that earthly reign of Christ is described in verse 25 and verse 27.\u00a0 And this is my difference of opinion with the Kingdom Now theologians.\u00a0 They\u2019re putting verse 25, and I\u2019ll show you the quotes if we have time tonight, into the present.\u00a0 \u00a0[1 Corinthians 15:27, \u201cFor HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.\u201d]\u00a0\u00a0 That completely and totally violates the chronology of the passage.\n\nSo what he\u2019s getting at here is before all these wonderful things can happen in verse 24, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has abolished all rule, authority and power, before that can happen, before the last enemy called death is to be abolished, before He subjects all things to the Father who originally subjected the kingdom to the Son, before that can happen there has to be a successful reign of Christ on the earth for a thousand years.\u00a0 And that successful reign of Christ on the earth before the end, before the merger of the thousand year kingdom into the eternal state, is described in verse 25 and verse 27 and what you\u2019ll see is a tremendous appeal to two Old Testament passages to describe that reign.\n\nSo notice verse 25, \u201cFor He must reign,\u201d now what reign is it talking about?\u00a0 It\u2019s talking about before the end.\u00a0 I mean, the reign of the Son must happen before the end when He hands His kingdom over to God the Father.\u00a0 How can He hand His kingdom over to God the Father when He\u2019s never had a kingdom. Do you see the issue there? And so His kingdom (we know from the Book of Revelation) will last a thousand years.\u00a0 It is the earthly reign of Christ.\u00a0 It\u2019s not Jesus reigning from heaven, it\u2019s Jesus returning to planet earth at the end of the seven year tribulation period, taking His seat on David\u2019s throne, ruling from Jerusalem for a thousand years.\u00a0 That has to happen before He can take His existing kingdom and turn it over to God the Father.\n\nAnd Paul is demonstrating that through two Old Testament passages, one he is referencing in verse 25 and the second he is referencing in verse 27.\u00a0 So as Paul describes this earthly reign of Christ before the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God and Father, there\u2019s going to be an earthly reign of Christ and Paul starts to get into that in verse 25, \u201cFor He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.\u201d\u00a0 Now what Old Testament verse, some of your Bible translations may have that in italics, mine it\u2019s all in caps, verse 25 is in\u2026 actually verse 27 is in caps, verse 25 is not, so he\u2019s just alluding to Psalm 110, maybe not quoting it directly.\n\nBut when it says, \u201cFor He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet,\u201d any ideas what Psalm he\u2019s referring to?\u00a0 We\u2019ve referred to it many times in this class.\u00a0 Psalm 110.\u00a0 What does Psalm 110 say.\u00a0 Psalm 110:1-2 says this: \u201cThe LORD says to my Lord: \u201cSit at My right hand\u201d now the \u201cright hand of the Father is where Jesus is now.\u00a0 How long is He there for?\u00a0 Forever?\u00a0 No, look at the word \u201cuntil,\u201d \u201cSit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.\u201d\u00a0 So once Satan is deposed from the earth during the seven year tribulation period then Jesus will no longer have a ministry as high priest at the Father\u2019s right hand. \u00a0He will then return to the earth and have a ministry as King over the earth.\u00a0 And where is that kingdom going to take place?\u00a0 Verse 2, \u201cThe LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from\u2026\u201d what\u2019s the next word, \u201cZion,\u201d where\u2019s that?\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s Jerusalem. \u00a0\u201c\u2026 saying\u00a0 \u2018<\/em>Rule in the midst of Your enemies.\u201d\u2019\u00a0 Where are His enemies right now?\u00a0 On the earth.\n\nSo the reason Paul is quoting, or at least alluding to Psalm 110:1-2, he\u2019s really just quoting verse 1 but you\u2019ve got to look at verse 2 to get the whole flavor of it.\u00a0 He\u2019s saying that when the thousand year kingdom takes place a lot of Old Testament passages are going to be fulfilled, including Psalm 110 and\u00a0 you look at Psalm 110:1-2 and there\u2019s absolutely no doubt that it\u2019s talking about an earthly reign of Christ.\u00a0 It\u2019s not talking about some indirect reign of Christ from heaven somewhere the way Kingdom Now theologians are, I believe, abusing the passage.\n\nNow we know about Psalm 110:1-2, the Book of Hebrews uses this psalm quite frequently to describe Christ\u2019s present session, not as King but as high priest after the order of Melchizedek.\u00a0 So He\u2019s in a priesthood now.\u00a0 And people say well if you don\u2019t believe He\u2019s reigning now you don\u2019t believe He not doing anything now.\u00a0 Nonsense, there\u2019s a whole section of Christology describing what He\u2019s doing today.\u00a0 It\u2019s called His present session of Christ.\u00a0 He\u2019s doing a lot of things.\u00a0 It may not be the millennial kingdom but there are many, many things He\u2019s doing.\u00a0 You can make a whole list of things He\u2019s doing.\u00a0 I mean the Book of Colossians tells us one of the things He\u2019s doing is He\u2019s keeping the universe moving.\u00a0 I mean, He\u2019s the one that\u2019s preventing the planets from colliding with each other.\n\nSo the Book of Hebrews is there primarily to describe His present session as high priest after the order of Melchizedek.\u00a0 So His priesthood is much higher than Aaron\u2019s priesthood, that\u2019s the author\u2019s\u00a0 point.\u00a0 So the author of Hebrews does a lot of quoting of Psalm 110 and he says there in Hebrews 10:12-13, \u201cbut He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down\u201d where? On David\u2019s throne?\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t say that,\u00a0 \u201cat the right hand of God,\u201d and is he up there forever?\u00a0 Verse 13 says, \u201cwaiting,\u201d waiting for what?\u00a0 \u201cthat time onward until\u201d key verse \u00a0\u201cHis enemies be made a footstool for His feet.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So His present session is a wonderful session but it\u2019s just temporary.\u00a0 One day that session will be over and His regal kingship will start.\u00a0 So that\u2019s the significance of Paul quoting that particular Psalm or at least alluding to it in verse 25.\u00a0 See, during that thousand\u00a0 year kingdom Psalm 110:1-2, particularly verse 2, will be in fulfillment.\n\nAnd then Paul, to continue to describe this thousand year kingdom before the last enemy called death is abolished, [1 Corinthians 15:26, \u201cThe last enemy that will be abolished is death.\u201d] quotes another Old Testament Psalm in verse 27.\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:27, \u201cFor HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, \u2018All things are put in subjection,\u2019 it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.\u201d]\u00a0 Now is\u00a0 yours all capitalized, in your Bible translation?\u00a0 See what he\u2019s doing is he\u2019s making a direct quote to Psalm 8 and I want to say he\u2019s quoting verse 6.\u00a0 Notice what it says, \u201cFor HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.\u201d\n\nHe\u2019s quoting there Psalm 8:6 so look, if you could, at Psalm 8:4-6 to get the whole context, just as we looked at Psalm 110:1-2 to get the whole context.\u00a0 This is one of the most theologically rich Psalms in the whole Psalter.\u00a0 It says this, verse 4, \u201cWhat is man that You take thought of him,\u201d boy, that\u2019s a great question, why does God care about people? \u00a0I mean, people are such an annoyance, aren\u2019t they?\u00a0 Why does God care about people?\u00a0 Ever asked\u00a0 yourself that question?\u00a0 It relates to God\u2019s original purpose for man.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0[5] Yet You have crowned him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! [6] You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,\u201d aha, that\u2019s why God cares about humanity, because of God\u2019s original purpose for humanity.\n\nWhat was His original purpose?\u00a0 To rule over our forbearers, Adam and Eve and their descendants, which would be us.\u00a0 And what are we supposed to be doing?\u00a0 Under His authority we were to govern the whole earth for who?\u00a0 For ourselves?\u00a0 No, for God.\u00a0 Whenever you get down on yourself or people start to kind of annoy you we kind of have to step back and remember God\u2019s purpose for people.\u00a0 God\u2019s purpose for people is authority.\u00a0 I mean, they were supposed to\u2026 we were supposed to rule the whole planet on God\u2019s behalf.\u00a0 And boy did we mess up, didn\u2019t we, by listening to talking snakes and listening to creation rebelling against God allowing Satan to come in and assert authority over the earth.\u00a0 But as now we\u2019re being under Satan\u2019s bondage we have to be reminded of what our original purpose was.\n\nSo why did Jesus come into the world?\u00a0 I know what you\u2019re going to say, to die for our sins so we can go to heaven, right?\u00a0 Yeah, that\u2019s about 75% right but why did He die on the cross for our sins so we could have a relationship with Him?\u00a0 What\u2019s the end game here?\u00a0 His whole point is to restore Psalm 8, is to set things back as to how they originally were, to put us back into the position that He had for us initially.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why the Christian is destined for what?\u00a0 Authority!\n\nThat\u2019s why Paul says things to the Corinthians who are bickering with each other, don\u2019t you know\u00a0 you can\u2019t work out\u00a0 your differences?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you know that we\u2019re going to judge angels one day?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what that means \u201cjudge angels\u201d don\u2019t ask me what that means, I have no idea, but I know this much, it\u2019s authority because Jesus came into the world to restore the broken relationship between God and man and that\u2019s all true, and that\u2019s about as far as evangelical teaching goes today.\u00a0 God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.\u00a0 That\u2019s all true, but why?\u00a0 It\u2019s to restore the original purpose that He had for us at the beginning.\u00a0 That\u2019s why people count.\u00a0 That\u2019s why people matter.\u00a0 That\u2019s what Psalm 8 is describing.\u00a0 [Psalm 8:6] You make him rule over the works of your hands, you have put all things under His feet.\u201d\n\nNow you can see the design right in the first chapter of the book, right?\u00a0 Genesis 1:26-28, \u201cThen God said, \u201cLet Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule\u201d see that? \u201crule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.\u201d [27] God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them\u201d you mean women are supposed to rule alongside men over all creation?\u00a0 I thought women were to be kept pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen.\u00a0 Well, according to the Bible man and woman together are to be joint rulers.\u00a0 Now I understand male headship in marriage, that\u2019s all true but I think sometimes we\u2019ve forgotten that woman are destined for authority just like men are.\u00a0 Verse 28 \u201cGod blessed them;\u201d who\u2019s the \u201cthem\u201d?\u00a0 Male and female, \u201cand God said to them, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it;\u201d it\u2019s not a command to Adam, it\u2019s a command to Adam and Eve, \u201csubdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.\u201d\n\nSo God\u2019s original purpose was for God to rule over man and woman and they were to govern creation for God.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we call the office of theocratic administrator.\u00a0 That\u2019s God\u2019s original purpose\u00a0 So this is why Jesus had to become a man.\u00a0 Why did Jesus have to take on humanity at the virgin conception.\u00a0 He always\u2026 eternal deity always existed but at the virgin conception humanity, this is very important to understand, was added.\u00a0 The virgin conception was an addition, not a subtraction.\u00a0 The virgin conception was not an exchange where Jesus said okay, I\u2019m going to take off my divine jacket and put on my human jacket. There\u2019s no exchange, there\u2019s no subtraction, it\u2019s an addition.\u00a0 So at the virgin conception eternally existent humanity was added to eternally existent deity.\u00a0 Why did Jesus have to become a man to restore God\u2019s original purpose for man?\u00a0 You can\u2019t restore God\u2019s original purpose for man unless\u00a0 you become a man.\u00a0 So you see the richness of Psalm 8?\u00a0 And the two of them, man and woman, are to govern creation for God.\n\nSo verse 27 is a citation of Psalm 8 which is describing that Jesus will succeed in ruling the present world where the first Adam failed.\u00a0 In every area where the first Adam failed in this regard Jesus will succeed.\u00a0 That\u2019s why He\u2019s called the last Adam.\u00a0 Are you with me so far?\u00a0 So verse 25 and 27 is two\u00a0 Old Testament Psalms, Psalm 110 and Psalm 8, to describe the inner reign of Christ on the earth before He takes His kingdom and turns it over to God the Father.\n\nAnd then when you go down to the second part of verse 27 it says, \u201cBut when He says, \u201cAll things are put in subjection\u201d it is evident that he is accepted who put all things in subjection to Him.\u00a0 All that\u2019s saying \u00a0is all things will be subjected to the Son during this thousand year time period, except the Father who originally delegated to the Son his kingdom authority. So Jesus, during this thousand year time period on the earth is going to be ruling over everything except the Father who gave Him the authority to begin with.\n\nThen we go to 1 Corinthians 15:24, 26 and 28 which we\u2019ve already looked at, what\u2019s going to happen once this thousand year kingdom is over?\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:24] \u201cThen He,\u201d that\u2019s Jesus, \u201cwill hand over the kingdom to the God and the Father when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.\u201d Verse 26, \u201cThe last enemy that will be abolished is death.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 As Christ\u2019s kingdom is handed over to God the Father and the eternal state begins death will be a thing of the past.\u00a0 And then verse 28 is just kind of a summary statement, [28] \u201cWhen all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God will be all in all.\u201d\u00a0 So basically what you have being described in these verses and the box top is Revelation 20-22.\u00a0 See, I\u2019ve got the box top and all I\u2019m doing with the box top is going back to the jigsaw pieces and putting them in the right place.\n\nSo what\u2019s being described here is after Jesus Christ\u2019s earthly reign the Son will hand over the kingdom to the Father.\u00a0 In other words, at that time in history the Son\u2019s kingdom will then become the Father\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0 The Son\u2019s kingdom, Revelation 21:1-10, the Father\u2019s kingdom, Revelation 21 and 22.\u00a0 The Son\u2019s kingdom, a thousand years; the Father\u2019s kingdom forever.\u00a0 The Son\u2019s kingdom, the curse is restrained; the Father\u2019s kingdom the curse is totally removed.\u00a0 So the Son\u2019s kingdom will merge into the Father\u2019s kingdom; the millennial kingdom will merge into the eternal kingdom. Revelation 20:1-10 will become Revelation chapters 21 and 22.\n\n[Revelation 21:1-10, \u201cThen I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any<\/em> sea. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.\u00a0 [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, \u201cBehold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, [4] and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any<\/em> death; there will no longer be any<\/em> mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.\u201d\u00a0 [5] And He who sits on the throne said, \u201cBehold, I am making all things new.\u201d And He said, \u201cWrite, for these words are faithful and true.\u201d [6] Then He said to me, \u201cIt is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. [7] \u201cHe who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. [8] But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be<\/em> in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.\u201d\u00a0 [9] Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, \u201cCome here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.\u201d\u00a0 [10] And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,.\u201d]\n\nSo the point is you need, for this to work, all these details, you need that thousand years.\u00a0 Michael Vlach says this: \u201cIt is during the Son\u2019s reign that Jesus, the ultimate man and king, fulfills all the prophecies, covenants, and promises concerning God\u2019s mediatorial kingdom program.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to have that thousand year kingdom or you\u2019re not going to have a fulfillment of Psalm 110 or Psalm 8 or countless other Old Testament prophecies and promises that we could go into.\u00a0\u00a0 I mean, when is Genesis 15:18-21 going to be fulfilled? \u00a0[Genesis 15:18-21, \u201cOn that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, \u2018To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:\u201d]\n\nI mean, Abraham was given a tract of real estate from basically the Nile to the Euphrates; where are you going to put that?\u00a0 People say well, I\u2019ll put that in the eternal state.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t fit the eternal state.\u00a0 First of all in the eternal state there\u2019s no more ocean and those verses describe rivers flowing from oceans, the Nile and the Euphrates.\u00a0 And even beyond that Genesis 13:17 Abraham actually walked on the ground that he would inherit.\u00a0 [Genesis 13:17, \u201cArise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.\u201d] Does that fit the eternal state? No, the eternal state exists after this current world is destroyed by fire, 2 Peter 3:10 and replaced with the new heavens and new earth.\u00a0 [2 Peter 3:10, \u201cBut the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.\u201d]\n\nSee, Abraham walked on the ground he would inherit; it doesn\u2019t fit today, Israel doesn\u2019t have that territory today, she has but a small sliver of it.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t fit the eternal state.\u00a0 The only place it fits\u00a0 is in this thousand year kingdom.\u00a0 I was listening to someone the other day and he was saying you guys that believe in this thousand year kingdom, you only have one verse, Revelation 20, and I screamed at the device I was listening on which was this one, and I yelled at the top of my lungs, I think I was so loud that [can't understand name]\u00a0 wanted to know if I was asking a question.\u00a0 I said, (I won\u2019t do it) but as loudly as I could I said NONSENCE!\u00a0 Complete lunacy, they think our only verse is Revelation 20:1-10.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got the whole Old Testament, I\u2019ve given you several verses tonight, two of them in the Psalter that Paul uses.\u00a0 The only thing Revelation 20 does is it just describes the duration, that\u2019s it!\n\nBut the whole intermediate kingdom before the eternal state is all laid out and there\u2019s only one time in history where those prophecies can be fulfilled.\u00a0 This is Block\u2019s\u00a0 point.\u00a0 It is during the Son\u2019s reign that Jesus, the ultimate man and King fulfills all prophecies, covenants and promises concerning God\u2019s mediatorial kingdom. When this occurs THEN the eternal kingdom of the Father commences.\u00a0 See this earth, you know, you go to movies and the planet blows up and all these kinds of things, the\u00a0 death star.\u00a0 The fact of the matter is this earth can\u2019t go out of existence until the thousand\u00a0 year kingdom because if this earth goes out of existence prior to the thousand year kingdom\u00a0 you have no logical place in history for all of these Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled, unless you don\u2019t care about details and just want to allegorize them.\u00a0 If you want to allegorize them you can come up with any theology that\u00a0 you want but if details matter the thousand year kingdom becomes a big deal.\n\n\u201cWhen this occurs then the eternal kingdom of the Father commences. This truth again indicates the need for an era that is distinct both from this present age and the eternal kingdom. One should not simply assume that unfulfilled promises awaiting fulfillment will be fulfilled in the eternal state. In doing so this would put fulfillment outside of the reign of Jesus the Messiah to whom the task of fulfillment belongs.\u201d\u00a0 [Michael J. Vlach, Premillennialism: Why There Must Be a Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus<\/em> (Los Angeles, CA: Theological Studies, 2015), 102.]\n\nSo what\u2019s the bottom line to all of this?\u00a0 The bottom line is given this epeita eita<\/em> construction, the reign of Jesus will not take place until after the Second Advent.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s not the rapture, we\u2019re not dealing with the rapture.\u00a0 After the Second Advent at the end of the seven years then the thousand year kingdom will take place.\u00a0 AFTER which time the Son will turn the kingdom over to the Father at the conclusion of the thousand\u00a0 year kingdom.\u00a0 That\u2019s what this whole chronology that we\u2019ve been working through demonstrates.\n\nSo now we know what the verses say how do Kingdom Now theologians manipulate the verse?\u00a0 Well, obviously I can\u2019t talk about that because it\u2019s 8:00 o\u2019clock and you guys probably feel like the thousand year kingdom is finally over, maybe not the thousand year, maybe just the seven year tribulation period is over.\u00a0 So now that we know the correct understanding I\u2019ll show you the manipulation of these verses by Kingdom Now theologians next week.\u00a0 So did you all find this helpful?\n\nLet\u2019s pray.\u00a0 Father, we\u2019re grateful for the future, help us to be good students of details and we\u2019re mindful of this time of the year that it was Your bodily resurrection from the dead of Jesus that set the whole thing in motion; it made this tremendous hope that we have possible.\u00a0 So help us to think about these things this particular Sunday, first of all Good Friday as we recognize the death of Your Son but then this coming Sunday where we celebrate His bodily resurrection from the dead. We\u2019ll be careful to give you all the praise and the glory.\u00a0 We ask these things in Jesus\u2019 name and God\u2019s people said\u2026 Amen!","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t