The Seven Millennial Days of Human History

THE SEVEN MILLENNIAL DAYS OF HUMAN HISTORY

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Seventh Millennial Day

"A perfect world is coming and this troubled world will end!"
-- song, Good News

A NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH

The Bible speaks of a future time when "the whole earth is at rest and quiet" (Isaiah 14:7). This will be the seventh millennium of human history, foreshadowed by the day of creation which God blessed and upon which He rested. The book of Hebrews speaks of this world to come and compares it to the seventh day of creation, for it will be a period of Sabbath rest and great reward for God's people (Hebrews 2:5; 4:4, 9, 11; Revelation 14:13).

Just as God created heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1; Exodus 20:11), He is now creating a new heaven and earth over the course of six millennial days of human history. Overview The Seventh Millennial Day will be holy, peaceful and at rest. Human beings will live long, joyful and prosperous lives as they build houses, plant vineyards and bear children, worshiping God from Sabbath to Sabbath and from month to month (Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:22-23). The animals will be tame and peaceful (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25), and there will be world peace among all nations (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). The earth will be like the garden of Eden (Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 36:35) -- it will be "heaven on earth" (Revelation 21:1-5; Matthew 6:10).

"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

(Genesis 2:1-3)

"For in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."

(Exodus 20:11)

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."

(Isaiah 65:17)

" . . . we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."

(II Peter 3:13)

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away."

(Revelation 21:1

Whole Earth at Rest -- World Peace

Christ and His church will govern the earth during the Seventh Millennial Day. The book of Revelation describes this blessed thousand-year period:

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed unto them. . . . And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. . . . This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

(Revelation 20:4-6)

The presence of God's government will produce peace on earth:

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord's house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow to it.
Many people shall come and say,
'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths'
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore."

(Isaiah 2:2-4)

"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)

Christ Shall Restore All Things (Acts 3:21)

For nearly 6,000 years the world has been cut off from God. During this time, Satan has been influencing the nature of both man and animals (Ephesians 2:2-3; Matthew 8:30-32). The creation was subjected to futility after God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden (Romans 8:20; Genesis 3:22-24). In the World Tomorrow, however, human nature will be changed; people will no longer be carnal minded (hard hearted), but led by the Spirit of God (Genesis 6:5, 11; 8:21; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 15:19; 19:4-8; 24:37; Acts 2:16-17; Romans 8:7, 14; Galatians 5:19-23; Hebrews 8:10-12). The animals will be tame, as they were originally (Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25; Ezekiel 34:25, 28). Doctrine Five

Satan will not be allowed to influence God's creation during the Seventh Millennial Day:

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished."

(Revelation 20:1-3)

Many Scriptures describe the peaceful, happy conditions which shall prevail on earth during the Seventh Millennial Day. It is the focal point of Bible prophecy, the Messianic Age, the Day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6), the time when all things shall be restored:

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."

(Acts 3:19-21)

The apostle Paul wrote of this coming restoration and contrasted it to today's troubled world:

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."

(Romans 8:20-22)

Why did God allow the creation to be "subjected to futility" for 6,000 years? The answer is that He wanted to place enmity -- an eternal bar of separation -- between Satan the devil and those whom God will allow to govern the earth in the Seventh Millennial Day (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20). God required Jesus Christ, at His first coming, to resist and reject thoroughly Satan's way of rebellion against the government of God before He could be given dominion over the earth at His second coming. Jesus never preached the gospel until after he had overcome Satan and qualified to replace him as ruler of the earth (Matthew 4:1-11, 17; Mark 1:12-15; Luke 4:1-21). Christ's wife must develop the same character her Husband has by overcoming Satan and Satan's world, just as Jesus did before her (John 16:33; Romans 8:29-30; Galatians 1:4; Philippians 2:5; I John 2:15-17; Revelation 3:21). The church is now in its period of "final exams" (Daniel 11:35; 12:10; I Peter 4:17). Battle of the Universe -- Doctrine Three -- The Basic Questions

"Daniel prophesied of our time: 'Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand' (Daniel 12:10). Truly this has been a time of trying and testing. We are the firstfruits called to be students that we may become kings and priests and rule with Christ (Revelation 5:10). We in the Church are students, and we are in the time of final exams."

-- Herbert W. Armstrong, Recent History of the Philadelphia Era of the Worldwide Church of God

In faithfulness to His own command (Exodus 20:8-11), God will remember His millennial Sabbath Day and keep it holy. An entirely new civilization shall be built on this earth. Only that which is holy will enter into it (Isaiah 4:3; Revelation 20:6; 21:27; 22:14-15). Days of Trumpets and Atonement God's new world will be built on the foundations He laid during the first six millennial days; His work will be finished while His program is in motion and the new civilization develops.

A parallel between the seven millennial days and God's message to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 helps us understand what shall be restored and gives us a composite picture of the world to come:

1) God's presence shall fill the earth. Satan has been the god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4) since the fall of man in the garden of Eden. In the Seventh Millennial Day spiritual light shall be restored to God's creation and spiritual darkness removed (Isaiah 25:7; 42:7; 60:19-20; Acts 26:18; II Corinthians 3:14-16; 4:3-6; Revelation 21:23-25; 22:5). God will be with mankind (Revelation 21:3) as He was originally (Genesis 3:8). No longer will humanity be cut off from God (Ephesians 2:12; 4:18; Romans 9:25-26; 11:7-10, 25-32). "The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

Church #1 (Ephesus):

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."

(Revelation 2:7)

God divided light from darkness on the first day of creation, and God divided His Way from Satan's way through the two trees in the garden of Eden on The First Millennial Day of human history.

2) Humanity will be purified -- cleansed of sin. Noah's world was baptized in the waters of a flood (I Peter 3:20-21); God will cleanse the earth a second time by fire (Isaiah 66:15; Matthew 3:11-12; 13:40-43, 49-50; Luke 12:49). "This present evil age" (Galatians 1:4) will end (Matthew 24:3).

Church #2 (Smyrna):

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."

(Revelation 2:11)

On The Second Millennial Day God promised Noah He would never again destroy the earth by waters of a flood (Genesis 9:11-16; 1:7). However -- just as an individual who is totally overcome by sin after baptism faces a second death (Hebrews 3:12-15; 6:4-8; 10:26-27; II Peter 2:21-22; Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8) -- human civilization faces the seven trumpets and seven last plagues which will occur before the second coming of Christ (II Peter 3:1-13; I Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 1:1-3; 6:12-17; 16:15-21; Matthew 3:12; 13:40-42). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah pictured that coming time. Sodom and Gomorrah -- Things to Come -- The Days of Trumpets and Atonement

3) Israel will be restored. The twelve tribes of Israel will become the leading nations on earth (Ezekiel 37:15-28). All nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; Acts 3:25-26; Galatians 3:8). God's Law shall become the civil, religious and cultural basis of society (Leviticus 23; Isaiah 2:3; 66:23; Jeremiah 31:33; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:16; Malachi 4:4; Matthew 5:17-18; Hebrews 8:10; 10:16). All of God's promises to Abraham will be fulfilled (Genesis 17:6-8; 22:15-18; Leviticus 26:40-45; Ezekiel 47:13-14; Daniel 9:24; 12:1; Amos 9:8-15; Micah 7:20; Psalms 102:18; 105:6-11; Matthew 19:28; Acts 1:6-7; 15:15-17; Hebrews 6:13-18; Revelation 7:4-8, 14; 21:12-14).

Church #3 (Pergamos):

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written."

(Revelation 2:17)

This represents the covenant God made with Israel on The Third Millennial Day. The hidden manna was placed inside the ark of the covenant, in Israel's most holy place, along with the two tables of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written (Hebrews 9:3-4). The Ten Commandments were, and continue to be the heart of the agreement between God and His people.

4) The throne of David will be restored (Greater Light to rule the day). God's government will be restored on earth. Babylon (lesser light to rule the night) -- the beast power -- will be eliminated. The government of Jesus Christ -- one world government -- shall replace the governments of this world (Revelation 11:15; Daniel 2:35, 44; Haggai 2:6-9, 21-22).

Church #4 (Thyatira):

"And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations -- He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels -- as I also have received of my Father."

(Revelation 2:26-27, see Psalm 2:8-9)

On The Fourth Millennial Day God established the throne of David forever (II Samuel 7:12-16; I Chronicles 17:11-14; 22:10; Psalms 89:3-4, 28-37; 132:11-18; Jeremiah 23:5-8; 33:14-26). Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will administer the government of God over all the earth from the throne of David in the World Tomorrow (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:30-33; Mark 1:12-15; Matthew 4:1-11, 17; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:41-45; Hebrews 1:13; 10:12-13).

5) The Holy Spirit will fill the earth (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21). God's Spirit of love, joy and peace will replace Satan's spirit of hatred and strife which permeates the world today (Galatians 5:19-23). All human beings will be joined to the one true church (I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:4-6) and have opportunity to be led by Jesus Christ to eternal life (Revelation 7:17; John 4:14). This is why God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Acts 3:25-26; Galatians 3:8, 16, 29).

Christ's new world will be built on the foundation of the tree of life, not the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Hence, human beings will not have to die (Revelation 21:4). After fulfilling the purpose of their human life -- the development of holy, righteous character -- they will be changed immediately from mortal to immortal and born into God's Family as eternal spirit beings (John 3:6; I Corinthians 15:50). This is what would have happened to Adam and Eve in the beginning if they had partaken of the tree of life. Before the flood, human beings were allowed to live over 900 years, but then had to die (Genesis 5; Romans 5:12). After the flood human lifespan was shortened significantly. In the world to come human lifespan will be greatly increased, and the automatic death penalty imposed on Adam and Eve's descendants will be removed (Zechariah 8:1-4; Isaiah 65:20-23; Revelation 21:4).

Church #5 (Sardis):

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life."

(Revelation 3:5)

By sending "the Spirit of Life" (Romans 8:2) into the world on The Fifth Millennial Day, God opened the door to eternal life for mankind. God's Master Plan for the salvation of humanity, pictured by His annual Holy Days (Leviticus 23), began with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:3-4) and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Hence, Life appeared on the fifth day of God's spiritual creation.

6) Christ and His wife will have dominion over the earth. God gave a husband and a wife dominion over the earth on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-28).

Church #6 (Philadelphia):

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God. . . . I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem."

(Revelation 3:12)

These expressions all symbolize the Lamb's wife (Revelation 21:2, 9-10). The church is the bride of Christ and shall marry Him at His second coming, near the end of The Sixth Millennial Day. She will take the name of her Husband, the name of God.

7) The earth shall be at rest (Isaiah 14:3, 7). God rested on the seventh day of creation and made it holy (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11). The seventh millennium will be the Day of Jesus Christ (Mark 2:28; I Corinthians 1:8; 5:5; Philippians 1:6, 10; II Thessalonians 2:2; Revelation 1:10).

Church #7 (Laodicea):

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne. . . ."

(Revelation 3:21)

Satan will be banished (Matthew 12:29; Revelation 20:1-3) and Jesus Christ will be king over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 11:15; 19:16) during The Seventh Millennial Day.

GOD'S PURPOSE SHALL STAND

The Seventh Millennial Day -- the world to come (Hebrews 2:5) -- the new heaven and earth described in Isaiah 65:17-25 -- will be the product of God's labor during the first six millennial days of human history (Genesis 2:1; Exodus 20:11; 31:17). All of God's work during the past 6,000 years has had great purpose and will come to fruition in the near future. Overview

Christ's reign on earth -- the beautiful new world to come -- shall endure forever (Ezekiel 37:25; Daniel 2:44; Joel 3:20; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15). At the end of the sixth day of creation, the earth was in a state of perfection and beauty (Genesis 1:31). It remained that way both 1) during and 2) after the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3). Whenever a weekly Sabbath ends (at sunset on Saturday evening), a new week begins and the weekly cycle continues on. In like manner, the utopian conditions which shall exist on earth during the Seventh Millennial Day will continue long after the thousand years have ended.

The Seventh Millennial Day will be holy time. When it is over, Satan shall be released from his prison. He will attempt to destroy Christ's kingdom on earth but will not succeed (Revelation 20:7-9). God will defend "the beloved city" -- New Jerusalem -- Christ's world headquarters during the millennium (verse 9, Zechariah 1:17; 8:3; Isaiah 2:1-4; 60:14-20; 65:18-19; Ezekiel 48:30-35; Revelation 21:2, 10, 23-27). Satan's kingdom on earth today -- Babylon -- will never be rebuilt (Daniel 2:35, 44; 7:11, 14, 26-27; Isaiah 13:19-22; 47:1-15; Jeremiah 51:60-64; Revelation 18:1-24; 19:20; 20:10).

Doctrine Four addresses the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) which will occur after Satan has been put into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41; Ezekiel 28:18-19). All human beings who lived during the 6,000-year period and who had not been called by God (Romans 8:28-30; 9:1-24) shall be resurrected to mortal life and given opportunity to live in Christ's new world (Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 11:25-32; I Corinthians 15:22; Revelation 20:5, 12). They will be called by God at that time and given their first opportunity to learn of salvation and God's ways (John 6:44-45; Isaiah 54:13).

The second coming of Jesus Christ will be the greatest event in the history of the universe. It will mark the beginning of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21; I Corinthians 15:27-28; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 1:2-3; 2:8, 10). Satan's rebellion and war in heaven (Revelation 12:7-9) caused a cataclysm of universal proportions. When God's work during the seven millennial days of human history has been completed, the earth will have become merely the first planet to be restored. Next, the rest of the billions of now-dead planets shall be rejuvenated and perfected also. Christ's kingdom will never cease to grow (Isaiah 9:7). This work of restoration -- bringing life and beauty to the entire, awesome universe -- awaits the family of God and is mankind's incredible human potential.

Overview

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