As God would have it in His prophetic Word, the triumphant possession of and reign by the saints under Christ over this present earth restored is not the end of the matter glorious as this is.1 Their reign is temporary; limited to a millennium by the continuing presence of sin in mortal man and God’s planned eternal order restoration with new cosmic and earth designs. It is sin in mortals that requires the use of a “rod of iron” in the mix of methods the Lord and the saints use to rule during the millennium (Psalm 2:6-9; Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5, 19:15, NKJV).2 Even so, God said long ago “My Spirit shall not strive with” sinful mortal “man forever,” (Genesis 6:3; Isaiah 57:15-16, NKJV).
Under the just and peaceful reign of Christ and the saints mortals will experience unparalleled blessings from God. Not the least of these blessings will be free, universal healthcare since naturally occurring mental torments, diseases and sicknesses will not be present except as permitted for punitive purposes on sinning individuals. They will not be demonically initiated because Satan and his hordes will be confined to the “bottomless pit” under the earth (Revelation 20:1-3, NKJV). The perfect health of mortals will be as God promised Israel for obedience in the Promised Land and when Christ came to them in the first century A.D. (Exodus 23:20-26; Matthew 15:29-31).
Truly, it is in critical part for Israel’s sake and the covenants God made with their fathers and especially king David that the intermediary millennium earth reign of Christ with the saints over mortal sinners takes place! David had presided over Israel as king before God at its pinnacle; ushering forth a covenant from God with him to seat a descendant on his throne as an everlasting kingdom which Christ fulfills (2 Samuel 7:8-17; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:26-33; John 18:33-38, 19:17-22). Righteous Jews and His disciples had been waiting for the Kingdom which after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus indirectly affirmed would come in God’s timing (Luke 23:50-24:12; 36-49; Acts 1:4-11).3
Now, at His return finally, the Kingdom comes to earth and Israel! The elect remnant of mortal Israel and surviving Gentiles live long in prosperity and peace under the rule of Christ and the saints (Isaiah 65:20-25). After a millennium of no birth control, miscarriages, abortions and limited death from natural, purposeful or accidental causes, the earth is filled with humanity from all nations. All is well until in the sovereign God’s perfect timing and will, Satan and his hordes are released from their prison. They waste no time deceiving and stirring up vast numbers from the Gentile nations to rebel and amass for suicidal war against Christ, the saints and Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-17; Revelation 20:7-8).4
However, no war takes place. As soon as the legions of demons and deceived mortals are positioned around Jerusalem, “city of the great King” and royal home base of the saints (Psalm 48:1-3), the Father rains down holy fire from Heaven upon them (Revelation 20:9). It is a consuming fire like, but exceedingly greater than that which consumed Sodom and Gomorrah, Nadab and Abihu and the offering of Elijah in days of old (Genesis 19:24-25; Leviticus 10:1-3; 1 Kings 18:30-39)! For not only will this fire from God consume every single assembled rebel mortal where they stand, but the whole physical universe and earth right down to microscopic particles and invisible elements. Indeed, for this cause sinful mortals have been on notice until now (Hebrews 12:25-29; 2 Peter 3:10-12).
In the divine initiated conflagration, Satan and his kingdom of fallen angels will be thrown into the eternally burning “lake of fire,” originally “prepared” just “for” them (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10, NKJV). Moments before His holy fire consumes every vestige of this present creation tainted by sin, God will transform elect Jews and noncombatants from mortal to immortal as protection and cause them to stand before the “throne” and “Judgment seat of Christ” with all raised from the dead for that purpose (Isaiah 66:22; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:24-30; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-51; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Revelation 20:11-13, 15). For the Lord Jesus “must reign” until every enemy of God’s Kingdom is eternally put down (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:14, NKJV)!
Standing with the Lord Jesus Christ and the holy angels in the eternal spiritual environment of divine righteousness, all written in His Book of Life will witness the amazing power of God as the promised new heavens and earth are brought forth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). There is no sun or moon and a newly designed earth is without oceans. Out of Heaven God places His built “holy city, New Jerusalem” on the earth as the apostle John was shown. Then he heard this loudly spoken: ‘“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself (the Father) will be with them and be their God’” to the joy of His eternally reigning sons who will inherit it all (Isaiah 65:18-19, 66:24; Revelation 21:2-22:5, NKJV).5
1 This post is the final of a total of three presenting and exploring the Lord’s promise that The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth posted on July 12, 2020 under the categories,
Black History and Encouragement. It was followed by the July 19, 2020 post, Ruling The Earth Under Christ, under the category, Bible prophecy.
2 Shepherds have used a wooden rod with sheep to guide, coral or redirect the wayward back into the fold and as a weapon to repel predators from ancient times (Exo-
dus 3:1, 4:1-2). Whether understood literally or figuratively, the “rod of iron” wielded by Christ and the saints is surely intended to convey firmness in righteous gover-
nance and severity of retribution upon rebels.
3 Read the January 28, 2014 two-part post, Jesus: The Jewish Messiah, under the category, Holidays. Also, see the December 20, 2015 re-post, Reigning With Christ
On Earth and The Day Of Israel’s Comfort posted on June 12, 2016 both under the category Bible Prophecy.
4 Clearly, the Lord demonstrates His infinite knowledge, wisdom and righteousness in allowing us to see for a millennium the amazing difference for good a world without
the kingdom of darkness holding sway makes. Tragically, we also see as He foreknew how susceptible imperfect mortal mankind as sinners are to the deceiving work
of the deceiver and his demon minions upon their return from below the earth! Finally too, between the first coming and return of Christ we understand why God re-
quired fallen mortals to “be born again” so, they might receive a new nature (John 3:1-8, NKJV)!
5 To learn about aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Jesus Christ as eternal sons, get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. A
print copy or digital download of the book is available at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You
can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store. From the book as the Lord led, I also wrote a 2013 blog re-posted on June 19, 2016 you can read entitled, E-
ternal Sons Of God, under the category, Instruction.
As the Lord leads this week, I continue exploring His promise rooted in Bible prophecy that “The meek shall inherit the earth,” (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5, NKJV).1 The Lord Jesus not only affirmed God’s promise made through king David, He made it possible by His atoning death for our sins, burial and resurrection from the dead! All who humble themselves to repent of their sins, believe on Him and receive the Holy Spirit to be born again are the meek as well as “saints” before God (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, NKJV); enjoying all of the eternal spiritual rights, privileges and benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven now, while waiting on its full display at Christ’s Second Coming.
After having declared it “at hand” and showing its superior might, “the kingdom of heaven” and its inheritors were what the Lord Jesus sat down to teach His disciples and the multitudes about that had gathered to Him on a mountain in the Galilee region (Matthew 4:17, 23-5:1, NKJV). As I wrote previously, He taught all who are “the poor in spirit” and outside of the Kingdom were “Blessed” (happy) because entering in now, it would and does belong to them by divine bestowal (Luke 12:32)! Likewise, those “who mourn” over the world’s sins and their own were blessed because they would “be comforted” leading to the promise of inheriting the earth He affirms (Matthew 5:2-5, NKJV).
God’s comfort for sin is His forgiveness now, and eventual complete liberation and removal from its presence (Luke 24:46-47; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; 2 Peter 3:10-13). But the Lord does not stop here. He teaches that the yearning among lost humanity for “righteousness” which is ultimately God’s righteousness will cause the meek to be blessed as it is fulfilled in them. Completely His disciples, He further instructs they are blessed by being “merciful,” “pure in heart,” “peacemakers” and “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” because respectively, they will “obtain mercy,” “see God,” “be called sons of God” and again, receive the Kingdom (Matthew 5:6-10, NKJV).
It should be clear at this point that the Lord’s emphasis on receiving the Kingdom is not only intertwined with what His disciples each inherit as personal blessings for following Him, but importantly too, what they inherit corporately including the promise of the earth as a possession. However, as the Lord goes on to teach, the Kingdom and its blessings will not come without suffering fueled by persecution as the prophets and His apostles also warn (Daniel 7:21-27; Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 14:19-22). Persecution is the direct result of being Christ’s disciple--preaching the Gospel and modeling His Word to an evil, hostile world of sinners (Matthew 5:13-48; Philippians 1:27-30).2
Nevertheless, the Lord taught us who follow Him as disciples to pray specifically to our Father petitioning for His Kingdom to come to earth and His will to be done here “as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:9-10, NKJV). So, faithful saints pray; longing, suffering and waiting for the Day of the Lord and His reversal in our favor that launches with Christ’s return, the resurrection of those that have died and translation of those still alive that remain before God pours out His full wrath upon the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Revelation 16:15-21).3 On that Day, we will watch the vengeance of the Lord from the sky as He takes down those and the ruler of this world that have persecuted His saints and attacked Israel (Isaiah 34:1-4, 8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; Revelation 6:12-17, 19:11-20:3).
Immediately following Christ’s victory in the final war of the ages, He and the saints will take possession and control of the whole earth--in our hands as promised (Psalms 2:6-12, 37:9, 97).4 And we will reign with Him as king-priests forever (2 Timothy 2:11-13; Revelation 1:4-6, 5:8-10)! Indeed, the Kingdom rule of Christ and the saints extends beyond the earth to include all of the created universe as originally planned for man by God, but delayed by sin which Christ moved out of the way through His cross (Hebrews 2:5-13). On earth, the saints will rule in the image of Christ the King who is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Romans 8:29-30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2) and His likeness (Isaiah 11:2-5, 42:1-4; Malachi 2:7, 3:5; Revelation 19:16, NKJV).
Under Christ the King, the saints with their rods of iron will decisively and justly judge mortal mankind among the nations in every realm of governance He wills and angels (Psalm 149:5-9; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; Revelation 3:26-27, 20:4-6). While Scripture makes no specific statement about how the rule of the saints will be organized in the earth and universe, there is no need to depart from what it already shows are the approved divine patterns to have a sound idea (Exodus 18:13-27; Mark 3:13-19, 10:35-40; Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 14:1-5). The Lord will take all of the hard, God alone issues to His Father, but delegate judgment to the saints to dispense from what is His already written sound, transcendent knowledge and wisdom with instantaneous guidance from Him through the Holy Spirit.
Tolerated no more ever again will be corrupt and inept governance, political strife, fear of wanton mortal violence, murder, war, theft, oppressions, abuse of women or children, family disorder, poverty or homelessness as widespread, intractable problems, injustice, discrimination based on ethnicity, race or nationality, exploitation, drug abuse, adultery, sexual immorality, abortion, lying, religious deceit, confusion or idolatry, any other standing forms of evil, incurable disease or sickness. For “knowledge of the Lord” the “King” and peace will fill “the earth” and He alone exalted “in that day,” (Isaiah 11:6-9; Zechariah 14:9; Malachi 4:1-3, NKJV). Stubborn sinners and rebel nations will visibly suffer the consequences (Isaiah 65:20; Zechariah 14:16-19). O glorious day; bring it Lord!
1 See the July 12, 2020 post, The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth, under the categories Black History and Encouragement.
2 This is the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ I give instruction about and to as the Lord leads in my book, The
Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. Get a print copy or digital download of the book at major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
ChristianBooks.com and Apple (digital only). You can also purchase a print copy in the Strong Man Store.
3 This scenario is biblically consistent with all of the previous ways God has done in history right down to the very small number of persons ever translated (Genesis 5:
24; 2 Kings 2:11) or moved out of the way of His cataclysmic and destructive wrath (Genesis 7:13-24; 19:15-29). There is no biblical precedent for God effecting a
mass removal of millions of people to avoid tribulation (suffering) He has allowed save Israel after many years in Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3:7-8; Deuteronomy 4:
32-35). But now, even of Israel God will deliver only a remnant as foretold (Isaiah 1:9, 10:20-23).
4 Read the December 20, 2015 re-post, Reigning With Christ On Earth, under the category, Bible Prophecy, along with the September 17, 2017 post, God’s Kingdom
Restored To Earth! followed by Christ To Restore All Things, on September 24, 2017 both under the categories Bible Prophecy and The Cause.
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now