We do have a great future as God's people. It is glory. As we'll see at the end of 1 Corinthians 15, death is the last enemy that will be destroyed, but it will be destroyed. God has set forth his purposes and plans for us. We've been talking about the kingdom that God has promised to establish on this earth, and it is the goal toward which every believer is heading. Ultimately, all who come to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior will come to reside in the kingdom that God is going to establish on this earth. In fact, as we will see shortly, heaven itself will come and reside as part of a new heavens and a new earth and in a very real sense, heaven will be on earth. God's throne will be in the kingdom on this earth. We've looked at a number of factors relating to the kingdom. I want to focus a couple of things or attention on a couple of things and then look at the kingdom as it moves through eternity. But first, just a couple of reminders, turning your Bibles to First Chronicles, chapter 17, not a book we go to often, that's just a little in front of the Psalms. So if you just open your Bible to about the middle and then go a little bit in front of the Psalms, toward the front of your Bible. The big book of Job will be there, and Ezra and Nehemiah. And come to 1 Chronicles chapter 17. 1 Chronicles chapter 17 has basically the same material in it as 2 Samuel chapter 7. It contains an account of the covenant that God established with King David. saying that it would be a descendant of David who would sit on the throne ruling over Israel for all eternity. We'll break into this. Nathan the prophet is sent by God to David with this message. The end of verse 10 says, Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, I will set up one of your descendants after you who will be of your sons. I will establish his kingdom. Remember, in a previous study, we talked about the genealogies in Matthew and Luke, which clearly established that Christ was born a descendant of David. Both Mary, his mother, and Joseph, His adopted father, if you will, were descendants of David. Because God has promised to David that I will set one of your descendants. I will establish his kingdom. I will establish him on your throne. He shall build for me a house, a kingdom. I will establish his throne forever. Verse 14, I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne shall be established forever. There are many other places we could go with this emphasis. You'll note that the throne of David is said to be established forever. Ultimately, there is coming a king who will sit on the throne of David. That was an earthly throne centered in Jerusalem. And he would rule over a kingdom that would have no end. Now, keep that in mind. We've talked about the millennium. We'll say more about that in a moment. That's a thousand year period. That is the first phase, first step in the eternal kingdom. But be careful, the millennium is not all there is to the kingdom. A thousand years isn't forever. God did not promise David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne for a thousand years. He said he would sit on his throne forever. So the millennium is not all there is to the kingdom. The millennium is the first step, the first phase of a kingdom that is endless, that will go on forever. Also, the establishing of the kingdom will come about with the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to set up that kingdom. We've looked at some of these matters previously, but to come next to the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Zechariah. I can just review a passage here. Zechariah. And Zechariah chapters 12, 13 and 14 are amazing prophetic chapters regarding the future of Israel and the nations of the earth. And it speaks of a kind of coming trial and tribulation for Israel that will be climaxed by the divine intervention of Jesus Christ in bringing deliverance to Israel. and establishing His throne upon the earth. Something of the troubles. We don't have time to read chapters 12 and 13, but just look at chapter 13, verse 8. It will come about in all the land, declares the Lord, that two parts in it will be cut off and perish, but the third will be left in it. The devastating judgments preceding the return of Jesus Christ to this earth will be so severe that two-thirds of the Jews are going to die. One-third will survive. And He promises in verse 9 to bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name. I will answer them. I will say, They are My people. They will say, The Lord is My God. You see, Romans 11 must be brought about. Thus all Israel will be saved. This surviving remnant will turn and call upon God as their Savior. Chapter 14 begins, God gathering the nations. Verse 2, I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle. The city will be captured and there will be all kind of devastation. And in this setting of turmoil in Israel, Jesus Christ, descends from heaven, verse 3, then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. In that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives will be split from east to west by a very large valley and so on. You see, Jesus Christ is going to return from heaven to the Mount of Olives. We're talking about a physical return to a physical place. If you take a tour to Israel, you will go to the Mount of Olives. You will stand on that mount, same mount. No question, nobody disputes, that's the Mount of Olives. You'll look over and behold the temple setting. Today with the Dome of the Rock there and so on, that's where Jesus Christ will return. And it's his return that will bring about the kingdom. Verse 9, the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day, the Lord will be the only one. His name, the only one. Verse 11, people will live in Jerusalem. There will no longer be a curse. Jerusalem will dwell in security. What about those armies that have been assembled against him? Well, verse 12 has a rather gruesome picture. This will be the plague which the Lord will strike all the people who have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their sockets. Their tongues will rot in their mouth. I mean, not pretty. You do not want to be the Lord's enemy. You do not want to be the object of his wrath. People want to talk about, well, I think the Lord's love is his prime attribute. The Lord doesn't have a prime attribute. All of his attributes are his attributes. We appreciate in a great way his love that is a redeeming love and has brought us salvation. But you understand his holiness is just as much an attribute of his as his love, his righteousness and so on. So Christ will return visibly, personally to this earth. I want to look at several passages. is to remind you this is what it will take to establish the kingdom on the earth. We are not in the kingdom now. Jesus Christ has not returned to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives has not been split. The topography of that region has not been changed as is described here. Jerusalem does not dwell in security. Jesus Christ does not reign from Jerusalem. We are not in the kingdom. We talked about how did the idea that this is the kingdom, we're in the kingdom exist in the hearts goes back to Augustine. Who believed, like I've been teaching a premillennialist, that Christ would come to earth and establish the kingdom, but after living in the Roman world where Constantine had declared Christianity to be the religion of the empire and all of that going on, he thought we must be in the kingdom. So he stopped interpreting the Bible literally on these things. Changed his view and said it must be a kingdom in the hearts and we're in the kingdom. And it doesn't take the personal bodily return of Christ to the Mount of Olives. But once you move away from interpreting the Bible literally, normally, just for what it says, doesn't mean there aren't figures of speech and so on. But we recognize those in our language all the time. But there must be actual fulfillment of what is said, come to the New Testament. The next book after Zechariah, Malachi, and then you're in Matthew. Come to Matthew 24. I'm going to say something in our next study about the preceding time leading up to the return of Christ to earth, the 70th week of Daniel, the tribulation. Now, I just want to talk about the return of Christ to earth and then some subsequent events. Matthew 24. The end of verse 3, the disciples are asking him, and where are they? They are on the Mount of Olives, sitting on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to him privately saying, tell us when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? It's in the context of Israel being rejected for their rejection of the Messiah. He goes on to speak about the events of that 70th week of Daniel, that seven year period leading up to his return to earth. I'll say more about that in a coming study. Then at the end of that time, Christ will personally return to Earth. That period of time preceding his return, verse 21 tells us, will be a time of great tribulation such as not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. We haven't seen anything. In fact, it's so bad, verse 22 says, no life would be saved except that Christ would intervene. The destructions taking place on the earth are so massive, people are dying, billions of people dying, that if Christ did not intervene and come back to earth to put an end to it, no one would survive. But he comes back for the sake of his chosen ones, the elect. He warns them during that time, there'll be false Christ, false messiahs. Don't pay any attention. That's talking about that seven year period leading up to his return. If they come and tell you, verse 26, behold, he, referring to Christ, is in the wilderness. Don't go out. He's in the inner rooms. Don't believe them. In that period of time, there'll be false messiahs trying to get a following and say, don't pay any attention. Well, maybe they're right. What if you've come back? How will we know? Well, you'll know. Look at verse 27. Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. We are not in the kingdom. Jesus Christ has not come. There's a view developing somewhat of a following among professing Christians called being a preterist. Preterism. Preterist means the past. They're saying this passage and others like it were fulfilled in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem when Christ came in judgment. He didn't come physically and stand on the Mount of Olives, but he came in judgment. Well, you can make up fairy tales about the Bible, just like you make up fairy tales and anything, but that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that all the tribes, the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the son of man coming. Come over to Acts chapter one. Acts chapter one. Jesus has spent 40 days following his resurrection from the dead, teaching and instructing his disciples. Verse three, we're told that he spent 40 days, the anniversary, speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God, that kingdom that had been promised and prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, that kingdom that he had spoken about. During his time on Earth. He instructs them concerning the kingdom of God. And what is their response after 40 days of being taught, what did he teach them? We taught them how the Messiah must first suffer and die and be raised from the dead. To provide redemption, then the kingdom can be established. He didn't change the concept of the kingdom because what do the disciples ask at the end of verse six? Lord, is it that this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? They only have one kind of kingdom in mind, the kingdom that was promised to Israel in the Old Testament prophets. After 40 days of Christ instructing them on the kingdom, following his resurrection, there's no different kind of kingdom. There's no spiritual form of the kingdom. There's no mystery form of the kingdom. There's only the kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament prophets for Israel. Jesus doesn't say, what am I going to do with you men? Forty days I've been teaching you. You understand you're already in the kingdom. You don't have to wait any longer, it's already started. No, he just tells them you don't need to know when it will be established. Exact timing of that kingdom is not for you to know, you don't need to have that information. They didn't know at this time, it would wait till the Apostle Paul gets saved. And God reveals to him the mystery of the church. The church will begin in Acts chapter two. But the full understanding of the church is not given till the apostle Paul receives revelation on it from God, according to Ephesians two and three. They didn't realize, OK, now we understand Isaiah 53, the Messiah had to suffer and die and be raised from the dead. Peter will preach that in Acts chapter two. Now we can have the kingdom. You're right. But the parables of Matthew 13 revealed there would be a delay, but it didn't say how long. A gap of time between the first coming and the second coming to establish the kingdom. Now we know that it's some 2000 years. Since Christ came the first time and he has not yet returned the second time, what will happen when he comes again? Well, as Christ finishes instructing them, he ascends in a cloud. And verse 9. After he said these things, he was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Then two angels appear. In verse 11, they say, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven. How did he go into heaven? A cloud received him out of their sight. How did Jesus say he would return in Matthew 24? clouds of heaven. Somebody not get this. I mean, what did the angel say? What do you mean stargazing for? You understand, Jesus Christ is going to return and he'll return exactly the same way he went. Nothing's changed from Zechariah's prophecies, from Isaiah's prophecies, from any of the prophets prophecies, nothing's changed concerning what Jesus taught. The kingdom is going to come and he will return in power and great glory. Turn over to Second Thessalonians, chapter five. That's getting all the way toward the back. Not all the way, but a long way, Second Thessalonians, chapter one, verse five, since there are no five chapters in Thessalonians, we'll go to chapter one, verse five. Paul is writing to the believers at Thessalonica and referring to the tribulations and persecutions they are going through. Because they're standing faithfully for Jesus Christ. And what does he say in verse five, this is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering. You're not in the kingdom, you're on your way to the kingdom. And part of God's preparation is your faithful endurance. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted, and to us as well. When will all this happen? when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord, from the glory of his power, when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day. You see the connection in the picture? Jesus Christ is going to return. with a display of power and glory, pouring out judgment on His enemies. But we see their tongues will rot in their mouth, their eyes in their eye sockets in Zechariah chapter 14. These enemies are going to be consigned to an eternal hell and we will enter into the kingdom. We are going through sufferings. We are going through tribulations because we are going to the kingdom. And this is just part of our journey. Come over. Come to Second Peter, Chapter three, we have to get to the kingdom itself. Second Peter, Chapter three, almost to the book of Revelation, Second Peter, Chapter three. Peter is reminding them of what the prophets had preached. The Old Testament prophets, what the apostles had preached and taught. Verse two, remember what the Lord spoke through the holy prophets and through the apostles. Knowing this, verse three, first of all, that in the last days, mockers will come in their mocking, following after their own lusts, saying, where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as it was from the beginning of creation. You know, talk about the coming of the Lord. I mean, people have been talking about that for thousands of years. When are you going to get over it? You understand, it's time and chance. We're just evolving. We're just part of an ongoing evolution. Well, when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God, the heavens existed long ago. And the earth was formed out of water by water. You know, interesting here, Peter, who is speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, takes the creation account in Genesis absolutely literally. That the world was formed out of water by water because when God created the earth, it was covered by water and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. He moved on the waters and then he divided the waters and created this earth, though through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. When you get to Genesis six, seven and eight, God destroys the earth with a flood. You understand the God who created it all brought about its destruction. God will bring about destruction again. So people ignore the fact they think, oh, no, all things continue as they were time and chance. Just the process goes on. Well, they choose to be ignorant, they choose to reject what God has said for that they are accountable, they will be brought into judgment. We oughtn't to be confused by it. I think, well, maybe we ought to redo our thinking, maybe the creation of kind of Genesis one isn't exactly literal. I'll tell you what, the devil attacks both ends, the beginning and the ending. He tries to say, well, you can't believe the account of the creation. That's not literal. And then what do we do with the ending in the kingdom? Well, you can't take that literally because you try, you destroy the beginning and you destroy the ending. The middle will collapse on itself. I mean, we're answering something that's just a myth. Romans 5 says that by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. That one man being Adam, we're told. And so Christ's one man who brings righteousness. But if Adam wasn't a literal one man in the garden whose sinful act brought sin to the human race, maybe Christ didn't literally bring righteousness to the race. I mean, I don't know why we get confused. Well, we well, you know, science says then it's wrong. Augustine changed his view on the Millennium because he thought when he looked around, the evidence was he was in the kingdom. He was wrong. He should be here today to look around. We're not in the kingdom. We want to be careful we don't change what the Bible says to try to fit what men would be more comfortable with. We're off the subject, but we're on it. Here we go. Verse seven, by his word, the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Just like the flood destroyed the world, there's coming a judgment of fire that will destroy the world. Do not let this fact escape your notice. One day with the Lord is like a thousand years. A thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slow about his promises. Some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people want you to be in? Holy conduct and godliness. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things will be added unto you. Concentrate on holiness. Concentrate on godliness. The world is on a pursuit of things. The world is all consumed about being happy, being healthy. Enjoying life. God's people are on their way to a kingdom of endless joy and happiness. Blessing and righteousness. Our concern right now is holiness and godliness, faithfulness to him. His earth is going to be destroyed by fire. He's not going to destroy it with water again. He's going to destroy it by fire. Keep that in mind, because Isaiah 65 said there's going to be a new heavens and a new earth. Revelation chapter 21 says there's a new heavens and a new earth. Nothing's changed. Come over to the book of Revelation, chapter 1. And now we're at the last book, the closing revelation of God's revelation to man. The book of Revelation, written about 95 AD. It's addressed to seven churches in Asia, Asia Minor, as we would be more familiar with the area. It's from verse 5, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. When will he rule the kings of the earth? In his kingdom that he establishes on the earth. That's what the book of Revelation unfolds, the getting to that kingdom. And he has made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and father. Verse 7, behold, he is coming with clouds and every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. We could have read that verse today in Zechariah chapter 12. Not an exact quote, but a reference. Book of Revelation has multiple hundreds of references to the Old Testament. He's coming with clouds. Sounds like what Jesus said in Matthew 24. Sounds like what the angels told the disciples in Acts chapter one. Nothing's changed. We ought to close our minds completely to these goofy ideas that the kingdom has become a spiritual kingdom. It exists in the hearts. We're not looking for an earthly kingdom, a physical kingdom on the earth. Well, I am, because God says there is. He's made us to be a kingdom, doesn't mean we're in the kingdom now. The kingdom will come when he comes on the clouds. Right now, he's preparing those who will be part of his kingdom. He's not desires of men will perish, so he's given this time to call men, women and young people to turn from their sin and place their faith in Christ. There's coming judgment. Christ is returning, but this is a day of salvation, the day of grace. God is being patient. And we share the message of Christ so that men and women might come to believe. And they're being part of those who will comprise the kingdom when he returns in clouds of glory and in fires of judgment. And we will rule and reign with him in that kingdom. Come over to Revelation chapter 19. Revelation chapter 6. to 19 deal with the 70th week of Daniel, the tribulation, that time of trouble that will climax with the return of Jesus Christ to earth. And we've looked in Revelation 19, but I just remind you. Revelation 19, verse 11, I saw heaven open to behold a white horse and he who sat on the coat, faithful and true in righteousness, he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire and on it goes. Verse 14, the armies which are in heaven. Clothed in fine linen, white and clean, we're following him. He is, verse 16, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And he brings destruction on his enemies. Remember, Zechariah 14, the armies of the world have been assembled at Jerusalem. And Christ now intervenes to rescue his chosen nation, Israel. Destroy their enemies. Then in chapter 20, we had the first phase of the thousand of the eternal kingdom, the thousand year millennium. We know that the purpose of that was to demonstrate the absolute sinfulness of the human heart. Where Jesus Christ will rule and reign on the earth for a thousand years. Children will be born in the millennium, only believers go in, but then those who go into the millennium in their physical bodies have children, they're born with a sin nature. Living in this perfect world under a perfect king. The end of the thousand years when people are given a choice, a number like the sand of the seashore come out to attempt to dethrone Christ and establish Satan as king and they are destroyed. The end of verse eight of chapter 20 told us was a number like the sand of the seashore. We must not minimize the sinfulness of the human heart. This is the problem with men and women today, is the sinfulness. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the motives, Jeremiah, chapter nine. Don't minimize the sin. We don't need to help. Oh, if their conditions were only better. Oh, if this only changed. Oh, if they only had enough to eat. Only if they only had good health. Oh, if they only could. doesn't change a sinful heart. Only a dying savior can change a heart. He's died, he's alive. Only when a person turns from their sin and places their faith in him can they be saved. The culmination of that thousand years, sin is dealt with. You have the great white throne set up in verse 11 and following. This is the final judgment of Scripture. Here all unbelievers, unsaved people, are gathered to finally be sentenced to hell. Then chapter 21 begins, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and first earth passed away. There's no longer any sea. We have a new heavens and a new earth. Isaiah 65 prophesied a new heaven and a new earth. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. So here we have this earth and the heaven around it. Destroy, remember 2 Peter chapter 3, bread and heavens and earth are being reserved for the destruction of fire. There's discussion, is this a renovation of this earth or a totally new? I don't know. I couldn't find anybody else who did either. We're not told. It has connection to this earth because it's a new earth. The new because God made this one new or he totally replaced. I can't tell you for sure. But we have a new heaven and a new earth. We have a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. There's celebration coming from the throne of God in heaven. The new Jerusalem at the end of verse two is made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. The end of verse nine says, come here, I'll show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. We know the church is the bride of Christ. So this is the bride city. It's where you and I, the church, will have our residence through eternity. In the Eternal Kingdom, in the Bride City, it would also be the residence of angels, according to Hebrews 12, and of redeemed, glorified Old Testament saints. This New Jerusalem comes down and resides on the New Earth. Outside the New Jerusalem, you have the earth and the nations of the earth. I'll say more about that in a moment. Verse four, all tears are wiped away, no longer any death, no mourning, crying, the first things. Remember, during the first thousand years, there will be sinners and sin committed. People will die. One who dies at 100 years of age will thought to be a child and cursed of God. But there will be death. There will be rebellion, resistance to the rule of Christ. But now we move into eternity after a thousand years, sin is wiped out. Keep that in mind. We get the first Corinthians 15. We'll come to a verse that tells us that at the end of the thousand years. When Christ has made everything as it should be, then he'll turn the kingdom over to his God and father. And we move into the eternal phase where we are in chapters 21 and 22. The end of verse 6, I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. Come over to chapter 22. Verse 20, verse 1, He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. So now we're in the eternal phase in the water of life with the tree of life in verse 2 of chapter 22. On either side of the river was the tree of life. bearing 12 kinds of fruit. You see, there's going to be a connection here between the Garden of Eden at the beginning of creation and now at the end, at the climax of God's plan. And now the peoples are free to drink of the water of life, to eat of the tree of life. Say more about that in a moment, but he who overcomes will inherit these things. Verse seven, you understand, we haven't inherited them yet. We're going to inherit them. This is the coming kingdom. And the eternal kingdom, the overcomer, first John five, who is he who overcomes? But he that believes that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. And each of the letters to the seven churches in chapters two or three and three of the book of Revelation concluded with a promise to the overcomer, to those who place their faith in Christ alone as savior. Verse 10, 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, having the glory of God and the description of this city. And we've worked through it in our studies earlier. You could get dates. It's sound words and work through the details. Fascinating. You ought to be familiar with it. This is your residence for eternity. You know, like somebody who built houses and you just the light and working through all the details of what you're going to do and how it's going to be. You ought to saturate yourself with the details here. This is where God says you are going to reside in a hundred billion, trillion, quadrillion, whatever, forever. Here's where you'll be living. Where I'll be living, this is the city of the saints. Verse 22, I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is illuminated, its lamp is the Lamb. In this city, the presence of God, you'll note, of God the Father and God the Son. The Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. are its temple. Down in verse 1 of chapter 22, the river comes from the throne of God and of the Lamb. So I say, heaven now has come and resides on earth. Heaven is where God manifests the fullness of His presence and His glory. Now it's happening here, in the New Jerusalem, on the new earth. Verse 24 of chapter 21, the nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. We're in eternity. And there are nations. There are kings. You understand, God has promised an eternal kingdom. Christ ruling over the earth for eternity, the descendant of David. The kingdom promised to Israel is an eternal kingdom. There will be nations, there will be kings. So we have the New Jerusalem, the residence of glorified saints. And outside the New Jerusalem, you have the New Earth, populated by the nations of the Earth. I take it there will be people in non-glorified bodies. would seem to be the explanation is at the end of the first phase, the thousand years, unbelievers are destroyed. The sin nature is removed from believers who still live in physical bodies. Sin nature is not essential part of being human. Remember, Adam and Eve were created without sin. And now these believers in physical bodies go on through the kingdom, having children, populating the kingdom. Forever. I don't know about that. I thought it just all ended. We're in heaven. Sat around and listened to the harps. Smoked cigars, but you can't do that. That'd be illegal. So I don't know. Just eating music and eat. No, no, no. It's a kingdom. It will be a place for us to serve the living God forever. Look down at the end of verse three of Chapter 22. His bond servants will serve him. There will be things to be done through eternity. We won't be bored. We and our glorified bodies will be dwelling in the New Jerusalem. The nations outside the New Jerusalem, they'll all be believers. But they will come into the New Jerusalem to worship the God who is enthroned there, to bring glory to Him. Verse 25, in the daytime, there'll be no night there. Its gates will never be closed. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing unclean, no one who practices abomination of lying shall ever come into it. Only those whose names are written in the book, Lamb's Book of Life. And at the great white throne at the end of chapter 20, all those whose names aren't in the Lamb's Book of Life were cast into the lake of fire. To be tormented forever and ever. He showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal coming from the throne of God. In the middle and of the lamb in the middle of the street on either side of the river, the tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. Wait a minute. We're in eternity. I thought we wouldn't have months. And seasons and nations now find out we have them all. I mean, we go on in the New Jerusalem, there's no day and night, but I take it there'll be the seasons, there'll be the months, there'll be a perfect environment. But here you have 12 months. The tree of life bears a different kind of fruit for each of the months we have time, people say, oh, there'll be no time in eternity. What do you mean? There'll be no time. God is the only timeless one. Created beings can't be timeless. I have never dwelt in eternity. I will dwell eternally, but I've never dwelt in eternity. I have a beginning. For me, everything has to happen one event after another. That makes time. So we'll have months, we'll have nations, we'll have people, we'll have kings, we'll have people to be administered. It'll be the leaves of the tree of life will be for the healing or the health of the nations that were translated healing. We transliterated over into English. It's the Greek word therapeutic. We just carry it over into English. Something therapeutic is for our health, our healing, our well-being. Eating of this indicates the abundant provision for people. This carries us back to the Garden of Eden. You remember when God created Adam and Eve and put them in that splendid garden. Chapters one and two of Genesis, what did he tell them to do? Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Now, they had no sin, they were sinless, we say they were in unconfirmed holiness. You know what they were to do? They were to have kids, populate the earth. He put two trees in the garden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told them, don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The day you eat of it, you will die. And they did. They died spiritually in the process of physical death began. Chapter three of Genesis, God said a man is eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now he's a fallen being. What's God got to do? He says we have to remove him from the garden lest he eat of the tree of life and live forever. What's the problem? He would live forever as a fallen being, like Satan, like the angels who sinned. There would be no redemption for man confirmed in his lostness. There would be no salvation for man confirmed in his lostness. So God excludes Adam and Eve from the garden and puts an angel with a flaming sword at the entrance so they can't come in and eat at the tree of life. It's an act of grace. until a Savior comes and provides forgiveness. And now the redeemed can eat through eternity freely of the tree of life. You say, you mean if Adam and Eve hadn't eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, rather had eaten of the tree of life, they would have been confirmed in their holiness? I take it that's so. God never told them they couldn't eat of the tree of life. We're told he put two trees there and told them not to eat of one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All this. Comes out of that. Yep. Sovereign plan of God. I imagine there's going to be a long line at Adam and Eve's door. In eternity, a few things to talk to you about. You have any conception of the trouble you brought on the race? You it'll be all right. You see, God has it all. So you see what has happened. Now we go back, if you will, to Genesis one and two and God's intention for his creation goes on. And so I take it there'll be people through eternity having children, there'll be names who say, oh, we're going to run out of room. But I shared with you, I believe it's Mark Hitchcock in his book. has worked out the figures in the New Jerusalem alone, it's a 1500 mile cube, 1500 miles square in the bottom, 1500 miles high, which incidentally, remember the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple? It was what? A cube, a square. Now, what do we have? We have a greatly enlarged 1500 miles, 1500 miles. And this is the throne room of God, the New Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies. The place where God is worshiped on the earth. And the peoples of the earth will come to worship him, enjoy fellowship with him, see his face. Come back down here. I have to get this in. Verse 3 tells us there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the New Jerusalem. His bondservants will serve Him. They will see His face. His name will be on their foreheads. There will no longer be any night. They won't have need of the lamp, the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them. They will reign forever and ever. That's it. That's the closing. Now, the rest of the book of Revelation draws our attention. Verse 7, Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. Verse 12, Behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to render every man what he has done. Verse 20, Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. You understand the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth. You better get ready. Verse 10, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near. Jesus Christ is coming again. What a glorious end. I thought I was going to spend all eternity just humming with the angels. Well, the angels will dwell in the New Jerusalem. God's throne will be in the New Jerusalem. God, the father, God, the son. All glorified saints will be in the New Jerusalem. The church will be the key people in the New Jerusalem. It's the bride city. The earth, the center is the nation Israel with Jerusalem, the capital of the world. So it is a Jewish kingdom. But we, the bride of Christ, the church, are the key and beautiful place in that kingdom, along with glorified Old Testament saints who will share. But you know, the distinctions are maintained and people come up with silly ideas. I read in theology books, I said, well, I believe in one people of God. I believe in one people of God. I've asked some theologians. We mean one people of God. Well, you know, one people of God, I don't. I believe in the peoples of God. I believe Israel is distinct from the church. Furthermore, I believe the nations of the earth will maintain their distinctions because in the eternal kingdom they will have those distinctions. And furthermore, at the New Jerusalem, there are 12 gates and each of the gates come back to chapter 21, verse 12. There are 12 gates at the 12 gates, 12 angels, the names are written on the 12 gates, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel. I'm not one of those tribes. I mean, we jumble our theology and then we wonder why it just seems so confusing. Read it like you read the morning paper. Just take it for what it says. That doesn't mean there aren't things I say, well, I don't understand what he's saying in this article, sometimes in an article I have to go back and read further, you know, so let me you know, I like to read the end of books first. But, you know, that can get you in trouble. Sometimes I do have to go back to the beginning of the book to find out what they're talking about at the end of the book. So sometimes you're reading in the book of Revelation, you do have to with 500 and some references to the Old Testament, go back and find out what he's talking about at times. But it's all there. What a glorious future. So you know where we're going. We're going to the kingdom. We're going to the New Jerusalem. Jesus said in John 14, I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also. Where is he? I know for all eternity he's in the New Jerusalem because I'm told that the throne of God and the Lamb are there. And where they are, that's where I'm going to be. What a glorious future. What are we going to do? He's going to administer the earth. Well, what about when we run out of room? You know how many universes? I don't have any. We can't even measure. Is God going to expand this earth? Is he going to? I don't know. He didn't write Revelation 23. He stopped at 22. We can be thankful for that. We have our hands full, right? And besides, it ends on the note we need to know. Get ready. Live as though the time is near. And for those who haven't believed. Come partake of the water of life at no cost. While you can, because there'll come a time of judgment. What a great God we have. The plan hasn't changed. The kingdom is the kingdom. You and I can't lose focus. Here's what we are about. We are about proclaiming the message of the kingdom, of the king, of the crucified Lord of glory, the savior of the world, calling men, women and young people to come to believe in him. and prepare for the coming of the Lord of Glory. Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for who you are. Thank you, Father, for the wonder of your power. We are in awe. Lord, we realize that Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ should shine in. We praise You for Your grace that pierces through the darkness and brings that salvation to the hearts of men, women, and young people. It causes them to believe in Your Son, the Savior. Lord, there's no cause for us who have become Your children by grace through faith to be confused, to be disoriented, Thank you for the clarity of your word, for its beauty, its wonder. And thank you for your spirit, who is our teacher. As we end the year and look to a new year, Lord, it is with anticipation, knowing the time is near. We look forward to all you have promised in Christ's name. Amen.