Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the evening service. Please stand. 457 to God be the glory. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life and atoned Him. for sin, and hope in the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come, to the Father, through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done. O perfect redemption, the purchase of God, to every The vilest offender who truly believes That moment from Jesus' subordinary seat. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done. he hath taught us, great things he hath done, and great are rejoicing through Jesus the Son. But newer and higher and greater will be our wonder, our transport when Jesus will see. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come, hear the Father, to Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done. Good to see you back tonight. Let's go to the Lord morning prayer. Lord, we ask for your blessing on the service again this evening. Thank you for the crowd we have this morning, the visitors, and Father, for the word of God that went forth. Phil, preach with your power now as he is again on the end time stuff. Be with the kids as they sing. And Henry, as we finish the singing in the church here, speak to our hearts tonight. And if there's one loss, help them to hear and get saved. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. I'd rather have Jesus. I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather be His than have riches untold. I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand. than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world afford to give. you I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause. I'd rather be faithful to His disdainer cause. I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame. I'd rather be true to His holy name, than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. Good to see you back tonight. I don't know if you've ever had a time that you just got really discouraged because someone did something to you you didn't think they would do. I told you Sierra's never eaten off my plate, she's never taken a thing that I've been eating. The other day I got some jerky from Zooks in Castroville and I was, I scratched all the pepper and stuff off because I don't like all the hot stuff, so I would scratch it off, I'd take a piece, give her a piece, I'd take a piece, give her a piece. Then I had to go to the kitchen to get a drink or something, so I laid the jerky there and even as I walked away I thought, So I said, Sierra, don't take my jerky. Came back in, my jerky's gone. Sierra's gone. I look underneath the bed with the flashlight. She's sitting there looking at me. And I said, Sierra. So she stole my jerky. Say, what'd you do? I said, I pulled it back and I took a piece and she ate a piece. We continued on. Now I can't tell people she never has taken anything off my, well I guess she hasn't taken anything off my plate, she just has stolen my jerky when she wasn't supposed to, so. Now the new prayer list is the one on the back pew, is the dark blue one. A lot of folks that we've been praying for already, we always pray for preachers. Mark and Maria is getting married this Saturday at 4.30. The Saturday after that is a bridal shower. That is at 2 p.m. for Christina. See Mrs. Sells for the sign-up sheet. And then the ladies gave me this December the 3rd, which is the Tuesday right before Brother Owens will be with us on Wednesday night. Tuesday, the ladies are having the ladies' Christmas dinner. There's a sign-up sheet in the office. And again, all ladies are invited to that. How many spots do we have? 50. So again, it's a first come, first serve. Please make sure you get signed up. It never fails. They fill it up, and then someone wants to come, and then they have to be the mean person and say we don't, because again, when we say 50, that means they figured out every place they can stick a lady and stick a chair, and they're all fools. So please sign up early. The sign-up sheet is in the office, and get that taken care of. As I mentioned, Brother Owens will be with us here at the church on the 4th, that is a Wednesday night. That will be 7.30, our regular Wednesday night service time. Then he'll be Friday and Saturday at Texas Baptist. We're using their facilities, but we are the ones in charge of the youth meeting. So Friday night, it will start at 7 o'clock. We'll hear Brother Owens at 7. On Friday and then Saturday it starts at 10, and we'll hear him twice in the morning And then he asked to fly back out to get back to his home church. He is a pastor in New Bern, North Carolina So be praying for that meeting and everybody's invited to that meeting Again, a lot of their church members come a lot of our church members go as well We are invite but again a brother Owens always preaches something that that's everybody can get something out of it So if you can help us with that, that would be great. Don't forget As I mentioned, praying for not just the election, but pray for our military as well. We already have folks involved. They don't talk about it a lot, but those of you that know military families know that we already have some folks over in some of the war areas. So just continue to pray for our military as well. Please stand. I'm standing on the solid rock. My disappointment, strife, and discontentment I cast my every care on the Lord No matter what obsession, pain, or deep depression I'm standing on the solid rock I'm standing on the rock of ages, safe from all the storm that rages. Rich, but not from Satan's wages, I'm standing on the solid rock. Even though He's gone now, I don't feel alone now With comfort came the Spirit of the Lord Now with this verse to guide me, from temptation hide me I'm standing on the solid rock I'm standing on the rock of ages, hey From all the storm that rages, rage It's not from Satan's rages I'm standing on the solid rock Now I'm pressing onward, each step leads me homeward. I'm trusting in my Savior day by day. In close is our relation, firm is His foundation, so on this solid rock I'll stay. I'm standing on the rock of Ages A. From all the storm that rages, rage, but not from Satan's rages, I'm standing on the solid rock. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we're just thankful once again for the opportunity to be here this evening, Lord. And as always, we're just so grateful for your blessings to us. Pray that this offering help meet the need of our church. In Jesus' name, amen. you 218 Living for Jesus Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please Him in all that I do. Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thy atonement didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master, My heart shall be Thy throne, By Thy side give henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone. Living for Jesus, their last little while, My dearest treasure, the light of His smile. Seeking the lost ones, He died to redeem, O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee. Thou, then, my atonement, dost give Thyself for me. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone. These are the kiddos from Thursday Night Soul Running. When the adults go out, they stay behind practicing and do stuff at the church. the bondage of sin anymore. I'm still amazed that Jesus will pay a debt I could not afford. That I'm free at last from the sin that made me a slave I'm still as much as when you first touched me Oh yes, I'm still the name Of the nation of our God, but God to save I've never got over that this game would shoulder my sin With all its disgrace As Calvary's hill still gives me a thrill Life's still a maze I'm still at a loss why he'd take the cross instead of the street I've been on. He's the only king who gave every king straight to the cross. I still love to ponder this God-given wonder, oh yes, I'm still amazed. Amazed to know how far God would go to settle all our spirits. I never got over that this King would shoulder my sin with all its disgrace. His cloudy silk stooped his knee and bared But this King would shoulder my sin with all his disgrace His Calvary's hill still gives me a thrill all right good to see you tonight uh... revelation chapter twenty four a long time uh... we've been preaching on the lord's prophetic scheme as he has set it forth for us in the Bible. And we've worked our way over now to where for the last few Sunday nights we've been talking about Christ's millennium and we'll continue that tonight. Revelation chapter 20 And we'll read the same three verses, I think, that we've read the last two Sunday nights, verses four through six of Revelation chapter 20. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. And so I'm gonna speak tonight What happened to my clock? We'll never get out of here if I don't have a clock back there to look at. There you go. I knew it was hiding somewhere in there. I'm gonna speak to you tonight on the subject, Conditions During Christ's Millennial Reign. Conditions During Christ's Millennial Reign. Now, Father, thank you for the privilege to come to church again this evening. And Lord, I pray now for your help and blessing. I want your people to know your word, what you tell us. And Lord, I want to say what I should say and not say anything I shouldn't say. So I pray that you'll help me and that the Holy Spirit of God might bless tonight If anyone's with us who's never trusted Christ as Savior, draw them to Him, help them to receive Him before they leave here tonight, and then bless the Word of God to your people, we pray in Jesus' name. Our text verses tell of the final phase of the first resurrection, that is the resurrection of God's people. Now this first resurrection began with phase one, which was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. when he was raised from the dead, he became, according to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 20, the first fruits of them that slept. So that was the first phase of the resurrection of God's people. Then phase two occurred at the rapture, immediately preceding the seven year tribulation period, which point in addition to the Christians who are still alive on earth at that time being snatched away and taken up to be with the Lord, in addition to that the bodies of the Christian dead of this New Testament church age will be raised and reunited with their soul and spirit which went to heaven at death and All of us will be given a glorified body like unto the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then phase three of the first resurrection, which we read of in our text, takes place at the conclusion of that seven year tribulation when Christ returns to the earth on a white horse. leading the armies of heaven, throws down the kingdoms of men, throws down the Antichrist and his false prophet, and establishes his 1,000-year millennial kingdom. Now at the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ, those people who were converted during the seven-year tribulation and gave their lives in martyrdom due to their faithfulness to Christ and their refusal to be a part of the Antichrist system, which will be in power during the tribulation. These people will be resurrected along with, if my understanding of the Bible is correct, the bodies of the Old Testament saints who will be raised at the same time. Now, in telling us of this third phase of the first resurrection and of Christ's 1,000 year millennial reign, our passage had pointed out twice that these saints of God will reign with Christ for that 1,000 year period of time. subject tonight has to do with what conditions will be like during that 1,000 year reign of Christ during His Millennium. Is it cold in here? No? I'm freezing to death. There must be something wrong with me then. If the rest of you are warm and I'm cold I guess either I'm in trouble or you're in trouble. And so now several weeks ago, we dealt with this issue to some extent, when we were looking at the first three verses of Revelation chapter 20, where we're told that during that thousand year millennial reign of Christ, Satan will be removed from the scene, being bound and imprisoned in the bottomless pit during that time. Now, during that study several weeks ago, we noticed that during the absence of Satan and the personal presence of Christ as king, seven qualities would characterize that kingdom age, and here's what I gave you back then. Number one, It'll be a time of the corrected curse. The curse that God placed on creation due to Adam's sin will be largely lifted and corrected so that the earth will be abundantly productive and the animal creation will lose its venom and its ferocity. Number two, It'll be a time of reigning righteousness. While sin will not be totally and completely removed during that time, it will be a time when righteousness is in the ascendancy as the Lord Jesus rules with a rod of iron. Number three, it'll be a time of prevailing peace. The wars that have cursed the earth for centuries will be brought to a halt as the nations beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Sorry. I wonder if being cold and coughing has something to do with each other, you know? Maybe, whatever. What'd I just say, number three? number three. Number four it will be a time of triumphant truth. The society and the culture of the earth in that time will be laid not on a foundation of lies and error as so much of it is today, but but in that day it'll be on the foundation of truth. Number five, it'll be a time of judicious justice. Oppression and injustice will be stopped and justice will be the order of the day in that millennial kingdom. Number six, it'll be a time of worldwide worship. False religion and idolatry will be ended as the true God ruling through His Son Jesus Christ reigns in that day. And number seven, it'll be a time of subordinated sickness as sin will be subordinated to righteousness in that day. So sickness will be subordinated to health. And so these seven conditions will characterize the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ. Now tonight, I wanna continue this line of thought and set forth seven more conditions during Christ's millennial reign. Is that all right? Thank you. Number one, that is number one for tonight. Number one, it'll be a time of great topographical and geographical changes to the earth. the surface of the earth will look completely different during the Millennium than it looks today. The changes to the earth's surface will actually begin not during the Millennium but during the Tribulation period. For example, let's look back to Revelation chapter 6 and notice in Revelation chapter six, verse number 14, and here we're being told about the sixth seal judgment, and it says, and the heavens departed as a scroll when it's rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. That sounds pretty serious, doesn't it? He said every mountain and island? I haven't seen every mountain and island, nor have you, I don't think. I don't think anybody here has seen every mountain and every island on the face of the earth, but whether you have or haven't, During the tribulation period, under the sixth seal judgment, it said that every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then a little later on in the tribulation period, notice Revelation chapter 16. And here we're being told about the seventh vial judgment. Revelation 16 verses 19 and 20. And the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Now notice verse 20, and every island fled away and the mountains were not found. I'm not sure. but it looks to me like the same islands and mountains from back in chapter six verse 14 that were moved out of the way back then are now moved again in this passage. Is anybody understanding this besides me? You do see that in the Bible, right? And so we see that during the Tribulation cities will be destroyed, mountains and islands will be moved. What I'm trying to get you to see is that by the time we get into the Millennium there will be great topographical and geographical changes to the earth so that the surface of the earth will look different during the Millennium than it does now. like the earth now looks different than it did before Noah's flood. Notice a few of the topographical changes in Israel. Number one an earthquake will split the Mount of Olives leaving a new valley. Go to the book of Zechariah in the Old Testament the next to the last book of the Old Testament, Zechariah and chapter 14, and verse number four. And his feet, that is the Lord's feet, shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. And so then an earthquake will split the bound of olives when the Lord Jesus puts his feet on it. Is that what you get out of that verse? If it isn't, then you ain't getting the right thing. Jerusalem will be elevated to greater heights. Zechariah chapter 14, notice verse 10. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimen, south of Jerusalem, notice, and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananiel unto the king's wine presses. See how it's gonna be lifted up? Go back to the book of Micah a few pages back. Micah chapter four and verse one. But in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains and it shall be exalted above the hills and people shall flow unto it. going to be lifted up. Isaiah chapter 2, Isaiah chapter 2 few verses of Isaiah chapter 2 are essentially the same as the first few verses of Micah chapter 4. In Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 2, and it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." And so we see that Jerusalem will be elevated to greater heights. A river will flow from the Lord's temple to the Mediterranean Sea on one side, and to the Dead Sea on the other, and will make the Dead Sea a living sea. You know why they call it the Dead Sea, right? Because nothing can live in it. It's 30% salt. But during the millennium, there's gonna be a river that will flow from the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea on one side, to the Dead Sea on the other side, and the Dead Sea, because of this, will become the Living Sea. Notice Zechariah chapter 14 again. We were in that book a few minutes ago. Zechariah chapter 14 and verse number eight. And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea and half of them toward the hinder sea in summer and in winter shall it be. Go back a few pages to the book of Joel. Joel chapter three. And verse number 18, and it shall come to pass in that day that the mountain shall drop down new wine and the hill shall flow with milk and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim. And then Ezekiel chapter 47, Ezekiel chapter 47 verse one, afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward for the forefront of the house stood toward the east and the waters came down from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar. Now jump down to verse eight. Then said he unto me, these waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea, which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. Now that's talking about the Dead Sea, that's east of where Jerusalem, actually a little southeast, but anyway. Verse nine, and it shall come to pass that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the river shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall be healed, and everything shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from En Gedi even unto En Aglam, two different places on the Dead Sea. They shall be a place to spread forth nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed, They shall be given to salt, and by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary, and the fruit thereof shall be for mead, and the leaf thereof for medicine." And so you can see then that just related to the little country of Israel that there will be a lot of of topographical changes. There'll be changes to the topography. There are gonna be valleys where now there's a mountain. And there'll be this river that's very, very much like the eternal river that flows from the throne of God when He sets up His eternal throne. And so then, First thing, this millennial reign of Christ will be a time of great topographical and geographical changes to the earth. Number two, it'll be a time of special temple worship for Israel. Now, beginning in Ezekiel chapter 40, continuing through the end of the book of Ezekiel through chapter 48 we are told about Israel's Temple which will exist during the Millennium and the worship that will be conducted there. I said it starts in Ezekiel 40, goes all the way through the end, but I'm not going to read it all. I did read it all this morning, not in church, but before church. And so the worship will be conducted there at this temple that will be built in Israel. And the people of Israel will worship there. And the worship conducted by them will include animal sacrifices. which will be offered as a memorial looking back to Christ's sacrifice of himself on Calvary, which made the millennium possible. And so, a time of great topographical and geographical changes to the earth, special temple worship for Israel. Number three, this thousand year millennial reign of Christ, will be a time of unequaled joy. Unequaled joy. Isaiah chapter 12. Isaiah chapter 12. And notice beginning in verse three. Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation, and in that day shall you say, praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted, sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things. This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. And so you see the joy there. Over a few pages to Isaiah chapter 35. Isaiah chapter 35. And verse number 10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And so it'll be a time of unequaled joy. Still listening? Number four, it will be a time when Life will be prolonged and reproduction will take place by people who are in their natural bodies. Now, our bodies, I'm talking to New Testament Christians, people who are saved right now. Our bodies and the bodies of all God's people who have died and been resurrected, when we get resurrected, our body will be like the body of the Lord Jesus, and we'll be like the angels in heaven in that we, with the new resurrection body, will not bear children. Now, if you wanna see that in the Bible, notice Matthew chapter 22. That's what Jesus said. Matthew 22. And verse 30, Jesus said, for in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. And so, not gonna be any marriage in heaven. That's why it's heaven, I'm just kidding. But we'll be on the level that the angels are on, who the angels in heaven, there's no marriage among the angels, they don't reproduce. And now, but as we have seen in previous studies concerning the judgments of those who survived the tribulation period, many will enter the millennium in their natural bodies. They'll survive the tribulation and they'll go on into the millennium in their natural bodies. And children will be born to these people and the lifespan will be greatly increased as it was in the days before Noah's flood. You remember, you can read in Genesis chapter five, the chapter that connects Adam to Noah, but you read it in there about all these people that lived and died before the flood, and they lived seven, eight, some of them 900 years and longer. That's the way life will be for people during Christ's millennium. Now, Ezekiel chapter 47, I want to show you here that the Bible tells us that children will be born during that time. Ezekiel 47 verse 22, And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, notice, which shall beget children among you. shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel." But I want you to see there that He declares that during that time that there will be children born. He talks about these strangers which shall beget children among the people of Israel. Then He In Isaiah chapter 65, we get an idea of how life will be stretched out and will people live a lot longer in that day than we do in this day. Isaiah 65 and verse 20, there shall be no more than an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days for the child shall die and a hundred years old. but the sinner being 100 years old shall be accursed. Notice the child shall die at 100 years old. The implication is that a person lives to be 100 years old and dies when he's 100 years old and people will look at that and say, isn't it sad that somebody, just a kid dies, only 100 years old. Well, if you live to be 900, 100 ain't very old. Number five, it'll be a time when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth. Habakkuk chapter two. Habakkuk chapter two. Habakkuk chapter two, verse 14, for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And so the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters now cover the seas. Number six, still with me? We're talking about what conditions will be like during Christ's millennial reign. Number six, God's presence will be manifested in great fullness. Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel chapter 37, verses 27 and 28. The Lord says, my tabernacle also shall be with them, yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and the heathen shall know that I, the Lord, do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them forevermore. And so the Lord's presence is gonna be there. That's what he's talking about when he talks, talking about his tabernacle will be there and his sanctuary shall be there. He's talking about the presence of the Lord. And then number seven, it will be a time that is eternal in nature. Now stay right with me. The good and righteous conditions which characterize the thousand year millennial reign of Christ are set forth in the Bible as being eternal and everlasting in nature. For example, Isaiah chapter 55. Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name notice for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Now, the question that somebody has, I'm sure it's the same kind of question I used to have. If they are to be eternal, then why are they declared in Revelation 20 to be 1,000 years? Well, the answer to that is because after the 1,000 year reign of Christ, as we'll see in studies to come, There will be one final rebellion when Satan is released from the bottomless pit for a short time. Then, at his destruction, the thousand year millennial reign of Christ will merge into the eternal kingdom of God. And the marvelous conditions and even greater will characterize the eternal kingdom. So the millennium is, as it were, just a foretaste of what we'll enjoy as God's people for all of eternity. We'll taste it during that 1,000 years. We'll enter into it fully and completely when the 1,000 years is finished and God sets up his eternal kingdom. Amen. You guys bowed and your eyes closed. In a moment, when we start the invitation, if you cannot go back to a time and place when you got saved, we invite you tonight to get that