I would invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Micah, chapter four, verse one. Micah four, one. Wherein we find these words? 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. God is not given to us, dear ones, his prophetic scriptures in order that we might simply satisfy our own speculative and vain curiosity about the future. He has not given us his prophetic writing so that we can simply enlarge our knowledge and intellect and cause other people to be in awe and wonder of the knowledge we have. The Lord has given to us his prophetic writings and scriptures to teach us, to fear him. For he is a God who sends his judgments upon the wicked in history. And he is a God who sends his grace and his mercy upon his people in history. Prophecy teaches us continuously, dear people of God, to trust the Lord because he judges our enemies. And His wrath is not long in coming. But He rescues and saves His people in history as well. We not only look to that eternal deliverance, but we look to, even in this time, how God delivers His people. And prophecy encourages and comforts us. It teaches us how to live in light of what God has promised will come. And so prophecy, dear ones, or eschatology, which simply means the study of last things, is extremely practical. It is practical theology. It's teaching us again that we should live in a holy and godly manner in light of what God is going to do and what he has said in his word he will do. One of the great themes found in prophetic literature is that of the millennium, a period of unprecedented gospel blessing promise to God's people, both Jews and Gentiles. Millennium is the Latin form of the number 1,000 and is taken from Revelation chapter 20. Although there have been various millennial positions represented in the history of the Church in the sermon that you will hear today and next Lord's Day, for this is a two-part series, I will be focusing my attention primarily upon the millennial position professed by this Church and by godly and learned teachers of the First and Second Reformations. by our own confessional standards, and most importantly, the millennial position taught in Holy Scripture, as is found in Micah chapter 4, verse 1. And that position we call historic post-millennialism. And testifying that historic post-millennialism is the position taught in Scripture I also testify against those false views of the millennium as well. You see, a minister is not only to tell you what is right, but a minister before God is obligated to point out the errors as well. He's not only to lead you by God's grace in the paths of truth and righteousness, but he's to tell you, avoid these paths. Turn away from them. Do not walk down them. And so a minister who is seeking to be faithful cannot walk down the middle. He's not a fence-rider. He has to speak the truth in order to inform the people because he loves Christ, because he loves Christ's Word, and because he loves Christ's people. To do any less is not to show love for the people of God. And so I testify against these various positions of the millennium, pre-millennialism. I testify against, as well, amillennialism. And I testify against preterism. Very, very briefly, let me just say that pre-millennialism teaches, first of all, that Christ's second coming will be before the millennium. The word premillennial means before the millennium. Premillennialism also teaches that Christ reigns bodily upon the earth with his saints for this period of a thousand years. Amillennialism, moving on to the next position that we have mentioned that this church testifies against. All millennialism believes that there is no physical millennium upon the earth, but that the millennium is basically limited to the hearts of people, those hearts that are changed, that God reigns within their hearts. And we believe that as well, God reigns within our hearts. But we do not limit the effects of the gospel to simply our hearts. The effects of the gospel go forth and they transform people, individuals, families, churches and nations. Or the millennial position teaches that that the millennium is is limited to a heavenly reign in heaven after the saints die, they go to be with the Lord. And we also believe that. We will reign when we die. We will go to be with the Lord. But it's not limited to that. The preterist position. Preterist means past. Past. And the preterist position emphasizes that the prophecies of revelation are now passed to us. They were fulfilled for the most part in 70 A.D. in the destruction of Jerusalem. They emphasize that the millennium began with the first coming of Christ. For as we are told, as we will see, that there are certain events that must occur before the Lord inaugurates and institutes his reign upon the earth, his glorious reign called the millennium. Christ is reigning now. We're not saying that he's not reigning during this period. He is indeed reigning, but this greater manifestation and conspicuous glory and splendor of the church is yet awaiting the church. And so summarizing very, very quickly the main tenets of post-millennialism, the historic post-millennial position. Let me simply mention this very quickly. We believe that Christ's second coming will occur after the millennium, not before, but after post means after post millennium. Secondly, we believe that the Lord will destroy Antichrist just prior to the millennium. Thirdly, we believe that Satan will be bound by Christ for a thousand prophetic years so that he cannot deceive the nations any longer. Fourthly, we believe in the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the Lord will pour forth His Spirit in such a way that the fullness of the Gentiles will be brought in. That is, the majority of the nations of this world in their national capacity, not simply individuals from every nation, but nations, many nations of the world, most nations of the world, will be drawn into covenant with the Lord their God. And in addition to that, we believe that God will restore and call his ancient people Israel unto himself and the fullness of Israel will likewise be brought in to the church of Jesus Christ, not to be a competing institution with the church, but will be brought into the church. And finally, We believe that Christ reign will be during the millennium, not he will not be physically upon the earth because the second coming comes after the millennium, but he will reign from heaven by his word and his spirit through faithful preaching and church officers and civil magistrates throughout the world. So that nations, the scripture says, will learn war no more. The effect of the gospel of peace will be so dramatic that nations will learn war no more. The outline I would offer to you as we consider our main points this Lord's Day are these. First of all, the time of the church's glory. Second, the church's glorious exaltation and third, the church's glorious increase. Today we continue our study in the prophecy of Micah, and we turn from the judgment God had prophesied to come upon his people in Micah 3.12. As we ended last that we preached from this particular section, chapter 3, verse 12, ends this way with judgment. Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. God would bring his judgment upon his people for their corrupt worship, for their unsound doctrine, for their tyrannical church government. And because they did not show mercy to those who were in need, they did not show mercy to the fatherless. They did not show mercy to the widow. They turned a deaf ear to their cries. And God says, I will turn a deaf ear to your cry during this time. God brings his judgment. even upon his people. And we're reminded, dear ones, that God will judge us, his people. That is, he will discipline us. He will chasten us as his people when we fall, when we are led astray. The Lord in his love for us. And remember, dear ones, The discipline of God, the rod and the staff of God comfort us, according to Psalm 23. We are to kiss the rod, not to hate and despise the rod. Because by it, the good shepherd is loving us and saying, you belong to me. And because I use my rod upon you, it is an indication and sign that you belong to me. And so the people of God in Micah, chapter three, are told not to despair, even though God brings his rod upon them. Don't give up hope. And in chapter four, he gives them that promise of hope. And he promises there's coming a time when I will pour forth my blessings upon the world in such a way that all nations, the nations of the world, the vast majority of the nations will be brought into the mountain of the house of the Lord. And so we come to our first point, the time of the church's glory, the time In Micah 4.1 it says, But in the last days it shall come to pass. To what period, then, in the future does this prophecy look? The phrase, the last days, as we try to understand what does that period refer to? In the New Testament, we find that it refers generally to that period between the first and the second comings of Christ. For example, Hebrews 1 2 the Apostle Paul writings could say this about the time in which he lived he says I'll read verse 1 to pick up the context God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets half in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." And though that is the case that the entire period is referred to as the last days, there is also There are also references in the New Testament in which there are specific periods of time within that more general period of time called the last days that the scripture is specifically pointing to. For example, in First Timothy, chapter four, verse one. A very similar term as the last days is used in this case, now the spirit speak it expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Now, notice what two examples of these doctrines of demons are forbidding to marry. and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Which church has very specifically advocated these two doctrines, the Romish Church, forbidding marriage to their priests, to their nuns, causing them to take vows of chastity, forbidding them to eat various meats You see, when the Spirit says, this is going to happen in the latter times, it could not have happened in the time of Paul specifically because the Romans church was not in existence, but it came into existence. So this phrase latter times or last days can also have a more specific reference to things that occur between the first and the second coming of Christ, not simply to the entire period. As we consider when this prophecy in Micah 4 will be realized, in the last days, we need to understand this prophecy, the first five verses. These things must come to pass in the last days. that are spoken. These things now listen closely. When will the church be gloriously exalted and increased by a vast majority of all nations, both Jew and Gentile, flooding to the church and who will be taught by Christ through faithful ministers? That's what it says in Micah four verses one through five will occur. When has that occurred that the majority of the nations have professed faith in Christ. The second question to ask, when will many nations of this world, both Jew and Gentile, cease to learn war and enjoy the fruits of the gospel of peace in both civil and ecclesiastical institutions, within the civil government and within the church? Have we seen that occur, that the majority of the nations of the world have ceased to learn war? Well, if there have been even a few years, even a year or two where nations didn't engage in war, that's momentous. We just, all we need to do is to look at history that that has not occurred. That has not occurred. Certainly hasn't occurred by the preaching of the gospel. We may have have observed in history when two or three nations covenanted with God, as in the case of Ireland, England and Scotland, to be the lords in the Second Reformation, they covenanted by means of the solemn league and covenant. So a few nations have done so, a handful, perhaps, but not most or many nations. That's not occurred after this particular point. Certainly, the United Nations continues its efforts to bring about a one world government through political alliances. We may even look back to Rome, the Pax Romana, the Roman peace in which there were many years, it seemed, of peace, but that was not promoted by the gospel. And certainly there were various disturbances at times that had to be put down. This is a period that is promoted, that is effected by the preaching of the gospel, not by military alliance. And thus I submit to you, this prophecy, up until the time which we now live in, has not been fulfilled. It has not been realized. It is yet to occur. And I would also, as we Very briefly, consider a couple passages in Scripture to be able to identify when this will occur. There are certain events, as I said earlier, that must occur first before the establishment of Christ's millennial kingdom upon the earth. Consider this with me in Daniel chapter seven. In Daniel chapter seven, Daniel receives a vision from the Lord. And in this particular vision, there are four great beasts. The first a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and the fourth an exceedingly great and strong and fearful beast. And out of this fourth beast there are ten horns which protrude from his head. And out of the midst of that, of those ten horns, comes a little horn." Now Daniel's perplexed and he asks the angel, what does this vision mean? And the Lord, through this angel, tells him that these four animals, these four beasts represent four kingdoms, historical kingdoms, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, and that out of Rome will come ten kingdoms. And out of those ten kingdoms, there will come a little horn. And then the, I failed to mention this earlier, but that little horn will subdue three of those ten horns. And so this little horn coming out of these ten will destroy, will subjugate, will subdue three of the ten. Now, again, what does this mean? Without going into a great amount of detail, I don't have time to do so this Lord's Day. Let me simply paint for you a broad picture of what is going on in this particular prophecy. The Lord is giving to Daniel a broad sweep of history again to encourage God's people to challenge them to live faithfully for him and to let them know that he and his kingdom will rule and does rule in the affairs of men. the Lord will conquer all of his enemies and so he paints this broad picture of history and we want to focus primarily when we're talking about the millennium upon the last expression the fourth beast that was exceedingly fearful and great and the ten horns because in that particular imagery we see that this little horn that comes out speaks blasphemy, speaks great things concerning or against God, he would seek to subjugate and exercise dominion over the saints. It says for a time, times and dividing of a time, that is for three and a half prophetic years. And we'll talk about this in a moment. Revelation speaks of it either being forty two months or twelve hundred and sixty days, the same time period in which this occurs. But it's very critical that we understand who this little horn is, because after the destruction of this little horn, we find in verse 27 of Daniel, chapter seven, this and the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominion shall serve and obey him. After the destruction of this little horn, the Lord will institute this millennial reign, this kingdom upon the earth, so that all are brought into dominion to the Lord. All nations must live, even if all nations are not covenanted, all nations must live in subjection to Christ. Most of the nations, many of the nations, it says, will do so. Now, who is the little horn? Because we're not going to be able to identify when the millennium begins if we have no idea who the little horn is. He's also referred to in Revelation 13 as the beast from the earth. He is referred to in Revelation 19 as the false prophet. He is referred to in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 as the man of sin, who subjugates and exercises dominion over the saints. I submit to you that this is the Antichrist. This is the Romish papacy that is in view here. Historically, listen to what has been accomplished by the Romish church in the papacy against the saints. Listen to the slaughter of the saints by this beast. Pope Julius in seven years was was the occasion of the slaughter of 200,000 Christians. The massacre in France cut off 100,000 in three months. Peronius aversed that in one persecution of the Albigenses and Waldenses, one million lost their lives. From the beginning of the Jesuits till 1580, that is 30 or 40 years, 900,000 perished, saith Baldinus. The Duke of Alba, by the hangman, put 36,000 to death. Virgius affirms that the Inquisition in 30 years destroyed 150,000. To all this I may add the Irish Rebellion in which 300,000 were destroyed as the Lord Orry reports in a printed paper in the reign of Charles II. And we could go on and on and on. That was a historical quote cited from Robert Fleming's book The Rise and Fall of the Papacy. Our confessional standards in Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 25, paragraph six, says this. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof. But is that antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition that exalted himself in the church against Christ and all that is called God? If we turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, you can do so at your own leisure, but let me simply say that in that particular chapter, the man of sin is described as one who seats himself in the temple of God, which is the church of God, the church of Christ. That he as well will utter blasphemy, will utter false doctrine, will alter times and seasons, introduce various superstitions, replace the authority of Christ with his own authority, claiming to be the head of the church here upon the earth. In light of what we have just read about his persecution of the saints. The Protestant Reformation was established upon this tenet as well as others, but this was one of the tenets upon which the Protestant Reformation was established, that that man of sin is the pope or the papacy. The papacy. They were Protestants. What did they protest against? They protested against that man of sin and his introduction of false worship, corrupt doctrine, tyrannical government into the church as one who would replace Christ. How long does this antichrist rule according to the scriptures? Well, in Daniel Chapter 7, he says, time, times, and half a time. In Revelation chapter 13, it's 42 months, and in Revelation chapter 11, it is 1260 days. Now, those all refer to the same period of time. Let's use the figure 1260 days. In prophetic literature, days are reckoned They may be used and spoken of as days, but they are reckoned and they mean years. When we find in Daniel chapter nine. That there is spoken of 70 weeks before the coming, the first coming of Christ, there remains 70 weeks for his people, Israel, before Christ would come the first time. Seventy weeks are 70 times seven. which are 490 days. But the time that that signified was not literally 490 days, but was literally or that was actually 490 years. A day is reckoned to be a year. Likewise, when we read that this period of the Antichrist's reign, when he is warring with the saints and the saints are testifying against all of his abuses of authority and power and replacing Christ, that period is 1260 days or, prophetically, 1260 years. Prophetically, I should say 1260 days, actually 1260 years. And so the next question simply is to ask, when did that period of time begin? When did the papacy begin its period of twelve hundred and sixty years in which the Saints warred against the papacy? In other words, they testified against the papacy, but the papacy continued to exercise dominion over them. And I'm not going to stand hard and fast upon these dates, but I do offer to you what I believe are very likely scenarios here. And I urge you to take into consideration these time periods, because if these are in any way close and accurate, we are standing right now upon a very important brink, threshold of history. We are within, I believe, if this is accurate, we are within our lifetimes, the lifetime of our children, going to see great and mighty things, the downfall of Antichrist and the establishment of Christ's millennial kingdom. This ought to give us great hope. Listen closely, then. I'm not trying to get exceedingly technical here, but I am trying to give you some idea as to how long Antichrist reign will occur and when it began, approximately when it will end so that we have an idea when the millennial kingdom will be ushered in. It was in 606 A.D. that Emperor Phocas declared Boniface III, who was Bishop of Rome, to be the universal head of the Church. That was 606 A.D. However, it was in 756 that Pope Stephen was invested with the civil dominion of the Papal States in Rome by Pepin, who was Charlemagne's father. Now, that's significant because in Revelation 17, This harlot, the Rome's church is riding upon the back of a scarlet beast. And that scarlet beast is the civil antichrist or civil government, and he's riding upon this civil beast. There is an alliance form. There is an agreement. They are supporting one another during this time. When did that begin? Well, I offer and submit to you that it began in earnest in its most clear manifestation in 756 A.D. Add 1260 years to that. And you are looking at 2016, 2016. that that's the period in which this 1260-year period will end. At the end of that period, we know from Revelation 11 that this Romish Antichrist will completely overcome the saints, not simply be warring against them, but will silence them. through great persecution will silence them for a period of three and a half prophetic days or three hundred three and a half actual years. And so for a period of three, three and a half years, the church is silent with regard to its testimony, because it has been so smitten by God is allowed this this papal antichrist to silence his church. At the end of that three and a half years, there is a resurrection of the saints that have been put to death. And it's not a literal resurrection. It is a spiritual resurrection of the testimony of those former saints coming to life in new saints, in their successors, so that now there's a resurrection. The testimony is going forth. And at that time, the papacy falls. The Antichrist is destroyed and the millennium is introduced and the gospel goes forth with glorious reception and power. The spirit of God is poured forth upon the earth. We are looking then using that particular timeline at approximately 2020 as being. At least a possible date. in which the Lord would institute his millennial kingdom here upon the earth. Dear ones, that's not far away. That is within, should God grant us years, our lifetime, and certainly even if that give or take a few years within the lifetime of our children. Interestingly enough, Again, quoting from Robert Fleming's book, which was written, incidentally, in 1701, entitled The Rise and Fall of Papacy. Listen to what he says. He says, Seeing I have touched but slightly upon the millennium or the thousand years reign of the saints on earth, I shall desire you to think a little further on this as the greatest event that is to happen before the end of the world. The first is that this is to begin immediately after the total and final destruction of Rome people in or about the year 2000. 1701 in or about the year 2000. I mentioned the preterist position, and so before proceeding, let me simply say this. The preterist position cannot explain at what period of time these three kings are subdued by the little horn. The historicist position, the historical post-millennial position, can specifically identify that in 754 A.D. the papacy subdued the three kingdoms of the Lombards, the Heruli, and the Ostrogoths. Furthermore, the predisposition, because they understand the Antichrist to be Nero, the whole idea of one Antichrist who lives 1260 years, who is only one person, is impossible. And so if this is accurate, a 1260 year period, just like Daniel 9, using a day for a year, it can't be simply one person. It is a chain, a successor, a successive group of men, the papacy that rules against the church. In light of this, dear ones, just some exhortation. In light of what I've said, and I've given you quite a bit of information, but in light of this, we are commanded in Revelation 18, 4. Mark this passage up. Circle it, highlight it, whatever you need to do, do not miss this text. Revelation 18, 4. The Lord says, through an angel, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, that you receive not of her plagues. Spiritual Babylon, the whore, Rome. Come out of her, have nothing to do with her. Dear ones, that does not simply mean that we are not to be a member of the Church of Rome, but we are not to engage in her harlotries and her prostitution of the one true religion. And I submit to you, dear ones, that Rome has prostituted the true Christian religion. She has introduced her various superstitions. Where did funeral services find their weight? Where were they promoted? Where were they maintained in Rome? Not by biblical Christianity, because it was in that instance that prayer for the dead was offered, and various services then were developed. So-called masses were offered. Prayers for the dead were offered. Funeral services, dear ones, were not practiced by Orthodox Christians. Reformed religion shunned funeral services. They believed in burying the dead respectfully. But not having services because it tended to superstition. That's Romish. Furthermore, the instruments that are used in so many Protestant churches and even reformed churches today, practiced, brought into the church through Rome. What about uninspired hymns and psalms brought into the church to a large degree by Rome, promoted by Rome, not by the reformed churches? What about holy days like Christmas? And Easter, the celebration of these particular days, memorialized by Rome, Christ mass. What about the various emblems and images within the churches, crosses and images, banners of every kind, promoted by Rome? You see, the Antichrist In the end of time, before the millennium, before he falls and is destroyed, it's going to bring the world to worship him. He's going to unite various religions, the religions of the world. There is going to be a one world government. There is going to be this union of all the religions on the world through the work of the papacy and is being affected even now. It is being worked out even now in reformed churches by the droves. Protestant churches have already imbibed and have been set up by bringing these various parlatories into the worship for that particular day. And the Lord says, come out of her, my people. Don't have anything to do with her. We don't despise and hate the people who attend those churches. We despise and hate the system. It enslaves and engulfs people. It prepares them for hell. Not that people cannot, by God's grace, be even saved within that place, but those who are. cannot stay, they must come out of her, the Lord says. I would simply ask, how will those who are deceived by Rome's superstition in her worship now, how will they avoid, according to 2 Thessalonians 2, when God gives to the Romish Antichrist power to work false wonders and signs so as to deceive the world? How will they avoid that deception if they cannot avoid now the deception of a prostituted worship offered to God? How we must flee in every way, Rome. And so from the passages that I have referred to earlier, and you can look at Revelation chapter 20 verses 1 through 10 as well, and I won't mention that. or go through that passage. That is one of the critical passages, of course, in the New Testament. But in chapter 19, Antichrist is destroyed, and then in chapter 20, the Millennium is instituted. Again, after Antichrist falls, the Millennium comes. But listen to the sequence then, so that you have just a basic, broad knowledge of the sequence of events here. Again, I'm just summarizing for you. First, the 1260 year period of the witnesses, the true and faithful witnesses testimony against Popish Antichrist begins in 756 A.D. when the Pope is seated not only as universal ruler of the church, but also assumes civil power. The harlot rides now on the back of the beast and then At the end of the 1260 year period, that is around 2016, using this particular timeline, the faithful witnesses will be slain by Antichrist for a period of three and a half years. For that period, the witness and testimony of the faithful will be subdued. That is until about 2020 AD, using that timeline. After the three and a half years, the spirit of the martyred witnesses will be resurrected figuratively in the lives of new witnesses, mighty witnesses. The gospel will be blessed by the Holy Spirit to such a degree that it will be professed to the nations and Antichrist will be destroyed. Antichrist will be destroyed, Satan will be bound then for a thousand years, and that again is not a literal thousand years necessarily, it's just an extended period of time. This chain of events will then signal the inauguration of the millennium in which Israel as a people will be brought into the kingdom And even more nations throughout the world will be joined to Israel and coming into the church. In light of that, dear ones, in light of those events, how should we now be living? Should that have any impact or any effect upon the way we live, the way we make decisions? Should it have any impact upon our family worship? trying to instruct our children, being as faithful as we possibly can in all the duties that God has given to us. Should we just basically eat, drink and be merry in light of what has just been said by way of prophecy? See, that's the purpose of prophecy, is to drive us from our carelessness, our sleep, our slumber, and to awaken us to what awaits us. Yes, the glory. of the millennium, but also the period of persecution that precedes the millennium for those who would be faithful to Christ. A brief period, but nevertheless an intense period. How can we prepare ourselves? Well, primarily, we prepare ourselves spiritually. We prepare ourselves by growing as close as we can to the Lord Jesus Christ, being as faithful as we can. to promote his testimony, his witness, wherever we go. The second main point, and these last two will go very quickly. That's the book trying to establish those points, that was the book, but let me simply close In the next few minutes with these two points in the in the rest of the outline. Secondly, the church's glorious exaltation, wherein it says 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. Here is a time, dear ones, of exaltation of the church. We may be at this point and look upon ourselves as being a very small flock. downtrodden, beat down. And so as the church throughout ages, that church, that expression of the church many times throughout history has been viewed that way. But we don't get discouraged about that, because, again, the Lord has given us the promise there's coming a time when it will not any longer be beaten down and downtrodden. It will be exalted above the mountains. Mountains in prophetic literature represent kingdoms. It will be exalted above all the kingdoms of the world. It, the kingdom of Christ, will be the chief kingdom. And this will be a period, as we have noted, that will last for a thousand years. In Psalm 50.10, this number 1,000 is used figuratively, and in many other places used figuratively, even as it is with regard to the Millennium. In Psalm 50.10, it says, For every beast of the field is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. Is only the cattle upon a thousand hills belong to God, but the cattle on a thousand and one does not belong to God? Is that what God is saying? No, He's saying by using thousand. This is the way it is used throughout Scripture. A thousand represents a number of completeness and fullness. The mountains, as we indicated, are the kingdoms over which the kingdom of God will be exalted. The house of the Lord refers to the temple in the Old Testament. What is the temple referred to in the New Testament? When we find in 1 Corinthians 3.16, you are the temple of God, or in Ephesians chapter 2. What is the temple of God? Or in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, the man of sin sits in the temple of God. It's the church. And so the church will be exalted, is what the prophet is saying. There's coming a time, dear ones, an extended period of time, a thousand years in which we will see such glory in which the civil magistrate will countenance the church, will promote, will not be an adversary any longer to the church. but will be a help and an aid in promoting the work of the Church of Jesus Christ. And the churches of the world will not be at enmity with one another. They'll not be warring over doctrine. You believe this. We believe that. You worship that way. We worship this way. You have that form of government. We have this form of church government. But the church will be one. And you'll hear more about that next Lord's Day. What a glorious time. You see what we're to pray for, according to the larger catechism. When we pray, thy kingdom come. Our larger catechism says this, this is what we pray for. That the gospel prophet be propagated throughout the world. The Jews call the fullness of the Gentiles brought in the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances purged from corruption, countenance and maintained by the civil magistrate. That's what we pray for. That's what Isaiah forty nine, twenty three promises that the kings, the princes will be nursing fathers. The last main point from our text. is the church's glorious increase, the church's glorious increase, wherein it says, and people shall flow unto it. Literally, and peoples or nations shall flow into it. This is not a description, as I mentioned earlier, of two or three nations coming into the church, but many nations coming into the church. That's exactly what was promised in Genesis 28, 14, that all the families of the earth will be blessed in him. Not a few here and there. All the families of the earth will be blessed in him. In Psalm 72, verses 11 and 17, all the kings of the earth will bow down before him. All the nations will worship before him. The same is said and taught in Psalm 86, 9. In Daniel 2, verse 35, this little rock is cut out of the side of the mountain and it grows up. It smites this image, all of these kingdoms. It smites it and destroys it. And it grows to become a great mountain that fills the whole world. That is the kingdom of Christ. In Revelation 15, this is the testimony of the number of nations that will come before the Lord. This is what is sung by those who overcome the beast. Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy. For all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest." With this, as well, the Reformed Churches of the Second Reformation, First and Second Reformation, agreed with what we have described, who the Antichrist is. This basic interpretation was embraced by reformed churches. It's been deserted by reformed churches today, but it was once embraced by them. And that's why Francis Turretin, one of the greatest faithful expounders of biblical Calvinism in Geneva, could say this, that in the general conversion of the Jews in the end of the world, And after the fullness of the Gentiles will come in at this time, the prophets and after them, Paul promised distinguished glory to the church, which will be like a resurrection from the dead. Romans 1115, that's biblical Calvinism, that saying the gospel is powerful. Why did Jesus send his disciples out in Matthew 28, 19 and 21st by saying all power? In heaven and on earth is given unto me. Why did he begin by giving them that word of encouragement? Because as they went and proclaimed the truth, they were to realize that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church, that he will accomplish in history, in time, his glorious millennial kingdom. The gospel will have its impact and its effect. And so we do not need to, as so many churches do today, get caught up in schemes and gimmicks to bring people in to the church. It's not our responsibility to try to figure out what's the best way to bring people into our church. Let's just try what this church down the street did. Then we can fill our church. No, dear ones. The way to promote biblical church growth is simply to be faithful to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To trust that God's truth is powerful to saving of souls and that God, by his promises, will effect his kingdom. It's not our cause. It's his cause. It's not our kingdom. It's his kingdom. And we do not need to bow to those kinds of gimmicks. That's trusting in the arm of flesh and not in the mighty arm of God to work out his work here upon the earth. And I leave you with this. In Zechariah chapter four, there was a prophecy given to Prince Zerubbabel, concerning the building of the temple at that time, because the magistrates at that time had told them to stop building the temple. You can't continue building the temple. You can't continue the work of God, the cause of the Lord. You must stop. This was the prophecy spoken by Zechariah, given to Zerubbabel. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit. Sayeth the Lord of hosts, Who art thou, O great mountain? What does a mountain refer to? The kingdoms of this world. Who art thou, O great king, great monarch? Who thinks that you can subdue forever and subjugate God's people? Profane his holy name. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain. Zerubbabel is in the lineage of Christ. He is a picture of Jesus Christ before Zerubbabel, the greater Zerubbabel, but before Christ, that great mountain will be subdued, will be brought down. And he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying grace, grace unto it. Dear ones, if we ought to learn anything from prophecy, we ought to learn grace, grace unto it. The working out of history is God's work. He has chosen to use us. What a great privilege. In these last days, He's chosen to use us to sow the seeds for the millennium. Right now. To sow those seeds which will come forth in a great reaping. The fullness of the Gentiles and the fullness of Israel brought in. We, who are a small flock, what a glorious privilege. Let us not take lightly the promises of God. Let us lift our eyes from our own difficulties and trials right here and now. Let us see that God has given us these promises to build our hope and our faith, that we not be buried presently by the attacks of the enemy upon us as individuals or our families or our church or the nation. But that we look forward, press forward, not give up, continue to trust in the Lord, our God, who will bring it all to pass. Please stand with me in prayer. Our gracious God and Father, we have been humbled this day before Thee, for Thou hast opened to us Thy Scriptures and given us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit says to the church. We pray, Father, that Thy Spirit would go forth and open not only ours, but, Father, open multitudes of those whom Thou hast called to be faithful to thee, to be willing to suffer for thee, for, Father, we cannot be glorified with thee if we do not suffer with thee. Thou didst teach thy servant Paul that it is through many tribulations that we enter into the kingdom of God. We pray, Father, that we would not be afraid of suffering for the sake of Christ, but that, Father, like the disciples of old, we would leap for joy that we were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. We pray, Father, that Thou would encourage Thy people with these faithful promises today, that Thou would cause us to encourage our children to be faithful because of these promises, that we would show ourselves diligent in training them. We do thank Thee, our God, again for the might and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which has redeemed us and saved us. And we would go forth, Lord, today with much gratitude and thanksgiving, glorifying Thee. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. It is likely that the sermon or book that you just listened to is also available on cassette or video, or as a printed book or booklet. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes, and videos, at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email at swrb at swrb.com, by phone at 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N, Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T-6-L-3-T-5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Calvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, either came into my heart, from his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since he condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.