Where is the Body of Christ in the Millennium?

[Marilyn C]

Hi Spock,

 

Hope this timeline clears some things up.

 

 

.......I..............................................................................................................................I  Great White Throne ( New Heavens & New Earth / Eternity )

 Christ returns - - - - - - - - - -  - --  Millennium - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - Death abolished  - - - - - - - - - - - -no death. New Jerusalem.

 

 

So you can see that Death is not abolished till the end of the millennium, then  `Death & hades were thrown into the lake of fire.` (Rev. 20: 14)

And in the New Jerusalem, in the New heavens & New earth there is no death. `& there shall no longer be any death.` (Rev. 21: 4)

[Spock]

Marilyn,

Nice timeline, looks good, but I'm confused. What does that have to do with the topic of this thread- WHERE is the body of Christ in the millennium?

Ok, I get the feeling you do not believe we are inhabiting the New Jerusalem that will come down from Heaven after the 1000 years.

If you don't think that, then where did we have our wedding supper (marriage)? I'm sure you don't think this was just in the clouds. We had to be hanging out in some edifice, don't you agree? What edifice?

Jesus said in John 14 i am going to prepare a PLACE FOR YOU. I believe that place is new Jerusalem. What do you believe that "place" is?

I believe that is the place we go when we go to be with The Lord, the new Jerusalem. I do not believe we return to live on earth when Jesus returns in Rev 19, and we have to have somewhere to live while in Heaven, don't we? We remain in this city for the 1000 years, and then this city comes on down to hover over natural Jerusalem after earth is renewed.

If you feel I am wrong (and I may be), then the ball is in your court my dear. Prove me wrong counselor.

Spock eagerly waiting to see this unfold (but I know it is 11:00 PM your time so you are probably zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz now.)

[OneLight]

Hi OneLight,

 

Firstly - the 144,000 are from every tribe in Israel. (Rev. 7) Then God says also that they are `first fruits to God & to the Lamb.` (Rev. 14: 4) That looks clearly to me as they are First fruits from Israel.

Thanks for pointing that out. I did miss it when I read it.

 

Secondly - `These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.`  (Rev. 14: 4) The Lord does not have 144,000 people physically following Him all over the universe etc. It means, (just like us) that they obey all that He says & tells them to do.

I am not convinced that "where ever He goes" is limited to Mt. Zion, if you are speaking only of the City of David and not all of Israel. We know that Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives, not Mount Zion, but 144,000 in one small area, or hill, is a bit much, don't you think? Scripture does not inform us as to exactly where Christ will go in the 1000 years either.

[Floatingaxe]

Easy to say Floatingaxe, but harder to prove.

 

It wasn't easy to discover. Study, and ask Holy Spirit to show you.

[Spock]

Easy to say Floatingaxe, but harder to prove.

 

It wasn't easy to discover. Study, and ask Holy Spirit to show you.

Hi Floatingaxe,

We've never met, so I wanted to extend a Holy Kiss your way, Hamilton, Canada. I was born in Niagara Falls which is pretty close and of course guess where I had to go through to get to Toronto? Did that often.

Anyhow, back to this thread, I'm not disagreeing with you, but I'm thinking out loud. Have you thought about how many believers there are that will be ready for assignment in the millennium?

Again, thinking out loud, I surmise there will be many more believers than there will be humans living on our planet.

Interesting for me at least to ponder all of this. Consider how many government workers to population now, then consider government workers to population then.

I can go on, but being a Trekkie, I do have a vivid imagination.

Any thoughts so far?

Shalom,

Spock

[Genesis]

1st Corinthians tells us that that we each, as individuals in faith, are the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27

I think this is an important question to ponder.

 

Now we all have thoughts, but I`m sure we`d rather know what God says. Thus it is God`s word we are looking at & not our opinions. So scripture is needed, as we all know, to support our view.

[Salty]

In Ezekiel 40 through 48 Ezekiel is shown a vision of the holy city being on earth, with a Millennium sanctuary called God's House. It is a similar vision that John was given in parts of Rev.21-22, but with more detail.

 

Millennium Sanctuary Layout (Companion Bible Appendix 88 by 19th century Christian scholar E.W. Bullinger)

http://www.levendwater.org/companion/append88.html

 

Per Ezek.47, God's River (waters of the river of life) flow out from under the Sanctuary to feed other waters on the earth. On each side of this River are the many trees bearing fruits (tree of life). Specific OT areas are named. In Rev.22:14-15, John is shown a similar vision of Christ's saints inside the gates of the holy city, with the wicked dwelling outside it. This reveals that the changes for the new heavens and a new earth will begin during Christ's Millennium reign, but not completed in full until after the thousand years.

 

In Rev.20:8 forward, when Satan is loosed one last time, he leads the deceived of the nations up against the "camp of the saints" which is on earth, which points to the holy city of Ezekiel and Rev.22:14. That's enough to reveal the holy city New Jerusalem involving the Sanctuary and Oblation is manifested on earth for Christ's thousand years reign. When Satan's bands go up against it, The Father rains fire down from Heaven to destroy them, and that ushers the end of the thousand years, and the beginning of the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

Apostle Paul gave a short summary of this also in 1 Cor.15:23-28, but in less detail. The full Godhead will not manifest on earth until after Christ's thousand years reign on earth. That's how The Father is still in Heaven upon His Throne to bring fire down upon Satan and his bands when they come up against the "camp of the saints" on earth.

[ARGOSY]

I think this is an important question to ponder.

 

Now we all have thoughts, but I`m sure we`d rather know what God says. Thus it is God`s word we are looking at & not our opinions. So scripture is needed, as we all know, to support our view.

 

Hi Marilyn,

 

I believe we are citizens of the New Jerusalem, we have rooms in heaven, that is our true dwelling place.  Jesus presents us to the Father in heaven. 

 

However as said earlier in this thread, we rule and reign on earth. We rule over the nations with Christ. And our dwelling on earth is described as the "camp of the saints"... ie we do not have a permanent dwelling here on earth during the millenium, our permanent dwelling is in heaven, our visits to earth are just temporary "camping". I'm not sure of this, but that is how I  envisage the millenium, us being like the angels and taking turns to do earthly visitations to rule and judge the nations.  

 

Obviously my biblical backing are those verses that refer to us as citizens above , rooms prepared for us in heaven. And those verses that refer to us as ruling and reigning with Christ and ruling over the nations. And of course Rev 20 which refers to the "camp of the saints" in the earthly Jerusalem, obviously our dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem is not a camp, its permanent.

[Salty]

Hi Spock,

 

Hope this timeline clears some things up.

 

 

.......I..............................................................................................................................I  Great White Throne ( New Heavens & New Earth / Eternity )

 Christ returns - - - - - - - - - -  - --  Millennium - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - Death abolished  - - - - - - - - - - - -no death. New Jerusalem.

 

 

So you can see that Death is not abolished till the end of the millennium, then  `Death & hades were thrown into the lake of fire.` (Rev. 20: 14)

And in the New Jerusalem, in the New heavens & New earth there is no death. `& there shall no longer be any death.` (Rev. 21: 4)

 

But what KIND of 'death' remains for the Millennium time, that should be the question.

 

Per Rev.20 only the "second death" is mentioned, and is defined as the casting into the "lake of fire" (which occurs at the end of Christ's thousand years reign).

 

Matthew 10:28

²⁸ And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

The word for "hell" there is 'geena' pointing to the Valley of Hinnom, which Jesus used as a symbol for the "lake of fire" of Rev.20:14-15. That last phrase in bold is about that "second death" of Rev.20:14.

 

Thus the time for the "second death" comes only after the thousand years. The first death is the death of the flesh body per that, but it does not destroy one's soul. The "second death" is the destruction of one's soul in the "lake of fire".

 

So how can we assume people are still dying a flesh death during Christ's thousand years when Rev.20 only points to the idea of the "second death" later in the "lake of fire"?

[Marilyn C]

Thanks to everyone for their interesting replies. I was quite surprised to see that most people did not think we were back on earth. There has been a big push over the last couple of decades to get people to believe we are back on earth. Especially the `Dominionists,` who think that Christians will transform the world & then present it to the Lord when He comes. So I was very, very pleased to see others standing against this error.

 

Hi Spock,

 

I did the diagram because I thought you meant we were in the New Jerusalem when it had come down over the earth. But I`m sorry to have misinterpreted you. I see now that you believe we are in the New Jerusalem in the third heaven. As to your other musings, well I will answer them a bit later.

 

I did appreciate your other musings on the numbers of believers & the general population. Also what is a `Trekkie?`

 

 

Hi OneLight,

 

You are right about not limiting the `comings & goings` of the 144,000 as it were, just stuck on a Mount. I didn`t mean that, though of course it would have come across like that. In Hebrews 12: 22 we are told that My Zion (third heaven) is where the New Jerusalem is. I believe that is the address of the 144,000 Israeli priests, & designate the authority they will have.

 

 

Hi Floatingaxe,

 

So true, it is not a subject that can be quickly put together. `Ask the Holy Spirit,` you said, & yes how can we know anything of God`s great purposes unless He reveal them to us. A great encouragement, thank you.

 

 

Hi Genesis,

 

That is an important point. 1 Cor. 12: 27 - members of Christ`s Body &  `God has placed (set) the members, each one of them, in the Body, just as He desired.` (v. 18) So we are set in the Body of Christ & are a community of people that will forever live in harmony with each other, in the place He has made for us.

 

 

Hi Argosy,

 

I`m glad to see you are thinking about `visitations to rule & judge.` I will develop this more, but have to go out today.

 

 

Hi Salty,

 

Regarding `death,` `For He (Christ) must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.` (1 Cor. 15: 25 & 26) This is obviously after the Lord has dealt with the nations at the end of the Millennium when fire comes down from heaven & they are consumed - they die.

 

 

Thank you again all, & I will get back to discussing the New Jerusalem. Meanwhile can you find any scriptures that say that we the Body of Christ will go to the New Jerusalem?