Who Populates the Millennial Kingdom?

[Salty]

Hi Salty,

 

I agree with you.

 

 

Hi Retrobyter,

 

Where does it say that the New Jerusalem `lands on the earth?` Or even indicate that it is `on the earth?`

 

Marilyn.

 

Rev.21

² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 

Rev.21

¹⁶ And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

 

That last statement means a cube. It will be the same length, width ("breadth"), and height. A "furlong" is equal to 660 ft. or 201.68 meters, eight furlongs to a mile. That 12,000 furlongs equals 1,500 miles. Thus the cube will be 1,500 miles long, 1,500 miles wide, and 1,500 miles high. Since I'm pretty certain where Jerusalem is today is where its center will be, that measurement would definitely include a large area in the Middle East like Bullinger suggested, which the end of Isaiah 19 also revealed with Assyria, Israel, and Egypt each being 1/3 of God's future Kingdom.

 

Ezekiel 40

40 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.

² In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

 

Per the visions God gave Ezekiel starting in that Ezek.40 chapter, it was all about that area, "the land of Israel", "the frame of a city on the south". Looking back at the lands of Israel during its height under Solomon, that city is Jerusalem in the southern portion of the then land of Israel.

 

In Revelation 20:9, the city on earth during Christ's Millennial reign is simply called the "beloved city" and "the camp of the saints", that word "camp" translated to "castle" in other Scripture like the Book of Acts. I myself would prefer it as 'castle', since during the Millennium timing that is how Christ's elect will be dwelling on earth, with the wicked outside its gates per Rev.22:14-15. Then when Satan is loosed in final and leads the nations upon against, like a siege of a castle, God destroys Satan and his band per that same Rev.20:9 verse.

 

Since Ezekiel 40 forward is showing a temple, even with detailed dimensions, and that in relation to God's River and the tree of life, then that must be Millennial timing. The separations between His elect and even their deceived loved ones is another marker of that time per Ezekiel 44, His elect being allowed to go outside for the sake of a dead family member, but having to go through a ritual purification like Israel's priests did before being allowed back near Christ. That kind of defiling will no longer exist with the new heavens and a new earth timing, when there is no more temple.