Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes.

Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day. This Bible teaching program on today's edition.

Speaker 3

Of Pathway to Victory, we're in a series I've titled Jesus Revealed in the End Times.

In this series, we've seen that the end times are not just about events, but it's about how those events reveal Jesus as he truly is.

And today we're going to look at how the end times reveal Jesus as the King.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and doctor Robert Jeffress. Throughout history, kings and queens have ruled over vast empires, but every earthly ruler eventually surrenders their crown.

There is, however, one king whose reign will never end, and his name is Jesus Christ. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress talks about Christ's future thousand-year reign on earth and what it means for believers.

Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Speaker 2

Dr. Jeffress thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Today we're conducting a brand new study on Bible prophecy called Jesus Revealed in the End Times, and it's a study that will conclude on Friday's program with the finish line just a few days ahead. I'm urging you to reach out today so that we can provide the exclusive resources we've prepared on your behalf.

My hardcover book, Jesus Revealed in the End Times, is hot off the presses and it's already become a bestseller. But the best part is that readers will become better acquainted with Jesus. This book is perfect for your morning devotional time, or many of our listeners have been using my book as a discussion tool for their small group Bible study. So let me send you a hardbound copy of Jesus Revealed in the End Times. It's my way of saying thanks when you provide a generous gift to financially support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

As a bonus, I'm going to include a set of encouragement cards. Each card provides a visual reminder focused on a scripture verse to remind you that in Jesus Christ, your future is secure. David and I will share more details about my book and other resources at the end of my message. But right now, I want you to see God in His Royal Majesty. I titled this next message in our teaching series, Jesus the King.

Speaker 3

Like many of you, I was one of millions who a few years ago was watching the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II. As I watched that service unfold, I thought about her longevity as queen. During her time, she had 15 different prime ministers who served her, beginning with Winston Churchill. Every United States president from Harry Truman to Joe Biden visited her, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson. She reigned for 70 years and 214 days, making her the longest monarch in Britain's history. But then she eventually died, and she had to relinquish her kingdom to another.

Ladies and gentlemen, you and I serve a king who also died. But thank God that's not the end of the story. He rose again from the dead, and one day he's returning to reign over this world. He's bringing in a new kingdom that we will be a part of. He is the ruler, the leader that everyone has looked for and longed for, whether they realize it or not. One who rules in compassion, with absolute justice and with fairness. One who's able to vanquish evil itself. If there's any truth in the Bible that encourages us, it's this truth that Jesus Christ reigns. Psalm 97:1 says, "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice." Revelation 19:6 states, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns." In Revelation 19:16, he has a name that is written, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

Today we're going to talk about an event in the end times that reveals perhaps more than any other, Jesus as king. And it's an event called the Millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth. You know, I was talking to our friend David Jeremiah a week or two ago. He called to check and see how our church was doing, and we were talking about his new book. He said there is such an absence of books about the millennium that he decided to write one. He beat me to the punch on it. But he's got a book coming out about the millennium, but it's not talked about that much at all. And yet it represents what we've all longed for: a perfect kingdom, one on which Jesus Christ has complete authority over.

Now, what we're going to do in the few minutes we have today is three things as we talk about the millennium. We're going to talk about the events that lead up to the millennium. Then we're going to talk about the millennium itself, characteristics of it that ought to thrill and encourage us. And then we're going to look at the events immediately after the millennium and before the new heaven and the new earth.

Let's look at the events, first of all, that happened right before the millennium. Now, in our miniseries on Bible prophecy, we've talked about it many times. You all probably have memorized that map of end-time events. We know that the next event that we're awaiting is the rapture of the Church, the snatching away of all Christians. It could happen at any time. There's no prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. It could happen at any moment. That event will be followed by the Great Tribulation, seven years in length. It's a period of time called Daniel's 70th week, God's wrapping up of his dealings with Israel. The tribulation will end with the war of Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The King is coming. He comes at the end of the tribulation.

I believe that there's great evidence that this is the time that the government, the new government under Jesus Christ, is being arranged. It doesn't happen immediately; it takes time to institute this new government. You know, we see a picture of that in our country every four to eight years after a presidential election. Whomever is chosen as president doesn't become president that day. He's sworn in on January 20th. There are some transitional things that happen, but one of the things he does during that time is to select his cabinet and the thousands of people that are going to work in his administration. They have to get positioned, they have to get briefed, they have to be prepared. This kingdom that we're talking about is a real government on earth. It's not some ethereal make-believe government. It's a real government. The seat of power will be Jerusalem. The throne will be David's throne, on which Messiah will reign. But there are others who will be reigning with him: the apostles, the tribulation saints. You may have an important responsibility. 2 Timothy 2:12 says, "If we endure with him, we shall also reign with him."

We've talked about what happens immediately before the millennium. Let's talk for a few moments about the millennium itself. It's a time of the fulfillment of prophecies that have been written for thousands of years. You know, one question people have is why isn't more in the New Testament about the millennium? Why didn't John say more? He devotes six short verses in Revelation 20, Revelation 21:6 to describe the millennium. And by the way, five times in those six verses he says, "a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand years." Some people say he's talking figuratively. If he were speaking literally, how else could he say it more clearly than to say "a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand years"?

By the way, I don't want to get lost here, but have you noticed the specificity in the Bible when it comes to prophecy? There are people who want to take it all symbolically. "Oh Pastor, you're being too literal. You have to take this symbolically." It's literal. He's trying to communicate these are real days in a real kingdom. The same is true here. I believe he's talking about a real kingdom for 1,000 years. And the reason John doesn't spend more time talking about it is he knows how much the scriptures already dealt with it in the Old Testament. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, all include extensive comments about the millennium. In fact, did you know in the Old Testament, for every one prophecy about the first coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, there are eight prophecies in the Old Testament about his second coming as king? That's what the millennium is: the fulfillment of Jesus' role as king.

Let's talk for a moment about the citizens of the kingdom who will be welcomed into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Only believers, only believers enter into the kingdom. Isaiah 60:21 prophesies, "Then all of your people will be righteous. They will possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified." But among the believers, there's going to be two categories of believers. First of all, those who have immortal new bodies—that would be you and me. If we're a part of the Rapture, we'll have our new bodies. The tribulation saints who suffered and died during the tribulation will come to life and have their new bodies. The Old Testament saints will have their new bodies. Those immortal bodies will come into the millennium in their new bodies.

But there will also, secondly, be some who have their natural bodies, their mortal bodies. Who would those people be? Well, it will be people who were saved during the tribulation, but they weren't required to give their life. And so when Jesus comes again, here you've got these Christians in their regular bodies, bodies that are still infected with sin and a sin nature. And although Satan is bound and his influence is decreased in the world, the fact is they could still possibly sin. And so you've got these believers in their normal bodies. And there's every reason to believe that during a thousand-year period of time, people in their normal bodies are going to procreate and they're going to produce children. There will be life and death in the millennium among those who are in their natural bodies. In our supernatural bodies, there is no death. In our supernatural bodies, we don't procreate. But there will be both babies and death during the millennium.

How do I know that? Isaiah 65:20 states, "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days." No infant death during the millennium. "Nor will there be an old man who doesn't live out his days. For the youth will die at the age of 100, and the one who doesn't reach 100 will be thought to be accursed." Now in heaven, this can't be talking about heaven because there's no birth and there's certainly no death in heaven. It's certainly not talking about the present earth. No, this is the earth renovated when there will be birth and death. And I believe that it's the children of these tribulation believers who will be subject to Satan's temptation at the end to follow him and be deceived by him.

The characteristics of the kingdom—I don't have time to talk about that. But just suffice it to say there's going to be geographic changes in the millennium. The topography of Jerusalem itself will be changed. Right now, Jerusalem is 2,500 feet above sea level. Zechariah 14:10, 11 says it will be raised and be visible to all. There'll be other characteristics as well. Secondly, covenantal characteristics. One of the unique things about the millennium is the temple destroyed during the tribulation will be rebuilt. It will be a millennial temple, much larger than the one that's existed in the past. And there's indication that sacrifices will be offered once again.

Have you ever wondered why the Jews don't offer sacrifices any longer? Because they don't have a temple. But there will be a temple. Why would sacrifices be offered if Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, has already died for our sins? I think the only explanation is that it's a memorial sacrifice, not to attain the forgiveness of sins. That's already been done. But just as we observe the Lord's Supper to remember what Christ did for us, I think believing Jews will go through the sacrifices as a memorial, remembering what Christ, the true Lamb of God, has done.

But the most important aspect of the millennium is the King of the millennium, Jesus himself. You know, from his infancy, Jesus was known as the King of the Jews. The wise men came searching, "Where is he who's been born King of the Jews?" When he was being crucified on the cross, the Romans put the placard above his head: "Behold the King of the Jews." Jesus' role as king is fulfilled. During the millennium, there are going to be certain administrative blessings that come. When he reigns, he'll have a perfect government. There'll be certain effects of sin that have been removed. He will rule in perfect judgment. Verse 3 of Isaiah 11 says, "He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and he will not judge by what his eye sees or make decisions by what his ears hear. But with righteousness he will judge the poor and decide with fairness the afflicted on the earth." He's the perfect ruler. Just think about it. Finally, at last, a government you can be proud of. A government that doesn't disappoint you severely. We all have that longing because we're made in the image of God. We want a government that's fair and equitable and that you can trust. We'll have that in the millennium.

As I mentioned, there'll be certain physical blessings. The curse won't be completely lifted, but with Satan bound for a thousand years, much of the curse will be at least delayed. For example, no longer will we be fearful of wild animals. Isaiah 11:6, 8 says, "The wolf will dwell with the lamb." Verse 8 says, "The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den." That's hard to imagine. There'll be a longevity of life that we talked about. There'll still be death, but it won't be the kind of death that we experience now.

What happens during the millennium, ladies and gentlemen, is that the curse that came from sin in Genesis 3 is partially, not completely, lifted. I've often described the millennium and contrasted it with the new heaven and earth this way. The millennium is a renovation of the current earth. The new heaven and the new earth are a recreation of the earth. There's a difference between a renovation and a recreation. Seventeen years ago, when I had the privilege of being called to come as your pastor, we talked about what needed to be done first. And one of the priorities was we got to do something about that children's area and the Truitt building; it was in complete disrepair. We couldn't attract young families with a facility like that. And so we immediately began a renovation plan. We needed to do something not tomorrow, not next year, but now. But we also had in mind an eventual recreation of our campus. We did the renovation first, and then we blew it all up and did the recreation. And by the way, isn't it God's providence that we have this worship center right now? Just imagine if that sanctuary had been destroyed and we had no place to go. That is the hand of God on First Baptist Dallas.

There's a difference between renovation and recreation. The millennium is the renovation. There are certain spiritual blessings. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. The Bible says at that day, at that time, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Now briefly, the events that follow the millennium. After the thousand years, Satan is released and leads a minor revolt. Well, actually, it's a major revolt that lasts only a split second. The children of those who have been born during the millennium, even though they're living under the rule of Jesus Christ, you would think that they would follow him. But some will choose to rebel against him. You see, just being in a perfect environment is not enough to convert you. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit. And there will be some of those children who decide to follow after Satan. They'll launch a rebellion against Jesus on his throne. And Jesus, just by the word of his mouth, will send the fire from heaven and destroy them completely.

What happens after that? Satan is cast into the lake of fire. Look at Revelation 20:10: "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also." After a thousand years, they're still alive. And that's the horrible thing about hell. Unbelievers aren't destroyed. They suffer there day and night, forever and ever. A thousand years after being cast into that lake of fire, the false prophet and the beast are still there. That is the fate of all unbelievers. Following that, there's a resurrection of all the unsaved. They are judged by whether or not their name is found written in the Lamb's book of life. And if any man's name was not found there, he too was cast into the lake of fire.

We're going to talk about those judgments more next time. But perhaps this is a perfect time to stop and just ask the simple question: Are you prepared for these events that are coming? You know, as I've preached on this for decades, I found that people have two distinct responses to the truths that we just looked at today. Some people who don't know Christ are filled with fear and trepidation about the end times events. But those who know the Lord are filled with hopeful anticipation. Jesus Christ is coming to punish the unrighteous, but to reward the righteous. And I think that explains 1 Corinthians 16:22. It's an interesting verse. Toward the end of Paul's letter, he said, "Let those who don't love the Lord be accursed." And then he adds the word "maranatha." Maranatha. That is a word that literally means, "O Lord, come." And those are the two responses. Those who don't know the Lord, those who don't love the Lord are accursed. And they certainly don't want the Lord to come. But the heartfelt desire of every Christian is that Jesus Christ come and come quickly.

Dr. Dave Watson is the pastor of the Calvary Chapel on Staten Island. He tells a story about when he was 14 years old; he was on the verge of making some very bad decisions. And as he was turning those decisions over in his mind, he was walking through his house one day and he noticed a magazine sent to his parents, Decision magazine by Billy Graham. And on the cover was an article that caught his attention: "Are you ready for the last days?" He sat and read that article. He went to church; he had heard the gospel, but never presented against the backdrop of the end times. And he was troubled as he read that article. The next day he went to school, and there was a coach there who was known to be a Christian. David Watson asked him about the end times and about the events. And as a result of what that coach said, Dave Watson said, "I placed my faith and trust in Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of my sins and my eternal destiny."

I'd like to ask you the same question Billy Graham asked in that article more than 50 years ago: Are you ready? Are you prepared for the last days? Whether we're talking about the last days of planet Earth or your last days on planet Earth, are you ready? Are you prepared? The best way to prepare for the last days, the best way is to trust in Christ as your savior, to receive the forgiveness of your sins, to receive the assurance that you're going to be in heaven one day. Why is that so important to do now? Because, ladies and gentlemen, the king is coming. Maranatha. O Lord, come.

Speaker 2

Maybe this is the first time you've heard a Bible teacher describe the royalty of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you're beginning to understand God's timeline for the future and the central role that Jesus plays in every aspect of Bible prophecy.

Well, your learning need not stop here at Pathway to Victory. We're prepared to equip you with a variety of resource materials. Each one is designed to help you grow deeper in your understanding of the end times.

First, I've written a brand new book on this topic. It's called *Jesus Revealed in the End Times*, and the subtitle for my book is *Hope for Today from the One*.

Speaker 3

Who Holds Our Future.

Speaker 2

You see, many people equate Bible prophecy with apocalyptic events, and that's only part of the story. The central figure in all of Bible prophecy is Jesus Christ Himself, and so my book is a celebration of his multifaceted character.

Secondly, we've created a collection of exclusive encouragement cards for you. Finally, and in a moment, David will explain how you can receive audio CDs and video DVDs so that you can listen and watch these studies at your own pace and perhaps share this good news with your friends and family.

Thank you for financially supporting the ministry of Pathway to Victory. We couldn't be the fastest growing media ministry in the country without your help. Please join us with your consistent giving so that we can continue to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word.

Speaker 1

David thanks Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you give a generous gift, a Pathway to Victory, or when you join our team of Pathway partners, you're invited to request a copy of the brand new book from Dr. Jeffress called *Jesus Revealed in the End Times*. Here's our toll-free phone number, 866-999-2965, or visit online at ptv.org. When your gift is $100 or more, you'll receive not only the book, but also the complete collection of audio and video discs for the *Jesus Revealed in the End Times* teaching series. Plus, we'll include a study guide perfect for a Sunday school class or a small group Bible study.

But time is running out to take advantage of this offer, so get in touch right away. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or find us online at ptv.org. You could also write to us. Here's that mailing address: P.O. Box 223, Dallas, TX 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, TX 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. We all must stand before a judge at some point in life. But did you know there's a much more significant court date in your future? Learn about what will happen when all will stand before Jesus the Judge Wednesday on *Pathway to Victory*.

*Pathway to Victory* with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Picture yourself relaxing aboard a luxury cruise ship as you sail the Mediterranean Sea on the *Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean cruise*. This 11-day journey will take you to unforgettable destinations in Italy, Turkey, and Greece. Plus, you'll have the option to extend your trip with additional adventures in Rome. To book your spot on the 2025 *Journeys of Paul Mediterranean cruise*, go to ptv.org.

You made it to the end of today's podcast from *Pathway to Victory*, and we're so glad you're here. *Pathway to Victory* relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower *Pathway to Victory* to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes.

We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from *Pathway to Victory*.