Salvation in the Millennium? (Part 3)

See the series here

See the Salvation series here

In Part 2, I posited, ‘If the Bible’s clear definition of ‘salvation and spiritual rebirth in Christ’ remains unchanged as we know it today, then people born during the Millennial Reign can only be saved once they have been directly exposed to satanic ownership, deceptions and temptations, and have rejected it all in response to God’s offer of saving Grace in Christ.’ I stand by this intuition. 

 

There may well be a scenario in which salvation as we currently understand and experience it might plausibly be modified during The Millennial Reign age. It is based on the amazing Grace of Jesus, The Lord God, and what might be signified in Revelation 14:9-11. Let’s unpack this possibility.

 

Administrations of Salvation

 

The current, ‘church age’ administration of salvation generally follows this sequence:

 

•  Pre-salvation, sinners cave in to satanic oppression!

•  Post-salvation, saints learn to resist/overcome satanic oppression,    aided by The Holy Spirit, and maturing, Word-based faith! 

 

The administration of salvation to people who became saints during the first 2 ages of our history, was obviously quite different because (a) Jesus had not yet sacrificed Himself, (b) The Holy Spirit and The Word of God were not broadly available to people, but were only sporadically available through prophets and various covenants with Jacob’s descendants.

 

How might the administration of salvation

once again change,

during the Millennial Reign age??

 

In Part 2, I posit that most (not all) of the apocalypse survivors will likely have willingly received the mark of the beast during the tribulation age. Revelation 14:9-11 and Zechariah 13:8-9 may provide a rationale for my 'most' qualification. The 4th age--the tribulation age, will begin after the 3rd age saints will have been resurrected/raptured into Heaven. ¹ The Bible predicts saints in that age will experience extreme persecution, many to the point of being beheaded. The Lord will spiritually anoint 144,000 Jewish witnesses, and dispatch an angel to strengthen the saints, and warn sinners. ² We cannot imagine how the angel will essentially be ‘preaching the ‘Gravity of The Gospel’ to people across the world before they make their decision about receiving or rejecting the mark of the beast—the body-branding mark of the anti-Christ’s financial system.

 

People who will have rejected that brand mark, but who will not have become 4th age Christians, and who will survive the apocalypse to enter into the Millennial Reign (MR) age, MIGHT embrace Christ as Savior, then later die during that age! If so, that signals a possible modification in the administration of salvation discussed above:

 

The names of tribulation age sinners may well be written in The Lord’s Book of Life IF they:

 

  (a) will have resisted/overcome satanic oppression to receive the   mark of the beast,

  (b) will survive the apocalypse, 

  (c)  then embrace salvation early in the Millennial Reign age, and

  (d) later die before satan’s kingdom is released back onto Earth at   the start of the post-MR age.

 

This unique scenario could possibly ‘flip the script’ of what salvation might mean, and how it might be administered during The Millennial Reign age, from resisting satanic oppression AFTER salvation (as we must do during this 3rd age), to resisting it BEFORE salvation! In a rather strange way, Zechariah 13:8-9 and Zephaniah 3:11-12 may actually hint proof of this plausible option. Here’s how:

...The Lord promises to reveal Himself as The Messiah, to all Jewish survivors of the apocalypse. This act will be the FULL FRUIT of the 'pre-echo seed’ of this promise, sown in the early 2nd age, when Joseph (Jacob’s favorite son, whose brothers had jealously sold him into slavery, but who was later promoted to the 2nd highest authority in ancient Egypt) shockingly revealed himself to his brothers. (Genesis 45)

...Zephaniah predicts, after The Lord reveals Himself as The Messiah, He will remove a significant proportion of the Jewish apocalypse survivors, possibly preventing them from entering into and enjoying the benefits of The Millennial Reign age.

 

...Zechariah sharpens this point by predicting, after The Lord reveals Himself, two thirds of Jewish apocalypse survivors will be slain, and only a third will be accepted to enter into the glorious blessings of The Millennial Reign age, with Jesus as their Messiah and Global King! The remaining two-thirds will be slain. (How’s that for progressive revelation, per Isaiah 28:10 &13?)

 

...Revelation 14:9-11 answers the question that neither Zephaniah or Zechariah answer—WHY won’t two-thirds of Jewish apocalypse survivors be allowed to enter into the MR age?? ANYBODY (Jew or Gentile) who will have received the mark of the beast during the tribulation age, will forever be the property of the kingdom of satan, and therefore could never, after that decision, qualify for salvation by Grace! Those people will eventually join every other lost sinner in history, in the AWFUL scene described in Revelation 20:11-15! ³ 

 

While these passages tightly focus on Jewish apocalypse survivors, the same administration or refusal of Grace will also apply to all Gentile apocalypse survivors, but with a major flip! The above passages clearly indicate there will be no use in The Lord’s Millennial kingdom for any Jews who will have survived the apocalypse, and will have received the mark of the beast during the tribulation age!! Period!! It seems that, ‘out of the gate’, The Lord intends to begin His Millennial kingdom with a clean slate of Jews who will embrace Him as The Lord God, Messiah. Some of their OFFSPRING over the ensuing years might later reject Him, however. This exact scenario will parallel one that was pre-echoed sometime after the exodus, when EVERY Hebrew  in the camp was convinced to believe and obey The Lord~ Centuries later, that story seriously flipped!!!

 

Here's the major flip re. Gentiles: The Bible never says or hints that ALL Gentile apocalypse survivors who will have received the mark of the beast will be slain, and not allowed to enter into the Millennial Reign age! (Let me know if you can prove otherwise.) Rather, it seems all Gentile survivors of the apocalypse, those with and without the mark of the beast, may be useful to repopulate the Gentile world during the 5th and the short 6th ages of our history. 

Key relevant point: Gentiles who will have rejected the mark of the beast during the tribulation age, might be qualified for salvation by Grace...if-IF The Lord decides their successful resistance to satanic oppression to receive the mark of the beast, qualifies as a positive response to His Gospel, even though they did not embrace Him as Savior during the tribulation age. In His Grace, He may welcome them into His Millennial Kingdom as saints, and possibly into His eternal Kingdom on the new, eternal Earth, if they prove faithful until death. 

 

The Lord personally chose Jacob's descendants as the human lineage through which He would become a human to sacrifice Himself for all peoples who would embrace Him. Thus, as His human kinfolk, Jews have always been at the core of His plans for humanity. This includes a special role for those who will have embraced Him as The Lord God and Messiah over the ages of history. I intuit that special role might be for every Jewish saint  from across all the ages of history, to fulfill His prophecy in Exodus 19:6, in the MASSIVE New Jerusalem, the capital city of the MASSIVE new, eternal Earth Apostle John describes in Revelation 21 and 20. Recall, John saw nations of the righteous saints surrounding that capital city. I intuit this might signify Jewish saints might serve The Lord in the new Jerusalem, and Gentile saints might serve Him in all the surrounding nations, with complete freedom to enter into Jerusalem, per Revelation 22:14. If you might believe otherwise, pray tell, when and how was or will Exodus 19:6 be fulfilled? If you say, 'During the Millennial Reign age', then consider this. During the MR age:

• If, during the MR age, all Jews (mortals and immortals alike) might be assigned to various administrative roles across the greatly expanded Israel, ⁴ and 
• All Gentile immortal saints might be assigned to administer new Gentiles nations across the world, then
• The MR Kingdom might possibly serve as a prelude, a preview, a pre-echo of the distinct roles of immortal Jewish and Gentile saints during the 7th, eternal age.

From my study of Scripture, I conclude The Lord apparently REALLY loves strategic, repetitive patterns, and pre-echoes of unique, forthcoming events. Stay tuned for much more on the latter.

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¹ See: Bible Raptures - Types and Timings (Series), and also The 6th Seal, Civilization's Reset? (Series).
² See: Revelation 7:1-8 and Revelation 14:9-11. 

³ See: The Lake of Fire: A Preview (Series), and especially, Lake of Fire: Where? When? (Poem).

⁴ See: IsraRan (Series), which explores the predicted size of a GREATER Israel; and also The Millennial Reign (Series), my most extensive topical series project.

For the Likes of You and Me! (Poem)

This is what Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:25 mean!

 

Friends, for the likes of you and me,

Jesus sacrificed Himself, selflessly.

From sin, no way we could be freed,

Sentenced to a horrible destiny!

Thus, He paid our sin price in full,

By dying a death that was horrible!

He desires us to be thankful,

And in life, to sin, not be GULLIBLE.

 

After, from the grave, He was raised,

He dispatched His Spirit to be our aid,

To live lives He would not upbraid,

But that would honor His sacrifice made.

 

May this poem and picture remind us,

Of the horrible death He died for us.

It’s only by His Grace given to us,

That we can live lives pleasing to Jesus.

~0~

 

The historical reality of the cross reveals a Savior who did not remain distant from human pain, but physically entered into the absolute depths of it. When Isaiah predicted, and Peter later confirmed, 'by His stripes we are/were healed’, they anchored our faith in a profound truth: Jesus intimately understands the reality of a broken body.

 

Click here for a summary of what ‘crucifixion’

really meant in the brutal Roman Empire.

Your Prayer Mental Scene (Poem)

See the Prayer and Praying series here

If prayer to you is a grind,  

This, to me, The Lord signified:  

‘Across the table of your mind,

My seat is ALWAYS occupied.’

Ezekiel’s Prophetic ‘Quadfecta’ (Part 3)

See the series here

Chapter 38

 

NB: Many earlier posts and series explore and exposit this chapter. Accordingly, this post serves primarily as a condensed overview with hyperlinks to the broader, analytical framework behind the points summarized herein. 

 

This is the only chapter in Ezekiel’s ‘prophetic quadfecta’ (chapters 36-to-39) that does not include an ages divider. It predicts a Russia and Iran-led invasion of Israel at a time when it will be peaceful and relatively defenseless. The invasion will be supported by other fighters, possibly including African mercenaries. It will not be Armageddon—the final event of the predicted 42-month long apocalypse. The chapter focuses heavily on Gog as the personality who will trigger this invasion. There are many different understandings about who or what Gog may be. The Bible reveals he will trigger two invasions of Israel, sandwiching The Millennial Reign age. His repeated appearance across separated ages is one reason I intuit Gog may be much more than a human ruler—perhaps satan’s top demon general. For more, see: Revelation – Future Attacks in Israel. 

 

In First Ukraine, Next Israel’s Terrain? (Series) and other posts on Ezekiel 38, I ponder whether Russia’s coalition invasion of Ukraine might be a precursor—effectively a practice session—for this predicted invasion of Israel.

IsraRan (Part 3)

See the series here

As noted in Part 2, it stands to reason that, in making the land-grant to Abraham and his descendants, The Lord foreknew, and thus considered: 

 

1. All the pending occupants and functional uses of that land from the moment of His promise, until the end of the post-Millennial Reign age—the 6th and final age of our history on this current version of Earth—i.e., from Genesis 15:18-to- Revelation 20:7-9; and 

2. His plans to substantially reshape that land during His planned, TOTAL RENOVATION of Earth from how we currently know it. 

 

Let’s review the most strategically relevant aspects of the above points—what The Lord foreknew and likely considered when He made the land-grant to Abraham and his descendants.

A Prophetic Door, Left Open?

One of the most well-known prophetic statements is:

‘…But of that day and hour no one knows,

not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.’

Jesus speaking in Matthew 24:36.

 

For many believers, that assertion has become a blanket prohibition against trying to understand the timing of The Lord’s third (not second!) coming to Earth, and also of any pending prophetic event. Yet both the Old and New Testaments are chock full of veiled and concrete admonitions and examples of how people missed opportunities to discern the signs of their times, and paid severely for it. In Matthew 16:1-4, Jesus chided the Pharisees for their failure to ‘discern the signs of their times!’ While His phrase is unique, the expectation that His saints should learn to discern where we are within His unfolding plan, is woven throughout The Bible.

Nations in the Millennium (Part 1)

See the series here

The Lord led me to review the predicted conditions across Earth at the end of the apocalypse. This is what I ‘saw’, based on Scripture:

•  People are super rare on Earth.
•  Those who remain are utterly filthy, famished and flat out EXHAUSTED.
•  The stench and mental stains of cannibalism linger.
•  Trust among people is very thin in response to fears of theft and cannibalism.
•  Trees and grass are also very rare, and severely stressed.
•  Animals may be rare and stressed from the shortage of water and grass .
•  Every constructed shelter is destroyed by a GLOBAL earthquake.
•  No mountains or islands are insight anywhere, as they were destroyed in the GLOBAL earthquake, possibly triggering massive tsunamis across the Earth, and creating new lands where oceans, rivers and lakes previously appeared.
•  No major bodies of waters are in view.
•  All lands are a relatively flat plain, possibly except Jerusalem.
•  No prior geographic reference points remain.
•. No sense of national or political groupings anywhere.
•. No governments at any level remains.

You're Majority Immortal!

Our 'Longevity Itch'

 

We have a ‘persistent itch’ that just won’t go away! It is our abiding concern about how long we’ll live, and how we can prolong our time in this earthly life. That ‘itch’ gets stronger with each passing, senior birthday. And it’s ‘off the scale’ with any senior illness. In response, ‘longevity’ has become BIG BUSINESS, producing many meds, health preps and tools, counseling, apps, etc. Science has made great strides in understanding and learning how to tweak the bio mechanics of life. Yet, there are a few critical aspects of longevity that we ignore, sidestep or about which we are largely unaware.

The 7th Seal (Part 1)

See the series here

Before discussing the 7^th, final seal opening on The Lord’s scroll, predicted in Revelation chapter 8, following is a review of what I have shared about the first 4 and the 6th seals events. NB: The 5th seal event (the predicted ‘cry of the martyrs’ in Heaven), may have no discernible impacts on Earth.  

 

1. The post, He Twice Said, ‘Shortly’, reminds us that, in His Revelation vision to Apostle John, circa AD 95, The Lord twice said what the vision described would begin to happen shortly on Earth. The most relevant of those events are judgment impacts on Earth that would occur when He opened several seals on a scroll. Ancient and recent history, and even current events, reveal impacts from opening the first 4 seals began, and then significantly scaled up during the mid-to-end of the Roman Empire. Yet many Bible scholars intuit the first 7 of those events—Him opening the 7 seals on a scroll—will only begin thousands of years later, during the tribulation age, possibly as part of the predicted ~3.5 year apocalypse. I cannot imagine discounting His ‘shortly’ point to that extent.

The 7th Seal (Part 2)

See the series here

Revelation 8:1 predicts silence in heaven for about half an hour, when The Lord will open the 7th, final seal on His scroll. There are no direct references to any impacts on Earth. But since the very next verse references preparations for the 7 trumpets judgments on Earth, Bible scholars generally conclude (a) the half hour of silence is merely a brief prelude to the trumpets judgments; and (b) the reference to heaven is the realm of God. Those perspectives appear to miss some key strategic insights.