M

en have long speculated on what will happen in the ages to come. What will the condition of men be when they are raised (1 Cor. 15:35)? What is the purpose of the reign of Christ in the age to come, known to the Hebrews and early Christians as the Kingdom Age, or the Messianic Age? How does it differ from the age that follows it, described as "the new heaven and the new earth" having a "new Jerusalem"?

Perhaps even more confusing to people today is all this talk about man’s ultimate abode in heaven. If we are to live in heaven, then why would the saints return to earth at the resurrection to reign with Christ as it says in Revelation 5:10 and other places? In fact, what is the purpose of the millennium? I have encountered people in the ministry who were also puzzled by these questions. If even they are puzzled, it should not be surprising that many average Christians are also puzzled. Some may have been receiving contradictory teachings and do not have the keys to sort it out for themselves.

Passover was the first feast of Israel, occurring in late March or early April. The people gathered at the place where God had placed His name, carrying with them the firstfruits of the barley, which was the first crop to ripen in the spring. Fifty days after the barley was offered to God, the people gathered again before God to give Him the firstfruits of the newly-ripened wheat. About four months later, in September, the people gathered a third time to give God the firstfruits of the wine, for this was the time of grape harvest.

These three feasts are prophetic in many ways. They speak of three stages of development in the Kingdom of God upon the earth. They speak of three anointings or manifestations of the Spirit that are associated with each stage of Kingdom development. And finally, the firstfruits themselves foreshadow the beginning of a greater harvest to come.

From Moses to Christ was a Passover Age, reflecting the first level of anointing and empowerment, wherein the Kingdom of God operated on a relatively small scale in the House of Israel. The day of Pentecost in Acts 2 began a Pentecostal Age with an enhanced level of the Holy Spirit’s power, and this brought the Kingdom of God an entirely new empowerment. But even Paul acknowledged three times that this was only an EARNEST of the Spirit, a downpayment of something better that was yet to come. He looked for a Tabernacles Age, in which the FULLNESS of the Spirit would be poured out, and the Kingdom of God would be established in the earth in its highest form and with its greatest power.

The key to understanding the Kingdom of God is to view it in its three stages of development, rather than pitting one view against another. Some say the Kingdom is NOW, and they are certainly correct. Others say the Kingdom is FUTURE, and they are correct as well. A few even say that the Kingdom of God began with Moses, and they too are correct. The Kingdom of God did indeed begin in the time of Moses when God first organized Israel into a kingdom at Horeb. But the Kingdom of God was manifested in a greater manner under a Pentecostal anointing in the second chapter of Acts.

But the Kingdom of God is also yet future as of this writing. We await the outpouring of the Spirit under the feast of Tabernacles, which will manifest the Kingdom of God in its highest form on the earth. Only this view is large enough to encompass both those who believe the “Kingdom Now” idea, as well as the “Future Kingdom” viewpoint.

Under Moses, the people of Israel no doubt thought that the Kingdom of God had come in its fullness in their day. It was not revealed to them that there was much more yet to come, except in a progressive revelation of the prophets who came later. Even so, most of the people did not understand the true meaning of their own feast days. They had focused too much upon the rituals themselves in trying to please God. This is why they did not recognize the true Lamb of God when John pointed Him out to the people (John 1:29), nor did they see that He would have to die at Passover for the sin of the world.

The early Church understood clearly the meaning of the feast of Passover. They wrote extensively about its fulfillment in Jesus’ death. But the people were only Pentecostal in their outlook. They had moved up one level, and this had greatly increased their understanding of the plan of God. However, they had little or no understanding of the feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost was their prime focus, and this is perfectly understandable, for it was a new and marvelous thing in the earth. To many, it was the end and goal of all history. But the revelation of Tabernacles was not clearly understood, because it was too early for this to be revealed. Kingdom people had to have opportunity to explore the marvels of Pentecost before overwhelming them with a serious revelation of Tabernacles.

So God saved the revelation of the feast of Tabernacles for the end of the Pentecostal Age in the twentieth century. The types and shadows of Scripture seem to indicate that the Pentecostal Age was meant to last for about 40 Jubilee cycles, or 1960 years (49 x 40). A Jubilee time cycle is 49 years. The Jubilee year was the fiftieth year, but that was also the first year of the next Jubilee cycle. God measures time in sevens, and so 40 Jubilees of time would be 1960 years. It may be, then, that the Pentecostal Age, which began in 33 AD, began to come to a close in 1993 in preparation for a greater Age to come under the anointing of Tabernacles.

This "first resurrection" is a limited resurrection. Because we are told that they are "blessed and holy" (vs. 6), we know that only believers will inherit life at this first resurrection. We are told that the rest of the dead will remain dead for another thousand years.

There are two main views regarding this first resurrection. Some believe that this first resurrection is simply the moment of salvation for the believer. At salvation, they say, the believer goes from death to life, and this they equate with resurrection. Believers then are called to rule and reign with Christ in an overcoming life on earth. They interpret the “thousand years” as an indefinite time period, on the grounds that the Greek word is plural and therefore should read “thousands,” rather than merely one thousand years.

On the other hand, we believe that the term “resurrection” is never used in the Bible for anything but a physical raising from the dead. We certainly understand that the believer is given life at his justification, but this does not negate the need for resurrection. Paul made it plain in 1 Corinthians 15 that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the pattern and basis of our own resurrection. Jesus took time to carefully explain to His disciples that He had been raised in a physical body, though He was certainly not subject to the limitations of our present flesh. In Luke 24:36-43 Jesus even ate some food specifically to prove that He was not a spirit but was manifested in actual flesh and bone.

As for the time period of a thousand years, the Greek term used in Revelation 20 is chilia, which is derived from the root word chilioi and means “a thousand.” The Greek word, chilia, is technically a plural word, but it is always translated in the singular. The Greek and Hebrew languages uses plurals a little differently than we do in English. For instance, in the Old Testament there is the term elohim, which is plural. It is translated “gods” when it refers to false gods, but it is usually translated “God” in the singular when the word is applied to the Creator. For example, Exodus 20:1-3 says,

¹ And God [elohim] spake all these words, saying, ² I am the LORD thy God [elohim], which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³ Thou shalt have no other gods [elohim] before me.

Some have tried to use the word elohim to prove the trinity, but this is rather dubious, since other plural words cannot possibly be translated in the plural. One such case is the Hebrew word paniym, “faces.” The singular is paneh. The table of showbread is literally the “bread of faces,” but if translators rendered it this way, it would only convey confusion to the average reader.

The same is true in the Greek language. We have a good example of how chilia  is used in 2 Peter 3:8,

        ⁸ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand [chilia] years, and a thousand [chilia] years as one day.

Since chilia is plural, some think it is an indefinite period of time and should be rendered “thousands.” Yet the same word is found many times in Revelation 7, where we read of the “twelve thousand” from each tribe of Israel. It would not be proper English to read it as “twelve thousands.” We picture twelve groups of a thousand, with each thousand being a single unit. They apparently picture a group of a thousand as denoting a thousand objects (or days); hence it is plural.

Since Peter was quoting the Septuagint version of Psalm 90:4, we find that the Greek word chilia is the equivalent of the Hebrew word, eleph, which can mean either a single thousand or thousands in the plural. It depends upon the context, much the same as the word elohim and paniym.

A man named Maon owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats (1 Sam. 25:2). The number of sheep is a specific number. As for the goats, it simply means a thousand goats, not “thousands of goats.” Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus fed five thousand men, and each group of a thousand is meant to convey a specific number, not five groups of an indefinite number of thousands.

And so, while we encourage people to use a good concordance, we must yet use some caution and realize our limitations. The Greek and Hebrew languages use plurals differently from the English language. Therefore, when John tells us in Revelation 20 that some will reign with Christ for a thousand years, the translation is correct, even though chilioi is technically plural. Those who disagree are a small minority, because every major translator has rendered it correctly in the singular. So we believe that the period of a thousand years is meant to be a precise figure.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was designed in its very structure to indicate a 2,000 year Church Age, followed by a 1,000 year Kingdom Age. The Tabernacle was divided into three areas: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The outer court typifies the Passover Age with its Brazen Altar. Because it had no ceiling, one cannot measure the outer court like we can the tent of meeting. Yet it signifies the Old Testament era.

In the tent itself, the Holy Place typifies the Pentecostal Age and was 2,000 cubic cubits (10 x 20 x 10 cubits). The Holy of Holies typifies the Tabernacles Age and 1,000 cubic cubits (10 x 10 x 10 cubits). In man’s approach to God, the Tabernacle was built to show the way to God; and even its room’s dimensions portray the time of Pentecost and Tabernacles.

Those who teach that there is no future thousand-year reign of Christ assume that we have all the necessary spiritual empowerment to reign on earth NOW. The view does not take into consideration that Pentecost gave us only an earnest of the Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; and Eph. 1:14). They do not see that the Kingdom of God is manifested in stages. They do not understand the limitations of the pentecostal anointing. Christians cannot fully reign on earth under the anointing of Passover, nor under the anointing of Pentecost. Only a Tabernacles anointing is sufficient to fully manifest the sons of God.

In other words, when a man is justified by faith in the blood of the Lamb, he receives a Passover anointing from God, but this does not bring him personally into the fullness of the Spirit. When a man receives the Spirit of God through the anointing of Pentecost, he receives a fresh anointing, but it is only an earnest, and he is still left with imperfections by which he falls short of the glory of God. Only when God pours out His Spirit upon us in the fulfillment of Tabernacles will we find the perfection and immortality we seek.

The first two feast days were fulfilled on historic dates according to the plan of God. No one has been able to enter permanently into a feast day’s fulfillment ahead of its historic fulfillment. Moses entered into Tabernacles temporarily when he came down the mount with his face glorified (Exodus 34:29; 2 Cor. 3:7), but even he could not retain that glory permanently, for neither he nor the other overcomers could be perfected apart from the corporate body (Heb. 11:40).

There are many more such evidences that we could put forth, except that many of these require an in-depth knowledge of prophecy which is outside the scope of this book. And so we hope that these few words will suffice at least the majority of the readers for now.

One thousand years after the first resurrection comes the Great White Throne Judgment, in which ALL the (remaining) dead are raised. This will include both believers and unbelievers. This is proven by Jesus’ words in John 5:28,29, where He speaks of this general resurrection:

         ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, ²⁹ and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Note that this is a single “hour;” that is, both just and unjust will be raised at the same time. This is obviously not the first resurrection, where only believers are raised. This is a clear description of the second resurrection, where ALL who remain in the tombs will come forth for judgment.

Note also that there will be believers raised at this hour, along with unbelievers.  Jesus says that the just will be given “life,” while the unjust will be judged. Many teach today that all believers will be raised at the first resurrection; and all the unbelievers will be raised at the next resurrection. This simply cannot be true, if Jesus’ words are to be believed.

Paul offers a double witness to this teaching that the second resurrection will include both good and bad. He says in Acts 24:14 and 15:

¹⁴ But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; ¹⁵ having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

This can only be referring to the second, not the first resurrection, because only “blessed and holy” people are raised the first time. We must conclude, then, that NOT ALL Christians will be raised in the first resurrection. Some must remain in the grave until the second resurrection, otherwise the statements by Jesus and Paul would be incorrect.

When we look at the rather detailed description of the second resurrection in Revelation 20, we find hints that there will be believers judged at that time. The very fact that the Book of Life is opened (20:12) hints at this. Why would the Book of Life be opened, if no one standing there were written in it?  Furthermore, verse 15 strongly implies this when John says:

        ¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Certainly this means that many WILL BE FOUND written in that Book. And those who are will be given life at that time as Jesus said.

Who are these believers?  Why would they need to be judged?  I believe the key is found in Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12:35-50. Jesus speaks of “the faithful and sensible steward whom his master will put in charge of his servants” (12:42). Such people, Jesus says, will be given a place of rulership and responsibility. This says essentially the same thing as Revelation 20:4, where those of the first resurrection “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

There is, however, another kind of servant, or “slave.” Keep in mind that he is still called God’s “slave,” a believer, but he is not “blessed and holy” by any means. Jesus continues in verse 45 of Luke 12:

        ⁴⁵ But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces [dichotomeo, “to cut up by severely beating”], and assign him a place [meros, “portion, part that is due, lot”] with the unbelievers.

In other words, these unsanctified slaves, who had been given authority over other slaves, but who abused their position, will NOT be given authority in the age to come. Instead, they will be beaten with stripes according to the law found in Deuteronomy 25. Furthermore, Jesus says they will receive their portion, or allotment “with the unbelievers,” that is, AT THE SAME TIME the unbelievers get their portion.

This does not mean their portions are the same as the unbelievers. Jesus made this clear in the next few verses when He said that the unsanctified servant will receive either few or many stripes (lashes), according to his deeds. It does NOT say that he will be classed as an unbeliever or that he will lose his portion (allotted inheritance). It merely says that he will not receive his portion in the resurrection of the just. He will get his portion along with the unbelievers at the Great White Throne.

Keep in mind that in God’s Law, a beating was a punishment that was done immediately in front of the judge and was strictly limited to 40 stripes (Deut. 25:3). Other punishments, such as restitution, required a sentence that normally took time for the sinner to work off the debt. And so Jesus uses the term “many stripes” and “few stripes” to indicate an intense but quick form of correction that is administered according to their knowledge of the Lord’s will.

They will not be thrown into “the lake of fire” mentioned in Revelation 20 during that long, final Age, for that is the fate of the unsaved. Nonetheless, such believers will indeed be judged in a lesser manner. I believe that this is the judgment Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 3:15.

¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴ If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

I do not believe that this fire is literal. They will, however, be judged according to God’s fiery law, which in this case is up to 40 stripes. Christians in whom Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation, but who built upon that Foundation with wood, hay, and stubble, will suffer loss. They will be held accountable for their works, the things they built upon their foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Their WORKS and their flawed CHARACTER will be tried by fire and will be burned. This will not destroy them, but will purify them by chastisement and make them fit for the Kingdom of God.

The unbelievers themselves, however, will be “thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14 and 15). The question is whether or not this is a literal fire that differs from the other fire in which certain believers are tried. This will be the subject of our next chapter.