Beliefs about the Afterlife (xxxxv)

As we have seen, Christ has promised rule over "the nations" to several people(s), such as to the patriarchs, king David, the twelve apostles, to members of the church (body of Christ). We have seen how these nations are the remnant of humanity who were not killed in the judgments of Christ's Apocalypse, and who did not align themselves with Antichrist and who helped Jews and Christians, and includes little children and the meek. These were not saved prior to the rapture and resurrection of the saved, but who become believers after Christ descends to earth and sets his feet on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. These will enter the Millennial kingdom as mortals and their mortality or immortality being dependent upon their being faithful citizens. 

A Problem Text

"For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." (Mattt. 22: 40)

"And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world (age) marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (Luke 20: 34-36)

These teachings of our Lord are used by some to teach more than our Lord intended to teach. Some say that this verse affirms the impossibility of angels having sex with or entering into marriages with human females and therefore the idea that the "sons of God" in Genesis chapter six are angels who mated with human females is false. 

Some others say that the words also teach against the idea that anyone who enters "that age" of the thousand year reign of Christ in his kingdom will marry and have children. 

In each of these two cases too much is read into the text. In reply I say that the ones Jesus said will not marry or procreate in the millennial age are they who meet two qualifications: First, they "obtain that age," being allowed to enter into it and enjoy it; And, Second, obtain or experience "the resurrection from the dead." 

But, there are those who meet qualification number one but not number two. They are "the nations" who remain after the coming of the Lord, and who believed in Christ after the resurrection of the just and the smiting of the nations. They "obtain that world" but do not obtain the resurrection of the dead. They will marry and have children as described in the prophecies of Isaiah as we have previously seen. Those who are resurrected and receive glorified immortal bodies will no longer marry, have sexual intercourse, or procreate. 

In regard to Christ saying that the angels of heaven do not marry or procreate, he only affirmed that this was true of "the angels of heaven," which would be those angels which kept their first estate, in contrast to those angels who fell from heaven and took themselves wives of the daughters of men and bore giants, being the same as the Titans of Greek mythology, or in Hebrew the "Nephilim." There is a vast difference between "the angels of heaven," the "holy" angels, who chose not to do what was forbidden of them, i.e. mating with human females, and the angels who fell from heaven by choosing to leave their proper place to do so. (Jude 1: 6-8; II Peter 2: 4) 

Life In The Millennial Kingdom

Recall our previous chapters showing that eternity is made up of both "ages" and "eternal generations." Thus, we can expect to see new generations of children. Recall our text from Isaiah that speaks of children being free of harm. 

"[6] The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. [7] And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. [9] They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa.11: 6-9)

Zechariah chapter eight also describes life in the new heavens and earth of the Millennial kingdom for the Jews who are allowed to enter it and to enjoy all that was promised to them.

"3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. 4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts." (8: 3-6 kjv)

So, life in the Millennial age, for the sheep nations, for those who enter the kingdom as mortals on probation, will be much like life in this age, excepting without the evils. In other words, people will still work, play, achieve, educate themselves, have hobbies, go to worship, act as citizens and neighbors, enjoy the arts, etc. Everything that makes life worth living now will be enjoyed in the Millennial age but in a greater measure and without the admixture of all the evils of the present life. 

Imagine being able to do everything a person does while on earth, in his lifetime, and compare that with what he will do in the age to come. Ponder it as a lifetime without all adversities, calamities, and evils in life, so that you continue to work, continue to experience time and space, continue to experience joy, peace, fulfillment, self actualization, bliss, satisfaction and contentment, but all in a surpassing degree but without the evils of life.

As an example of how a sinless and immortal being can live on earth without sinning or suffering, look at Jesus Christ and his life on earth. Yes, he did die and suffer, but it was a choice, in order to identify with sinners and in order to become an atoning sacrifice for them. But, he never in his life suffered as a result of having himself sinned. In the Millennium, the sheep nations who enter that age as mortals will be able to sin and to suffer for it and the immortal and resurrected believers will not be able to sin even though they have to intermingle with mortals and sinners in that age. Further, Jesus enjoyed life. There is no reason to think otherwise. So too will both the resurrected and glorified believers and those living persons of the sheep nations enjoy the Millennium under Christ. 

As stated earlier, the new heavens and earth of Revelation chapter twenty one is not the new heavens and earth of the Millennium, or that described by Isaiah. For instance, the "city of God," called "New Jerusalem," that mega glorious city, descends from heaven when the new heavens and earth that follow the Millennium are created. It does not seem that this city was on earth during the Millennium.  That city descends from heaven after the Millennium and becomes the eternal capital of the new heavens and earth for the ages that follow. In the Millennium, the capital of the world is Jerusalem, the earthly city remade. There will be the Millennial Temple, or house of the Lord, described by Isaiah in these words:

"2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (2: 2-5 kjv)

This has never yet been fulfilled but will be literally fulfilled in the Millennial age. Notice too the things said about that age. We see "the nations," being the same nations over whom Christ and his people rule with a rod of iron. By "mountain of the Lord's house" is intended that Temple of God which will be constructed in "Zion," in "Jerusalem." Notice too how the millennial kingdom will still have citizens needing to be educated in the things of God, showing that there will be an education system for those occupants of the Millennial kingdom age. It is an age when there is no more war, no more military, and where people still farm and plant and eat, and where they still manufacture things, and where they will be reproved for wrong doing and rewarded for well doing. This is in keeping with other old prophecies, such as this word from the prophet Zechariah.

"16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 14: 16-21)

Those expositors who do not interpret these words literally, as intended, are hard to tolerate. They who try to give a "spiritual" or non literal fulfillment of the prophecy are grossly mishandling the text. 

Also, it must be kept in mind that the scenes described above by Isaiah and Zechariah are not of the lives of the resurrected and glorified saints, but of those of the remnant of the nations who were granted right to become citizens of the kingdom of God and to be the seed of a new human race. We will discuss in another chapter what life will be like for those who are resurrected and have new spiritual bodies with new powers. 

Notice again how a judicial or criminal justice system in the Millennium is referred to in the prophecies. In the iron rule of Christ and his people, nations who do not keep the commandments are punished, with no rain or with plague. No one gets away with transgression in the kingdom age. Both angels and redeemed men will supervise all policing of behavior under Christ. Another verse we called attention to in an earlier chapter that also alludes to the criminal justice system of the millennial age is this prophecy of the new heavens and earth: 

"And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. 24“And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isa. 66: 23-24)

What a deterrence to crime and evil doing will be the iron rule of Christ and his people! We see a case example of this even in the early church when two professors of Christ lied to the apostles, to God and the Holy Spirit, and were instantly struck dead by the Lord. 

"5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." (Acts 5: 1-11 kjv)

Imagine a world where sin is punished swiftly and appropriately. If liars in the world met with the fate of Ananias and Sapphira for lying, lying would be greatly deterred. If citizens of the age to come rebel against the monarchy of Christ they are instantly killed so that people walk by their corpses and see it as an example to them all. 

We also see the kind of justice system and rule that will be at work in the Millennial Kingdom and of the means used to deter men from evil and to confirm them in well doing. Besides the scriptures already cited above about this policing of the behavior of the occupants of the millennial age, notice this also as it pertains to any would be thieves of that age.

"Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side." (Zech. 5: 3 nasb)

So, not only are liars struck dead, along with those who rebel against the monarchy of God, but so too those who steal from their neighbors.

Though some commentators argue that ruling with a rod of iron does not mean rule with an iron fist, yet I think it does. It means that sin will no longer be tolerated as in previous ages, when ignorance is no longer "winked at" by Lord God. (Acts 17: 30) On that expression Albert Barnes commented in his commentary:

"God winked at - ὑπεριδὼν huperidōn. Overlooked; connived at; did not come forth to punish. In Acts 14:16 it is expressed thus: "Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways" The sense is, he passed over those times without punishing them, as if he did not see them. For wise purposes he suffered them to walk in ignorance that there might be a fair experiment to show what people would do, and how much necessity there was for a revelation to instruct them in the true know edge of God. We are not to suppose that God regarded idolatry as innocent, or the crimes and vices to which idolatry led as of no importance; but their ignorance was a mitigating circumstance, and he suffered the nations to live without coming forth in direct judgment against them." 

However, in "the age to come" sin will not be overlooked. Rather, it will be instantly punished. That is not to say that there will be no leniency and divine patience at all, only that it is not as before in previous ages. In the millennial age of the kingdom, transgression will be punished, and punishments will be both for deterrence and for justice. The Millennial age will not find every human being always obeying the laws of the kingdom, even though it will have little in the environment or culture to promote disobedience but much rather to promote righteous living. In this "present evil age" only a very small minute percentage of the human race lives godly lives, but in "the age to come" it will be the reverse, with only a very small percentage of people living ungodly lives. 

I do not doubt, as some Dispensationalists teach, that the sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters five through seven was given by the Lord as a constitution for the coming millennial kingdom. That is not to say, however, that it is not also a constitution for every individual Christian or church. Notice these words from that sermon which describe the mortal citizens of the kingdom of God in the millennium. 

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5: 19-20)

Status in the age to come depends upon righteous living. Minor violations make one a member of a class styled "the least in the kingdom" while keeping the commandments will entitle one to a higher standard of living. Shaming and shunning will be a strong deterrence to law breaking. Grosser violations of the commandments will be dealt with in the manner the scriptures we have cited describe.