God’s Peace!
Please enjoy this week’s article by John H.
Lumijarvi, one of our church fathers from Finland. He wrote this article in
February 1920.
May
God bless your week.
John
R.
The
Millennium
Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
Many expounders of the Scriptures believe
that a time is at hand when Christ will come to earth with His saints to reign
here a thousand years. They believe this to be the first resurrection. These
truly are deep and high matters to comprehend. We will state our understanding
in a few words.
Before the birth of Christ, the old
pharisaic church expected an earthly savior, even as the Jews still await His
coming. This is the result of a wrong understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
Only a few awaited a spiritual Savior, namely those who sighed in their sorrow
and cried to God in the spirit. The Savior came not to be an earthly king, but
to save the souls of men, or the world, from the power of sin, death and the
devil, as was promised already in paradise. Today, also, there are but few who
long for and await the spiritual Savior to save their souls from the power of
the prince of hell. We believe that by the blessing of Jesus and the grace of
God, we have food, clothing, and all the supports of the body already here in
this world, and eternal life in the world to come. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13) The millennial
teachers explain this Scripture to mean that Jesus will come with His saints to
reign a thousand years on this earth. But Jesus Himself says ...lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world. (Matthew 28:20)
He has come once, born in the stable
of Bethlehem years ago, and fulfilled all His Father commanded Him.
Reconciliation came through Him on the cross at Golgotha, not for us only, but
for all the world. He will come in glory a second time to judge all men and
will not tarry here a thousand years. We may read of His coming to judgment (in
Matthew 25:31-46, and in other parts of the Scripture), wherein all the ungodly
will be destroyed, and the righteous shall be invited to partake of their
gracious reward before Him and the glorious face of the Father and the holy
angels from everlasting to everlasting.
There are two deaths and two
resurrections, according to the Holy Scriptures. There are spiritual death and
eternal death. The words quoted above treat of the first resurrection and the
second death.
The first resurrection takes place
in man in new birth. Therein he is changed from death to life, from sin to
righteousness. This new creation occurs in the Holy Spirit by the death of
Jesus and by the power of His resurrection. In it the sins of one who is
penitent and has heartfelt sorrow are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. He
is thus freed from the accusation of the law. He who believes is born a child
unto God and is raised from the dead by the power of Jesus, as the Apostle Paul
writes in Ephesians 2:6: And hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
This is the first resurrection. He also says, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.
(Ephesians 2:1) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
(Colossians 2:13) Then follow these words of advice to the awakened: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
(Colossians 3:1)
Christ reigns on earth with His
born-again children a thousand years. Every born-again child of God has begun
to live a thousand years with Christ and His saints. Christ reigns by His holy
doctrine in His own congregation, which is the kingdom of heaven. His law is
written in Matthew 18, and other places in the Scriptures. He reigns in grace
and truth.
The ungodly and heretics are not
obedient to Christ's government on earth. No form of government seems to be
acceptable to them. Therefore it is said, But
the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5) Peter says, For this cause was the gospel preached also
to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Peter 4:6)
All the dead have not risen from
under the power of sin, and on them rests eternal death. The voice of God cries
powerfully by the mouth of His prophets...Awake
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
(Ephesians 5:14) A whole generation has passed since the beginning of this
precious visitation when God awakened Provost L. L. Laestadius to cry out to
the spiritually dead [in Scandinavia at the turn of the 19th
century]. Thus throughout the ages our dear Lord has called the nations unto
repentance. Thanks be to God that He has awakened us when we were dead in sin!
A great multitude in white robes
still follows God and the Lamb in Europe and America [and around the world].
Let us, in faith, in hope, and in love follow Him: Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests
unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(Revelation 1:5-6)
But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but
are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
And
when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is
as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came
down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7-9)
The spirit of antichrist is now in
the world. It has always persecuted Christ and His holy congregation and shall
do so to the end. Read 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) The
Revised Version [says it this way]: "The
mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth
now until he (the antichrist) be taken out of the way." Then it will
be loosed. This spirit teaches disobedience to God's Holy Word and strives to
bring about lawlessness on earth. Oh, the times and customs that already are in
the "Christian" world!
However, blessed are they whose
names are written in heaven. Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven
and whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is
no guile. (Psalm 32:2) Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his
lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in
due season? Blessed is that servant, whom
his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. (Luke 12:42-43)
But,
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8) The martyrs and all the righteous have been partakers of
the millennium, as we now are also, in the kingdom of grace and the forgiveness
of sins. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
(Revelation 2:7) The overcomers are the believers. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4)
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