Jesus The King

Balmoral Castle is situated on 50,000 acres of farmland in the Scottish highlands. To Queen Elizabeth II, it was a snug retreat from the bustle of London’s Buckingham Palace. At Balmoral, the queen’s private quarters were near her offices, and there she could walk, ride her horses, and play with her corgis.  

Her last trip there began in the summer of 2022, and she was frail. On the weekend of September 3 and 4, she dined with Reverend Iain Greenshields and spoke of her past, her parents, her love for Balmoral, and her faith in Christ.

On Tuesday using a cane, she threaded her way through the halls to the drawing room to await Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. The queen chatted with photographer Jan Barlow about the gloomy weather, but she was all smiles. As the queen greeted Truss, Barlow snapped the final picture of Queen Elizabeth the world would see.  

The next day, the queen appeared weaker, and by Wednesday night her doctors became aware that her death was drawing closer. Princess Anne and the queen’s senior dresser and friend, Angela Kelly, took turns by her bedside. Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie joined them and read Bible passages aloud. 

Prince Charles, thinking his mother would linger awhile, went to his home on the Balmoral Estate and was gathering mushrooms when he was summoned back to his mother’s bedside. While driving himself there, he took a call from an aide who addressed him as “Your Majesty.” At that moment, Charles knew his mother was gone, and he was now the king. 

I was one of the millions of people who watched the queen’s funeral on television. I got to wondering how many British prime ministers and United States presidents Elizabeth outlasted. Beginning with Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth worked with 15 prime ministers, and she met with every sitting president from Harry Truman to Joe Biden, with one exception—Lyndon B. Johnson. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, yet the day inevitably came when her reign ended. She had clung to royal power for an impressive 70 years and 214 days, but at last, the kingdom slipped from her hands. 

Now think about this: you and I have a King who also died, yet He returned to life—and His reign will never end. He’s on the throne now, and He will come again to sit on an earthly throne for 1,000 years, which dwarfs the reign of any other ruler in history. And He will reign on His throne in heaven forever! 

If any truth of the Bible should encourage us, this is it. The Bible says: 

• “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty” (Psalm 93:1). 

• “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice” (Psalm 97:1). 

• “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:33). 

• “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns” (Revelation 19:6). 

• “He has a name written: ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16). 

If you have proclaimed Jesus as the King of your life, you are a fellow heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17), and God is enabling you to “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (5:17). That should pique your interest in how Jesus will usher in His thousand-year kingdom on earth.

1. The Events Before the Millennial Kingdom

Many people assume Christ will establish His millennial kingdom immediately after He returns. But He won’t. The Bible indicates that there will be an interim period of two and a half months between the end of the tribulation and the beginning of Jesus’s millennial kingdom.  

How do we know about this transition? Toward the end of his book, Daniel prophesied about this time, dividing it into two periods of 30 days and 45 days.

• The 30 Days (Daniel 12:11-12; 9:27, Ezekiel 20:33-38, Matthew 25:1-30, 31-46)

From Daniel 9:27, we know the abomination of desolation marks the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation and the beginning of the last three and half years (or 1,260 days). So, what accounts for the additional thirty days? 

At the end of the tribulation, Christ will judge Israel and the Gentile nations. But suffice it to say these judgments will involve the survivors of the tribulation, winnowing out those who worshiped the Antichrist from those who worshiped Jesus Christ. Most likely, these two judgments will occur during this 30-day period. 

• The antichrist and false prophet thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20, Matthew 25:41, Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2) 

• Satan bound and imprisoned in the abyss. (Revelation 20:1-3, Luke 8:31)

• The resurrection of Old Testament and tribulation saints. (Romans 4:16-25, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 20:4, 1 Corinthians 15:20-25, Revelation 20:12-13, 1 Corinthians 15:26, Romans 8:18)

Simultaneously with the second coming of the King and the beginning of this transitional time will be the resurrection of Old Testament saints—those saved by grace through faith in God. The other group that will be resurrected at this time is the tribulation martyrs.

When King Jesus said He would defeat death, He meant it! He is in the resurrection business, and not one person will be left behind or forgotten. Whenever we feel weak or sick, it encourages us to think about the glorified bodies we’ll enjoy forever. That’s one reason “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us”.  

• The 45 Days (Daniel 12:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6, 1 Corinthians 14:33)

Remember, God is not a God of confusion but of order. After the chaos of the tribulation, the world will be ready for a King who knows what He’s doing and does it in an orderly manner, even if it takes a bit of time.

2. Fulfillment of Prophecies During the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6, Matthew 6:10, Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14, Isaiah 2:3) 

John’s description of the millennial kingdom is short and to the point. He devotes only six verses to it, but John was an avid student of the Old Testament. In writing Revelation, John’s purpose wasn’t to repeat those Old Testament descriptions but to show us the timeline of events and to add a couple of critical details. 

This will be time when Jesus will fulfill all our prayers that say, “Your kingdom come”. During this golden period, all God’s promises to the nation of Israel will be fulfilled. It will be an era when the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 

• Citizens of the Kingdom (Ezekiel 20:34-38, Matthew 25:31-46, Isaiah 60:21) 

We’ll look at the judgment of Israel and the Gentiles in greater depth in the next message. But let me touch on one critical point about these judgments that are key to the kingdom: both Ezekiel 20:34-38 (dealing with Israel) and Matthew 25:31-46 (dealing with Gentiles) say that only the righteous will enter the millennial kingdom.    

Two groups of saved people will enter the millennial kingdom: those with immortal bodies and those with mortal bodies. Let me explain. 

• Characteristics of the Kingdom

The millennial kingdom will be like no other epoch in human history. Not only will there be extraordinary spiritual and material blessings, but the geography of the earth will be altered, and God’s promises to His covenant people will finally and fully be fulfilled: 

1. Geographic characteristics (Zechariah 14:10-11, 14:8, Ezekiel 47:1, 5, Isaiah 35:1-2, 7, John 7:38)

Jerusalem will rise higher than its current elevation of approximately 2,500 feet above sea level and dominate the surrounding geography. This is fitting since Jerusalem will be the King’s capital, a shining hilltop city. 

2. Covenantal characteristics (Zechariah 14:8, Ezekiel 47:1-12, 21-22, 48:1-7, 23-28, 8-22, Hebrews 10:8-12, 26-28, Zechariah 6:12-13, Ezekiel 43:10-11, Hagai 2:7, Zechariah 6:15, Ezekiel 40:1-46, Matthew 5:18)

Along with the reallotment of land will come a reinstitution of animal sacrifices within the rebuilt temple. This is perhaps the most controversial aspect of the millennial kingdom. Why would there need to be sacrifices if Jesus the King has already accomplished the once-for-all atonement for sin with His crucifixion? Many answers have been suggested, but I believe theologian Ron Rhodes explains it well: “The purpose of the sacrifices in the millennial temple is to remove ceremonial uncleanness and prevent defilement from polluting the purity of the temple environment.”

• The King of the Kingdom

From His infancy, Jesus was called the King of the Jews. The wise men came looking for Him by that title in Matthew 2, and the Romans hung that title over His head as He died on the cross. He rose again to establish the kingdom of His church, but during the era we’re discussing in this message He will fully come into His kingdom and rule on earth in a geopolitical reign. What will He be like, and what will He do?

1. Administrative blessings (2 Timothy 2:12, Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30, Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:23-24, Isaiah 11:3-5; 9:7, Isaiah 2:4)
2. Physical blessings (Isaiah 11:6-9, 30:23-25, Jeremiah 31:12-14, Isaiah 29:18; 33:24, Isaiah 65:20)
3. Spiritual blessings (Philippians 2:10-11

3. Events that Follow the Millennial Kingdom

Between the Millenium and the final eternal state of the new heaven and new earth, several important things occur:

1. Satan Is Released and Leads a Revolt (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-9)
2. Satan Is Cast Into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10, 1 John 4:4) 

4. Today Is the Day of Salvation (1 Corinthians 16:22, Revelation 22:20, 2 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9) 

What comes next is the great white throne judgment and the new heavens and new earth, which we will look at in a future message. In this message we covered a lot of territory, looking at the days immediately before the millennial kingdom, what will happen during the thousand-year reign of Jesus the King, and what will happen at the end of this period. 

Before we go on, however, I want to remind you of a simple, one-word prayer that sums up all our deepest dreams and desires: “Maranatha.” 

You’ll find it in 1 Corinthians 16:22. It’s the transliteration of a Greek phrase, meaning, “O Lord, come!” It’s akin to the prayer at the end of Revelation: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

We want to be ready for the rapture, eager for Christ’s return, and yearning for our full inheritance in heaven. Are you ready? Are you certain? The Lord hasn’t yet descended into the sky for the rapture, but it could happen any day now. If He seems to be delaying, it’s because He is waiting for you and seeking to give people an opportunity to place faith in Him. 

Today is the day of salvation. Don’t put it off because you might not have a tomorrow. Ask Jesus now to come into your heart, just as you are. Confess your sins and trust His salvation. When you decide to follow Jesus Christ, it makes all the difference in your life today—and tomorrow. 

Maranatha!