Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Since the Church has been raptured prior to the Tribulation and the enemies of Jesus have been utterly destroyed, some might wonder who will inhabit the Millennial Kingdom, the “thousand years” (Revelation 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) of Jesus’ literal reign on earth. During the Tribulation, Satan’s assaults are especially directed against the Jewish people. As the nation finally turns to their Messiah, Jesus Christ, many will be slain but will soon be with the Lord in heaven. However, some will survive, prompting Satan’s final military push against Israel, a campaign ended by the return of Jesus at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation19:17-21). Ezekiel 20:33-44 is one passage that prophesies that many Jewish people will trust in Jesus at that time and will live bodily in “the land of Israel” (verse 42) after the removal of “the rebels, and them that transgress against Me” (verse 38). The same teaching, of course, is found in the New Testament, including in Matthew 24:29-31, which confirms that “the elect” (verse 31) will be rescued during the final battle. The context of Matthew 24:1-31 specifically focuses on “Judea” (verse 16) and “the holy place” (verse 15) found in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul, quoting Isaiah 59:20, writes, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written: ‘There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob’” (Romans 11:26). Thus, one group that will reside in the Millennial Kingdom on earth will be the many Jewish people who were saved during the Tribulation and survived Satan’s attempt to exterminate the people of God. Each promise of our Savior God will be fulfilled exactly.