Hi all,
When Jesus returns to set foot on the Mount of Olives, He will find the physical earth in quite a mess.
During the preceding years the earth received a double asteroid/comet hit accompanied by a disruption in the magnetosphere resulting in solar flares scorching the earth and burning people, as well as a dust/vapor cloud that blocks much of the sunlight, and several very strong earthquakes as well, some in and around Jerusalem, to name the main natural events.
Back to a new normal
Zechariah 14:4 tells us at His return, Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives on the east of Jerusalem, and it will split half to the north and half to the south, ‘with a very great valley in between’.
Zechariah goes on to say in 14:8 at that time a fountain of living (fresh) waters will flow from Jerusalem, with half the water going to the Dead Sea and half to the Mediterranean Sea. An Israeli orthodox Rabbi said the source of the water was from water drained during Noah’s flood, and reserved under Israel to be released at the coming of Messiah.
Ezekiel 47 fills in some details about the half of the new river that flows into the Dead Sea, telling us it starts in the temple as a trickle on the east side, and gains volume as it makes its way to the Dead Sea. Of the Dead Sea he tells us the volume of water will be so great that it will be turned into a fresh water lake, with only the marshy areas on the edges left briny. (v8-12) To dilute the saltiness of the lake now, it will mean the Dead Sea will have to become a huge inland sea.
Ezekiel also says it will be filled with fish, and fishermen will cast nets from along its banks, and very many fruit trees will grow along its shores. Amazing!
The plateau
Zechariah 14: 10 tells us the area around Jerusalem from Geba to Rimmon will be ‘turned into a plain’, in other words a massive flat area. Various sources put those areas 15-30 miles (24-48km) north to south. Zechariah doesn’t say how this vast area will be ‘turned into a plan’, but you can’t move that much earth without it ‘quaking’ quite a bit. It may be the result of the earthquake that occurs when Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives – we aren’t told when, just that it will be ‘turned into a plain’.
Years ago I asked the Lord for what purpose He was going to do that, and He told me simply: “To be able to handle all the people who will be coming to Jerusalem.” I thought how nice and how consistent is He, that when He commands the nations to come to Jerusalem at Tabernacles, He also make a place for them to gather.
There is a lesson there folks – what He commands, He supplies. Otherwise He could be blamed on the day of judgement as being unfair.
Weather
Zechariah 14: 17-19 tells us that if a nation won’t come up at the Feast of Tabernacles to Jerusalem to worship the King, then ‘upon them will be no rain’.
This reveals Jesus will command the weather when needed, leading us to conclude that with the exception of those who are disobedient, there will be no drought, no storms that wipe out crops, no killer frost just when the fruit trees are budding. The weather patterns released from their curse, will cooperate with the King, world-wide.
We are in training
Paul addressed the situation of 2 men in the church in Corinth suing one another, in I Corinthians 6: 1-7. Remember this was a home based church, for we are told in Acts 18:7 they started in the home of Titius Justus (Gaius), a Roman who lived next door to the synagogue. That means these men were sitting across from each other when they gathered as the church.
Paul tells them it is a shame that they who will administrate the world in the millennium, they who would administrate the angels, cannot settle the issue between themselves without going to a secular court. His point is that because they will be ruling over the earth with the Lord in the future, they are worthy now to settle the issues between them. He told the church to find others who were not party to the lawsuit, even the ‘least esteemed’, and let them decide the matter.
He said they can certainly therefore judge the ‘smallest matters’ in v2, like what is going on between them. The Greek word ‘smallest’ is ‘mikros’, where we get ‘micro’. So Paul considered whatever their situation to be, tiny, compared to what they will be doing in the millennium. Basically he told them to grow up, start setting issues now as their lives were preparation for future judgments they would be making.
What if all Christians realized the trials and tribulations of this life are a sort of training for the millennial age? What if all Christians realized by making either wise or unwise choices now, they were being observed in consideration of their role in a future administration of the King over the whole earth?
I’m not advocating a works-based salvation trying to show the Big Boss how good you are. Rather, living our Christian lives with the realization there is more to this life than just this life. That we are accountable to our Maker. That our lives now in this life, matter for something bigger than just what seems to be our puny existence on the planet. That we apply ourselves to truly become more Christ-like each and every day.
Not for reward or position in the kingdom to come, imitating the mother of James and John who sought positions of authority for her sons in the age to come, but just going about our lives knowing we will give account, knowing that even small decisions now do matter, and that our individual value to the Lord is high enough He gave His life for us, then was resurrected so He could watch over and direct our lives personally. That is amazing grace and something to consider.
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
