The Millennium
Bible Teaching About The Approaching Thousand Years

ALL around the world vast and lavish preparations are being made for the start of the new century, and there is even greater interest than usual because, this time, it is also the start of a new millennium-a new era of a thousand years. The opportunity is thus being taken for a variety of events-from private parties to large scale building projects-all of them celebrating a new start.

But after all the excitement has died down, and the balloons have burst, what will the new millennium be like? For a thousand years is not a stage managed event, limited to a few carefully controlled hours or days, but a long, long period of time covering the lifetimes of many generations. Will the year 2000 see the start of a brave new world? Will conditions on the earth suddenly (or even gradually) improve for all who are oppressed, exploited or diseased? We know the answer to these questions. All the grand schemes and great expectations will achieve very little. It needs more than a page turned over on a calendar to put the world right, even if the date on that page is the last day of the old millennium.

2000 or 2001?
The eagerness to celebrate has been shown by how quickly and easily settled have been the rival claims of the years 2000 and 2001 as the start of the new millennium. Mathematically, few can doubt that 2001 is really the first year of the new century, but public opinion will not allow for any delay. The old era is being relegated as soon as possible in the hope that something better is just round the corner.

The past hundred years have seen incredible technological changes. But alongside all the machines which man's ingenuity has produced to help him undertake necessary tasks, there stand equally ingenious machines with an almost infinite capacity for destruction. Even those-like vehicles of transport-invented to assist man's well being and to make his life easier, have been responsible for the deaths of thousands, even millions of people. None of the technological advances has managed to halt the decline in personal relationships and breakdown in society. So the start of a new era is a new horizon, providing renewed hope that such problems can be removed or at least controlled.

Greater Awareness?
But putting aside the unattainable high hopes, there is a genuine belief that the new millennium will bring a greater awareness of mankind's needs, and greater resolve to tackle them. The inner yearning of many people for increased peace of mind has been shown by the renewed interest in religion of all kinds, notably the mystic and psychic varieties. Organized religion has been associated for so long in people's minds with bitter arguments and repression even on occasions with warfare and genocide that there has been a rejection of many of the traditional forms of worship. Instead, there are New Age methods to help prepare for the New Era which is about to dawn.

Some of these new religious groups see the approaching millennium as a time of personal and spiritual release. Leaders have instructed their members to be prepared for a whole variety of cataclysmic events: for armed attack, for fierce burning, for approaching space craft. There is a wide expectation among these groups that the millennium will be a time when the human body is no longer required; they expect it to be discarded, allowing its owner to be completely free from current constraints. A few have even anticipated this by joining in group suicide plots so that they will escape the widespread destruction they expect to occur.

This interest in such things has been generated in part by existing religious associations with the millennium. The event would not be celebrated if it were not for the fact that our calendar, and that of much of the world, is calculated from the date when it is believed Jesus Christ was born. More recent research has shown that this calculation may be about five years out. But give or take those five years, it is almost two thousand years since Jesus was born, and not much less than that since Christianity became a world religion. The teachings of Christ burst upon the world in the early centuries of the modern era, and many pagan practices were quickly relegated in favour of worship patterned on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles.

To mark the start of the third Christian millennium, great religious celebrations are planned in many centres, notably in Rome where an estimated 30 million pilgrims will have the opportunity to worship in up to 50 new churches, as well as those places of worship which already exist. One of these new churches is to be called "The Church of the Year 2000", specially to mark the significance of the event. The Pope John Paul II has declared the year 2000 "a holy year", hoping that Christians will be "if not united, at least closer to resolving the divisions of the second millennium".

Deep Apprehension
But it would be unreasonable to suggest that, for most people, the celebrations will be religious. The year 2000 may indeed be based on the date when it is calculated that Jesus Christ was born, but the link between Christianity and many of the planned celebrations is extremely tenuous. The hopes for the new era go much farther back than the birth of Christianity, to man's innermost yearnings for a better world.

At the same time as there is a great eagerness for the new millennium to start, there is also an apprehension about the new era because of dire warnings about economic collapse, global warming, over population, depleted natural resources and potential international conflict involving weapons of mass destruction.

Some prophets of doom have predicted that the new millennium will herald Armageddon, by which they mean the catastrophic end of human life on earth. With such differing outlooks being prophesied, it is reasonable to enquire if the new century will bring widespread destruction or the solution to all these difficult problems.

A thousand years ago, at the end of the first Christian millennium, there was great expectation that something momentous would happen. Religious leaders taught about the impending destruction of Antichrist and an era of peace under the rule of Jesus Christ. Despite preparations being made by many people who thought the end of the world was drawing near, nothing happened. Will the same be true of the year 2000? And if it is, how will people cope with the disappointment?

A Reliable Guide
How do we find answers to these questions? Is there a reliable source of information about the future, and especially about the future of mankind upon the earth?

The only reliable guide to the future-a guide which has stood the test of time and whose earlier predictions give confidence about all the other information it contains, is the Bible. It claims to be the Word of God-who inspired human writers to record His message to mankind. What then does the Bible have to say about the millennium?

What we shall soon discover is that any reference to a millennium in the Bible has to do not with the moment at the turn of the century but with an entire period of a thousand years. Actually the word millennium does not appear anywhere in the Bible. But there are a few places where a "thousand years" are mentioned in a general sense, and one place where an era of a `'thousand years" is specifically described. Two of the general references to a thousand years use the phrase to explain how God is different from man, because He is not controlled by time: "A thousand years in God's sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4), "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Peter 3:8). These verses help to put into context mankind's mad scramble to be ready for the year 2000 AD.

God is able to view all of mankind's history in a moment of time. He can look deep into the past and far into the future He is not 'locked in the cage of time', as man is.

God has been at work for thousands of years with a plan and a purpose. He brought the world into existence at the beginning, and wants it to be a place where men and women can live at peace, with each other and with Him Through the various Bible writers, God has revealed to mankind many of the details of His purpose. His work has continued through successive ages: the generation before the Flood; the times of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), the formation of the nation of Israel into a kingdom; the sending of His Son; the Christian era; and finally He promises a great 'day of rest', when all His work will be complete. That this is the purpose of His creative work is shown in the opening chapters of the Bible as they speak of Him resting when His work is complete: "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made" (Genesis 2:3). In this rest, He will be associated with those of His creatures for whom "there remains a sabbath rest ... for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labours as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9,10).

No Benefit from Long Life
Another Bible reference to a thousand years confirms that long periods of time are not sufficient to benefit mankind unless conditions in the world radically change. The wise man in Ecclesiastes notes that, "If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life's good things ... I say that an untimely birth is better off than he ... even though he should live a thousand years twice told" (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6).

But none of these references is to a specific period of a thousand years; the concept of a future millennium did not arise from these passages. Only in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is such a period mentioned (Revelation 20).

Revelation is a prophetic book, using highly graphic images and symbols to describe what would happen to Jesus' followers after his death, resurrection and ascension, continuing right through to the time when God's purpose is complete. The closing chapters of the book (chapters 19-22) concentrate on events to do with Jesus' return and the setting up of the kingdom of God. Chapter 20 explains about ``the thousand years"—the Millennium.

The Events of the Millennium
Despite the Book of Revelation being written in symbolic language, some aspects of the message are obvious and easily understood:

The "thousand years"—the only specific period of a thousand years mentioned in the Bible-is a period of time when Jesus rules the world. During this "millennium" opposition to his reign will be restrained, allowing the benefits of his leadership to be widely felt, until, in the end, rebellion breaks forth, to be decisively destroyed by direct action from God, leaving Christ to reign supreme on God's behalf.

The Return of Christ
It will be noted that the chapter does not at first sight appear to describe the return of Christ; it speaks instead of "an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit ... in his hand" (Revelation 20:1).

We are reminded of the opening vision in Revelation where "one like unto the Son of Man"—surely a vision of Jesus himself is described as "he that liveth, and was dead and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades, or the grave) and of death" (Revelation 1:18). So who else can this angel be but the Lord Jesus Christ, "the firstborn from the dead" (Revelation 1:5), and therefore the one who is given authority by God over life and death?

The chapter therefore starts with the return of Christ to rule the earth on God's behalf. In this work he is assisted by others who share in rulership: people who remained faithful to God despite persecution. They are to "live and reign with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4). Because many of these are people from earlier ages who have been in the grave for centuries, they will first be raised from the dead. Those who are welcomed by Jesus to "live and reign" with him will also be granted immortality, never to die again. They are called "saints" through their being separated to work with Jesus. As the Bible says, "Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6).

Resurrection is necessary because the Bible does not teach that man has an immortal soul or an unquenchable spark of eternity within him. Death is described in Scripture as the complete cessation of all knowledge and experience: "The dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6) NKJV. (For more information on the true state of death' and what follows, please see the companion booklet, After Death-What?)

Having discovered that the thousand years mentioned in the Bible cannot start until Jesus Christ returns to earth, we now know some more details of what will occur:

1. Jesus will return to the earth, as promised by angels at the time of his ascension into heaven (see Acts 1:11).

2. He will raise from the dead all who have known about him. "This is the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5).

3. Those who are judged to be faithful (including those who have died and those who are alive when he returns — (I Thessalonians 4:15-17)) will join Jesus in ruling over the earth on God's behalf (Revelation 5:10).

Signs of His Return
The return of Jesus to the earth is thus the first event of the thousand years. How shall we know when he is expected? And what connection is there, if any, between the year 2000 and the millennium promised in the Bible? Once again, Jesus' own words are our guide. Shortly before his crucifixion, his disciples asked him how people would know when he was to return to the earth. (He had already taught his disciples about his death, resurrection and ascension.) "What sign will there be when these things are about to take place?", they asked.

If his return was going to be preceded by widespread peaceful conditions, here was an opportunity to inform his disciples so that they could be prepared. But he did not speak about peace. He actually warned his disciples, "Watch out that you are not deceived", knowing that there would be contradictory reports circulating, even amongst believers, about the conditions which will signal his return.

But his words are clear: "On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27).

This is not a description of peaceful conditions, but the exact opposite. It could well be a description of our own times. Men and women today are "apprehensive of what is coming on the world". As we have already considered, that is one reason why so many people are looking forward to 2000 AD. They hope it will provide the New Start the earth so desperately needs.

If Jesus says that his coming will be preceded by wars, fighting and widespread despair' and not by peaceful conditions, we can prepare ourselves as we see these conditions developing.

No More Deception
As we have already seen, one of the first things we are told about the Biblical "thousand years" is that it will be a time when nations are no longer deceived (Revelation 20:3). It will be a time when issues can be clearly seen; important matters will no longer be hidden or covered up, as so often happens today. Because Jesus Christ will be in charge of affairs, as God's king, his judgment will be just and open: "He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear" (Isaiah 11:3). What human judge has ever been able to see into men's hearts or read their thoughts? With this ability widely exercised, there will be no place for those who have sought personal benefit from manipulating information. This is what the Bible means when it says that "the nations will no longer be deceived".

The Devil and Satan
Those who have been involved in this world-wide deception are termed in Revelation, "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan" (Revelation 20:2). For many people, this language describes an indestructible evil personality, constantly at war with mankind, and seeking to tempt and draw him away from serving God. But we should note how Revelation describes the final destiny of "the dragon":

"The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone' where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

This is similar to the language Jesus used when he was speaking to his disciples about the kingdom of God, and who would enter it. Those who would forfeit their place in the kingdom through denying all that he taught, would be "cast into hell; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47,48). In the Bible, "hell" means simply the grave, so Jesus was speaking of complete destruction, with no hope of return, and not about everlasting fiery torments (see our companion booklet on Heaven and Hell ). The Biblical Devil is not an indestructible evil personality, but a symbol of sin and rebellion in the hearts of men (see the booklet, Do You Believe in a Devil?).

But before evil and wickedness are destroyed by being "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (which is to happen at the end of the thousand years), they are bound by the Lord Jesus Christ. As we have seen, in the face of honesty, truth and perfect knowledge, there will be no place for cheating, fraud or duplicity. One of Jesus' titles is "the Word of God" (Revelation 19:13), and a great work of the thousand years will be the application of God's Word as a guide in all aspects of human government and personal life.

Jesus' Servants, the Saints
Jesus will be assisted in this work, as we have seen, by the "saints". It will be a time of rejoicing for them as the Word of God is taught throughout the world: "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the written judgment-this honour have all his saints" (Psalm 149:5-9).

The work of the saints under the direction of the Lord Jesus will be primarily to instruct the mortal population of the earth in the wonders of God's laws. They will be teachers, leaders and rulers on Christ's behalf. In one of his parables about the kingdom of God, Jesus spoke of a "certain nobleman" going into a far country to receive a kingdom, and then returning. The nobleman-representing Christ himself, of course-left his servants to work for him while he was away. On his return, he rewarded his faithful servants by giving them authority in his kingdom: "Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17).

Through delegating this work to the saints, Jesus' rule will be felt throughout the earth. This is the way it is described by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah:

"Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people: they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:3,4)

The only way for nations to be truly at peace is if they accept common principles. God's law is designed to ensure peaceful and beneficial cooperation between peoples. There will be no place for the deceiver, or for anyone who wants to benefit from other people's hardships.

Conditions of Peace
Gradually, under the rule of God's law, conditions will improve for everyone, but especially for those who previously have been oppressed or under-privileged in any way. Listen to what the Psalmist says about this time:

"He (the King-Jesus) will bring justice to the poor of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor. He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth. In his days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea ... His enemies will lick the dust ... all kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him. For he will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence ..." (Psalm 72)

The earth will at last begin to fulfil the promise of God's design in creation. Problems of famine and disease will diminish, for "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ... Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:1,6)

With food supplies improved for all, with many causes of stress removed, and with the great Healer in the earth, men and women will live longer: "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days, for the child shall die one hundred years old" (Isaiah 65:20).

"The child shall die ..."? Yes, there will still be death during the thousand years. Jesus and the saints will be immortal, but the rest of the earth's population will be mortal, dying creatures, even though their life expectancy will dramatically increase. The information given in the Bible about the thousand years describes a wonderful era of peace, safety, contentment and health when Jesus is King. But it is still not a time of complete perfection. Death, and therefore sin too, will still exist.

Drawn to Worship God
But the thousand years will give opportunity for the benefits of Christ's rulership to be widely experienced. Many will rejoice in these lovely conditions, and will desire to worship God: "Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths"' (Isaiah 2:3). A place of worship-a "house of prayer for all nations"—will be established in Jerusalem, the "city of the great King" (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35), the centre of Kingdom rule.

To this wonderful temple will come people from all parts of the world. Nations will be positively encouraged to travel there regularly. If they do not choose to worship God, He will withhold His blessings: "If any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain upon them" (Zechariah 14:17). The advantage of following God's ways will soon be apparent, and many of the earth's population will be pleased to accept His laws.

Jerusalem and the Jews
But why is Jerusalem so honoured by being the centre of kingdom government and education? For long centuries the city has been the centre, not of peaceful worship, but of strife. Over two and a half thousand years ago, God revealed to Moses that when His people were at rest from their enemies, "Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there" (Deuteronomy 12:11). Later the Psalmist spoke of this place being Jerusalem, "the city of the great King" (Psalm 48:2).

Part of Jesus' work when he returns will be to restore God's witnesses, the Jews, for he is their King-as the notice over his cross explained: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37). On his return, some in the Jewish nation will respond positively. God said through the prophet Zechariah: "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born" (Zechariah 12:10).

The acceptance by Jesus of his repentant countrymen, the Jews, and their acceptance of him as their King, will fulfil the purpose of God with the nation of Israel. From the time of their forefather Abraham, God has promised faithful Jews a central part in His kingdom. The continued existence of the nation has been a standing witness to God's deep concern for mankind. Under the rulership of Christ mortal Israelites will have opportunity to continue that witness to the grace of God, who has extended forgiveness and hope of redemption, even to the nation who first rejected His Son and spurned His offer of salvation. Together with the mortal inhabitants of other nations, Jews will have the opportunity to benefit from the conditions of the kingdom age, and to offer service to the Lord Jesus Christ and honour to Almighty God.

Rebellion
However, not everyone will be pleased with the new arrangements. This is difficult to understand in view of the prosperity and peace which will be experienced by so many; but just as Jesus was rejected when he first preached the gospel of the kingdom, so there will be some who will say in their hearts, 'We don't want this man to rule over us'.

At the end of the thousand years, opportunity will be given for these thoughts to have full expression. The symbolic language of Revelation puts it like this: "When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations" (Revelation 20:7). As the previous era of deceit was ended when Jesus and the saints began widely to spread the Word of God and His Law, it will only re-commence if the teaching of God's Word is once more suspended. It appears that at the end of the thousand years Jesus and the saints will retreat from all parts of the world into the city of Jerusalem (Revelation 20:9). Their absence from government will allow rebels once more to deceive the nations and "gather them together to battle" (Revelation 20:8).

Final Destruction
The armies of those who choose to fight against Jesus and the saints will approach Jerusalem, where they will be decisively destroyed: "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them" (Revelation 20:9).

This final destruction of all opposition will lead to a second resurrection and judgement of all who have lived during the thousand years: "I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works ... anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:12-15).

It will be impossible for anyone to claim that they have been treated badly or unfairly. Ample opportunity will be given during the thousand years to understand God's ways and to see the benefit of their widespread application. Those who reject His law will also be fully aware of the consequences of their rejection.

Only when the final rebellion has been stilled, and after the second resurrection and judgement have taken place, can the last action of the thousand years be accomplished: "Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire" and destroyed. "There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). All the world's troubles will be ended-there will be no more crying, and real and lasting peace will extend throughout the earth.

It is not only the book of Revelation which reveals this sequence of events. In his letter to believers living in Corinth, the Apostle Paul writes about the resurrection from the dead, starting with the resurrection of Jesus almost 2,000 years ago: "Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death" (I Corinthians 15:23-26).

Filled with God's Glory
In this passage, the thousand years are described in harmony with what we have already discovered. It is a time when Jesus will rule, when he will bring to an end all rebellion against God's laws, destroying all enemies, and lastly bring to an end even death itself. The result will be an earth at peace, fulfilling its potential to bring glory and honto Almighty God. The Word of God will once again be upheld, and there will be no more rebellion,

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14)

This describes a kingdom not limited by time, just as God Himself is not subject to such constraints. There will then be an eternal kingdom, as Paul goes on to describe: "Now when all things are made subject to him (Christ), then the Son himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (I Corinthians 15:28).

"All in all" is an awe-inspiring description of complete and perfect unity between God and His faithful creatures who have been reconciled by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"When will these things be?"
One last question remains to be answered. It is the question Jesus' disciples asked him:

"When will these things be?" (Matthew 24:3; Luke 21:7).

To answer this, we need to return to the question of the connection between the celebration of the year 2000 and Christ's millennial reign. Will the year 2000 (or 2001 ?) see the start of the thousand years mentioned in the Bible? Will all the present Millennium plans be fulfilled in the return of Jesus to the earth?

The Bible answer is that we do not know exactly when Jesus will return: "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). But the conditions which will exist immediately prior to his coming are known: wars, famines, disease and great distress, men and women "apprehensive of what is coming on the world". To be ready for his coming means being on constant alert. This was Jesus' message to his disciples:

"If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:43,44)

To be ready for Jesus' coming means that we must try to live now in accordance with God's Word, and to seek His Kingdom and glory. Those who will be with Jesus in his glory will be the ones whose names are found written in the Book of Life.

Will your name be there?

The Middle East and Bible Prophecy
Bible Light on Current Events

THE Middle East is the most keenly watched area of the world. And little wonder; it is central to the economic stability of the world. Conflicts in the Middle East inevitably draw in the major powers and for many years it has been the most likely place for World War Ill to begin. This explains the urgency for lasting peace treaties and long-term security arrangements.

Why The Middle East?
When we ask why the Middle East should be so important we have only to consider one word-oil. The world's economies are dependent upon Middle East oil. After the Yom Kippur war in 1 973 the Arabs used the oil weapon to devastating effect. The price of oil was raised and supplies were cut. The following ten years are known as 'the oil decade'. Western economies were severely disrupted, suffering the crippling burdens of inflation, recession and unemployment. Developing countries spurred on by the high price of oil sought to exploit their own natural resources and borrowed heavily from western banks. The fall in oil prices in the 80s bankrupted these countries who now cannot repay the interest on the loans let alone the loans themselves. The consequence is that all nations, strong and weak, have been drawn closer into the politics of the Middle East.

But the Middle East has only relatively recently been so important. The recent history of the area can be divided into three phases:

Phase 1: The first phase began in the last century when Britain, France and Russia developed their imperialist ambitions. Whoever controlled the Middle East controlled the trade routes to India. What became known as the 'Eastern Question' was the policy of Britain to prop up Turkey as a buffer against Russian ambitions to obtain a Mediterranean seaport. The First World War saw the end of this phase with Britain and France replacing Turkey as protectors of Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Syria.

Phase 2: The second phase occupied the period between World War I and World War II. To understand what happened then we need to recognize the new force which emerged towards the end of the 19th century-Zionism, the movement to create a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. In 1917 the British Foreign Secretary announced what was known as the Balfour Declaration which committed the British Government to support the idea of a national home for the Jews in Palestine. Part of the letter is reproduced below:

                                        Foreign Office,
                                        November 2nd, 1917
 


 


 


Dear Lord Rothschild,
 


               I have much pleasure in Conveying to you, on
behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following
declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations
which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
 


               "His Majesty's government view with favour the
establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people, and will use their best endeavour to
facilitate the achievement of this object, it being

Part of the "Balfour Declaration"

The Declaration went on to say that nothing should be done to infringe the rights of the Palestinians. Yet ancient conflicts reawakened as Arab as well as Jewish nationalism grew.

Phase 3: The League of Nations after the First World War gave Britain the Mandate over Palestine which she held until 1948. In 1948 Israel declared itself an independent State, and was formally recognized by the United Nations. So began the third phase of Middle East politics and the bitter conflicts which have continued ever since.

But Who could Have Foreseen . . .?
Looking back over this history it is easy to identify the factors which led to the present situation. But in the last century who could have predicted that out of the conflicting ambitions of the World powers would come the State of Israel-the most troubled and potentially explosive place on earth? One noted historian wrote in 1980:

"A century ago geo-politicians could have foreseen the continued colonization by Russia and the United States of the empty lands to the East and West; but who could have foreseen that far more astounding colonization in the eastern Mediterranean, the creation of the State of Israel? We may like it or not . . . we may deplore it as the last western crusade, the latest venture of western imperialism, seeking not trade but settlement . . . but we cannot deny that it is an extraordinary historical achievement. How little the British who listened to its early advocates foresaw the present consequences" (Hugh Trevor-Roper, History and Imagination)

Readers may be surprised to learn that Bible students did dare to predict what would happen-and got it right. Take the following example written by a Christadelphian in 1848, long before Zionism was born:

"The restoration of Israel is a most important feature in the divine economy. It is indispensable to the setting up of the kingdom of God . . . the restoration of the Jews is a work of time, and will require between 50 and 60 years to accomplish . . . there are two stages in the restoration of the Jews, the first is before the battle of Armageddon; and the second after it . . . the pre-adventual colonization of Palestine (i.e. the settlement of the Land before the return of Christ) will be on purely political principles; and the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the Messiahship of Jesus."

The writer, Dr. John Thomas, was not a prophet; simply an ardent student and believer of Bible prophecy. But how could a Bible student be so confident that the land, which was for centuries a wilderness of little consequence, would become the most important place on earth? The following is intended to answer that question and to show how the Bible maps out world events in advance, so that men and women may understand that God is controlling affairs according to a pre-determined plan.

The Land of Promise
From the very first book of the Bible the Middle East has been at the forefront of God's plan for mankind. More than 3,000 years ago, God called Abraham to leave his home in one of the great cities of antiquity, Ur of the Chaldees, to wander in Palestine as a nomad. Abraham obeyed because he believed and trusted God. He was to become the father of both Jewish and Arab nations.

God made promises to Abraham which were at the very heart of the Christian Gospel. The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 3:8 that God "preached before the gospel unto Abraham"! Those promises were about the nation of Israel, the land of Palestine and about one descendant in particular. God would give the land of Palestine to Abraham as an everlasting possession. The promise is contained in the words: "all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever" (Genesis 13:15). This promise is yet to be fulfilled. Abraham is dead and buried. How could he inherit the land "for ever"?

It is at this point that we have to realize that the fulfillment of the promises rests upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, though Son of God, was also the descendant of Abraham through Mary his mother. He was the promised "seed", or descendant, of whom God spoke to Abraham. It was the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to make possible the blessing of the forgiveness of sins by which men and women may have everlasting life. The Bible teaches that Abraham, because of his faith in God's promises, including the future "seed", received forgiveness of sins and will be raised from the dead. He will then be given everlasting life so that he may inherit the land of promise "for ever".

The New Testament sets Abraham before us as the great example of how to please God-by believing what God has promised. Through Jesus Christ those same promises are today open to all people who share the faith of Abraham, whether they be Jews or Gentiles:

"So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:9)
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)

The Vision of the Prophets
After Abraham came the prophets of Israel and Judah who received visions of future glory; visions of the time when God's appointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ, will rule the earth in righteousness from Jerusalem, his capital city. Here is one example written 700 years before Christ:

"Out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem . . . nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:3,4)

There are many other similar prophecies which make up the Bible teaching of the Kingdom of God on earth. It was the Good News of this Kingdom which the Lord Jesus preached. During his ministry he demonstrated the way in which we can enter the Kingdom of God, and he made that way open through his death and resurrection. All who believe and are baptized into Christ and seek to follow their Master have the glorious prospect of an eternal place in that Kingdom. Not even death can stand in the way because when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom he will raise his followers, including Abraham, from the dead.

Israel: A Land Forsaken - Until . . .
But the Jewish nation rejected God's Son and consequently, in AD 7O, just 40 years after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, was destroyed by the Roman armies. The vision of the prophets seemed shattered.

As the centuries rolled on the Middle East came under the rule of the Saracens and then the Turks. The land of Palestine lay neglected and waste. The Jews were scattered throughout the world and subject to brutal and remorseless persecution. To many it seemed that God's purpose had been abandoned in favour of the Christian world. Church theologians developed the doctrine that the Church itself was the kingdom of God on earth and that the Pope was God's appointed ruler.

But these long years of despair for the Jews were clearly foretold by the prophets-and by Jesus himself. In Luke 21 the Lord Jesus Christ predicted that:

"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (verse 24)

In these words the Lord summed up many Old Testament prophecies which were to come true in horrific detail. For example, in the book of Deuteronomy, written before Israel entered the land of Palestine 1500 years before Christ, it was predicted of the Jews that:

"The LORD shall scatter thee among all people . . . and among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest." (28:64,65)

And yet in all these prophecies, as in the word of Jesus, there was hope. Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles "until . . ." God has never intended to cast off the Jews for ever. Through the prophet Jeremiah He said:

"Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee." (Jeremiah 30:11)

The Apostle Paul warned the Gentiles to beware of the conceit which said that the Jews were finished and that God was now only interested in Gentiles. In Romans chapter 11 he asks: "Hath God cast away his people?" and then answers, "in no way". He goes on to repeat the words used by the Lord Jesus himself:

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:25)

In other words, God would act to save and restore the Jews when the time was right. And when that happened salvation would come to all God's people. That time will come when Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up God's Kingdom. Bible students do not see in the present State of Israel a people who are ready for the return of Christ. Jews have returned to the Land largely in unbelief, and they still consistently reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They do not recognize that their desire for a national home is part of a Divine timetable which will culminate in the establishment of the Kingdom - where people from all nations who worship God, Gentiles as well as Jews, will live and reign with Christ.

Bible Prophecies of the Last Days
Once we have grasped that Israel is at the center of God's dealings with mankind we have the key to understanding the direction of world affairs today. Through the prophecies of Scripture we can discern a clear pattern in current events. Here are some of those important prophecies:

Preparing the way for Armageddon: The important event in the Middle East which paved the way for the re-establishment of the State of Israel was the demise of the Turkish Empire. In a remarkable Bible prophecy in Revelation 16, reference is made to the drying up of the river Euphrates. The purpose of this was to make way for the events which will draw all nations into the Middle East arena. The result is described as the battle of Armageddon.

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (16:12-14)

Working on the basis that political powers in Scripture are frequently referred to by the river which ran through their territory, Bible students at least as far back as the 18th century interpreted the drying up of the river Euphrates as the shrinking of the then powerful Turkish empire. They anticipated that this would be followed by the return of the Jews to the land of Palestine and eventually the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth. The drying up of the river was accomplished through the First World War. Britain drove the Turks out of Palestine in 1917 and this paved the way for the emergence in the Middle East of new nations, some with ancient Biblical names such as Lebanon and Syria; but most of all it allowed the setting up of the nation of Israel.

Russia and Israel: The battle of Armageddon is described in part in Ezekiel 38: the prophet foresees a massive confederacy of nations invading the land of Israel just before the establishment of the Kingdom of God. The leader of the confederacy is called Gog of the land of Magog. Bible students have consistently looked to Russia to fulfill the role of Gog. Magog was an ancient name for the land of the Scythians in the southern part of what is now Russia. This invader comes in confederacy with many other peoples against Israel. The ancient names of these allies cover territories now occupied by other former Soviet Republics and European countries.

Israel is referred to in verse 8 as:

"The land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations." (Ezekiel 38:8)

For 2,500 years this prophecy has been awaiting the latter-day return of the Jews to the Land before it could be fulfilled. Now that the Jews are back, its fulfillment is imminent. When the prophecy was written the Scythians were a nomadic people and Russia did not exist. It was not until about 1000 AD that a recognizable Russian nation came into existence. It was not until the Second World War that the USSR became a superpower.

But what of Russia today? Political upheavals in the USSR and the Eastern European nations have changed perceptions about Russia as an aggressive power, a reputation which she deservedly gained from her invasion of Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979. The rapid break up of the USSR has surprised everyone but it has left the way open for Russia, the largest and most political powerful of the republics, to dominate the scene. In the short term predictions are unwise but the instability and the resurgence of ethnic and religious conflicts may be important factors in precipitating events which will bring about the invasion of Israel. Scripture warns, "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them" (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Russian allies - Persia, Ethiopia and Libya: Ezekiel 38:5 adds that in league with Gog (Russia) will be "Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya". These three countries therefore deserve special attention.

Iran: In Bible times Iran was known as Persia and the Persian empire was one of the great world empires. Unlike many ancient nations Persia has continued as a distinct nation, to emerge into the modern world ready to fulfill Bible prophecy. Between the Second World War and the Islamic revolution in 1979 Iran was pro-Western. Now she is against the West and especially antagonistic towards Israel. She is not yet aligned with Russia but closet links between former republics of the USSR and Iran will be something to watch for as events turn towards the final conflict.

Ethiopia: In the Authorized or King James translation of the Old Testament scriptures, the name "Ethiopia" is a translation of the Hebrew word 'Cush'. Ullendorff, in his book Ethiopia and the Bible, states that Cush referred to "the entire Nile valley south of Egypt, including Nubia (Sudan) and Abyssinia (Ethiopia)". Ethiopia in Bible times was an influential country but with the fall of North Africa to Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries AD, Ethiopia was cut off from the world. Earlier in this century Ethiopia came under the forced protection of Italy. It was liberated by Britain in 1941 and maintained a pro-Western stance. Then in 1974 famine and civil war led to the overthrow of Haile Selassie and to the establishment of a Marxist state with strong Russian and Cuban support.

In 1991 a new regime took control. Ethiopia is politically very fragile and further developments can be expected. Since ancient Cush (Ethiopia) in Bible times encompassed part of what is now the Sudan, we may yet see that country, already riven by armed conflict, come into alignment with its Ethiopian neighbor. Events over the last ten years show just how quickly seemingly unlikely predictions can fall into place.

Libya: The King James translation of the Bible uses the name "Libya" to translate two Hebrew names: 'Put' (or Phut) and 'Lubim' which were near neighbors of ancient Egypt and Cush. For two millennia after Ezekiel and Daniel prophesied, Libya languished as a downtrodden colony of the super-powers. Following the Second World War the super-powers could not agree on the future of Libya at the United Nations and this precipitated the creation of an independent state. But Libya was extremely poor and dependent upon the West. Britain and the USA gave aid in return for military bases in Libya. The discovery of oil revolutionized Libya's economy and gave it international prestige and political influence.

In the 1960s Arab nationalism grew, as did anti-Israel feeling. After the 1967 Six-Day War Libya placed an oil embargo on countries supporting Israel. In 1969 Colonel Gaddafi came to power. Virtually overnight Libya shifted from the conservative Arab camp to become a radical socialist state with a foreign policy which evolved from "an obsessive hatred" of Israel.

We certainly could not rule out further political changes in Libya but, as with Ethiopia, Libya illustrates how - and how fast - countries can move into the alignment required of them by Bible prophecy. In this alignment, the part played by the Islamic religion should not be underestimated. Nations which have no other point of contact have been brought together by a shared religion as well as by a common attitude towards the Jewish nation.

Israel and the West: The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 describes opposition to the northern invasion of Israel by a southern grouping called "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof" (verse 13). Sheba and Dedan were nations in the Arabian peninsula. "Tarshish" represented the most western (and also probably the most eastern) trading areas of the ancient Middle East seafarers. Bible students for at least 150 years, have consistently identified Britain and the English speaking countries as fulfilling this description. Here we have, then, a Western alliance with Saudi Arabia and her near neighbors to the south of Israel in opposition to the Russian-led invasion. This alliance was given dramatic reality following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Within weeks, a multinational army of half a million troops and devastating weaponry was assembled on Saudi soil. The US is now committed to a long-term presence in the area and is perfectly placed with Britain and other allies to champion the concerns of "Sheba and Dedan".

Israel and the Arabs: If the Arab nations surrounding Israel can be traced back to Abraham through his son Ishmael, then the roots of Jewish/Arab resentment can be traced back 3,500 years. The prophecy concerning Ishmael in Genesis 16 says:

"And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (verse 12)

The peculiar characteristic of the Arabs is their professed desire for unity but their inability to maintain it. The Economist in 1988 described the Arabs as "a world against itself": that disunity has prevented them from developing sufficient strength to oust the Jews from Israel, a desire which until recently was fervently held.

The Arab nations tried in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 to destroy Israel. Their intentions were in complete accord with the prophecy of Psalm 83 which describes the largely Islamic peoples who live in the territories known toddy as Jordan, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Verse 4 says:

"They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance." (Psalm 83:4)

There is no indication in this Psalm that they succeed in overthrowing Israel, as has been borne out in every Arab/Israeli war to date. But several prophecies suggest that some Arab nations will be allied to Russia during the final conflict and will capitalize upon Israel's calamity. In particular, prophecies about Ammon, Moab and Edom (present-day Jordan) denounce their cruel opportunism. For example, the prophet Obadiah says:

"Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity . . . neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape." (verses 13, 14)

In Isaiah 16 the territory of modern Jordan is mentioned in relation to refugees created by the final conflict. (It is of interest that in the Iraq War refugees poured into Jordan.) In Isaiah 34 the southern part of Jordan is the scene of a tremendous outpouring of God's power unleashed upon the invading armies. Ultimately, however, as shown in Isaiah 11:14, Jordan will come under the control of Israel and reap the benefits of the rulership of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Israel and the Palestinians: In 1967 the Arab nations surrounding Israel planned to annihilate her, but Israel dramatically won the famous Six-Day War. Since then Israel has occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Today Palestinians living in these "occupied territories" are at the forefront of international attention. Behind the present tension lies the question of who owns the land. Whatever the political rights and wrongs of the present dispute, in the Bible God has made it clear that the land belongs to Christ, and will be given to Abraham and his descendants through the line of his son Isaac and grandson Jacob (Israel).

In Genesis 12:7 Abraham, the father of both Jews and Arabs, was told, "Unto thy seed will I give this land". In Galatians 3:16 the Apostle Paul tells us that the seed was Christ. So then, Christ, before he was born, was promised the land of Israel. The Bible says Christ will return from heaven to set up his Kingdom on earth: the center of his government will be Jerusalem and the land of Israel. A repentant and believing section of the Jewish people will form the nucleus of the population. The Kingdom will bring countless blessings to the world, and not just to Israel. The Bible tells us in Psalm 72, "All nations shall call him blessed" (verse 17).

Jerusalem: If the Middle East is the center of God's plan with the earth, then Jerusalem is its epicenter. From the very first, when God brought Israel out of captivity in Egypt, He spoke of "the place" where He would set His name. That chosen place was Jerusalem. There David was established as king over the first kingdom of God on earth; and Jesus himself, David's greater son, called Jerusalem "the city of the great King". The promise that lay behind these words includes the following prophecy:

"They shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem." (Jeremiah 3:17)

Jerusalem is at the meeting point of three continents and so is perfectly placed strategically to become the capital city of the world. The prophet Ezekiel says:

"Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5)

Ancient cartographers, taking this passage literally, placed Jerusalem at the center of their maps, an example of which is the famous Mappa Mundi in Hereford Cathedral. As The Daily Telegraph said, "It is interesting to note, in the affairs of the proposed sale of Hereford Cathedral's Mappa Mundi, all those superior smiles at the childish medieval way it shows Jerusalem at the center of the world. But Jerusalem is the center of the world. We may be overwhelmingly reminded of this in due course - and sooner than we may think" (November 24, 1988).

One thing is very clear. In peace talks about the Middle East the most likely sticking point is Jerusalem. The city contains the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But as one writer has said of Judaism, "Its religion is not tied to 'sites' but to the land, not to what happened in Jerusalem but to Jerusalem itself". For Israel, Jerusalem is its capital city now. The Palestinians who have set up their own "state" and government in exile also claim Jerusalem as their capital. But whoever sets their ambitions on that city should consider prophecies such as Zechariah 12 where God says:

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (12:2,3)

From this and other prophecies such as Zechariah 14, it is clear that Jerusalem is the very last place that Israel will give up. When the invasion of the land comes, a remnant of the nation will be defending Jerusalem. They will stand on the brink of total defeat. Half of the city will be taken captive but then, as Zechariah says, "shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations" (verse 3). At that time Jesus will be revealed to the Jews as Israel's Messiah and some at least will submit to his authority. He will replace their unbelieving spirit of self-confidence and stubbornness with a new spirit of trust and obedience in God and His Son.

"Be Ye Also Ready"
Who would dare predict the tortuous course which Middle East events are taking? Only through a right understanding of the Bible can we make sense of it all. If we focus too closely on day-to-day events, a clear pattern may not be discernable. But if we stand back for a moment and view the broad sweep of both the history of the Middle East and current events through the eyes of Bible prophets, we can see a very clear picture emerging. The world is moving rapidly towards the return of Christ to set up the Kingdom of God on earth. It is that Kingdom of which all the prophets spoke and in which all the promises of God will finally be fulfilled. None of us knows exactly when the Kingdom will come, nor indeed the exact order of events leading up to it. What we can be certain of is this: the tide of events is sweeping towards the great climax of history at breathtaking speed. We can be part of that Kingdom through faith and obedience to the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is little time left to prepare.

-- STEPHEN PALMER

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