(Continued-Chapter XIV-The Reign of King Messiah-Earth's Golden Age)

Reference to the same thing is found in such passages as Ezekiel 34:28 and Hosea 2:18. Paul likewise in Romans 8:18-24 foretold the lifting of the curse from the entire creation. According to Isaiah 11:10 Jerusalem will be a most glorious place and will be the city of the great King. At that time the outcasts of Israel will be gathered together and will be restored to their own land. She will then become the head of the nations. According to Isaiah 11:11-14 this restoration will be from the four corners of the earth. When this prophecy is fulfilled, the rivalry that once existed between the northern and southern kingdoms will have vanished, and all Israel will dwell together in her own land.

According to verses 15 and 16, God will perform miracles in preparing a way for His chosen people to return to the land of their fathers. These demonstrations on the part of the Almighty will far exceed that which was performed in their behalf when they came out of Egypt so that the people from that day onward will no longer speak of God who brought Israel out of Egypt, but of Jehovah who "brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them" (Jer. 23:7,8).

We see a wonderful prediction of Israel's regathering and her being established in her own land in Jeremiah, chapters 30-33. It is in this marvelous prediction that we read of the new covenant which God will make with the house of Israel in those days. At that time He will give this people a new heart, a new spirit, and they will serve Him, not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit. The Prophet Zephaniah spoke of the restoration of Israel to her own land and the marvelous changes that will take place at that time. For instance, in 3:1-7 he gave a wonderful prediction concerning Jerusalem, the rebellious city. In the first four verses, however, he upbraided the various classes who were guilty of almost every type of sin. Then he looked beyond that time to a period when Jehovah himself will be in the midst of her as the righteous one who does no iniquity, but who every morning brings justice to light. The reason for His being there is that He will (prior to His appearance) carry out His plan of ridding the world of all unrighteousness and of suppressing rebellious nations. This latter thought is found in verses 6 and 7. Having thus presented a vision of the future, when Jerusalem will be the joy and praise of the entire earth, the prophet in verse 8 urged the Jewish people to wait for the time when Jehovah will arise as a beast of prey to the situation and deal with all nations which He will bring against Jerusalem to battle. When He will have won the victory, he will return a pure language to all peoples (as before the destruction of Babel), and all nations and tribes shall serve Jehovah.

In view of the future that lies before Jerusalem and the Hebrew people, the prophet made a wonderful prediction in verses 14 to 20 concerning the marvels of that day:

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not fear evil any more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack. 17 Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will joy over thee with singing. 18 I will gather them that sorrow for solemn assembly, who were of thee; to whom the burden upon her was a reproach. 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah (Zeph. 3:14-20).

In Zechariah, chapter 14, we have a marvelous prediction concerning the closing events of this age and the introduction of the great Kingdom Era. This prophet was carried forward in the visions of God to the day of Jehovah when all nations will be gathered together against Jerusalem. Throughout the preceding chapters I have referred to the Tribulation Period but have not discussed it adequately. Let me say that it is to be a period of seven years which is known as the seventieth week of Daniel, chapter 9. During this time God will pour out His wrath upon the world in order to purge it of all wicked sinners. A full description of this time of judgment is found in Isaiah 24:1-20 and in Revelation, chapters 6 to 16. (I have discussed the Tribulation fully in my book entitled The 70 Weeks of Daniel.) When the city is in most imminent danger, Jehovah himself will appear upon the scene and will bring deliverance to His beloved people. Then He will lift the curse and establish His reign of righteousness upon the earth. At that time everything will be holiness unto the Lord.

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished (Rev. 20:1-5).

According to this passage, at the end of the Tribulation Period (described in Revelation, chapters 6 to 19), the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth and reign for one thousand years. Unfortunately, many students have questioned the plain interpretation of this passage. Since this is the only scripture which tells the exact length of the reign of Messiah, these brethren do not think that this should be interpreted literally. They are mistaken. According to the Golden Rule of Interpretation, we should take each word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the context indicate clearly otherwise. It is true that there are some of these expressions that are figurative, but we can easily understand them and can interpret them in accordance with the general usage.

At the coming of our Lord, Satan will be bound, peace will be restored to the earth, and the curse will be lifted. The glory of the Lord will then cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Then will be demonstrated to all intelligent beings throughout the universe the glories of God's grace and the blessings in store for this old sin-cursed world. Earth's Golden Age is yet in the future--the not-distant future!