THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Isaiah: Jahweh Is Salvation

Part LXXVI: God's Promises And Descriptions Of Millennial Kingdom Blessings

(Isaiah 65:17-25)

I. Introduction

A. The time will finally come when the Lord institutes the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ!

B. Isaiah 65:17-25 presents some of God's promises and descriptions of that era, so we view it for our edification:

II. God's Promises And Descriptions Of Millennial Kingdom Blessings, Isaiah 65:17-25.

A. In line with how 1 Peter 1:10-12 clarified that the Old Testament prophets did not distinguish between Christ's first and second advents, Isaiah did not distinguish between the fulfillment of Isaiah 65:17 that deals with the eternal state and the fulfillment of Isaiah 65:18-25 that predicts the Millennial Kingdom that precedes the eternal state, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 1120; Revelation 20:1-15 with 21:1-22:5.

B. The Isaiah 65:17 prediction about God's creating a new heavens and a new earth so that the former universe will not even be recalled is nevertheless preceded by a Millennial Kingdom that in ways anticipates eternity's blessings, so we view God's promises and descriptions of that Millennium in Isaiah 65:18-25 (as follows):

1. God called on His people to be glad and to rejoice forever in what He will create, for He will make Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom a place of rejoicing and her people a joy, Isaiah 65:18 ESV.

2. The Lord Himself will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in His people, for no more shall be heard in the city the sound of weeping or the cry of distress due to sin and its many destructive effects, Isaiah 65:19. [In the eternal state, this prediction will be completely fulfilled where it will be fulfilled to a lesser but nevertheless significant degree in the Millennium where sin and death are held to a minimum, Ibid.]

3. Death will still be present in the Millennium, but "life spans will be extended," Isaiah 65:20 NIV; Ibid.:

a. In the Millennial Kingdom, no more will a newborn infant live a few days and then die, Isa. 65:20a.

b. At that time, an old man will not die prematurely, but live out his full days of a long life, Isa. 65:20b.

c. If a person dies at the age of one-hundred years, he will be considered to be but a young man, and if one dies before he reaches one-hundred, he will be considered to have been divinely cursed, Isa. 65:20c,d.

4. In the Kingdom, people will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat of them, no longer seeing enemies seize their homes and eat their crops, for there will be great security, Isa. 65:21-22.

5. Family life will be secure and richly blessed, for people in the Kingdom will not labor in vain nor bear children who will face a calamitous life, for these children will be the offspring of those who are blessed of God, and their children will be blessed of the Lord along with their godly, blessed parents, Isaiah 65:23.

6. In the Millennial Kingdom, before God's people call out for His help in prayer, the Lord will answer, and while they are still speaking He will hear and provide the solutions to their needs, Isaiah 65:24.

7. The Adamic curse will be removed, what Paul also predicted in Romans 8:18-23 (as follows), Isa. 65:25:

a. The wolf that today violently preys on the lamb, killing it and eating it for its food will then peacefully graze together, with both animals being nourished at the same time in tranquility, Isaiah 65:25a.

b. Instead of violently hunting down other animals to kill them and eat them for food, the lion will eat straw like an ox, Isaiah 65:25b.

c. The serpent will no longer crush its prey to death by wrapping its body around it and squeezing it only then to swallow its prey whole, but it will harmlessly eat the dust of the earth for its food, Isaiah 65:25c.

d. The Lord summed up this description of change in animal behavior, noting that the wolf, the lion and the serpent will neither harm nor destroy other animal or human life on all of His holy mountain of Zion in the Millennial Kingdom, Isaiah 65:25d.

Lesson: As a still-imperfect foretaste of the perfect bliss of the eternal state, the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be marked by joy with a minimal amount of weeping, by rejoicing with a minimal amount of cries of distress, by longevity, by national security, by enriched family life, by quick divine answers to prayer and by the removal of the Adamic curse so that even nature will be relieved of a tremendous amount of suffering and death. Accordingly, God urged His people to anticipate that Kingdom with joy and rejoicing in faith.

Application: (1) In view of the manifold blessings of the Millennial Kingdom to precede the perfect bliss of the eternal state, may we rejoice in the Lord amid a current world of woe. (2) May we continue to disciple the nations that many more people might join us in entering into the coming blessed Kingdom of Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20)