03-CHAPTER THREE - When the Prophets Saw . . .
CHAPTER THREE When the Prophets Saw the Kingdom IN 2 Peter 1:19-21, we find these words: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Now let us see just what it was that these men, "moved by the Holy Ghost," saw and wrote concerning the kingdom. And let us note how completely they agreed with one another, even when they lived and wrote hundreds of years apart, proving conclusively that their revelation came from GOD. Nor are we going to dishonor GOD by spiritualizing their utterances. We will take them as they read.
Hosea
Turn first to Hosea 1:10-11 : "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the Place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land."
GOD’s people, Israel, are indestructible. Other nations have been destroyed, but not the Jews. In spite of all attempts to exterminate them, they are yet to become so numerous as to be compared to the sand of the sea. What a prospect!
Then, too, they are to be converted and to be recognized as "the sons of the living God." I am so glad that GOD lives and that because He lives they shall live also, for unlike the gods of the heathen, He is the living GOD.
Moreover, Israel and Judah are to be united. The Northern and the Southern kingdoms will once again be one. The remnants of the lost ten tribes will then be found.
Finally, they will acknowledge one head, one leader, one king, and that Head will be their one time rejected Messiah, the Lord JESUS CHRIST, as we will see from other predictions.
Now Hosea 2:18-23 : "And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God."
"That day" refers to the day of the Lord, the day that ushers in the Kingdom Age.
War will be no more. "I will break the bow and the sword and the battle," GOD says. Something will happen to the wild beasts, for it will be safe to lie down anywhere.
All Israel will know the Lord, for in mercy and loving kindness GOD will woo them to Himself. They shall be His people and He will be their GOD.
Next, Hosea 3:4-5 : "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days." For centuries they have been without a king or sacrifice; they were forsaken of GOD. But they will turn to Him again. It will be "in the latter days," when JESUS CHRIST comes back. Again and again He is called David, for He is David’s greater Son. He will then become their King. At long last they will seek and fear the Lord, for all Israel shall be saved. A world-wide dispersion is predicted in Hosea 9:17, "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Was it literally fulfilled?
It most certainly was. These other passages predict a national restoration and conversion. Will they, too, be fulfilled? I believe they will. We have no right to spiritualize either.
Joel Our text here is Joel 2:28-32 : "And it shall came to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit up an all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord came. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
There was an outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but "afterward" refers to "the last days" and the greater outpouring is still future. For in that day there will be the signs mentioned by JESUS and here predicted by Joel, "blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke," the sun in darkness - a terrible day, until at last from Jerusalem comes deliverance, for, as stated in Joel 3:17; Joel 3:21, "the Lord dwelleth in Zion." Says JESUS, "I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion." So then JESUS CHRIST is to take up His abode in the city of Jerusalem and deliver His people. He is called both "Lord" and "God," and since it is JESUS Himself who returns and reigns, then JESUS is GOD. Thus Joel confirms His deity.
JESUS is GOD. He resides in Jerusalem. The city will at last be holy. No strangers to GOD will walk its streets.
There will be a superabundance of everything needed - wine, milk, water, etc. Only those who have been in Jerusalem know the dirth of water, but in that day it will be plentiful. Generation after generation will know no change. "Judah shall dwell forever." Wonderful age!
Amos
Let us look at Amos 9:11-15 : "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
"And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
"And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God." This is one of the most important prophetic statements in all Scripture. It is quoted in Acts 15:16-17. The tabernacle or throne of David which has fallen is to be restored as in the days of old.
"That day" again refers to the day of the Lord, the end of the age, the ushering in of the next. It is still future.
Again we are told that there will be a superabundance of everything. The harvester will not be able to garner in the harvest before it will be time to plant another, so plentiful will it be.
All Israel will be regathered and restored to the land of Palestine, where they will rebuild, plant and sow and then reap the labors of their hands. Palestine will produce abundantly. No waste places will be left anywhere. The entire country will bloom and blossom as the rose.
Never again will there be a dispersion. Never again will they be driven out. Never again will their possessions be taken away from them. Foreign nations will molest them no more. Such is to be the future of Israel during the Kingdom Age.
Micah
We read here from Micah 4:1-8 : "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
"And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
"And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
"In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
"And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." This is, without exception, one of the most wonderful descriptions ever penned of the Golden Age. How the old commentators could spiritualize it, I can’t for the life of me understand. It will all come to pass. It is not the Church, it is the kingdom, and it will be literally fulfilled just as the numerous predictions regarding the captivity in Babylon were literally fulfilled.
It is to take place in "the last days." We have not yet seen those days. Hence, it has nothing whatever to do with the first advent. It will not be fulfilled until He comes again. The kingdom, we are told, will be above all others. The so-called great powers, as well as the weaker nations, will all be subject to it. As Daniel says, "it will fill the whole earth." Hence, it will be supreme.
Moreover, it will be a universal kingdom.
"Many nations, many people," GOD says. All nations will be subject to it.
Most of the people of the world will then be converted. They will walk in the ways of the Lord and listen to His teaching. From the capital, the city of Jerusalem, He will instruct the people of all nations. No More War
It will be an age of peace. At long last war will end. Never again will sons, husbands and brothers be sent away to fight and die. "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4).
Oh, what a day!
If there is one thing we hate more than another, it is war. In Genesis 6:11 it says that "the earth was filled with violence." Now GOD hates violence. That was one reason He sent the flood. Violence, brutality, cruelty and bloodshed, are all to be eliminated in the Kingdom Age (Isaiah 60:18). In that day war will be outlawed. One government and one King will keep the peace. Aggression will be no more. No longer will our battle fleets sail the seas. Cannons, guns, bayonets, armaments, and atomic bombs will all be scrapped. Men will kill no more. The Rights of Man
"They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree." (Micah 4:4) Private enterprise and private ownership will be the order of the New Age. If it has been lost, it will be restored. The dignity of the individual will be recognized once more. Each man will have his own possessions. Nor will there be any fear of State ownership or collective farming. Socialism and communism are unknown in the Bible. "Thou shalt not covet" (Exodus 20:17) is still GOD’s Word. No longer will the individual be robbed by his government by means of taxation. What he has acquired by his skill and labour will never be taken from him. No one will trespass on another’s property. Sit-down strikes on the premises of others will never be tolerated. Fear of government confiscation will be gone forever. Man will be able to accumulate and save without the dread of having it taken from him. Thriftiness and honest toil will at last be rewarded.
Oppressive taxes have always been an abomination, and from time immemorial tax collectors have been despised. As a matter of fact, the Word of GOD has mentioned certain individuals as exempt altogether from taxation. Turn, if you will, to Ezra 7:24 and you will find that even a pagan government considered those responsible for the Lord’s work free from taxes. The verse reads as follows: "Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them."
Men should be encouraged by every possible means to spend their money for the erection of large and beautiful homes, with lovely well-kept gardens to adorn the landscape and make the world more beautiful to the eye. The building and care of these homes and gardens could provide work for countless thousands in a congenial atmosphere and amid pleasant surroundings.
Today, if a man adds to the value of his property, he pays additional taxes. That is a vicious system. Every dollar spent is an asset to the community. As an inducement to do more, taxes should be lowered, otherwise we will hoard when we should spend. Our beautiful homes and gardens are rapidly disappearing because of a shortsighted system of taxation; whereas they should be multiplying by tens of thousands. To take money from those who have saved and invested, those who have never squandered, those who neither drink nor smoke, but have been industrious and thrifty, then to give it to spendthrifts and n’er-do-wells who have wasted their substance in riotous living and have made no effort to save, those who do not want to work, is unjust and unchristian.
Aside from essential tribute for government support, no government has the right to take from man that which he has earned, whether it is taken by brute force as in totalitarian states or by man-made laws as in other countries; it is nothing short of highway robbery. The socialist demand to legally "distribute the wealth" is wrong. Legal procedure does not change GOD’s fundamental law against theft. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not steal," (Exodus 20:15) thus setting GOD’s seal of approval on private ownership.
Man has the inalienable right to do what he will with his own. Therefore, in that day, death duties, gift and inheritance taxes, will be abolished. Today there are states that would rob him of the joy of Christian philanthropy and private investment. In the Bible parents are commanded to lay up for their children. How can they if the State takes it from them?
Freedom for All Mankind
Freedom should be granted to all, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. By freedom of religion I mean freedom to propagate one’s faith in any way and in any place he sees fit. It should be possible, even now, to hold meetings without government permission. Men should be permitted to say and newspapers to publish what they like, so long as the law against slander is recognized and the overthrow of the government by violence never advocated. In some countries today you cannot choose your employer and you cannot quit your job, nor can you change it. You do what you are told to do all your life. Everyone is in complete and absolute dependence on the State. Anyone who opposes those in authority menaces his very existence. There are governments today under which you dare not drive a nail. Your home can never be yours; it is the property of the State. All that will be changed in the Millennial Age.
There was a time when they had real social security in America. The slaves had no worries. Their food was provided, their clothing and houses. Even medical attention cost them nothing. And their old age was assured. They had everything they needed, but - they were slaves. Strange, is it not, that white people should vote to become slaves. Yet that is exactly what is happening today. I think the Bible makes it clear that the best work will be done if the people are left as free as possible to shape their own destiny. Certain controls are necessary, but I deny with tens of thousands of others the right of the State to do everything for everyone, leaving the people with no more choice, initiative or freedom, than domestic animals. The individual is bound to do more for himself, his family and his community, if allowed reasonable freedom to function and launch out. The State should keep the ring, see that the rules are observed, and protect the weak, but otherwise allow room for free play and healthy development. The less the government interferes, the happier the people will be.
Already we have gone too far. People have lost their morale. There was no government relief when I was a boy. Relatives and friends took care of the unfortunate until work could be found. The Bible says, "If any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). That is GOD’s law - no work, no food. Our fathers created work if they could not find it. They had ambition. They were out to make good and they succeeded.
We know from the prophecies of GOD’s Word that, as the age draws to a close, totalitarianism will triumph, for the iron will never mix with the clay. All governments must head up in the Antichrist, for he will be the sole ruler and dictator. Dictatorship will then be the order of the day.
Socialism, I say again cannot be found in the Bible. In the early community of Christians, CHRIST was the center. There is nothing like that in the socialism of today. The Bible from beginning to end endorses private enterprise and recognizes the dignity of the individual. See Matthew 20:1-15. Both labor and management should study it.
There is only One who knows how to govern this world and that One is the Lord JESUS CHRIST. Not until He returns and is accepted will we have peace, righteousness and justice for all. Only then will our problem be solved. As long as the world reject its King, there will be chaos. GOD grant that the day may soon come when the kingdoms of this world will have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His CHRIST.
Zephaniah
Here we read Zephaniah 3:9; Zephaniah 3:13-20 : "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.
"The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thy enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
"In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thy hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
"I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflicts thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
"At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord."
Here we have once again the conversion of the Gentiles and all of them calling upon and serving the Lord. Also the national conversion of Israel and their cleansing. No longer are they characterized by iniquity. At last they have become a holy nation. Hence, fear is gone; they can eat and sleep in peace. No one will ever threaten them again. No wonder the prophet cries out, "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments . . . thou shalt not see evil any more."
Now they can sing. What a change! For hundreds of years they have been in mourning for they have been out of their land and bitter persecution has been their lot. But at last they can be glad again. Once more they can rejoice. The great Smiting Stone has smitten the nations, their tribulations are ended and they will see evil no more. The Lord Himself, their Messiah, will be in their midst, reigning at Jerusalem, strong to deliver and mighty to save. His joy over them will be as great as theirs over Him. Instead of being despised they will now be honored and that by the very nations that at one time held them in shame and contempt. Their captivity will be ended and their chastisement forever past.
Zechariah
First, Zechariah 2:10 : "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord."
Well, here it is. At last He comes. Why should the people of Jerusalem sing and rejoice? Because their Messiah returns. And having come, He dwells with them in Zion. Oh, happy day! CHRIST is here again.
Second, Zechariah 3:8 : "I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH." Always, everywhere, the BRANCH is JESUS CHRIST.
Third, Zechariah 3:10 : "In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." Again it is "that day." Still future, of course. Here at last is security, a security, protection and safety never known before. But it cannot be until the King and the kingdom come.
Fourth, Zechariah 6:12-13 : "Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his Place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne." The BRANCH again - JESUS CHRIST. Not in His humility but in His glory, when He returns, for here He sits on a throne not only as a King but also as a Priest, for He is the Priest-King. At last He sits, not on His Father’s throne, but on His own, the throne of His father David.
Fifth, Zechariah 8:3-8 : "Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
"And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."
JESUS says He has returned to Zion. He was there before, nearly two thousand years ago. He died there. Now He returns. Moreover, He takes up His residence there, and the kingdom is established in truth and holiness.
Long life will be restored. Deaths will be few. The aged will be honored and there will be more of them living than ever before in the history of the world. No longer will men and women die young. memories will be long. But along with the old will be the young - boys and girls. Little children, happy and carefree, will be seen playing in the streets.
What a picture of joy and fullness of life! So then, Jerusalem will be inhabited with a population never before equaled, all dwelling together as the people of GOD. Can you imagine such a city? Can you picture such a society? Earth has never yet seen it, but it will surely come to pass in GOD’s tomorrow.
Sixth, Zechariah 8:20-23 : "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
Now GOD Himself speaks and the words He speaks the prophet writes. "It shall yet come to pass." When GOD says that, He is writing history in advance and every word will be fulfilled.
It is a picture of a God-fearing world, people living in numerous cities, all anxious to please the Lord. The center of worship will be the beloved city, Zion. The Jews are in high favor, so much so, that people of other nations vie with each other to worship with them. That has never happened, nor will it until CHRIST returns.
Seventh, Zechariah 9:10 : "And he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."
What a promise! Never will the Gentile nations know peace in this world until CHRIST the Prince of Peace is enthroned. He and He alone is the One who speaks peace to the people.
"His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth." That is one of the greatest utterances ever spoken about the rule, the reign, and the dominion of the Messiah. Most certainly it was not fulfilled at His first advent, except perhaps in a spiritual sense. It still awaits fulfillment. When He comes the second time He will come to reign and His kingdom in that day will be from sea to sea - world-wide, universal. What a Conqueror! Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Napoleon, all take second place. He will be greater than them all for He will rule the world. One government, one King, and one kingdom.
JESUS shall reign where’re the sun Does his successive journeys run; His Kingdom spread from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
Eighth, Zechariah 12:10 : "And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one is in bitterness for his firstborn."
Hearts will be changed, changed by a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of GOD. Israel will be converted. The people of Jerusalem will at last be a godly people. The next time they will see their Messiah will be after His return in glory. "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced."
What an amazing prediction!
Crucifixion was a Roman invention. It was never Jewish. Yet here the prophet predicts the piercing of the Messiah. His hands and feet as well as His side were pierced. When they see Him again He will still bear the marks and they will immediately recognize Him, for they pierced Him. Pilate wanted His release; they demanded His death. The Romans would have let Him go; the Jews cried, "Away with him, crucify him!" (John 19:15) At last they will admit that they crucified their Messiah and they will lament and mourn for Him in bitter, bitter anguish. When He came the first time, nearly two thousand years ago now, they pierced Him; when He comes the second time they will recognize Him, mourn over Him and accept Him.
Ninth, Zechariah 13:1 : "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."
Yes, in that day GOD will cleanse them from their sin and they shall be clean.
Tenth, Zechariah 14:1-21. This is the greatest chapter in the book and one of the greatest in all prophecy. I am not going to quote it here. It should be read from the Word itself. I have devoted an entire chapter to an exposition of it in my book, Prophecy-What Lies Ahead. In Zechariah 14:2 we have the Battle of Armageddon.
Jerusalem is taken by the armies of the Antichrist, the houses robbed, the women ravished and half of the population taken captive. Then in their darkest hour, as related in Zechariah 14:3, the Lord Himself comes to their rescue. When JESUS returns His feet will first touch the Mount of Olives. Not an imaginary mount, but the mount just outside Jerusalem. There will be an earthquake and the mount will move east and west, leaving a great valley running north and south. The statement regarding His coming is most positive. "The Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee." (Zechariah 14:5).
Again JESUS is called GOD. He comes and with Him His raptured saints - the Church. This is His second coming. No saints came with Him when He came the first time.
Now comes the glorious announcement regarding His kingship and His kingdom. "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth." Hallelujah!
JESUS CHRIST will be King and His reign will be world-wide. It will be the first universal kingdom ever established: At His first advent, He was not a King. At His second, His Kingship is assured. "The Lord shall be king." The mountains will be leveled. Great populations will inhabit the land. Jerusalem will at last, and for the first time, be a safe place of residence, and will become, according to Zechariah 14:14, the wealthiest city in the world. A great annual convocation will be held in the city, attended by representatives of all the nations, with instant and terrible judgment meted out to those who ignore it; and holiness will characterize the entire age.
Malachi Turn first to Malachi 3:1-6.
Beginning with His first coming and continuing with His second, we are informed in this passage that CHRIST will come suddenly and with judgment. He will so cleanse and purify His people that their service will be acceptable to Him. The wicked will be instantly punished, especially the spiritualist mediums and the immoral. Then, says GOD, "All nations will call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land" (Malachi 3:12). What high honor! Israel will at last be exalted.
Then, Malachi 4:1 : "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." So the wicked will be gone. Last of all, Malachi 4:2 : "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."
CHRIST appears, the righteous flourish and the wicked are seen no more, for the Millennium has come. Elijah will be His forerunner when He comes again, as John was the forerunner for His first advent (Malachi 4:5-6). The day of judgment must precede the day of glory. Thus have the prophets written and thus will it be.
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