Last
time I began writing what I
plan to be a series of
writings about Tomorrow's
World; a brand-new
world that will be of a new
age and a different time.
A world to which we are
looking forward to becoming
a part of in that new
Millennium. A world that
will be brought into
existence by Jesus Christ
when He returns to this
earth.
These
writings will be my effort
to try and follow the
sequence of events in the
coming world while filling
in some of the areas as to
how Jesus Christ will do
some of the things that
Scripture reveals to us.
In
conjunction with these
writings I would hope the
reader will also be reading
what Mr. Armstrong wrote in
his book, TOMORROW
... WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE.
What he wrote is both
factual and inspiring to
read. In fact it would be
well for all of us to review
it now and then to remind us
of what that new world will
be like; and at the same
time a world in which we
hope to live forever.
Note the overview that is
given by his book:
"What
kind of a world will it
be?" Mr. Armstrong asks
and then answers the
question. A world of peace,
prosperity, abundance and
virtuous well-being. In the
Kingdom of God, all the
terrible weapons of war will
be converted into machinery
of peaceful production. The
population explosion will be
solved. Vast regions on
Earth, hitherto lain fallow,
will spring to life; the dry
plains will give way to
fertile valleys; the waters
will turn pure again;
deserts will bloom covered
with trees, shrubs, bubbling
springs and brooks. The
wasteland will become the
setting for a new fertile
human existence.
God
described these conditions,
says Mr. Armstrong: "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. And the parched
ground shall become a pool,
and the thirsty land springs
of water: in the habitation
of dragons [jackals], where
each lay, shall be grass
with reeds and rushes" (Isaiah
35:6-7).
From
sky to beneath the sea, God
will reclaim our Earth. It
will truly become what is
meant by Utopia. The sources
abound — ..." TOMORROW
... WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE,
Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong,
back cover of inside
jacket).
Mr.
Armstrong qualified his
writing in this same book,
page 39: "... complete
utopia CANNOT be ushered in
all at once. Multiple
millions will hold to the
attitude of rebellion – of
vanity, lust and greed. But
with Christ’s coming SHALL
BEGIN the process of
re-education – of opening
deceived minds – of undeceiving,
and bringing them to a
voluntary repentance.
From
the time of Christ’s
supernatural take over, and
Satan’s banishment,
God’s law and the word of
the Eternal shall go forth
from Zion, spreading over
the whole earth (Isaiah
2:3).
The
6,000-year sentence God
placed on Adam’s world, of
being cut off from God, will
be ended. Christ WILL BEGIN
calling all mortals on earth
to repentance and spiritual
salvation! God’s Holy
Spirit shall flow out from
Zion" (Zechariah 14:8,
emphasis mine).
***********************************
How
Long Before Utopia Will be
Experienced by All?
Realizing
this wonderful world-state
will not be achieved all at
once, Mr. Armstrong had
further said it will
probably require two or
three generations for utopia
TO BEGIN to be
experienced by all peoples
on earth.
It
is with this length of time
in mind, along with the
quotes taken from the same
book and used in my last
writing about Human
Nature, that I am
writing and trying to fill
in some of the areas of
great interest to us in that
new world.
It
is well realized there are
many unanswered questions
about that period of time
that God does not fully
reveal to us, but at the
same time there are also
some answers that have been
made known in the Scriptures
that can be found here and
there just as the prophet
Isaiah makes known to us
about this and any other
subject of the Bible:
"But
the word of the LORD was to
them, ‘precept upon
precept, precept upon
precept, line upon line,
line upon line, here a
little, there a little,’
that they might go and fall
backward, and be broken and
snared and caught"
(Isaiah 28:13).
After
Armageddon
Soon
Jesus Christ will come with
all power and might and
begin dealing first of all
with the enemy armies in the
battle that is called, Armageddon
(Psalm 2:1-5; Joel
3:1-3; Zechariah 14:1--7,
12-15; Revelation 19:11-21).
Jesus
Christ with His glorified
saints and holy angels will
first set foot on the Mount
of Olives in Jerusalem while
defeating the armies that
have gathered to fight each
other, but upon seeing the
coming of Christ they will
turn their weaponry in a
combined effort to destroy
what they will feel to be an
invasion of aliens from
outer space.
To
the religious hierarchy it
will be believed the coming
of Christ to be the
anti-Christ. Only Satan and
God’s true people will
know the real difference.
"Behold,
the day of the LORD is
coming ... I will gather all
the nations to battle
against Jerusalem ... then
the LORD will go forth and
fight against those nations
..." (Zechariah
14:1,3).
"For
as the lightning comes from
the east and flashes to the
west, so also will be the
coming of the Son of Man ...
and all the tribes of the
earth will mourn when they
will SEE the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of
heaven WITH POWER AND GREAT
GLORY" (Matthew 24:27,
30).
Scripture
indicates that almost
immediately following the
battle of Armageddon, Christ
will deal with Turkey and
then other nations who will
have been instrumental in
bringing great sufferings
and horrible deaths on the
peoples of Israel (Obadiah,
Ezekiel 35).
"God
came from Teman (Edom or
Turkey. Teman was the
grandson of Esau,
Deuteronomy 33:1-3). The
Holy One from Mount Paran (Paron
is east of Petra). HIS
SPLENDOR WAS LIKE
THE SUNRISE; RAYS FLASHED
FROM HIS HAND WHERE HIS
POWER WAS HIDDEN" (Habakkuk
3:3-4, NIV).
The
Work of Jesus Christ to
gather His people will then
be before Him.
Jesus
Christ Establishes His
Presence in Jerusalem
It
is at this time that Jesus
Christ will establish
Himself in Jerusalem in such
a manner that His presence
there will be known to all
the nations where the
survivors of Israel will be
enslaved, and in reality to
all the earth.
The
following Scriptures
describes this coming time:
"...I
have installed My KING upon
Zion, the hill of My
holiness" (margin, Psalm
2:6).
"And
in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, who shall
stand as AN ENSIGN (KJV)
to the people; for the
Gentiles shall seek Him, and
His resting place
(residence) shall be
glorious" (Isaiah
11:10).
Ensign
–
is defined as a flag or
banner, a national standard,
a signal. In this Scripture
it applies to Jesus Christ
who will permanently and
prominently establish His
residence in Jerusalem. And
here this ENSIGN is lifted
up to SIGNAL AND RALLY THE
PEOPLE OF ISRAEL to draw all
of them unto Him from where
they will have been
scattered in all nations
(John 12:32). A few years
later the following
Scripture will come to pass
once the new Temple has been
completed:
"And
behold the [visible] glory
of the LORD came into the
temple ... and He said to
me, ‘Son of man, this is
the place of My throne and
the place of the soles of My
feet, where I will dwell in
the midst of the children of
Israel forever. ..."
(Ezekiel 43:4, 7).
Possible
Explanation of the ENSIGN
Even
though it is realized the
ENSIGN is Jesus Christ, His
presence will be made known
in a most spectacular
and meaningful manner.
Possibly some of the
following Scriptures will
shed some light of
understanding regarding how
He will be seen by all
nations and at the same time
will represent the permanent
home of Jesus Christ:
"For
I will be A WALL OF FIRE all
around her, and I will be
the GLORY in the midst"
(Zechariah 2:5).
"...
the LORD will create ABOVE
every dwelling place of
Mount Zion, and ABOVE her
assemblies, a cloud and
smoke by day and the shining
of a flaming fire by night.
For OVER ALL THE GLORY there
will be a covering (canopy.
And there will be a
tabernacle for shade in the
daytime from the heat, for a
place of refuge, and for a
shelter from storm and
rain" (Isaiah 4:5-6).
Christ’s
presence as manifested in
this manner will be easily
seen from where the new
Temple will be located on
Mount Zion in Jerusalem:
"Now
it shall come to pass in the
latter days that the
MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD’S
HOUSE shall be established
ON THE TOP of the
mountains" (Isaiah 2:2,
more about this in a future
writing).
God
First will Begin Working
with Israel
As
already noted Christ will
first begin focusing and
working with His own chosen
people; the survivors of all
the tribes of Israel.
Numerous Scriptures make
known that He will gather
them from where they will
have been enslaved by
various nations of this
earth for three and one/half
years. The process
will then begin to bring
them to Jerusalem. One such
Scripture:
"It
shall come to pass in that
day that the LORD shall set
His hand again the second
time to recover (purchase)
the remnant of His people
who are left, from Assyria
and Egypt, from Pathros
(upper Egypt) and Cush (Ethopia),
from Elam and Shinar
(Europe), from Hamath
(Syria) and the islands of
the sea. He will SET UP AN
ENSIGN (KJV) for the
nations (to see), and will ASSEMBLE
THE OUTCASTS of Israel AND GATHER
TOGETHER the dispersed
of Judah from the four
corners of the earth"
(Isaiah 11:11-12).
When
we take into consideration
there will be several
million people who are yet
alive in captivity and
scattered in a number of
nations it should not be
hard to realize it will
require some period of time
and effort to search all of
them out.
After
this is done they will make
the move to Jerusalem. Upon
arriving it will be
necessary for them to
assemble in that general
area for processing to take
care of all their needs as
well as assigning them to
their new homeland in
Israel.
Though
Christ can do all things it
would seem there will be a
need for physical leadership
to function directly under
the guidance and direction
of Himself, along with His
glorified saints, and His
holy angels. With this in
mind it stands to reason the
men who will be needed will
already be known by Christ
and will be the first ones
to be sought out and their
roles made known to them
(perhaps similar to Christ
revealing Himself to Moses.
Exodus 3).
Working
With Scattered Israel
Try
and PROJECT ourselves
forward as much as we can
into this future time,
perhaps less than 10 years
from now, and try to picture
these events as they will
take place.
Think
about the logistics involved
working with several
millions of people beginning
to come together from the
various nations to possibly
some centralized location
and then beginning the
journey to Jerusalem!
Whatever time and real
effort will be necessary to
work out the many details.
Realizing
the principle of duality in
Scripture I cannot help but
wonder whether this coming
time will be similar to
Moses bringing Israel out of
Egypt. As you may remember
they left their homes in
Goshen and then assembled in
Rameses. There they were
organized in an orderly
fashion to begin their
journey to the Promised Land
(Exodus 12:37; 13:18)).
Assembling
and Transportation
Since
the larger number of
Israelites will undoubtedly
be enslaved in Europe, the
possibility also exists
that if they will have a
preliminary assembling
place, they may also
assemble somewhere in that
area to begin the primary
processing and then making
their way to Jerusalem for
the final one.
It
would appear that modern
transportation will still be
in place, and realizing the
favor to be granted to the
captives by the
slave-owners, very probably
buses and passenger planes
will be made available by
these Gentile people who
desperately will be seeking
in every way to please and
make amends for all of their
horrible treatment to their
slaves. They will be in fear
of their lives!
Whether
or not there will be a
preliminary assembly place,
Scriptures makes known that
the Israelis will assemble
in Jerusalem for the final
processing of each person
(Isaiah 11:11-12).
After
their arrival in Jerusalem
each one will then be
assigned to the tribal land
of their original
inheritance that was
allotted to the individual
tribes of Israel by Joshua
after entering the Promised
Land at the conclusion of
their 40-year exodus from
Egypt (Joshua 23:1-14;
Ezekiel 48).
It
would seem that with all
other captives who have been
enslaved in nations such as
Egypt may be a little longer
in leaving from where they
will be living. Scripture
implies their captors in
that part of the world will
also provide transportation
for them while doing all
they can to try and make up
for the way they have
treated them. Perhaps
something like the Egyptians
giving precious jewelry and
gold to Israel before they
left Egypt (Exodus
12:35-36).
Jesus
Christ and His Saints
In
what form will we as Spirit
Beings work with physical
people? Please consider the
following for the answer:
The
Bible reveals that Jesus
Christ often manifested
Himself in human form and
walked and talked with
different ones in the
beginning history of His
people for there was the
need. One such example is
when Christ with two of His
angels miraculously appeared
before Abraham:
Then
the LORD appeared to him
(Abraham) ... as he was
sitting in the tent door in
the heat of the day. So he
(Abraham) lifted up his
eyes, and behold, three men
standing by him [an apparent
sudden manifestation as was
with the angel Gabriel and
Zacharias, Genesis 18:1-2;
Luke 1:11).
The
rest of this chapter leaves
no doubt but that this was
the One we have come to know
as Jesus Christ
(verses13-14). They also ate
the meal that Abraham
provided for them (verses
4-8). Very probably
we will often do the same.
The
same will take place in the
new millennium:
"Yet
your TEACHERS will NOT be
moved into a corner anymore
(where they are not seen,
invisible). But your eyes
shall SEE your TEACHERS (due
to manifesting ourselves as
necessary). Your EARS shall
HEAR A WORD behind you
(before the sin is
committed), saying, ‘This
is the way, walk in it,’
whenever you turn to right
hand or whenever you turn to
the left" (Isaiah
30:20-21).
Scripture
reveals that we as His
glorified Saints will do
this as much as is needed
while searching out and the
continued working with the
peoples of the tribes of
Israel throughout the
millennium and also in the
Great White Throne Judgment
period of time.:
Both
Spirit and physical
leadership will be needed to
bring to pass the peace and
order of God’s new world.
Any and all confusion will
quickly be eliminated as
God’s Government is put in
place.
Remember,
God is not the author of
confusion, but rather of
order (I Corinthians 14:33,
40). With this in mind we
should know there will be a
system of order put in place
by Christ due to His
leadership and His holy
righteous laws being taught
along with the Good News of
their potential.
The
Mental State of the
Surviving Captives
It
should be realized that
after all these survivors
have suffered they will be
demoralized, bewildered,
dazed, confused, with no
strength of mind or will
left in them! It will be a
wonder that any on them will
have any mind-power left at
all due to their enslavement
and followed by the brutal
mastery exercised over them
by the whips of their
taskmasters and always with
the threat of death hanging
over them during those very
long three and one/half
years:
"...
they will come, WHO ARE
ABOUT TO PERISH IN THE LAND
OF ASSYRIA, and they are
OUTCASTS in the land of
Egypt, and shall worship the
LORD in the holy mountain at
Jerusalem" (Isaiah
27:13).
Mass
Confusion And Indescribable
Fear!
They
are further confused and
frightened having witnessed
the return of Jesus Christ
accompanied with the signs
they have been seeing in the
heavens and weather
conditions on earth followed
by an earthquake of great
magnitude. The following
Scriptures speak of that
terrible time:
"Immediately
after the distress of those
days (Great Tribulation),
the sun will be darkened and
the moon will not give
it’s light; the stars will
fall from the sky, and the
heavenly bodies will be
shaken. At that time THE
SIGN of the Son of Man will
APPEAR in the sky AND ALL
THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH
WILL MOURN. THEY WILL SEE
THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE
CLOUDS OF THE SKY WITH POWER
AND GREAT GLORY" (Matthew
24:29-30, NIV).
"...
The floodgates of the
heavens are opened, the
foundations of the earth
shake. The earth is broken
up, the earth is split
asunder, the earth is
thoroughly shaken. The earth
reels like a drunkard, it
sways like a hut in the wind
..." (Isaiah 24:18-20.
NIV).
"Listen!
The cry on the day of the
LORD will be bitter ... That
day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress, a day of
trouble and ruin, a day of
darkness and gloom, a day of
clouds and blackness ... I
will bring distress on the
people and they will walk
like blind men, because they
have sinned against the
LORD. Their blood will be
poured out like dust and
their entrails like filth.
... (Zephaniah 1:14-17, NIV).
The
Israeli slaves will be
mystified and filled with
great wonderment as to
whether this means even more
trouble and greater fear for
their lives for most will
not understand what they
have been experiencing! And
then the most awesome sight
of all will be to view
Christ’ spectacular coming
down from the heavens to the
earth! The question in their
minds will be – WHO and
WHAT does this mean?
Satan’s
Deceptive Teachings
Many
will have been deluded by
the teachings by the
Catholic Church, as well as
from false prophets, who
will have been taught that
soon anti-Christ would be
coming; and then described
his coming much the same way
as they have just witnessed!
Others will believe it is an
invasion of aliens from
outer space.
Satan
will have been effective in
those false teachings
seeking to turn them away
from accepting the fact that
this was indeed the living
Jesus Christ who has
returned to earth just as He
had promised!
With
no one yet to reassure them
by making known the truth to
them at the time their minds
will be in tumult and filled
with fear and trembling.
The
World in Bewilderment and
Confusion
The
leaders and slave owners of
the nations of this earth
will also be experiencing
great fear! They will also
have been deceived into
believing that the coming of
Christ is really the
anti-Christ; others will
think of it as probably an
invasion of aliens from
another planet.
To
add to the consternation of
the Gentile leaders and
peoples they will have come
to know through satellite
news reporting that their
great leaders and armies
will not be returning home
in victory but rather have
been killed in a most
terrible manner in the
battle of Armageddon (Zecharaih
14:12).
Upon
learning this, along with
what they have witnessed
with their own eyes, WHILE
LOOKING UP INTO THE HEAVENS
AND SEEING THIS AWESOME
SUPERNATURAL PERSON FOLLOWED
BY HIS ARMY – ALL ON WHITE
HORSES, ORBITING THE PLANET
EARTH, will have
completely unnerved and left
them in a state of shock and
bewilderment! (Revelation
19:11-21).
Since
their leaders and their
armies have been destroyed
they will have been left
virtually leaderless! They
are in dismay, helpless, and
stricken with fear for their
very lives! It will be a
time of panic!
Freedom
and Hope for Israel
This
describes to some degree the
setting in which Jesus
Christ and His angels will
have come to earth and with
His glorified saints to
begin working with and
through leading men of
Israel to begin the search
for all those who have been
enslaved by the nations.
"...
and you will be gathered one
by one, O you children of
Israel (Isaiah 27:12).
Once
they have been searched out
the truth of what has taken
place will be made known to
them along with the fact
they have been liberated and
have a wonderful future
ahead of them.
This
Good News will fill them
with the hope there is yet a
future before them to be
made possible through the
promises that Christ made
known to His holy prophets
and recorded in Scripture
and are now being fulfilled.
NOTE:
Though there will be some
repetition in the Scriptures
quoted there will also be
included in those same
Scriptures the little here
and the little there (as
noted earlier) that will
fill in some of the answers
to the questions that may
come to mind.
Let
us first take thought to
what Christ has said about
this time:
God’s
Promises for Enslaved Israel
"...
I will bring back from
captivity My people Israel
and Judah," says the
LORD. "And I will cause
them to return to the land
that I gave to their
fathers, and they shall
possess it. For it shall
come to pass in that day,’
says the LORD of hosts,
‘That I will break his
(slave masters) yoke from
your neck, and I will burst
your bonds ... foreigners
shall no more enslave them.
But they shall serve the
LORD their God; and David
their king, whom I shall
RAISE UP for them"
(Jeremiah 30:3, 8-9).
The
very high office that David
will fulfill along with the
original apostles who will
be lesser kings over the
individual tribes of Israel
will be very necessary to
bring about order, unity,
and harmony (Matthew 19:28).
This will also require some
time for it all to begin
falling in place. But this
is the starting point.
Jesus
Christ will lead the way by
opening the minds of His
people to receive the truth
and leadership.
Word
will quickly spread to all
others and will be received
with great gladness and joy
to know they have been set
free and have a wonderful
future immediately in front
of them. A future that will
be in a land that will come
to be filled with milk and
honey for at the time the
land will be desolate and in
ruin.
This
future time will be similar
to Israel having been freed
from slavery in Egypt and
beginning their arduous but
joyful journey to the
Promised Land as described
by the prophet Jeremiah:
The
first part of this Scripture
will lead into the second
part of it.
"Therefore,
behold, the days are
coming," says the LORD,
"that they shall no
longer say, ‘as the LORD
lives who brought up the
children of Israel from the
land of Egypt,’ but, ‘as
the LORD lives who brought
up and led the descendants
of the house of Israel from
the north country and from
all the countries where I
had driven them.’ And they
shall dwell in their own
land" (Jeremiah
23:7-8).
TO
BE CONTINUED
I
have devoted a lot of time
to this subject and find it
to be a very interesting and
inspiring study. It is my
hope that it will prove to
also be interesting and
inspiring to you as well.
Though
what I have written may not
be exactly the way it will
all happen, this should give
all of us a lot of room for
thought and meditation.
Until
next time, our love and
prayers,
Don
Billingsley
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