Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Paradise or seventh heaven?

We have the wonderful promise in the Scriptures that when Yahshua returns to earth one day in the near future, He is going re-establish paradise on earth, as it used to be in the time before Adam and Eve sinned and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. YHVH promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their descendants will one day dwell in the Promised Land on the mountains of Israel for all eternity.

Even though they have not received what was promised them and their descendants yet, this is exactly what will happen in the near future, as Ezekiel prophesied to the mountains in Israel, saying in Ezekiel 36: 1 – 11:“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of YHVH. (2) ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’ (3) therefore, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “For good cause they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you should become a possession of the rest of the nations, and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people.”’” (4) ‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of YHVH Elohim. Thus says YHVH Elohim to the mountains and to the hills, the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities, which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, (5) therefore, thus says YHVH Elohim, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul to drive it out for a prey.” (6) ‘Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says YHVH Elohim, ‘Behold I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’(7) “Therefore, thus says YHVH Elohim, ‘I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. (8) But you O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come.  (9) For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be cultivated and sown.(10) And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. (11) And I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am YHVH.’

When Yahshua returns one day He will establish the Kingdom of Elohim, with its headquarters in Jerusalem. Beginning with a remnant of the descendants of Jacob, He will bring them back to use them as a model nation and example for the rest of those who remain alive after the Great Tribulation and the Day of YHVH, as we read from verse 12 of Ezekiel 36, in this way:  ‘Yes, I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.’ He will use them to show those who survive the great tribulation and the Day of YHVH, how to live a life of peace and prosperity, serving Elohim according to His ways. But, we see further from verses 17 – 28 that YHVH will first have to clean up His people before allowing them to return to the mountains of Israel, as follows: “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. (18) Therefore, I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. (19) Also I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them.(20) When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of YHVH; yet they have come out of His land.’  (21) But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. (22) Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. (23) And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am YHVH," declares YHVH Elohim, “When I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. (24) For I will take you from the nations, gather you from the lands, and bring you into your own land. (25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean: I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (26)Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.(27)  And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.  (28) And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people and I will be your Elohim.”YHVH is presently calling a remnant from the lost ten tribes out of the religions of the world, to become first fruits with their Jewish Brothers when Messiah comes to establish Elohim’s kingdom on earth. He is presently busy preparing first fruit believers, by cleaning them up from the filth that they believed in the past, as well as the unclean foods that they ate whilst in the so-called Babylon of confusion, where they pretended to serve G-d, but did not obey His teachings given in the Tanach and especially the Torah.

But we need to realize that YHVH is not going to come back to the world and society in its present condition. The prophet Amos gives us a prophesy which modern society does not want to hear in Amos 9: 9 - 15, saying: ‘“For behold, I am commanding, and I will shake the house of Israel among the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, but not a kernel will fall to the ground. (10) All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake us or confront us.’ (11) In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old;  (12) That they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares YHVH who does this. (13) “Behold days are coming,” declares YHVH, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved. (14) Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit.  (15)I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, says YHVH your Elohim’ The prophet Ezekiel confirmed the restoration of a remnant of the lost ten tribes to the Promised Land in Ezekiel 36: 33 – 35, saying: ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.(34)And the desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by. (35) And they will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’  The prophet Zechariah tells us that at that time people will again be joyous and happy when YHVH will bring us back from our exile in Zechariah 8: 4 – 8, saying: “Thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘Old men and old woman will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. (5) And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. (6) Thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares YHVH of hosts. (7) Thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;  (8) and I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people and I will be their Elohim in truth and righteousness.’

Today’s massive overpopulated metropolises are rampant with racial tensions and all sorts of evil. These conditions cannot exist in the cities during Messiah’s 1,000 year reign, and will have to be totally eradicated before He will commence His reign on earth. Cities in the millennium will be small enough to promote happy healthy family life, yet large enough for a proper balance between industry and those essentials which promote joyous living. We see from Zechariah 8: 3, that YHVH will make Jerusalem His headquarters on earth, in this way: “Thus says YHVH, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of YHVH of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’  The prophet Jeremiah confirmed this in Jeremiah 3: 17& 18, saying: “At that time they shall call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of YHVH,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of YHVH; nor shall they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart. (18) In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.”  Jerusalem is presently the focal point for world control, but is also the geographical center of the land surface of the earth. Under Messiah’s reign it will be rebuilt to absolute perfection, and no city of the past will equal its splendor and magnificence. It will become what YHVH always wanted it to be; a model city after which all the cities of the world will be patterned during the millennium. 

We see from Ezekiel 28: 25 & 26, that the descendants of ancient Israel will again dwell in safety in their own land, as follows: ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim, “When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered and shall manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. (26) And they will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards, and live securely, when I execute judgment upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am YHVH their Elohim.” We see from Isaiah 41: 18 that at that time Elohim will cause the laws of nature to benefit the people, in this way: “I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fountains of water.” In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 Elohim originally promised to bestow great blessings upon ancient Israel, provided that they obey Him. However, the Scriptures show clearly that they did not obey and were punished according to the curses He warned them about in these same chapters. But, the descendants of ancient Israel will again obey Elohim during the millennium and will as a result receive these tremendous blessings, promised them long ago. Whereas the Middle East is now a fairly barren region, prophecies show  that after Messiah’s return the land will see the most dramatic change ever. We see from Isaiah 35: 1, 2 & 7 that the waste places become fertile, and beautiful forests will be planted during the Millennium, as follows: ‘The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus. (2) It will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of YHVH, the majesty of our Elohim. (7) And the scorched land will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes.’ Can you picture this in your mind? Deserts becoming fertile, green gardens of trees, shrubs, bubbling springs and brooks; mountains made low and inhabitable; and forests scattered with cultivated fields causing the climate to become healthful and invigorating once again.

The prophecies in the Tanach also show that the rest of the earth will share in the great prosperity Messiah will bring to Jerusalem and the descendants of Jacob, and the whole earth will undergo a remarkable change. Eventually all the nations who survive the great tribulation and day of YHVH will become obedient to YHVH as witnessed in Micah  4: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of YHVH will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. (2)And many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of YHVH and to the house of Elohim of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.  (3) And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. (4) And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of YHVH of hosts has spoken.’ The ancient nation of Israel was never able to claim all the blessings and benefits given for serving YHVH in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26, since the people were not faithful in their obedience to Elohim. But when Messiah comes to rule the world during the Millennium, all nations will eventually become obedient and as a result of their obedience, they will partake of the tremendous blessings originally promised to all Israel. 

One of the major barriers to common understanding and cooperation between nations has been the language barriers. Whilst mankind cannot understand one another, they are not able to exchange ideas, philosophies, concepts or opinions, and misunderstandings often result in trouble and conflict. Think for a moment; what it will be like if all people on the earth spoke and understood one and the same language. It would free people worldwide from the language barrier. All of us would speak, understand, read and write the same language and there would be no confusion or misunderstanding among the different nations of the world any longer.We see from Zephaniah 3: 19 that this is exactly what Elohim is going to give us when Messiah returns one day, as follows: “For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of YHVH, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.”  We see from Genesis 11 that mankind was once bound together by a common language, but because they used their knowledge for evil, YHVH had to confuse them to stop them from self-destruction, as witnessed in verses 6 – 8, in this way: ‘And YHVH said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. (7) Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (8) So YHVH scattered them abroad from there over the face of the earth; and they stopped building the city.’ When Elohim divided the languages at the tower of Babel, he was merely preventing that eventual time of world chaos which even today threatens the annihilation of humanity. But, during Messiah’s millennial rule, this danger will be eliminated and He will usher in an era of education and total literacy by giving mankind one pure language.

Once Messiah start ruling there will be a tremendous amount of reconstruction to be done, but because all people will obey Torah at that time, people will have ample time to rest from their labors during Elohim’s weekly and annual Sabbaths.  Elohim’s way of life is a way of freedom from boredom and toil, provided we continue to obey His Torah instructions. But mankind today is not convinced that it is. Elohim is now letting mankind find out, by experience, how difficult their own ways really are. Much is said today against private ownership of property. Communism and socialists are especially against it, partly because men have abused this Elohim given blessing. The point is that Elohim is definitely not against private ownership of property as we’ve seen mentioned in Micah 4: 4, where we read that YHVH will bless each one of the people of the nations during the millennium, to sit under their own vines and fig trees, meaning they will be landowners.  A second witness to this comes from Isaiah 62: 8 – 9, as follows: ‘YHVH has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm (Yahshua), “I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; nor will foreigners drink your new wine, for which you have labored.” (This is contrary to the modern socialist view so often bandied about by the modern day politicians of today) (9) But those who garner it will eat it, and praise YHVH; and those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.’ Yes, people will own their property during the millennium, and they will be liberated from governments which deprive them of the righteous rewards of their own toil. We see further from Isaiah 33: 21 – 24, that when YHVH is our King, there will no longer be those who are spiritually and physically sick, in this way: “But there the majestic One, YHVH, shall be for us a place of rivers and wide canals, on which no boat with oars shall go, and on which no mighty ship shall pass— (22) For YHVH is our judge, YHVH is our Lawgiver, YHVH is our king; He will save us— (23) Your tackle hangs slack; it cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; the lame will take the plunder. (24) And no resident will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.”The combined effect of right education about true health and instant healing of all sickness will mean perfect health for everyone. Medical doctors will not have to treat the effects of those who indulge in illegitimate sexual practices, or those who eat unclean foods, which YHVH did not create for human consumption, because everyone will be obedient and remain Torah observant.

There will even be spiritual teachers  who will continually watch over the people during the millennium to protect them from making wrong decisions, as we read from Isaiah 30: 19 - 21, as follows: ‘O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry, when He hears it, He will answer you. (20) Although YHVH has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. (21) And your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.’ The agricultural wealth of a nation is generally the greatest physical asset it can possess. However, today, most of the earth is unproductive and only a small percentage of the land surface is usable for agricultural purposes. There are many deserts, mountains, valleys and wildernesses. However, exactly the opposite will be true during the Millennium, as Elohim will start blessing the whole world and cause the rains to fall in due season, as is confirmed in verse 23 of Isaiah 30, in this way: ‘Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture.’ Farmers have had to gamble on the weather throughout the centuries and the most welcome news they could hear, is that at that time their work would always be successful, provided they remain obedient to Elohim.  We see from Jeremiah 31: 12 that there will be great rejoicing over the abundance of crops that Elohim will bestow during the millennium, as follows: “And they shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the bounty of YHVH—Over the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; and their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.”

We read from Zechariah 14: 4 what will happen to the Mount of Olives when Messiah’s feet touch it at His return, in this way: ‘And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.’  The great valley formed in this way will become a route for a mighty river, as witnessed in verse 8, as follows: ‘And it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be summer as well as winter.’  We read about the same river after Messiah returned when the newly built temple will already be in operation from Ezekiel 47: 8, 9 and 12 as follows: ‘Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. (9) And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. (12) And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”  The Dead Sea at more than 1200 feet below sea level is the lowest spot on earth and with the Jordan River constantly emptying into the northern end of the Dead Sea, even though the Dead Sea has no outlet the water used to remain constant for thousands of years. However, the Dead Sea is presently said to be evaporating at a rate of nearly four feet per year and large salt pockets are left behind as the water recedes[1]. As ground water dissolves the salt, washing it back into the Dead Sea, empty cavities develop creating massive sink holes. The sinkholes develop in clusters, collapsing into each other and creating even larger craters. The water in this sea is so salty that no plant or marine life can survive in it. But when this new river; the river of ‘living waters’ begins to empty into the Dead Sea, its waters will rise until they overflow southward through the desert. The overflow will probably carry into the Gulf of Aqaba and everywhere along the overflow area (except for certain salt swamps and marshes which shall be formed, as shown in Ezekiel 47: 11[2]), plant and fish life will prosper.

 

We see from Ezekiel 47: 1 that this river of ‘living waters’ comes from the spot where Elohim’s temple will stand; from the future throne of Messiah, in this way: ‘Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.’ The prophet Joel wrote about the water that will come out from the house of YHVH in Joel 3: 18, saying: ‘And it will come about in that day that the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out from the house of YHVH, to water the valley of Shittim.’ Most believers are aware that the Set-apart Spirit is compared to ‘living waters’, which is also the way Yahshua explained to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4: 10, saying: “If you knew the gift of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living waters.” Later whilst attending the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) on the Last Great Day, Yahshua cried out in John 7: 37 - 39, saying: ‘“If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” (39) But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yahshua was not yet glorified.’ So we get to understand that this yet future river is clearly a physical manifestation of Elohim’s Set-apart Sprit. The Set-apart Spirit, like the physical river, will go forth from Jerusalem and will ‘heal’ the mental and spiritual problems of mankind. Clearly, the Millennium will be a paradise of peace, prosperity, and beauty. All nations will share in the great blessings of Elohim. The whole world will be at peace. During that age, most of the earth’s land surface will be cultivable. Beautiful forests, agricultural areas, fish-filled lakes and streams will be found all over the earth; with no barren areas, polluted rivers, ravaged landscapes, hostile deserts or waste places.

This will all happen when Messiah returns one day in the near future on Yom Teruah after He  has been crowned King of kings and Master of masters. Yahshua went to heaven to be crowned by the Father, but one of the reasons for Yahshua to return to earth, is to bring rewards of rulership to His resurrected saints. We see from Luke 19: 16 – 19 how Yahshua would reward those who used their talents and abilities which Elohim has blessed them with, saying: “And the first (servant) appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ (17) And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities.’ (18) And the second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ (19) And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ We see from Revelation 5: 10 that those believers who qualify to be resurrected at Messiah’s return will become priests who will teach those who survive the great tribulation and Day of YHVH into the millennium, as follows: “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our Elohim; and they will reign upon the earth.” A second witness, giving more details come from Revelation 20: 6, in this way: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’ Resurrected believers will become a royal priesthood, but will also judge among the people during the millennium, as recorded in verse 4 of Revelation 20, as follows: ‘And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Yahshua and because of the word of Elohim, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years.’ Let’s thank our heavenly Father for giving us these clear visions of what He is planning for us on earth in His word. Halleluyah!

 

[1]“it’s nature’s revenge” said Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli Director at Eco Peace Middle East, an organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists to protect their shared environmental heritage.

[2]Ezekiel 47: 11, “But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.” This clearly shows that we are getting close to Messiah’s return.