A question I’ve had for a while concerns “the” millennium. Perhaps there iS a sort of laisez faire gospel where the message is you’re saved, it’s a gift.. Just do your best to treat your fellow person fairly. They kind of follow at a distance. But there’s another crowd that for them it’s God or nothing. Truth or nothing. Impelled to seek, ask, knock. And, or, is it that we all go through the two stages?
So then comes that last trumpet’s sounding. And we have the parable of the ten bridesmaids, five run low on oil for the lamps for joining in the bright procession.. Which procession goes in to the wedding reception, the union reception, the union banquet. And the door is shut and bolted. It’s not a door shut to forever life. It’s the door to the wedding reception. The resurrection and catching away is the uniting, the wedding. It’s bright, it’s radiant. We need enough oil in our lamps to stay in the Light, the radiance. Yes? (Like in dreams, we are dual characters, both the bride and the bridesmaids, one of God’s ways of riddling, whereby he hides truth in plain sight.)
My question is one of degrees, I guess. We have to “know Jesus” - that’s the light, yes? The oil. If we’re going to advise others, what distance is the safe distance from which to follow after the Lord? Remember, he does return “in fire” (and with his angels). The parable of the wheat and tares is obviously his returning during man’s armageddon fire. Revelation chapter 16, verses, thirteen through sixteen, the gathering to armageddon having gathered. So one gathering is preferable to the other? As a believer, the first resurrection superior to the second.
The other side of the coin, I guess, is degrees - during - the millennium. I simply cannot believe in any instantaneous transformation. So do the degrees before the catching away carry over into the millennium? ..I’m very inclined to believe they do. That they must. There’s a few who think God wipes the slate, the memory completely clean as to this life. But what logic is there to that? This has been God’s program, creation process, from the beginning. It’s not ‘oh my something went wrong, now to rescue and wipe the memories of it out.. Contraire! The armageddon “smoke of it shall rise forever and ever..” And just how does it rise forever when ultimately there’s a total, universal regenesis? The “regeneration” greek word “palin/again-genesis” palingenesis. A regenesis, a “furious burning of elements”, the total gehenna fast forwarded.
As opposed to this slow motion gehenna that is life as we presently know it, the crucible, laver and sieve, that continues until one of two vivifications. The first being at Jesus’ return. The second being after GWT judgment ‘day’, at the made new/new heavens and earth event, the palingenesis, the New Genesis!
Will there be studying and learning during “the” millennium (that precedes GWT ‘day’).. The intellect having been made new, but still at its own learning stage?
We know there is Jerusalem during the millennium, as there comes to be a gathering against her after the adversary (&co) are released from stewing in his/their own darkness “after the thousand years”/after the millennium, the Sabbath rest from the adversary’s presence.
Which in turn proves there are mortal survivors of the apocalypse, for where do the ones he gathers against the millennial Jerusalem come from?
As we know fire consumes them. This is where a second mention of a fiery lake occurs (first one is at armageddon). It’s only after this that the resurrection of all those that are dead occurs.
But before all that, are we believers students during the millennium? And in a sort of internship? ..As preparation to rather intense service during GWT judgment ‘day’? Service called reigning, for we will be doing his works during this long day of all things progressing to closure, and of course, the completing of Jesus “drawing all to himself” Jn.12:32. The wearing of crowns of Life, not metal.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man - portraying INITIAL - inner - conditions of some during GWT judgment ‘day’ ..Which is an “8th day” the “last great day” at the conclusion of which God says “Behold! I make aLL new!” Greek pas, all. Not all things.. though that’s true too lol (Rev.21:5). And since Rev.22 follows the total, universal ReGenesis, by which death dies, some of its narrative is obviously spoken outside of the revelation vision - also portraying INITIAL conditions of some during that last great day of completing all discernment and drawing/maturing toward the greatest harvest, the grape harvest, 1Cor.15:24,28; Rev.21:5; 2Pet.3:12-13.
And don’t the ancient Fall holy days outline that long second advent of the Lord? Like the Spring ones so perfectly did his first brief advent.. Lev.23
I - Trumpets of Rev. & return at the last
10days/1000yrs later,
II - Day of Atonement
5 days/500yrs later,
III - Tabernacles! “Behold I make all new! ..God will now tabernacle/tent/dwell with mankind ..the lion will eat straw like the ox” Rev.21:5,3; Is.11:7.
