View source for The thousand-year Kingdom Age is Davidic in character

There are some parallels that can be drawn between the Kingdom of David and the thousand-year Jubilee, and between the Kingdom of Solomon and the new heaven and earth reign of Christ. The thousand-year Kingdom Age tends to be Davidic in character, with Christ being the fulfilment of King David. The new heaven and earth reign tends to be Solomonic in character, with Christ being the fulfilment of King Solomon.

It may be recalled that soon after Saul had failed to keep the commandments of the Lord (I Samuel 15:14), Samuel anointed David King of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). However, Saul continued as king over the nation and David had to flee for his life (I Samuel 20:33).

From then on, until the death of Saul in battle, David and his men were outcasts from Israel.

David and his fellow fugitives are a type of the present day. Saul is a portrayal of the rule of the fleshly nature over the people of the Lord. The death of Saul typifies the death of soulish self-seeking in the Christian churches.
This symbolism can be applied to us personally in that our self-seeking nature must die before Christ can rule in our life. We cannot see or hear the Lord until "the year that King Uzziah dies."

The type also may be applied in a kingdom-wide sense. The rule of self-seeking men must be destroyed at Armageddon before the lawfully anointed King, Christ, can take over the government of His people and of the rest of the world.

The thousand-year Kingdom Age may be compared to the reign of King David, following as it does the destruction of the rule of Satan-filled flesh. The new heaven and earth reign, on the other hand, is comparable to the reign of Solomon in that it follows a thousand years of righteous government, just as Solomon followed the righteous government of King David.

The thousand-year Kingdom Age will be installed and maintained with force (the rule of a rod of iron).

The new heaven and earth reign of Christ will be dominated by the holiness, light, love, peace, and joy issuing from the holy city. The nations of the earth will be overpowered by the spectacle of the glory of the city of God (John 17:21) just as the Queen of Sheba was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon. When she beheld "his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her" (II Chronicles 9:4).

During the new heaven and earth reign of Christ there will be no nations, such as Gog and Magog, that are able to be deceived nor will there be any more loosing of Satan to seduce the people. The new heaven and earth reign will be similar to the reign of Solomon, both being eras of peace.

David came into power as a man of war just as the Lord Jesus is coming as the Man of war to impose the Kingdom Age on the earth.

Jesus is coming as the Good Shepherd to His flock (Isaiah 40:11; Malachi 4:2). But as far as His enemies are concerned, Christ is coming into His Temple, the Body of Christ, as the Lord, strong and mighty in battle. He shall "prevail against his enemies" at that time (Isaiah 42:13).

The call to the Day of the Lord is as follows:

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Psalms 24:7,8)

David took over the throne of Israel in the midst of bloodshed (II Samuel 3:1-5:4), just as the thousand-year Kingdom Age will be installed with violence because of the unwillingness of man to surrender to Christ the ruler ship over the nations (Revelation 19:15-21).

Solomon came into power relatively peacefully (I Kings 2:12). In the same manner the new heaven and earth reign of Christ will be ushered in by the sovereign power of God, the rebellion of the nations having been subdued by the rule of a rod of iron, and finally by fire from Heaven.

The destruction of Gog and Magog, which comes before the new heaven and earth reign of Christ, will not be a war similar to Armageddon. Rather, it will be a sovereign act of judgment, a prelude to the appearing of the white throne (Revelation 20:9).

David was a man of war; Solomon was a man of peace.

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. (I Chronicles 22:8,9)

Much of David’s time and energy went into overcoming the enemies of the kingdom of Israel. His reign was marked by the conquest of the tribes that had made a practice of invading the borders of Israel. The Lord loved David and gave him success in his battles.

And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest roundabout from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. (II Samuel 7:1,2)

Notice how the concept of the habitation of God came to David as soon as his enemies had been put down. This is true of us also. As soon as the Holy Spirit has enabled us to begin to put down the sin in our life we receive the desire for a greater portion of the indwelling of the Father and the Son (John 14:23).

The thousand-year Kingdom Age is the time of the establishing of the government of God throughout the whole earth. As soon as this has been done there will be a cry in the Spirit for the coming down to earth of the holy city, the new Jerusalem.

At the time of the ascension of Solomon to the throne of Israel the conquest of Israel’s enemies had been accomplished. The extension of Israel’s power, in accordance with the boundaries established by the Lord (Joshua 1:4), had taken place during the rule of David, just as the extension of God’s rule over His creation will take place during the thousand-year Kingdom Age (I Corinthians 15:24).

Solomon is known for the construction of the Temple of God. The new heaven and earth reign of Christ will be distinguished by the coming down to earth of the "tabernacle," the eternal dwelling place of God (Revelation 21:3).

David’s reign was characterized by the mighty men with whom he surrounded himself (I Chronicles 11:10-40). One of the first achievements of David upon his ascension to the throne of Israel was the capture of Mount Zion from the Jebusites (II Samuel 5:7).

The capture and building of the fortress, Zion, has prophetic significance (Psalms 102:16). Mount Zion represents the overcoming saints, the conquering strength of the Church of Christ. Mount Zion is the camp (fortress) of the saints (Revelation 20:9).

The Lord Jesus Christ in our day (while He is in exile because of the reign of "Saul," so to speak) is gathering together His mighty men, His personal bodyguard (Revelation 14:1-5; 17:14).

Christ is getting ready to take control of the most heavily fortified positions of the enemy. He will tear down all the "rulers of the darkness of the world" (Ephesians 6:12) at the time of His coming and His Kingdom.

In the hour in which we are living, Christ is preparing a company of victorious saints—disciples who have overcome the accuser by the blood of Christ, by the word of their testimony, and who love not their lives to the death (Revelation 12:11). He will place His Glory in these victorious saints. From this stronghold (spiritual Zion), which will serve to protect the Kingdom of God from attack and invasion, just as fortress Zion served to defend Jerusalem against attack and invasion, Christ will extend His dominion over the earth.

All such fighting and overcoming will have been completed by the time of the new heaven and earth reign of Christ.

The new heaven and new earth will be under the reign of eternal peace, love, and joy. Solomon sat on a "great throne of ivory" overlaid with gold (I Kings 10:18). This brings to our minds the white throne, "overlaid" with the Divine Presence of God Almighty that appears just before the reign of peace of the new heaven and earth.

When King David was not occupied with putting down enemies along the borders of Israel he collected material for the temple that he was not allowed to build (I Chronicles 29:2-5). This suggests to us that preparation will be made during the thousand-year Kingdom Age for the holy city, the new Jerusalem, that will come down from Heaven as soon as the new heaven and earth have been created.

It seems likely that much of the effort and activities of the thousand-year Kingdom Age will be directed toward preparation for the coming new heaven and earth rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. When all has been made ready, "then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (I Corinthians 15:28).

There will be no more "God and Magog" uprisings after the new heaven and earth reign begins.



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