We continue with the subject of,

The Millennium and the End of Sin

The New Earth? And who Adventist believe will dwell there

We continue with our examination of Isaiah Chapter 35

 VERSE 9 “No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there.”

“No lion [Satan] shall be there.” Of course, there are other “lions” (temptations) too, but he is the greatest one. “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

“Nor any ravenous beast”, any fierce temptations, addictions or such. No giant corporations or systems organized to advance the selfish interests of the few at the expense of the general good. No false systems of error or doctrine.

This coincides with Isa 11:9 which states: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” No longer will any evil be licensed; any spirituous liquors, drug or other harmful thing be made or sold. Every improper, injurious and useless thing will be utterly destroyed. Mankind will be compelled to be obedient.

“He shall rule them with a rod of iron.” (Rev. 2:27) Strict adherence to the rules will be required of all tendered with mercy and allowances for those making a conscious effort to change. The Lord knows our frame, that we are but dust (Psa. 103:14). “In his day (Christ’s Millennial reign) the righteous shall flourish,” and the “evil-doer shall be cut off.” (Psa. 72:7; 37:9)

VERSE 10 “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

The ransom for sin will then be clearly seen, “and the ransomed of the Lord” (all who will accept of Christ as the propitiation or satisfaction for sin), shall return (from the lost and perishing condition) to Zion (God’s fortress) with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Not only will the lame, blind, dumb, etc., be healed (Verse 6), but the returning of the “ransomed of the Lord” means resurrection. A large part of the “return” would be coming forth from the grave.

But there is much more to it than simply being resuscitated or rising from the grave as was Lazarus, the second part of this “return” is even more vital as it entails the restoration and recovery work (Act 3:19-21), the resurrection work. As there is a resurrection of the just so too there is to be a resurrection of the unjust (Acts 24:15), the “unclean”, those who have yet to have escaped “the condemnation that is on the world.” We will speak a bit more upon this issue when we get to our final part in this segment of the Millennium and the End of Sin, “The Resurrection of Condemnation”.

This “return” would also imply that Jews who survive Jacob’s Trouble will return to Israel from the lands where they have been scattered. The dead shall return from the grave, and living, surviving Jews shall “come [home] to Zion.”

Of course, these verses apply to the world of mankind, but they are addressed first to the nation of Israel, the pilot nation. The Kingdom will start in Israel and spread out into the rest of the earth.

Does this verse allude to Isaiah 2:3, “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD”?

Yes. Natural Israel will be the nucleus of the Kingdom. Gentiles will go to “Zion” (natural Israel) for instruction, and Jews will go to “Zion” (the land of Israel) for both habitation and instruction.

“And many nations shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2)

The principle is “to the Jew first,” then to the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).

Thus, seen the “redeemed” and “rescued” ones (all for whom Christ died) referred to in Isaiah 35:9, 10 by our Adventist friends refers not to the “saints” of the gospel age, but rather to those redeemed through the ransom sacrifice of Christ, during the millennial age, those rescued from destruction, the great prison house of death. “All flesh shall see the salvation of God’’ (Luke 3:6).

For he is not the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our (the Church’s) sins alone, but likewise for the whole world as well. (1 John 2:2)

He is the world’s redeemer not just the Church.

“He gave himself A RANSOM FOR ALL.” (1 Tim. 2:6)

 As our Lord stated in Luke 4:18,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor (the poor in spirit, the contrite); He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted (the meek, the teachable) …

To proclaim liberty (restitution) to the captives (“Sold under sin.” Rom. 7:14) …

All are mentioned as “prisoners,” some in the prison house, in “death” Isa 42:7, and some prisoners in bondage, “captives” not yet barred in).

 …and recovery of sight to the blind (blind to the truth)

 …to set at liberty those who are bruised.”

Were they not ALL bruised by the fall, imperfect, blemished, wounded, sore–mentally, morally and physically?

This figure fitly represents the bondage of corruption, infirmity, etc., which are concomitants to the death penalty. How comparatively valueless would all the other features of blessings be if sickness, pain and imperfection continued.

In our next post we move on to the final subject under, “The Millennium and the End of Sin”, what our Adventist friends have to say concerning “The Resurrection of Condemnation”.