A Visit To Millennial Headquarters

A Visit to Millennial Headquarters October 5, 2009 | From theTrumpet.com

Stretch your imagination to see what the Holy City of Jerusalem is going to look like in just a very few years! BY JOEL HILLIKER

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n the days of King David, the headquarters of God’s chosen nation was in Jerusalem. David

wanted to build God a house there that would be “exceeding magnifical”—so magnificent that its splendor would actually bring people to God. He instructed his son Solomon in that stirring headquarters vision, and Solomon built the temple. When the queen of Sheba visited, she was so impressed that she uttered, “Blessed be the Lord thy God”! (1 Kings 10:9). God’s earthly headquarters pointed this queen to God, just as King David and God intended. She was moved to contribute wealth to this glorious project (verse 10). She left God’s earthly headquarters inspired and filled with vision! This same scene played out over and over. People came from all over to witness the magnificence of God’s headquarters with their own eyes. Kings gave of their treasure, adding to the treasure the Israelites gave. Verse 14 shows that, in a single year, well over half a billion dollars’ worth of gold (in today’s value) came in. That feeling of awe, respect, joy and peace is exactly the feeling that people the world over will have about God’s headquarters on Earth in the World Tomorrow. And, once again, that headquarters will be Jerusalem. Can you imagine what that will be like?

Repentance in Jerusalem When He returns, Jesus Christ will rule the world from David’s throne where it belongs: Jerusalem. Before He can establish His government, however, He must issue some harsh correction. He will have a sharp two-edged sword and a rod of iron. All people who came against Jerusalem to conquer it must answer to Christ (Zechariah 12:3, 9). Once their rebellion is put down and their blinders are removed, people will recognize just whom they have been fighting. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon” (verses 10-11).

What a beautiful prophecy! Imagine eyes being opened. Imagine people coming to recognize God— and repenting for having had any part of fighting against and killing His very Son! They will blush for shame over what they have done to God the Father. They will see that even though they hated Him, He only loves them. “THE WHOLE WORLD WILL LOOK UPON THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST AND MOURN AS IF THEY HAD LOST A FIRSTBORN SON !”, editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in Jerusalem in Prophecy. “God will correct all of humanity by getting them focused on God and Jerusalem!” Once people have been humbled, they will begin to build a habit of focusing on God—and on God’s headquarters. “God will reach into the lives of every repentant person on Earth—from Jerusalem” (ibid.).

Lifted Up! The whole world will smolder in desolation after the Tribulation. Reconstruction will begin in Jerusalem. Psalm 48:2 calls Jerusalem “the city of the great King.” Christ Himself called it that (Matthew 5:35). He will be right there, surely personally directing the reconstruction and rebuilding of the capital city. “All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place …. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (Zechariah 14:10-11). The earth in that whole area will be raised! “The whole land is to be leveled to a plain in order that Jerusalem may be elevated, and then the holy city is to be restored to its former grandeur,” Lange’s Commentary explains. “The capital seated on her hills shines conspicuous as the only elevation in a very wide region.” Jerusalem is geographically at the center of the map. It is about to be the most prominent real estate on Earth. And the most prominent structure within Jerusalem will be the headquarters temple. The mountain of God’s house will be established as the highest of the mountains, and exalted above the hills (Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; Zechariah 8:3). The temple will dominate the landscape at the headquarters city, helping people look to where Christ is.

The Millennial Temple The Prophet Ezekiel describes that temple in wonderful detail. It will be patterned after God’s heavenly temple, the seat of His throne today. It will have a footprint of half a million square feet, occupying about 13 acres. The outer precinct around the temple, described in the last nine chapters of Ezekiel, will occupy about 1 square mile of land. The headquarters city itself will only be about 7½ miles square. Considering that it will be the command center for the whole world’s system of governing, that is quite an efficient headquarters facility.

God’s law will begin flowing from that city to the wide world. News of its construction projects and activities, of classes being taught there, will supply headlines around the globe. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (verse 9). All peoples will have one supreme King—one world government—one religion. They will begin to see the benefits of righteous leadership. They’ll experience the joy of living under God’s government. Jerusalem will become “the joy of the whole earth” (Psalm 48:2). God’s earthly headquarters will set the standard for the world!

Where People Will Get Nourishment Over time, everyone will be rejoicing over Jerusalem. “Rejoice with Jerusalem … that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory” (Isaiah 66:10-11; Revised Standard Version). What beautiful imagery. Jerusalem is likened to the mother, from where people receive their nourishment. That is really talking about Christ’s helpmeet—the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 21:9). “For thus says the LORD: ‘Behold … you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem’” (Isaiah 66:12-13; RSV). As the King’s helpmeet, Christ’s bride will care for His whole Family. That marriage is intended to “bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4)—sons into the Family! “In this present evil world, there has been unparalleled suffering in that city. SHORTLY, THE WILL LOOK TO JERUSALEM FOR COMFORT. WHAT A CHANGE!”, Mr. Flurry wrote (Jerusalem in Prophecy).

WHOLE WORLD

“And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb …” (Isaiah 66:14). How awesome life will be at that temple, filled with God’s Spirit-born Family! You can be sure it will hum with excitement and dynamic energy.

The Choicest Real Estate on Earth Alongside this thriving God-Family workforce in the temple will be a robust community of physical human beings, growing up, living and working in the foothills of the headquarters facility—the “suburbs” of Jerusalem. What will life be like for them? “In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David …” (Zechariah 12:8). Theweakest among the human beings in that area will be as strong as David! There will be widespread vibrant health, as well as spiritual courage and boldness! “The Lord will exalt his people to a degree of strength and glory far transcending anything in their past experience,” explains Lange’s. “[O]ne who can scarce hold himself up, much less attack a foe, shall become a hero like David.” Zechariah gives us a wonderful, specific picture of life for human beings there: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (Zechariah 8:4-5). There, in the foothills of the temple, a blessed, active, social

life will thrive. City streets will be closed to traffic, and people of all generations will enjoy themselves together there. Surely many people will want to live close to headquarters. Jeremiah 32:43-44 show that there will be an active real-estate industry in the areas around Jerusalem—the buying and selling of property. It will be the choicest place to live on Earth.

An Awesome Security System Note the physical and agricultural wealth in that area: “For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. … So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not” (Zechariah 8:12, 15). Joel 3:16-20 say that the mountains around Jerusalem will drop new wine, the hills will flow with milk, and the rivers will flow with waters. That whole area will be a paradise! “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein” (Zechariah 2:4). Today, that city is a maze of tiny, narrow streets, hemmed in by walls and surrounded by protective, defensive fortifications. Tomorrow, it will be spread out like open country— yet flourishing with a multitude of people and even animal husbandry (see also Jeremiah 33:12-13). Why won’t Jerusalem need protective gates? “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her” (Zechariah 2:5). Jesus Christ will reside there in all His glory, protecting as a fiery wall from invaders from outside, and glowing with glory on the inside! Crime and wrongdoing will not exist. The fiery God of the Old Testament will safeguard the whole city. As in ancient Israel, He will show His presence in a cloud by day and a flaming fire by night, defending the people, sheltering them from heat, and providing refuge from storm and rain. That cloud will appear over every dwelling, and everywhere people are assembling, across Mount Zion (Isaiah 4:5-6).

Global Reputation As the reputation of God’s capital city spreads, it will attract international attention on a scale far greater than Solomon’s temple did. People will begin to flow to Jerusalem. Like the queen of Sheba anciently, many nations will come and say, Let’s go up to the mountain of God and see His house! “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord” (Zechariah 8:20-22). Countless prophecies show how people the world over will eagerly travel to Jerusalem to visit the temple and worship Christ. Imagine a world where people are eager and excited to learn God’s truth. When they see someone associated with headquarters, they will clamor to go with him! (verse 23). Perhaps films or broadcasts will circulate around the world showing the latest developments in the building project. Publications might display beautiful photos of the temple and surrounding structures,

the colleges, the entertainment productions, the city life, the people in the streets who are heroes like David.

A 24-Hour-a-Day Project As the years of the Millennium go by, the capital will become more and more spectacular. As the nations visit, they will do just as the queen of Sheba did: They will donate of their wealth in order to support headquarters! Isaiah 60:5 says that “the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you [Jerusalem], the wealth of the nations shall come to you” (RSV). Not only will nations bring their wealth there, but the mineral wealth locked away in the seas will also be converted for use in the capital. “[T]he world’s gold and silver reserves are mostly under the seas,” Mr. Armstrong wrote in Mystery of the Ages. “Scientists know most of the earth’s raw materials lie in the strata beneath the depths of the seas. God says this vast wealth will become available for use during the reign of Jesus Christ on this Earth! “God says the wealth of the world will be centered in Jerusalem, and that the vast rebuilding programs, rehabilitation processes and new-age pioneering that begin will be backed by that wealth.” Verses 6-9 describe how the treasures of the nations will flow into headquarters on a massive scale. People from all over the world will want to glorify God and enrich His house. “Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee” (Psalm 68:29). This is the building program of the World Tomorrow. The importation of riches will continue 24 hours a day, so the gates can never be shut (Isaiah 60:11). What an inspiring picture! Those offerings in the future are going to build Jerusalem. Thus, God will tie all people, no matter how far away they live, into headquarters in a special way. They will all have their role to play in making Jerusalem the finest headquarters it can be. What a brilliant beacon of light to the whole world! Imagine the light that will emerge from that place —even during the Millennium (verses 19-20). What an effect seeing headquarters will have on these visitors. The blessings, the peace, the glory and majesty will be overwhelming.

Instilling Fear—Through Blessing God says nations will “fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity” God gives (Jeremiah 33:9). Witnessing the blessings God showers on His capital city, people will grow in godly fear. They will deeply realize just how wonderful God truly is! Like the queen of Sheba, they will say, “Blessed be the Eternal your God, which delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because the Eternal loved Israel for ever.” In effect, that statement was a prophecy of how God will use Jerusalem during the Millennium to convert the world. “Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place … in the streets of Jerusalem … The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride …” (verses 10-11). People will hear the voice of Jesus Christ and His bride. “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (verse 15). God the Father here draws

attention to the fact that Christ came from the lineage of David because He wants to show people the connection with that man—to help them see that He is turning people into sons of God! People will see that Christ is sitting on DAVID’S THRONE. They will say, David is king! He was a man and now he’s a spirit being! What a wonderful plan God has.

The Feast Anciently, whenever there was a temple in Jerusalem, the Israelites—and later the Jews—used it as the center of their worship. The Bible’s description of Jesus’s life, even from His childhood, shows how the Jews were in the habit of traveling there for the holy days, three times a year: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Acts 2 also describes Jews from abroad worshipping in Jerusalem. During these holy day periods, “a constant stream of humanity ribboned the highways leading into first-century Jerusalem. Devout Jews poured in from distant corners of the world to worship [God] in the mountain of His holiness. … Weeks before the [festival], the trickles began—from Asia Minor, from Egypt, from Africa, from Italy, from Greece, from Mesopotamia—and soon the stream became a river. The current of this river flowed upward. Whether the first part of the journey was by boat or by land, no one ever went down to Jerusalem. The holy city sat like a crown 2,610 feet above sea level, and the temple was its brightest, most prominent jewel. In order to reach this destination, all travelers first had to go through the surrounding valleys. The contrasting loftiness of that final ascent built a sense of holiness and awe within the pilgrims as they climbed ever upward” (Ceil and Moishe Rosen, Christ in the Passover). This is describing history, but it is remarkable in light of the Bible’s prophecies. “The number of permanent residents in the Jerusalem that Jesus knew was about 600,000. A conservative estimate of the vast multitude of [festival] pilgrims is about 2 million, who swelled the city’s population to almost four times its normal size” (ibid.). “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16). Clearly, a travel industry will be necessary. What will it be like for those people traveling into Jerusalem for the Feast? The whole city will be swarming with people from all over the world—and governed in a loving, efficient way by a cloud of spirit beings. They’ll surely be bursting with emotion to stand within the gates of that headquarters city (Psalm 122:1-2). They will sense God’s Spirit there. They’ll see a place of peace and joy. “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together” (verse 3). This may well be referring to the impressive buildings in the capital city. Think of it: We will need a lot of accommodations to house all those people! But everything will be highly organized, peaceful and efficient. And why? “For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David” (verse 5). This is a city with multiple kings—and, over them all, a King of kings! (See also Jeremiah 17:25-26.) Scripture continually reinforces this extraordinary link between Christ, the throne of David, and the headquarters of the Millennium.

Jerusalem After the Millennium

We have just taken a whirlwind tour of that capital city. And as great and awesome and impressive as it will be, it is only going to get better after that. “The Jerusalem of the Millennium will be taken down in the final fire just before Christ delivers the Kingdom of God to the Father …. The whole surface of the Earth will be burned up, including the beautiful headquarters city” (Gerald Flurry, Jerusalem in Prophecy). “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1). “… I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). It’s hard to imagine forgetting all that glory we have just imagined, but what comes after it is so awesome, it will completely surpass it. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:2-3). God the Father will move from the third heaven and establish His new eternal universal headquarters and throne room right there in Jerusalem! The millennial headquarters temple will take up only 13 acres; that’s all we’ll need for governing the nations of the Earth. But the city that will serve as a headquarters facility for the UNIVERSEwill be 1,500 miles across, 1,500 miles deep, and 1,500 miles high! Airplanes only fly about 6 or 7 miles above the Earth’s surface. What a city! “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (verses 22-23). This city will be a beacon for the entire universe! Light will emanate more brightly from there than anywhere in the cosmos, because God the Father dwells there, and Jesus Christ dwells there—and Christ’s bride dwells there. Nations will travel to bring glory and honor to it continually (verses 24-26). The Bible actually reveals that those whom God is calling today are preparing for headquarters positions forever. God is teaching them how to be tied in and focused on where the Head is. What an extraordinary vision is wrapped up in headquarters—the place where God dwells! •

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