Violence continues in the Middle East.  The Gaza Strip really lit up this week with Hamas and Fatah fighting among themselves for control of the Palestinian Authority.  Our government backs President Abbas of the Fatah party, but that political faction is about as corrupt as is Hamas.  Both would love to see Israel just disappear from the Middle East scene.  And Israeli gunships targeted Hamas targets within Gaza in order to prevent more Kassam rockets from entering the southern Negev, especially around the beleaguered city of Sderot.  Could this be but the birthpangs of an all-out invasion of Gaza by the IDF this summer?  One can only wonder.  But my sources within Israel have told me that something is going to happen this summer, and best bets are either an invasion of Gaza to drive Hamas out of the country, or a war with Syria over the Golan Heights.  How interested is Russia in all this, you might ask.  Very interested, I will respond.  Believe me when I say that President Putin is keeping a watchful eye on the happenings in Israel and the Middle East.  (Note: I have written a lengthy article on the coming war of Gog and Magog from Ezekiel 38 and 39.  It will soon be posted at our website: www.vsb.net.  Look for it under the heading of Philogian articles.)  And, here in the States, the immigration bill is heating up.  The country seems as divided on this issue as on the Iraq War issue.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

Our Village Schools family suffered a great loss this past week when our founder, Monty Sholund, entered the presence of the Lord after a lengthy illness.  Monty was one of those giants of the faith who loved to proclaim the Word of God.  Many had the privilege of joining with me in sharing tributes to Monty and to his Lord at the memorial services on Friday morning.  Monty was a pioneer on the mission field in Congo, going there in 1947.  He helped to build the Tandala Hospital and clinics there.  Then he and his wife moved to South Africa where Monty served for over 25 years, during which time he founded the Rosebank Bible College.  He came to the States in 1982 to retire, but instead was used by God to found a Bible teaching ministry that has reached several thousands of students around the world.  It was a privilege for me to serve with Monty these past eight years.  He will be missed, but we know heaven is richer because of his presence.

Now, onto our study of the Millennium. 
We are in Revelation 20, verses 1-6, the only portion of Scripture in the New Testament that describes the Millennium for us.  You might remember that I shared with you in a previous Musing that the Millennium is the second most prophesied event in the Bible, second only to the return of Christ.  Yet, it is given only six verses in the New Testament.  Why is that?  The best I can answer is that the Millennium is an Old Testament event that occurs at the close of the New Testament era.  Therefore we are indebted to the Old Testament for our understanding of the Millennium. 

We ask ourselves the question:  What will the Millennium be like?  First, it will be a perfect spiritual environment.  This is the result of Satan's being bound in the bottomless pit for those one thousand years.  This was discussed in our previous Musing.  Second, the Millennium will be a perfect moral environment.  Only those who have received Christ as Savior and who survive the brutal closing days of the Tribulation will enter this Kingdom.  The Bible proclaims that Christ is the sovereign ruler (Psalm 2:6-9); Christ's rulership extends to all ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8-11); and holiness will occur in every phase of society (Zechariah 14:20-21).  Third, the Millennium will be a perfect physical environment.  The earth will produce prolifically (Isaiah 35:1-2, 4-7).  [Note: when a person travels today in Israel, the desert is blooming and is very productive.  One can only imagine what it will be like during the Millennium].  The Bible also declares that a man will love on his own piece of land and enjoy it (Micah 4:4-5).  Productivity will be so great there will be no time lapse between sowing and reaping (Amos 9:13).  Finally, it will be a time of peace and tranquility (Isaiah 11:9).  I would encourage each of you to grab a Bible dictionary and begin to explore this amazing time. 

But, what happens when the thousand years are completed?  Revelation 20:7-10 tells us that Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit.  Why will he be loosed?  First, it will prove Satan is still the same after the one thousands years of imprisonment.  And second, it will prove that sinful human nature does not change after one thousand years of living in a perfect environment.  The problem is never man's environment...the problem is man's heart.  When he is released from the pit, Satan will readily gather an army that cannot be numbered.  Who are these individuals?  They are men and women who were born during the time of the Millennium.  They were born with a sin-nature that was silent for those many years because Satan was locked away.  But, when he is released, that sin-nature can now give expression to sin.  And many will chose that way instead of following Christ.  These will be destroyed by Christ and Satan will join the Antichrist and the false prophet in the Lake of Fire.  Satan is finally defeated!  The victory promised to Christ is now fully realized!  The warfare is ended!  Hallelujah!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Memory has a way of oversimplifying the past.  (Corey Ford)