Weekly message: Recognizing the Millennial prosperity 4/22/2018
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music
Introduction
My friends, have you ever wondered what is your inheritances from God? Have you ever asked and prayed to God to prosper you with property, land or house, but the answer seems has never come to your way? Perhaps, you need to know what God’s predestination to you? What the Biblical precepts of inheritances to you? In O.T. Book of Joshua Chapter13 to 19 unveils the inheritances of God are not only the property, land, house, earthly wealth but God himself as eternal life.
Historical events of inheritance
In O.T. Book of Joshua 13 to 19 provides a prospect of the inheritance. After Moses passed away Joshua took the leadership to lead Israelites to occupy Canaan. When Joshua was ninety or one hounded years old, there are still very large areas of land to be taken over. (13:1). each tribe received the inheritance as their territories as follows,
The tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance, since the offerings made by fire to the Lord; the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them. (Joshua13:14, 33)
The territory given to Reuben previously occupied by Moab was just to the E. of the Dead Sea. The area given to the tribe of Gad, N. of the Dead Sea, was originally a part of Gilead. Half of the tribe of Manasseh settled E. of the Jordan, the other half chose to settle W. of the Jordan.[1]
Caleb son of Jephunneh who followed the Lord wholeheartedly received Hebron as his inheritance. (Joshua14:13).
“The inheritance of Judah is in the southern border extended from the S. end of the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) westward to the Wadi of Egypt. Her northern border extended from the N. tip of the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean.”[2] The inheritance of Ephraim was allotted the southern part of the central hill country, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. [3]
The inheritance of Benjamin (Joshua 8:11-28) drew an allotment of land between the territories of Judah and Ephraim, in clouding Jerusalem (in fulfillment of Deut.33:12). The inheritance of Simeon (19:1-9) was given land in the southern section of Judah’s territory in fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy (Gen.49:5).[4] Nebulun was allotted a landlocked area in lower Galilee the included Nazareth and was traversed by trade routes. The territory of Isaachar was N. of that given to Manasseh and reached from Mt. Tabor on the W. to the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. The Asher settled along the Mediterranean coast from Mt. Carmel N. to Tyre, where the Phoenicians were. [5] To the E. of Asher was the territory of Naphtali. Dan was allotted a small section of the territory of Benjamin and the Mediterranean. [6]
Joshua received the special inheritances; the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there. (Joshua19:49-51)
Jacob, by adopting Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own sons will be mine and thus elevating them to a position equal with his other sons, insured that Joseph’s descendants would receive a double inheritance. Apparently, Jacob transferred the rights of the firstborn from Reuben to Joseph, the firstborn of his beloved Rachel (Gen.48:5, 15,16).[7] But Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. (Gen.48:19-20). The double-portion right of the firstborn was given to Joseph’s two sons. The Levites were given certain towns and pasturelands (Num.35:2,4,5).
The Millennial Prosperity
Jacob’s blessing to His sons stated in Genesis 49:1-27, “the prediction of Judah did not begin to be fulfilled until the time of King David, some 640 years after Jacob’s prophecy, he comes, or Shiloh, which probably means “the one who brings or until he comes to that which belongs to” peace. Referring to Messiah who would be of the tribe of Judah (Rev.5:5). At His second coming, Messiah Christ will receive international acknowledgment. (Gen.49:8-12). “He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than mil.”(Gen.49:11-12). Describe the millennial prosperity, with vines so plentiful no one will hesitate to tie an ass to them.” [8]
Implication and Application
My friends, when we delight in the Lord, follow the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly, God’s blessing assurance of the millennial prosperity and rewards to us are always “yes”. When there are no earthly property lands to claim as inheritances, perhaps, we need to recognize the millennial prosperity is the servants of God’s predestination and acknowledge our inheritance in Christ is God himself as the tribe of Levi rather than the tribe of Reuben.
My friends! Maybe you are Pastors, Ministers, served the Lord wholeheartedly as tribe of Levi, yet, you did not gain the lands or houses as inheritances, or maybe you own the lands, houses as Tribe of Reuben, but lost all the properties because of the natural disaster: earthquake, hurricane, hailstorm, and tornado. Take the comfort of this, God’s blessing assurance of the millennial prosperity and rewards to you are always “yes”, through the tribe of Judah, Messiah Christ will be the gate and door for you to enter in. As the Lord says, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”(Rev.22:12) “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright Morning Star.”(Rev.22:16). “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which is coming down out of heaven from my God and I will also write on him my new name… (Rev.3:12) the New Jerusalem is heavenly city will be the dwelling place of all believers, saints, and the bride of Christ during eternity. (Rev.21:9-22:5).
Listen to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGPKotbVI0&t=57s
View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGPKotbVI0
Listen to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGPKotbVI0&t=57s
View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGPKotbVI0
Bibliography,
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Brown, Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D. Douglas, ed. The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.1990.
Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Lucado, Max. God is with you every day. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015
____. Glory days. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015.
Myers, Roth. 31 days of praise. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 1994.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
Strong, James. Strong’s: the expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010.
