, etc. Millennial conditions under the scepter of the Prince of Peace are described in these paragraphs. Revealed knowledge will be so abundant among men that satan will have no power over their hearts. Their enlightenment and consequent refinement will be so dominant that even the brute creation, and especially the higher animals, will feel the influence thereof. (Comp. Rom. 8:19-25)
Opinions among Bible students differ concerning the Millennium. Is it a literal kingdom on earth, governed by our Lord in person? Or, is it all spiritual? The answer depends largely on how the Revelation by John, and especially chapters 20 and 21, are understood. The Book of Revelations is—in passing—a connecting sacred literary link between the Old Testament prophetic era, especially Ezekiel and Daniel, and the prophetic office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in as much as a “key” to it is incorporated in the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 77. The Lord, evidently, expects the Saints to study it. What then does the Book of Revelation itself say?
The Revelation by John. This book is divided into two parts, “The things which are,” and “The things which shall be hereafter” (1:19).
The first part refers mainly to the churches in Asia Minor at the time of John. It is a message sent to them by our Lord himself, through the Apostle. (1:10, 11) It is recorded in Rev. 1 to 3.
The second part was shown to him (a) in a sequence of visions beyond the veil, in heaven, (D. and C. 77:6: “The revealed will, mysteries and works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.” This first division of the second part ends with chapter 11.
That chapter also ends the “key” given to the Church through the Prophet Joseph, showing that his information on the subject of the construction of the book was more correct than that possessed by most scholars of our day. What follows chapter 11 is visions added by inspiration and so carefully selected that the Apostle assures us that if any undertake to add anything, or to take anything therefrom, he would be excluded from access to the tree of life and the holy city. (Rev. 12); a beast rising up out of the sea, and another out of the earth (13); the Lamb and 144,000 on Mt. Sion; three angels, one of whom has the everlasting gospel to proclaim, followed by a harvest and a vintage (14), and then the pouring out of seven vials of plagues (15, 16). Then comes the vision of the woman on the beast (17); the destruction of “Babylon” (18); songs of praise (19:1-10), when Christ, followed by heavenly hosts, establishes his reign as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:11-21); new heavens and a new earth (20-22:5); and the conclusion (22:6-21).
These added visions appear to be explanations in greater detail, nearer views or “close-ups,” as it were, of visions in the first portion of the second, or prophetic, part of the book. Thus, the vision of the angel with the everlasting gospel (14:6, 7) adds details to the vision of the angel with the little book (Chapt. 10), and the vision of the millennium (chapt. 20) is a nearer view of the briefer revelation in 11:15-19:
“And there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The Kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever * * * We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, which art and which wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.” (1
We note that, according to the Revelation, “the kingdom of the world” has become “the Kingdom of our Lord,” because he has, by his great power, taken possession as its King. That is the Millennium. That is the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom. We now turn to other parts of the New Testament for further information of the nature of the kingdom of God.
John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the prophets of the Mosaic dispensation (22:29) Its spiritual nature is evident from the Sermon on the Mount (its fundamental law), from the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, and from his own declaration before Pilate:
“Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37)
Which is as much as to say, that the kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of truth, reality, not pretense; that its subjects are those only who are true, genuine, honest; and that the world will be redeemed from its condition of hypocrisy and falsehood by the testimony of the citizens of the kingdom of Christ bearing witness of the truth, not by violence. Thus the kingdoms of the world, under whatever form of government they may exist, will become the kingdom of Christ, for him to mould and govern, in accordance with the demands of the eternal principles of truth.
Christ to Return. When our Lord was preparing for his departure, his disciples asked him whether he now was about “to restore the kingdom of Israel.” He was not, But, he said, “ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:6-8)
The day for the departure of Jesus had come. While the disciples were looking intently into heaven, on the cloud behind which he had disappeared from their view, two men “in white apparel” stood by them, who said: “Ye men of Galilee ... this Jesus, which was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.” (2 Thess. 2:8)
This is the testimony of the Scriptures.
They bear witness of a long time of apostasy. But that is not the end. The wicked one will be destroyed. Babylon, the woman on the beast, will be judged. Christ will return. There will be joy and thanksgiving in heaven. “Again and again, and again, the cry is heard there, ’Allelujah;’ and the servants of God on earth are summoned to join in the song.” (Dr. Joseph Angus.)
Students of this important subject are, further, referred to the 88:86-110; Pearl of Great Pr., Mos. 7:47-67.