EVERY DISPENSATION INVOLVES DEATH

Recently, someone asked me if anyone died during the one thousand-year, millennial reign of Jesus, and to be quite honest, I was not sure.  I knew of the verse which speaks of a person dying at the age of one hundred being considered a child (Isa. 65:20), but in the next two verses, Isaiah speaks of men living to be as old as trees, and that they apparently will not die, as no one gets their inheritance.  So, I decided that today, I would try to "rightly divide," and see what the Word says on the subject.   

Just a reminder, when the Bible speaks of "rightly dividing the Word" (2 Tim. 2:15), I believe it is referring to the study of God's seven-staged revelation to mankind.  With each of the seven unique dispensations, He reveals more about Himself and about His plan.  What man always does with the information, with the exception of a remnant, is to reject it, resulting in death, both spiritual and physical.  Examples:

*  Innocence - Do not eat of one tree - they ate - the fall; they died spiritually.
*  Conscience - Do what you know is right - they were wicked - the flood.
*  Government - Do replenish the Earth - they congregated - nations fought Wars.
*  Israel - Do occupy the land - they went to Egypt - many, as slaves, died.
*  The Law - Do obey the Law or sacrifice - they crucified their innocent Messiah.
*  The Church - Do preach the Gospel - we fail and billions remain spiritually dead.
*  The Millennium - Do obey Christ - Satan is loosed and billions who rebel, die.

In all of the dispensations, some form of death takes place as a result of sin, but the Millennium is unique for a couple of very obvious reasons:  1)  The Creator of the Universe dwells with mankind, and sin is dealt with quickly and severely, an obvious deterrent (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15; etc.); and 2)  Satan is bound for the thousand years (Rev. 20:3).  The reason that is so significant is because death is the working of Satan; Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."  It isn't until Satan is loosed at the end of the Millennium, that death is mentioned, and it occurs to those who follow him in attacking Jesus and His saints (Rev. 20:7-9)!

 

The death men need to fear the most, is the second death (Rev. 21:8)!!!