What will it be like to live during this 1,000 year period of history?
Welcome back! In this piece, we will study one of the most fascinating biblical topics you could ever consider...”What will life be like when Jesus comes back and rolls-out His 1,000 year rule and reign of peace on earth?”
Studying these things right now, with all of the related current events, is so relevant. Once you dive into to this 1,000 year period of history (the last period of history), you find it is a deep dive, with much more to think about, than you would ever dream. Therefore, I divided this study into two parts.
I also wanted to present it in topical sections, that would allow you to consider a few topics at a time. Here a list of the topics you will see in this study during both parts, after the introduction and review.
- First...we see His actual coming.
- Then...we see what does He does as soon as He arrives.
- Next, we see how He sets up His kingdom and His government on earth for the thousand year reign.
So, our what and how questions are:
- What will His government look like?
- What people will be there as the millennial kingdom begins?
- What will family life be like?
- What will be the relationship between people and animals?
- How will languages and communications interact?
- How will laws be enforced? Will there be a need for standing armies?
- Will farming and agriculture continue?
- What will the weather be like?
- Will the study of medicine, science, and technology continue?
- What will happen at the end of this 1,000 year period?
Look at all of the current events going on in the middle east right now with Israel and all the surrounding Muslim nations (including Hamas). Then look at how the nations around the world are getting involved and taking a stand against Israel.
The last two weeks, even President Biden has begun to slowly turn against Israel, even though the US has always backed Israel 110%, since it became a nation in May of 1948. Biden’s slow turn against Israel is unprecedented! He says he is still backing them, but then he gives them mandates to do this or do that, which all mean “Stop your war on Hamas” or “Risk losing our support”.
Netanyahu announced today (Sunday - April 7, 2024), that he would be pulling most of his troops out of Gaza, which appears to be a nod to Biden’s last appeal (really a mandate) to him. Many analysts believe Netanyahu is really pulling all but 25,000 troops back up north, because Iran is now an immediate threat on Israel’s northern border.
I believe Netanyahu knows if he does not go back to Gaza as soon as he can, Hamas will effectively regroup, and the same old problems will start over. Personally, I don’t think Netanyahu will ever agree to a two-state solution, as long as he is leading the nation, but only God knows how long that will be. Similarly, Jesus Christ will never agree to a two-state solution.
The point being, that everything happening right now to Israel and around Israel, can easily be leading up to and bringing together that scenario, where Zechariah 12:3 materializes right before our eyes.
Zechariah 12:3: On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her (Israel), I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move against it will injure themselves.
Today, we study the “4th leg” of the prophetic race, which is the physical and spiritual reign of peace, in the 1,000 year millennial kingdom of JESUS CHRIST on this earth. With that in mind, let us begin our study of the millennial kingdom, by first reviewing the larger context of today’s focus, which are the “6 legs” in our prophetic relay race to the end of time as we know it.
- The End-Times leading up to and including the rapture itself.
- The 7 Year Tribulation period following the rapture.
- The Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the 7 year tribulation period.
- The One-Thousand Year Millennial reign of Jesus Christ on this earth in person.
- The Great White Throne Judgement.
- The beginning of what we call “Eternity Future”. In a biblical context, we see:
- Eternity Past: What God did before He created anything.
- Eternity Present: What played out and continues to play out during the course of history, that we each experience while we live out our lives (the present time for each generation).
- Eternity Future: What God will do after time is no more. History is finished. There will only be the eternal God Head (Father-Son-Holy Spirit) and His people that He redeemed throughout history.
It is interesting how much the world is really interested in the end-times, although many times, they don’t want to admit it. As an example, I have inserted below the words of a popular song from 1969 called “IN THE YEAR 2525”, that asks the hypothetical question of what will happen to people and the earth by the year 2525. It became the number 1 hit of the year and reached the number 1 spot a week before Apollo 11’s moon landing.
By Rick Evans & Denny Zager
The song has really creative and even humorous points, and does its best to envision the future. The tune is so catchy, that I inserted the link in red text below, where you can actually listen to the song. If you listen to it, you can follow the words, as they sing them. You will enjoy and appreciate their message more this way.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=l3yDLvp9le0
In the year 2525...if man is still alive...If woman can survive, they may find...
In the year 3535...Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Everything you think, do and say Is in the pill you took today...
In the year 4545...Ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to chew...Nobody's gonna look at you
In the year 5555...Your arms hangin' limp at your sides
Your legs got nothin' to do...Some machine's doin' that for you
In the year 6565...Ain’t gonna need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too...
From the bottom of a long glass tube...Woah-oh
In the year 7510...If God's a coming, He oughta make it by then
Maybe He'll look around Himself and say...Guess it's time for the judgment day
In the year 8510...God is gonna shake His mighty head
He'll either say “I'm pleased where man has been”
Or tear it down, and start again...Woah-oh
In the year 9595...I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give and he ain't put back nothing
Woah-oh
[Bridge]
Now it's been ten thousand years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what, he never knew,
Now man's reign is through
But through eternal night,
The twinkling of starlight, so very far away,
Maybe it's only yesterday
In the year 2525...if man is still alive...If woman can survive, they may find...
Source: LyricFind / Songwriters: Richard Lee Evans
In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
With so much chaos, war, in-fighting, and land grabbing happening all over the world and inside our own country, many of us have probably day-dreamed what it would like to live in total peace. Many people have tried to create a utopian environment down through the ages, but no one has really succeeded or had any success for very long.
So, I wanted to include two links below that explain previous attempts at UTOPIA in history for you to study, if you have an interest. These two attempts show how futile this goal is without God.
Utopia: Nine of the most miserable attempts to create idealized societies
- There is a fine tradition of Utopias going terribly wrong when people tried to put their ideals into practice.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/utopia-nine-of-the-most-miserable-attempts-to-create-idealised-societies-a6887316.html - The Failed Attempts to Create Utopian Communities.
https://goodfaithmedia.org/the-failed-attempts-to-create-utopian-communities-cms-23702/
Why can’t sincere and dedicated people pull this off? Because they fail to take into account the sinful nature of man (people). This one factor always shows it ugly head and messes things up for a million different reasons. It is the dominant factor in humanity, until Christ comes into a life or a society.
This is why the 1,000 year period of peace on earth (real utopia) established by Christ is so interesting. He will pull it off, even though not all of the people living during this time, will cooperate with an inward heart of willingness – they will cooperate outwardly or else – as we shall see. People will not be able to mess it up. The PRINCE OF PEACE will be in charge (see Isaiah 9:6).
To look back for a moment at the 2nd coming, one of the most important elements in that event is Jesus Christ coming back to hold the entire world (and every person) accountable to Him. In Mathew 28:16-20, the Lord Jesus had His final discussion with His disciples before they watch Him ascend to heaven. This is what He said:
Mathew 28:16-20: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age”.
Jesus said (as the God-Man...who is fully God & fully man) He has all authority in heaven and on earth. This is so important, because it takes us all the way back to the Garden of Eden when the first Adam (and Eve) were tempted by Satan to reject God’s authority.
Satan gave them the false promise, that if they rebelled and ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, they would become their own gods and be really free to do whatever they wanted (no accountability).
QUESTION: WHY WOULD ADAM & EVE THINK A SNAKE (whom Satan spoke through) OR THEY THEMSELVES, WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN GOD...what was better for them or what was true and what was false?
We know they went for it, sinned, and immediately fell into rebellion to God. This resulted in spiritual death and spiritual darkness. The other crucial thing that happened at this point, is that the authority God had given Adam & Eve over the earth and over every living thing, was now transferred to Satan. Satan himself referred to this authority transfer in the Garden of Eden, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness 4,000 years later.
Luke 4:5-7: The devil led Jesus up to a very high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor. It has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. If You worship me, it will all be yours”.
Note: That does not mean God lost control of the earth or anything in it. He can do with the earth and any of its people, anything He wants, anytime He wants. Psalm 24:1-2: The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. For He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
The Lord Jesus (referred to as the 2nd Adam by the Apostle Paul in Romans) overcame any and every temptation He faced, during His 33 year human life on earth (as He continually submitted to the Father’s will).
Then we know He died on that cross to take the punishment for all of the sinfulness, depravity, and rebellion – lived out through every human being since Adam & Eve. As a human being, He won that lost authority back. Satan no longer held it. Satan lost it to Jesus!!!
Therefore, as the eternal Son of God and the Son of Man, the Father gave Him all authority in heaven and earth (as well anywhere else in the universe). Therefore, every creature in the universe is subject to Him and under His absolute/sovereign authority. Consider these two passages.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28: Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He has put everything under His feet. Now when it says that “everything” has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God (the Father) Himself, who put everything under Christ. When He has done this, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.
Colossians 1:15-18: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Christ all things were created...things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together and He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Christ to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
“So” and this is a huge “so”, this accountability thing is a major issue at the 2nd coming. Adam & Eve’s descendants (all of mankind) down through the ages...all the way down to you and I right now...have struggled with authority and accountability to God. It has been the biggest challenge to human beings living in this fallen world.
Men and women have seen themselves as independent and sovereign individuals...as their own bosses. Literally, every wicked ruler who has ever lived has seen himself or herself as their own god (Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden) who deserves to rule the world.
The 2nd coming resolves all of this once and for all, when the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with all authority and power, in all of His holiness and righteousness, and takes visible control of the whole world. OH WHAT A SCENE THAT WILL BE! I am so grateful I will be there to see it.
One of the purposes of the Millennial Kingdom is to demonstrate what life on the earth would have been, had man not rebelled in the Garden of Eden, but instead had exercised his God-given dominion in righteousness.
[I hope you will settle this authority issue with the Lord Jesus before you die or before He comes back!]
Our major theme in this study is, “What will life be like when Jesus comes back and begins His 1,000 year rule and reign of peace on earth?”
- First we see His actual coming. He comes back to the earth on His white horse with His angelic armies and with Him are all the believers through the ages, who have been with Him in heaven.
Daniel 7:13-14: The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
- Next we see what He does when He arrives. He will first defeat the antichrist and his armies of this world. He lets a single angel throw the Devil and all his demons here on earth into a bottomless pit (the Abyss). This will be quite a demonstration of raw power. He then locks the pit up, so the 1,000 year kingdom of peace will not be hindered by Satan or demonic powers. [Note: The word abyss simply means “a deep hole”—so deep that it seems bottomless or immeasurable.]
Revelation 20:1-3: And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
- Next, He sets up His kingdom and His government on earth for the thousand year reign. Praise God there are no term-limits on Christ’s Lordship!
Revelation 19:14: In my vision at night I looked and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power. All peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
...Jesus will establish His worldwide earthly kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem.
Micah 4:1-2: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Zechariah 14:16-17: Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.
Jeremiah 31:1: At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.
...He will rule all the nations, with Israel playing a prominent role in that kingdom. Israel’s land, fortune, and reputation will be restored and people from around the world will come to Jerusalem both to worship the King and also conduct official business.
The twelve apostles will represent Christ’s rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. All of the saints (believers) from the Church-age and the Tribulation Period will represent Christ ruling over the Gentiles. Israel will be the center of the world geographically, politically, and financially.
Daniel 12:2: refers to the Millennial Kingdom as being filled with believers from all of history, as well as those who came to know Christ after the rapture.
Daniel 12:2: Multitudes (from all of history) who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
- What will His government be like?
...As stated earlier, Jesus will rule as King from the Third (or future) Temple in Jerusalem.
...He will rule as the supreme executive, supreme lawgiver, and supreme judge of the world.
...He will execute His laws and judge between the nations in the legal environment He sets up.
...There will be no bias, corruption, bribes, or deceptions.
...There will be an international policy for those who live during the millennial kingdom to travel to Jerusalem and worship the Lord in person annually. Anyone could go more often if they want, but an annual pilgrimage is called for.
Micah 4:2-4: Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths”. The law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and shall decide for strong nations afar off. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore, but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree. No one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
Isaiah 33:22: For the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us.
Note: We have all seen the Prime Minister of Israel - Benjamin Netanyahu - give speeches from the Prime Minister's Office or from the Knesset, the legislative body of Israel. I had the unusual privilege and pleasure of meeting Benjamin Netanyahu in person in the late 90’s. It was not in Israel, but rather in a church in San Antonio, Texas. I got to shake his hand, look him in the eye, and speak to him for just a minute or two. From that one encounter, I was personally impressed by him, but I am not a personality expert, and I don’t know what it’s like with him in meetings behind closed doors. He is very pro-Israel and pro-Christian and he has many Christian friends across the US.
The point being, that whenever I see him speak from Israel these days, I think about the coming time, when the Lord Jesus will be speaking publicly from His headquarters or His throne in Israel. Everyone in the world living in the millennial kingdom will be able to see Him and hear Him. I have no idea how He will do this. Will all of the Cable Channels operating then, similar to ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, FOX, etc., be broadcasting for Him or will He use other means that we are not familiar with yet? I do not know, but It sure is fascinating to think about it.
...Nations will still exist and there will still be international affairs and relationships, but there will be a righteous and sovereign one-world government ruling over them – the Government of the Lord Jesus Christ.
...The good news is there will no longer be corrupt international organizations like the Council On Foreign Nations, The UN Security Council, The International Monetary Fund, The World Health Organization, and all of the corrupt NGO’s around the world that take money from nations (like the US) and do their off-the-books unapproved work for them.
...Therefore, the Scriptures intentionally tell us that Jesus Christ (the God-Man) will judge the nations in truth.
...There will be two kinds of servants carrying out Christ’s will in the administration of His government and enforcing His rule during this 1,000 years.
- Elect Angels who can easily enforce and maintain the will of Christ around the world. Remember how Christ gave permission to just one of His holy angels to cast the devil and all demons into the abyss (bottomless pit) at one time? That took a lot of power. Those demonic forces would not have gone voluntarily. If one holy angel can do that (with Christ’s authority and permission), think what millions or even billions of holy angels can do making sure law, order, and peace stay in place during this time, with Jesus Himself right there. There will not be any problems.
- Resurrected believers will be involved in the daily affairs of governing the kingdom of Christ around the world.
As you read the few points below, please remember that the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-Man, does not need any help whatsoever ruling over and administering His earth.
- He is Omniscient: He knows anything and everything going on all the time, even before it happens.
- He is Omnipotent: He has all power and authority and can deal with any person or any situation just by thinking it or saying.
- His Spirit is Omnipresent: His Spirit is always everywhere at the same time. His body does not have to travel somewhere to know or act on anything.
“But” He chose to use people in His plans on earth. He created people to live on the earth for three primary reasons. One – to know Him, to fellowship with Him, and to worship Him in a joyful relationship. Two – to enjoy the environment He created for them and to fill the earth up with more people made in His image. Three – to use all of the intelligence and skills He endowed them with to take care of the earth, to develop all of its resources, and to take dominion over it (rule over it in righteousness as good stewards).
With that in mind, resurrected believers serving Him during this 1,000 year period could do any or all of the following functions or so many other things I could never think of.
- They could be government workers, public officials, or administrators.
- They could be human (but in resurrected form) enforcers of God’s rule.
- They could be judges in some judiciary form, hearing cases, rendering legal decisions, prosecuting attempts at open sin, and possibly carrying out disciplinary actions.
- No open sin or practicing of public vices will be tolerated! Violators will be stopped and dealt with immediately by the “saints” doing their work and the angels backing them up.
- There won’t be any more war, terrorism, holy Jihad, or the need for military forces, security agencies (like the FBI, CIA, NSA), law enforcement agencies, etc...
The nation of Israel itself will be ruled and governed by faithful Jews who Christ appoints over the various regions of the updated nation of Israel with all the land promised to Abraham 4,000 years ago.
Isaiah 65:9: I will bring forth descendants from Jacob and from Judah, those who will possess my mountains. My chosen people will inherit them and there will my servants live.
Isaiah 65:16: Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
Zechariah 14:21-23: They will build houses and dwell in them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people. My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune. For they will be a people blessed by the Lord and they and their descendants with them.
Matthew 19:28: Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
NOTE: You would enjoy seeing how large the land of Israel will be when God restores the full area that He promised to Abraham and his descendants. I found a great article with a nice map, showing what that land will look like in the near future.
Due to the length of the article and size of the map, I pasted it in at the very end of the devotion as an addendum, so that we would not lose our train of thought here. BUT if you want to see the map now, to help you visualize what Israel will soon be like as it serves as the capitol of the millennial world, please scroll down to the end for a few minutes and check it out, before you resume here.
In part 2, we will finish considering these questions:
- What people will be there as the millennial kingdom begins?
- What will family life be like?
- What will the relationship between people and animals be like?
- What will all of the languages and communications be like?
- What will law enforcement be like (including standing armies)?
- What will farming and agriculture be like?
- What will the weather be like?
- What will Medicine, Science, and Technology be like?
- What will happen at the end of this 1,000 year period?
- The addendum showing a map of the land Israel will possess.
We will also mention what happens at the end of the 1,000 year period of peace on earth and the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT.
Thanks again for your precious time!
Gene
PS: Here is the Addendum I mentioned earlier during this piece of what the restored land of Israel will look like soon.
The map assumes the 'river of Egypt' to mean the Nile River and takes into account most of the above. But if you include 'all the land of the Hittites' (in Joshua 1:4), it could extend northwards even further into Turkey.
The Promised Land: Israel’s Biblical Title Deeds
God promised that He would give all the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. He made a covenant with Abraham:
To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt (Jewish tradition: the Nile) as far as the great river, the River Euphrates (Gen 15.18)
I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines (Gaza coast), and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates (Exod 23.31)
Despite Israel’s future disobedience, this promise was unconditional in that the land was to be theirs forever; no strings attached:
I will give to you and to your descendants … all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession (Gen 17.8)
https://www.factsaboutisrael.uk/future-borders-of-israel-in-prophecy/
Location of Israel’s Future Borders
Let’s try and identify the biblical geographic boundaries. As the Israelites conquered more territory the term ‘Canaan’ was gradually applied to all the lands west of the Jordan valley, and there are references to Canaanites living in the valleys and plains of this region (Num 13.29)(Josh 11.3)(Judg 1.27). In time the LORD gave more detail of the geographical boundaries. For example, in Num 34.1-12 we find the boundaries given to Moses as he was about to divide up Canaan for the twelve tribes. These are:
Western: The Mediterranean Sea
Eastern: From Kadesh-barnea, via Zin and the salt sea to Zedad and Hamath in the north
Southern: From Kadesh Barnea to the Brook of Egypt (Jewish tradition takes this as the Nile)
Northern: From the Mediterranean Sea (Mount Hor) to Hamath to Zedad
The boundaries defined in Numbers 34 are shown in Fig.2 and in Ezek 47.13-20 we find more boundary detail which confirm these boundaries. It is clearly stated that the Jordan is the eastern boundary (v18) and the western boundary (the Mediterranean Sea) goes north as far as ‘opposite Hamath’ (v20). The southern boundary is defined by a ‘brook’ in Num 34.5 and Ezek 47.19 and by a ‘river’ in Gen 15.18. As mentioned, Jewish tradition takes this to be the Nile.
https://www.factsaboutisrael.uk/future-borders-of-israel-in-prophecy/
This news report shows that Israel is already in the progress of assuming their land. For now, they are acquiring what they can get away with, but with Christ in charge, the land restoration will happen immediately.
“Israel announces largest West Bank land seizure since 1993 during Blinken visit” by Cate Brown - March 22, 2024
Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the seizure of 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) of Palestinian territory in the West Bank on Friday. The move marks the single largest land seizure by the Israeli government since the 1993 Oslo accords, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog group.
“While there are those in Israel and the world who seek to undermine our right over the Judea and Samaria area and the country in general,” Smotrich said Friday, referring to the territory by its biblical name, “we are promoting settlement through hard work and in a strategic manner all over the country.”
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Still, Israel has used land orders like the one issued Friday to gain control over 16 percent of Palestinian-controlled lands in the West Bank. The newly seized area includes parcels in the Jordan Valley and between the settlements of Maale Adumim and Keidar.
The announcement came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the future of the war in Gaza. Blinken’s arrival followed meetings in Cairo with several Arab leaders, and amid calls from Democratic senators for President Biden to establish a “bold, public framework” for a two-state solution that recognizes a “nonmilitarized Palestinian state.”
Friday’s land order is particularly problematic for the prospect of a two-state solution, experts say.
“If Israel confiscates land around Jerusalem, all the way to the Dead Sea, there will be no future for a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem,” said Hamza Zubiedat, a land rights activist for the Ramallah-based Ma’an Development Center. “This is where a Palestinian capital was supposed to be located, according to the American and European talks.”
The land transfer will also cut across the West Bank, dividing the north and south.
“If the Israelis annex this area near Maale Adumim, it will be a catastrophe for Palestinians who live in the south,” Zubiedat said. “Palestinian traders, especially in the south, will be cut off, and it will become impossible to have any independent Palestinian ways of life.”
Source: B’Tselem
More than 40 percent of the West Bank is under the control of Israeli settlers, according to the Israel-based rights group B’Tselem, and more than half-a-million Jewish residents now live in the West Bank. Israel’s government has also used incentive programs to move Jewish residents into West Bank settlements, where more than 200 settlements and unofficial outposts have fractured the Palestinian territory and displaced Palestinian residents. In recent years, the Housing Ministry has offered subsidized apartments in the West Bank through a lottery system.
Palestinians have little ability to stop the land transfers. After the 1967 war, Israel issued a military order that stopped the process of land registration across the West Bank. Now families lack the paperwork to prove that they have private ownership over their land. And tax records, the only other evidence of West Bank property rights, are not accepted by Israeli authorities.
In June, the Knesset waived a long-standing legal precedent that required the prime minister and the defense minister to sign off on West Bank settlement construction at every phase. Smotrich enjoys near-total control over construction planning and approvals in the West Bank, and approved a record number of settlements in 2023.
“Israel has reached the conclusion that they could get away with this huge land grab because of the lack of international action,” said Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead at B’Tselem. “There have been individual economic U.S. sanctions placed on violent settlers, but the greater violence of the occupation is this colossal land theft.”
Smotrich, a member of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, is a key leader in Israel’s settlement movement. Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli political analyst, called the Friday land transfer announcement by Smotrich a “provocation,” but also the continuation of his pro-settler ideological project. “He entered the government with one overriding purpose: to annex all land conquered in 1967 and extend permanent Jewish sovereignty everywhere, no matter how and when it has to happen,” Scheindlin said. “The timing and provocation ahead of Blinken’s visit is a bonus.”
The Biden administration announced sanctions on two West Bank settler outposts earlier this month, the first use of such economic restrictions on Israeli outposts. While West Bank settlements are authorized by the Israeli government, outposts are considered illegal under Israeli law.
Sam Granados and Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
Israel-Gaza war
Israel-Gaza war: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to make a quick stop in Israel as tensions are rising between the United States and Israel over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to invade Rafah. The Israeli military said Wednesday that it was continuing its raid on al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where people said they were trapped in dire conditions.
Middle East conflict: Tensions in the region continue to rise. As Israeli troops aim to take control of the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, officials in Cairo warn that the move would undermine the 1979 peace treaty. Meanwhile, there’s a diplomatic scramble to avert full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon.
U.S. involvement: U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria killed dozens of Iranian-linked militants, according to Iraqi officials. The strikes were the first round of retaliatory action by the Biden administration for an attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members.
"Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th... That's all, folks!"
Porky Pig
Do you have some thoughts, feelings, or questions about what you read today in this specific devotional/commentary?
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Very good, indepth Bible study, especially the 1000 year reign with Jesus, a time of peace and tranquility, sounds really amazing with all the corruption and chaos we are experiencing in the world at this time. Looking forward to part 2
Thank you. Hope you are well and your family also. Please pray for Tracey.
Thank you, Gene. Two thoughts – what a GLORY to see Jesus arriving from Heaven and to experience living in the 1000 years. And I hadn’t thought about it before, but reading about Jesus’ one world reign during those 1000 years, I realized that the move for the ungodly/evil one world rule is a counterfeit of the real coming one of Jesus.
Christ’s Love to you – Margaret Ann in Oklahoma
Very nice…my sincere appreciation of your research, dedication, and witness through your devotions to explain and reveal The Lord’s one world reign. Great job Gene!
– Ronnie