Joel 3:17-18 "So shall you know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, (and Zion is spiritual New Jerusalem) my holy mountain: (Kingdom) then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, (when this Kingdom is set up, and Christ is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem) that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim." We have this referenced in Revelation 21:6 and 22:1.
Well whenever we see those terms, it’s speaking of the future earthly Kingdom. When we see the reference in Scripture of the milk and honey, the promise of the mountains flowing with milk and honey, remember it’s not that the milk and honey will come flowing down the valleys of the Middle East, but rather everything that is physically necessary to produce milk and honey will be in abundance. Now, in other words, to get honey, what do we have to have? A lot of blossoms! Whether it’s clover or whether it fruit trees, there’s going to be an abundance of blossoms from which the bees can make their honey (or oil, such as olive oil it's clear or pale yellow). Well it’s the same way with milk (means richness, the choice part or fatness). We don’t get milk with cattle running out on bare sand, but rather what do they need? Lush pastures and abundant water, and so this is all implied then when we speak of a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s a land that can be agriculturally productive. Christ is the promised Canaan land of overflowing abundance of New Life in His High Priest-King status in fulfillment of the New Covenant. Now turn to Amos chapter 9 verse 13 for another one. Like we said, we're only hitting a few of them, but we’ll just stop and pick out a few of the more obvious ones.
Amos 9:13-15 "Behold, the days come, (oh it’s still future, but it’s coming. God’s Word says it) said the lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, (in other words, He’s going to bring them in from their dispersion from all the nations of the world) and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; (that has already begun to a degree) and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD your God." Now go to Zephaniah 3, verses 19 and 20.
Zephaniah 3:19-20 "Behold, at that time (when the Kingdom is set up) I will undo all that afflict you: and I will save her that halts, (walks with a limp) and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame, 20. At that time (when the Kingdom is finally established) will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make (these are all promises to the Nation of Israel) you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD."
Over and over we can find these, but let’s look at one more, and that will be in Zechariah chapter 14, we use these verses quite routinely, because again they are so clearly put, and there’s no room for argument. And remember what the Book of Hebrews called it? The world to come. And here, this is His second coming, just exactly like the angels told the eleven in chapter 1. "This same Jesus that you have seen going into heaven, will come again in like manner, as you have seen Him go." Well, here is the Old Testament record of it, prophetically of course.
Zechariah 14:4
"And his feet shall stand in that day (the day of His second coming, and the setting up of this Kingdom) upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, (so there’s no argument here, this is not a figurative Mount of Olive, but rather this is the physical one) and the Mount of Olives shall cleave (split) in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the south." And now go to verse 8.
Zechariah 14:8 "And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, (Mediterranean) and half of them toward the hinder sea: (Dead Sea) in summer and in winter shall it be." That river will never dry up, but now verse 9. again our reference is to Revelation chapter 21.
Zechariah 14:9 "And the LORD (Jesus of Nazareth as we know Him. God the Son as the Epistle of Hebrews put it) shall be king (not over heaven, but) over all the earth: in that day (when He establishes His Kingdom) shall there be one LORD, and his name (name, meaning: the breath of a man is his character) one (Unity: The pictograph h is a picture of a wall. The d is a picture of a door. Combined these mean "wall door". A wall separates the inside from the outside. Only through the door can one enter or exit uniting the inside with the outside. Unite ab: ?: Two or more coming together as a unity. The sharp edge of a blade is the coming together of the two to one point.)."(means taken from the AHLB, LXX)
Now let’s go to Matthew chapter 19 verse 27 - this is Jesus speaking, and it’s in full accord with the prophets. Nothing is out of place. They have just about finished their three years of His earthly ministry, and they have left their fishing businesses and families up on the Galilee.
Matthew 19:27-28 "Then answered Peter and said to him, behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you; what shall we have therefore? (in other words, what’s going to be our reward for doing that? They’ve got their salvation, so don’t worry about that.) 28. And Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, that you which have followed me, (speaking to the Twelve, because of the secret things) in the regeneration (for Israel as a nation when the curse is lifted, and the planet is reverted back to it’s beautiful original state, for the individual Hebrew and gentile this is when they have passed through both the veil of death and then the second blessing resurrection into new life, two separate actions) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, (that speaks of the Son seated upon His Fathers throne at His right hand, this is His present position. Now here comes what’s in it for the Twelve. Now granted, when this takes place, Judas is out, and Matthias is in) you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." So what does that tell them? Hey! there’s coming a day when these 12 men are finally going to be in places of authority. But when we get to Acts chapter 1, and Jesus is about to leave them, what’s the last question Peter asks on behalf of the rest of them? Remember that Jesus can not yet reveal the secret things as He has not gone to the cross or been resurrected, not returned to glory, so the best that He can do is in shadows and figures of the soon coming truth or in a parable allude to it.
Acts 1:6b "…Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" And although He told them "it is not for you to know the times or the season, …" We know it’s coming!
The Kingdom is on inhabited earth, and we’re going to see that the angels would never fulfill the requirements to be that Ruler and King over that coming Kingdom, because they certainly don’t have the power that the Christ, the Son, has. Now back to Hebrews:
Hebrews 2:6-7 "But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that you are mindful of him? (that’s a quote from the Psalms) or the son of man, that you visit him? (another reference to God the Son)? 7. You mad him a little lower than the angels;…" Now that’s kind of a play on words, as it’s better translated, "He was made lower than the angels for a little while." Only for a “little while” or for a short period of time is He made lower than the angels, and of course we’ll have to go back to Philippians chapter 2 in a moment to see what the purpose of all that was.
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