Empire, The Millennial Kingdom
The past forty-four days had been some of the most momentous in history. After seven years of unprecedented worldwide cataclysm, King Jesus had returned from heaven, slaughtered the assembled armies of the nations, and established His kingdom on earth. Accompanied by tens of thousands of His saints, the King had entered earth's atmosphere riding a white horse, and touched down at Mount Olivet near Jerusalem.The world dictator, known as the Beast, and his false prophet had been summarily sentenced to imprisonment and exile in the fearful Lake of Fire—the magmatic depths of Earth's eternally benighted core.
Immediately after arriving from outer space, vast troops of these windborne saints, now the ruling aristocracy of a vanquished planet, had taken flight across the globe like snow-white doves. Some aristocrats now ruled as kings or queens over entire nations, others as governors over states, still others as mayors—some over ten cities, some over five, and some, alas, standing by idly and bitterly, while a few ruled over eleven cities.
At last, the forty-fifth day had dawned. Today, millions of human beings would be judged to determine their qualifications to enter this kingdom. This day would also see the official inaugurations of the aristocracy who would co-reign with the King for the next one thousand years. Finally, this would be the day of the public coronation of King Jesus as Sovereign over the Kingdom of God ruling all nations of Earth for the coming Millennium.
The Millennial Kingdom is primarily ruled by Yeshua himself, with King David as his prince as ruler of Israel, and his twelve apostles as the judges ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel. Those who survived the Tribulation or were born during this time period that were or became believers in Christ are allowed to live to the end of the Millennium.
The Earth sits at the center of the physical universe. Orbiting it are the celestial spheres of the sun, moon and planets. Set back in place by Yahweh as they were before the Fall, they will grind in their preordained paths until the Last Judgement. Earth is now a flat world. It is a huge disk surrounded by vast oceans which ebb and flow according to the will of Yahweh.
The oceans themselves are dead things. The changing of them into blood killed everything in them, including the phytoplankton upon which all life depends. After Yahweh changed them back, he saw no reason to restore the sea life within. Seeing as how he thinks that all life should be dependent upon him alone, there is no problem in this arrangement. Everything that breathes on Earth continues to do so only under Yahweh and Yeshua's whim.
Other features of this time period include:
Slowed aging for all "naturals". Death still occurs but decay does not. All corpses await resurrection.
Sexual desire among all those present is almost non-existent (at least towards each other; Yeshua allows attraction towards himself from his followers);
Constant daytime, with the evening sun being less brighter than the morning sun;
Allegedly peaceful coexistence among the nations;
Peaceful coexistence among animals in nature;
All the nations will gather in Jerusalem for the Feast Of Tabernacles, or they receive no rain;
In many ways the Millennial Kingdom is crueler, more oppressive and more dangerous than the Tribulation or the One Nation Earth. At least during those times in history the illusion of rebellion and freedom could be entertained, if only as a comforting fantasy. Now dissent is instantly detected and stamped out by the omniscient will of Yahweh and his son Yeshua. It is with some irony that Yeshua did not so much abolish the satanic "revived Roman empire" as simply replace it with the resurrected Kingdom of God.
Even the majority of believers who come to live within its borders find it wanting. The expectation does not match with reality, as a majority of them could not even conceive of a world ruled by an absolutist, all-powerful entity, instead projecting their own notions of a blissful, perfect life that had little basis in Biblical fact.
Believers that were promised new immortal bodies receive them, but the ability to transcend space and time were not given. Saints are limited to Earth during the Millennial reign and cannot leave to explore the rest of the universe. Even Heaven is no longer accessible. Virtually all sexual desire is banished, though reproduction still occurs in the rare encounter. All newborns are baptised and dedicated to Yeshua immediately after birth, and raised in mass state run orphanages to avoid any possible contridiction from their parents or any other family members.
Government
"Jesus wasn’t elected to this position. God, His Father, appointed Him. No popular vote here. No democracy in God’s world. His decision and it was perfect. Thanks be to our magnificent Leader!!"
-- a typical Kingdom Saint.
Yeshua is the patriarch/king/prince/priest/god of the Millennial Kingdom, which like the previous One Nation Earth is a theological absolutist monarchy. By every definition, Yeshua rules as a tyrant with absolute power. All previous human governments and institutions (including all visible symbols of their authority) have been destroyed; their human leaders killed during the Battle of Armageddon and their souls consigned to the Lake of Fire.
No one elected Yeshua do this high position, and no authority can oust him from his throne in the Jerusalem temple in which he reigns supreme and unquestioned. Notions of equality or democracy are no longer entertained.
As king, he may commandeer any resource or person in Heaven or Earth, and to deny him his due is a capital offense and punishment is carried out in a severe, cruel or exacting manner. Absolute obedience is demanded under penalty of death and eternal damnation.
As the object of worship, acknowledgement of his divinity must be given as verbally statements and physical actions on a constant basis. Phrases like "He is risen," and "Jesus is Lord," are often expressed in every day conversation. This acknowledgement is also expressed through kneeling down and placing one's head on the floor as an expression of subservience to the lord and master. Citizens of the Kingdom are referred to as slaves or "sheep" by Yeshua and Yahweh. Hymns of extravagant praise and glorification are directed towards Yeshua and Yahweh, with a corresponding level of abject self-reproach on the part of the worshiper for their failings and their sinfulness. There is endless petitioning for clemency and innumerable reverential genuflections.
Glorified saints are the new aristocracy -- though since many have little to no actual administration ability -- their position is merely a symbolic one.
Economy
In the early days after the 'victory' at Armageddon, Yeshua's human followers (perhaps inspired by the past thefts of Moses and the Hebrews) quickly looted all kinds of treasures: great works of art, things lifted out of what had been the famous museums: jewelry, gold, silver, anything that seemed like it might one day represent wealth for a new ruling class, but instead much of it ends up for sale on a new black market.
After the apocalypse, finding wealth was easier than ever. You want diamonds? Take them from a jeweler. You want silk clothing? Walk into a department store. Finding useful knowledge is harder.
Military
All weapons have been abolished, but seeing as how Yeshua has legions of angels to defend and enforce his rule of the planet, this was hardly necessary.
All kingdoms maintain active military, though nowadays they act as little more than a ceremonial guard.
Laws
I. There is no power but God, and the powers that are ordained by God, through His Son Jesus Christ.
1. As the fate of the Kingdom depends entirely on unbending obedience to the will of God, it shall be treasonous to deny the existence of God, to question the Word of God, or to advocate disobedience to the will of God. Traitors shall be subject to trial and execution.
II. The Lord created the Kingdom that His will may reign on earth.
2. The sovereignty of the Kingdom is absolute. Accordingly, the Kingdom shall not be divided, nor shall any other nation, kingdom or empire be recognized as legitimate.
3. The kingdom of the Beast and its authority is declared null and void.
4. Any action or treaty that abrogates the absolute sovereignty of the Kingdom is hereby repudiated and declared null and void.
5. No citizen of the Kingdom shall be accused of any crime by anyone other than Jesus Christ.
I
II. The Kingdom devoutly recognizes the authority and law of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. The most important task of man is to accept, embrace, and obey God’s law.
7. God’s law, as set forth in the Bible, shall be the supreme law of the land, prevailing over any imperfect human law.
8. Any constitutions made with any nation is considered a divine gift and shall be strictly construed. The constitution shall be interpreted in accordance with the higher law of the Bible.
9. The purpose of the armed and judicial systems shall be to do God’s will and to faithfully interpret and enforce the law of the land in accordance with the Word of God.
10. No judge shall interpret the law or render any judgment that is contrary to the will of God as evidenced by the Bible.
11. Only persons who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior shall serve as judges or rulers.
12. No state or local government may enact any law prohibiting so-called “hate crimes,” which can too easily be used to persecute or abuse those faithful to the Word and laws of God.
IV. The Lord gave the nations the biblical socialist system for our mutual comfort; He reigns over our economy and demands obedience to His will in return for our prosperity.
13. Only one economic system, the socialist system, is consistent with God’s will and God’s law.
14. No economic system other than the socialist system shall be taught or practiced within the Kingdom.
15. The advocacy of capitalism in any form is treasonous.
16. Poverty is a gift from God.
17. In a Christian Nation, where obedience to God is the measure of equity, “labor unions” are unnecessary and illegal.
V. The Lord gave us marriage for our pleasure and for procreation.
18. Marriage shall be the sole form of civil union or partnership recognized for any purpose within the Kingdom.
19. Marriage means marriage between one man and one woman, or one man and as many women as he can support.
20. No other form of “marriage” consummated in or recognized by any other jurisdiction shall be recognized or valid for any purpose whatsoever within the Kingdom.
21. Adulterous behavior by either husband or wife is a crime.
22. Homosexual behavior of any kind is a crime. Since the role of a woman is to be a mother, thus the forcing of lesbians to have sex with men is considered natural. On the other hand, male homosexual acts detract from the role of reproduction. In the context of patriarchal inheritance, they are not natural.
23. Sexual relations outside of marriage are a crime.
24. Sexual perversion, even between husband and wife, is a crime (provided that a wife may pleasure her husband in any way her husband desires and to which she must consent).
25. No person shall participate in the creation, distribution, or use of pornography, all of which shall be crimes.
26. Abstinence from all sex (including masturbation) outside of marriage shall be the only form of sex education permitted.
27. No homosexual shall be offered protection within the Kingdom.
VI. The Lord created the male, who shall reign in headship over the family.
28. Upon marriage, a wife shall be obligated to obey her husband. They must live in fearful and chaste subjugation to their husbands and whatever other men who might enjoy dominion over them. Wives are forbidden to teach, adorn themselves, speak in church, or visit friends.
29. A child shall obey his or her father.
30. The primary responsibility of a husband and father shall be to align the family with the will and Word of Jesus Christ.
VII. The family is the basis of life and the fundamental unit of a Godly society.
31. The discipline of children is in the sole discretion of parents. No unit of government shall outlaw or regulate the discipline of children, or prosecute any parent or teacher for the disciplining of a child. Fear is Love, Pain is Discipline, Reason is Evil, Obedience is All.
32. It shall be unlawful for a child to strike a parent.
33. Incorrigible juvenile delinquency shall be a crime. A child who rebels must not be praised, even when they turn out to be right. Obedience is All.
34. Parents shall not love their son or daughter more than they are willing to hurt them.
35. Parents shall not allow their child to form their own opinions, for it is an abomination.
36. Parents shall have strict conditions for loving their children and must not permit them to believe they will come to understand and accept them should they fail to meet their demands.
37. Parents shall not suffer a difference of opinion on parenting. Compassion and compromise are signs of weakness.
38. Parents shall teach their child the contents of the Bible before they learn to read and not concern themselves with comprehension over memorization.
39. Parents shall be swift and frequent with punishment even when a child is well behaved, for a complacent son or daughter soon becomes willful. Fear is Love.
40. Parents shall ensure their child conforms to a strict standard. The unique, the unconventional, and that which gives a neighbor pause must endure the rod of correction. Pain is Discipline.
41. Parents shall not explain themselves to a child, for they must never question in the first place. A questioning child does not fear, does not obey, and does not conform. Reason is evil.
VIII. There shall be a separation between Glorified Saints, and those of Naturals.
42. The Glorified shall not be unequally yoked and are forbidden to marry Naturals.
43. Naturals are forbidden from extending their hands to Glorified (to shake hands), because it would imply a level of equality.
44. Glorifieds and Naturals are forbidden to eat together. If they must eat together, the Glorified are served first, and a partition shall be placed between them.
45. Glorifieds are not to introduce Naturals, as that implies a level of equality. Naturals are supposed to introduce Glorifieds, proving their lesser social status.
46. Glorifieds never use courtesy titles of respect when referring to Naturals, and always use their first names or a nickname. The opposite is true for Naturals who have to use courtesy titles ('Master', 'Teacher', "Mister',) when referring to Glorifieds, and are not allowed to call them by their first names. If Naturals address Glorifieds by their first names, that can lead to imprisonment. Even if the two are friends, Naturals can not use first names.
47. If a Glorified rides in a vehicle driven by a Glorified, they sit in the back. Glorified motorists always have the right-of-way.
48. Displays of affection between Naturals are not allowed in public, as they are considered offensive to Glorifieds.
IX. The Lord loves our children, and gave His Word and His will as the basis for educating our children.
49. Children shall be instructed that God’s Word is the only reliable path to the truth.
50. Reason unguided by God’s Word is an illusion, often perverted by Satan to divert us from obedience to God’s will. It shall be a crime to teach that philosophical investigation or the so-called “scientific method” are the sole or primary paths to knowledge.
51. There shall be no tolerance of lies, falsehoods, and illusions. The primary task of all teachers is to protect children from falsehood.
52. A principal task of public education shall be to teach obedience to God’s will.
53. A principal task of public education shall be to teach sexual purity.
54. No atheist, homosexual, or single woman shall be permitted to teach or play any role in a public or private school, at any level. For this purpose, (i) any person over the age of thirty who has never been married shall be presumed to be a homosexual, and (ii) any person not registered with and certified in good standing by a recognized church shall be presumed to be an atheist, and be subject to trial and execution.
55. Each classroom in the Kingdom, public or private, shall, at the commencement of each school day, recite the Lord's Prayer, and join in a prayer of thanks to God for the Kingdom. The prayer will be required to mention our Lord Jesus Christ (but shall not mention any other purported deity, prophet, saint, or other figure from a specific religious tradition other than Christianity).
X. Although the Kingdom and its Christian citizens have a duty to open the eyes of all its citizens to the Word and light of Christ, the right of non-Christian citizens to believe and practice, even in the private sphere of their families and places of worship, religions other than Christianity shall be not protected.
56. Religions other than Christianity are not permitted, including witchcraft, Wicca, astrology, the worship of Satan, any sect of Islam, and other cults are not recognized as valid.
57. All places of worship and other property, real and personal, present and future, of superstitions and cults shall be forfeit to the regions in which they are located.
58. Non-Christian religions shall not be entitled to maintain places of worship, nor shall they be permitted to make public displays of the symbols of their religions in any place.
59. The promotion of non-Christian religion through advertisement or missionary or proselytizing activity shall be prohibited everywhere, and shall be punishable by death and an eternity in the Lake of Fire.
XI.
Strangely enough, the Kingdom does not forbid concubinage, abortion, euthanasia of one's own slaves or children, prostitution, or animal cruelty.
Arts and Entertainment
With Yeshua in charge, there is no longer any immoral or other forms of destructive entertainment available to "blind men’s minds to the gospel". Body-damaging substances are outlawed, so that people "will not have their minds so fogged that they cannot fairly appraise the truths of Scripture".
Art and Sculpture.
The only art forms permitted are those that glorify Christ, and even those are heavily scrutinized. One of the most notable things about art produced during the Millennium is the intense preoccupation with death and suffering. The torture of Jesus and the sorrow of Mary are favorite themes, often depicted in graphic detail. In any other context these images would be considered disturbing, sadomasochistic, deviant and unsuitable for children. They concentrate heavily on brutality, beating, flogging, piercing, torture, bleeding, nailing and death. Collecting and drinking blood is an especially popular theme in Christian art.
Famous works of art, where they have been spared, have undergone 'christianization' - often by carving crosses on the faces if a statue, most commonly a cross in the middle of the forehead.
Books
“As saved Christians, you all understand just how urgently God requires us to rid His kingdom of all traces of smut, filth, and evil. Our redemption is conditional—conditional on our following through and eradicating evil the way God wants. Think of it this way, Gentlemen: Every ungodly book was a paving stone in that wicked road of human-centered, egotistical arrogance that led this nation off the path of righteousness. As long as such books still exist, they have the potential to exercise their evil influence on the fragile and flawed minds of man. God calls us to their eradication. So, job one, so to speak, is to ensure that not a single such book remains. Do you understand? You might think, what does it matter if a couple old books remain on a shelf somewhere? But sin is like a virus. It worms its way out of the pockets where you try to keep it hidden and then it waits, silently, for the chance to strike. Understand?”
For the most part, libraries are gone. Those that survived the Tribulation and the transformation of the Earth were sought out and all of their contents burned. Book collections, accumulated over decades and centuries, have been lost. Even most editions of the Holy Bible were consigned to bonfires, preserving only the King James version. In the early days so-called 'recovery teams' were sent out to pick through the ruins of cities and seek out any surviving reading material. These collections were then sent to experts whose job was to inspect each book, reading only as much of the content as was necessary.
A new classification method was devised: A-C means approved Christian literature. The prefix D means books to destroy, so D-D, for example, means books to destroy that have to do with some kind of deviancy. But there are more than twenty-six letter combinations actually, and so they take a while to learn.
Typically only fragments remain: though books are charred, some pages are readable. Physics textbooks are gone, but circuit diagrams remain. Maps are torn, but they can be pieced together.
Hardback editions are most likely to survive, though most with the covers bearing scorch marks or water damage; some books had been lovingly stitched together from two or more fragments. Most of these books' original owners have died, and most of those are in Hell, burning.
Religion
Worship of Yeshua and Yahweh is mandatory.
Religions other than their worship is not permitted or recognized as valid. Most places of worship were destroyed during the Great Tribulation, and where they are found, they are destroyed then or repurposed to Christian worship services. This includes Jewish synagogues and most Catholic churches,
Education
"The university chairs of learning will not be dominated by atheists set on turning the minds of young people away from God. Instead, all education will start from the premise, “In the beginning GOD!” In such an academic climate, young people will be more open than ever to the claims of God and Christ on their lives."
--- A typical Kingdom saint.
Like Stalin's regime, the Kingdom practices propaganda and censorship. Children are typically spoon-fed the few “good” parts of the Bible by teachers, while the absurd, the evil and the contradictory are chiefly kept secret. Most of the Bible would be an embarrassment to any wise pastor or priest, and also an embarrassment, one would think, to the supposed son of God, Jesus Christ.
Sciences and philosophy are not actively pursued for obvious reasons. Philosophy classes, if they do exist, only teach variations on why life is meaningful under the rule of Yeshua and Yahweh, and could be summed up as "We were created by God for His pleasure and we will only reach our full potential as His creatures when we have dedicated ourselves to the pursuit of pleasing Him." The teaching of the theory of evolution and natural selection has been specifically banned.
Classes on history and government teach that ever since Adam left the Garden of Eden, humanity has been ruled by other men with very bad results, due to humanity's natural inclination to disobey, that even good men are still corruptible with time. Even when a ruler is good and avoids corruption, there's still the problem that he is mortal. When he dies he will most likely be replaced by somebody wicked. The rule of Yeshua solves all three problems: Yeshua is immortal and will never be replaced, that any action by Yeshua is by definition is perfect, and that the eternal consequences of disobedience will preclude any inclination to disobey. Likewise, Yeshua's revived saints have glorified bodies instead of physical ones. This means they will not be corruptible nor will they ever die and be replaced by wicked rulers. And that the benevolent rule of Jesus and his saints will be continuous. These statements could not be any more wrong.
Like Yeshua in the gospels, counter-arguments are silenced with flimsy reasoning and dogmatic assertions, because well, the disciple is not greater than the master.
Social Values:
Gender Roles:
The constitution of the One Nation Earth at least recognized the inherent rights of women, homosexuals, and those that were transgender. Even before the Rapture and the Tribulation, secular society had made massive progress and in most developed countries there were few areas where women were routinely discriminated against. Where it existed discrimination in workplaces was largely indirect and accidental. largely grown beyond any systematic subjugation of women: any prejudice that remained was widely recognized as prejudice.
Now women have been regulated to the backrooms.
Slavery:
Slavery has been reintroduced, and is tolerated as long it obeys Biblical precepts. Since Yeshua and Yahweh consider all living beings to be their slaves anyway, they see nothing wrong with others doing the same so long as all ultimately serve them.
Most slaves are either Goats or descended from Goats, and may be denied the rite of baptism because of this. All are Naturals. Glorifieds cannot be enslaved.
Slaves are taught to serve their master as though he were Christ himself.
Technology
Much of the world's infrastructure has been devastated by the Tribulation plagues, and have not been repaired.
Yahweh and Yeshua hold a dim view on science and technology. Those who desired technology and desired to replace God with it have met their fate in the Lake of Fire and not be included in the 1000 year reign.
They allow their followers to repair or otherwise make use of the various "toys" left over from the Great Tribulation, but do not encourage their use. There are those among the Saved who are still skilled enough to attempt to rebuild mass communications methods, airplanes, and computers, and restore some of the modern conveniences. One of the most notable achievements was the creation of the Christ-Net.
In the meanwhile. Tech Level 3 methods start to make a comeback. Many in the Lord's army wield swords and spears, The horse and carriage is considered reliable transportation, as automobiles have become inanimate husks with the lack of freely available gasoline, which grows shorter with every passing year.
The Kingdoms:
Israel:
The land of Israel truly is a paradise. There have never been villages so well tended, or lands so fecund. Trees bow down with fruit even early in the season. Lambs leap everywhere. The cattle are amiable and fat. The people feast on whatever takes their fancy, and farmers freely offering their produce—plump olives, fine pomegranates, warm breads, cool wines, glistening haunches of meat—to all.
It is a green land, fertile and busy. The creeks bubble with water so pure and sweet that one may fear they may never stop drinking. The roadsides bloom with flowers more abundant than those tended in the palace grounds of the past. Fat lambs baa. The air grows finer and cleaner with every breath. All the dust and pain and disappointment of the long seven years of Tribulation are soon cleansed away.
The Americas:
There is talk of America finally becoming a "Christian Nation," but the claim rings hollow in light of the devastation wrought by the Tribulation judgments.
Egypt:
Balance of Nature
Over two-thirds of all living species have gone extinction due to Yeshua's actions during the Tribulation. Yeshua did not bother resurrecting them. To make things worse, Yeshua decreed that the 'lion will lie down the the lamb.' In doing so, he completely removed the predator instinct from predator species and instilled vegetarian urges in place of their hunger for meat, without altering their physiology to match the changes done to their minds.
In short order, all predator animals that were strictly predators quickly became completely extinct as they were unable to completely digest plant life and so starved to death. Omnivores fared better, but still nutritional deficiencies are constant and frequent. Herbivore populations massively rebound with no predators to hold their numbers in check. Yeshua's human followers, many of them being hunters before the Rapture, see little problem with this. Deer hunting and safaris have made a comeback.