December 2023 – Sons of Issachar

296. A New Perspective on the Millennium (2)

Mike Parsons

The concept of a future millennial time period was not embraced by the early church fathers; and of those who authored the Bible, only John explicitly mentions it. The discussion around a literal Millennium gained traction only after the compilation of the biblical canon, when the Book of Revelation became a part of it. The Temple was still standing when the Book of Revelation was likely written around AD 66. Subsequently, as prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24, it was destroyed by the Roman armies that surrounded Jerusalem.

I personally do not adhere to a belief in a literal Millennial period. The ‘second coming’ events described in the scriptures seem to point to a specific historical context rather than a distant future. We are currently in the period of the restoration of all things, during which the kingdom of God is filling the Earth. This perspective reassures us for the future; and eschatology, the study of the end times, becomes somewhat of an oxymoron. In reality, there is no end to the increase of God’s government and peace.

In my book, The Eschatology of the Restoration of All Things, I go into this topic in detail, tracing the roots of teachings like the rapture and millennial concepts back to dispensationalism, which also produced Zionism. The separation of God’s people into a heavenly and an earthly people, along with associated doctrines, has historically induced fear and foreboding, and is at the root of present strife in the middle east. However, I encourage you to seek God for yourself, maintaining an open heart and engaging in a personal exploration of these matters. While everyone is entitled to their views and opinions, I hold strong convictions based on what God has shown me, which reshaped my understanding of future events.

From a restoration perspective, I now see a clearer picture of God’s plan to restore all things, with us, the sons of God, actively participating in the process. This viewpoint challenges notions like the rapture as a rescue mentality: Jesus is already with us, enabling us to engage in the restoration of all things. The kingdom of God is not confined to the Earth but expanding into the cosmos, presenting an exciting prospect for the future which some are entering into even today.

Key takeaway

Focus on the present, not the future. Jesus is already with us, enabling us to engage in the restoration of all things.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)
294. To celebrate or not to celebrate?
293. Expanding God’s Government of Peace
292. Is God Shocking People into Embracing Love?
291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

Our Patreon patrons give a small amount each month and can join us for our monthly group Zooms, get exclusive or early access to Mike’s teaching and enjoy further patron-only benefits. Or you can use the blue button to support our work with a one-time gift*.
Thank you!Note: This donation is securely handled through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account yourself to make a one-time donation.
For repeating donations, if you do not have (or want) a PayPal account please support us through Patreon instead.

295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)

Mike Parsons

The only mention in the Bible of a thousand-year period, often referred to as the Millennium, is in the book of Revelation. Neither Jesus nor Paul refer to it. Yet a whole theological framework around the Millennium has been constructed over time, depending on particular eschatological viewpoints.

My perspective aligns with the belief that the Book of Revelation, including the mentioned thousand years, is a portrayal of events that were in their future but have already occurred in our past. I see it as part of the period of the restoration of all things, where the kingdom of God fills the earth. This is not a specific time frame but an ongoing process.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them. (Isaiah 11:6).

That scripture often quoted from Isaiah 6 needs to be understood in its context. The Old Testament does not speak of a thousand-year Millennial period, and once again this has been viewed through a specific theological lens. Instead, I interpret passages like this as covenantal, signifying the removal of the division between Jews and Gentiles. Paul asserts in Ephesians 2 that the partition between Jew and Gentile has been removed, and now there is one new man in Christ. The destruction of the Temple, which Jesus prophesied, marked the end of the old Covenant, making way for the full establishment of the New Covenant. This isn’t about a literal thousand-year period but a shift in the relationship between God’s people.

The thousand year period refers to the new covenant union found in Christ, where distinctions based on ethnicity, gender, or social status are dissolved. It signifies a new era where believers are all one in Christ. The focus is not on some future thousand-year period but on the transformative events during a significant 40-year period prophesied by Jesus, culminating in the destruction of the Temple, which ushered in this new age.

To be continued…

Key takeaway

The Book of Revelation, including the mentioned thousand years, is a portrayal of events that were in their future but have already occurred in our past.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

294. To celebrate or not to celebrate?
293. Expanding God’s Government of Peace
292. Is God Shocking People into Embracing Love?
291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation
289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

Our Patreon patrons give a small amount each month and can join us for our monthly group Zooms, get exclusive or early access to Mike’s teaching and enjoy further patron-only benefits. Or you can use the blue button to support our work with a one-time gift*.
Thank you!Note: This donation is securely handled through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account yourself to make a one-time donation.
For repeating donations, if you do not have (or want) a PayPal account please support us through Patreon instead.

294. To celebrate or not to celebrate? | The Christmas Question

Mike Parsons

Did Jesus explicitly instruct us to celebrate his birth? No, but the angels seemed to have a bit of fun with it. So, there was a sense of festivity. It is not a religious obligation, but rather an opportunity to focus on our relationship with Him. You might argue that there are pagan elements in the symbolism of these celebrations. It is religion that tends to focus on externals, embracing or rejecting certain celebrations as pagan or Christian without looking at the heart.

I do not see an issue with a time of year that provides an opportunity for us to spend quality time together with our loved ones. Some may advocate putting Christ back into Christmas, but I do not get entangled in those debates. Intent matters, and we are free to engage in the festivities as long as they do not become a bondage. Life is about freedom, not restriction.

One Christmas I insisted on avoiding any festivities, even having a tree – and my children still remember it. I had adopted someone else’s convictions without considering the intent. Any sense of obligation or duty, whether from avoiding or blindly following traditions, is a trap. Celebrating a holiday does not necessarily carry religious significance for us, but if it provides an opportunity to connect with people and share the message of God’s love, why not embrace it?

Key takeaway

Life is about freedom, not restriction. Embrace it!

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

293. Expanding God’s Government of Peace
292. Is God Shocking People into Embracing Love?
291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation
289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

293. Expanding God’s Government of Peace

Mike Parsons

Everything, including our solar system, our own and distant galaxies, and even other dimensions, was created by the Father through Jesus for Jesus. All the beings connected to all of these were reconciled to God through the blood of the Cross. Therefore the beings themselves are not the issue; it is their actions that matter. Some constellations now lack Guardians, and can be vulnerable to beings from other dimensions setting up bases.

Engaging in restoring beings and constellations, reassigning Guardians, and preventing incursions is crucial. The Earth Shield, operational for the past few years, protects Earth from fallen beings and their dimensional incursions. Not all constellations have fallen beings; many are associated with angelic beings and planets that can be engaged for restoration.

There is no need for fear; discernment is essential in each situation. Changes observed in celestial bodies align with ongoing restoration. The cosmos holds vast opportunities; we, as sons of God, have a role in expanding God’s government of peace throughout the cosmos, starting with our solar system and then reaching out far beyond.

Key Takeaway

Sons Arise! The sons of God have an important part to play in expanding God’s government of peace throughout the cosmos.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

292. Is God Shocking People into Embracing Love?
291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation
289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

292 Is God Shocking People into Embracing Love?

Mike Parsons

We have to be careful to ensure that what may seem like disorder or hardship is not part of God’s plan to bring about a realisation that the world has moved away from the loving values that He espouses. Timing is important when it comes to heavenly legislation, as the apparent issues can help people recognise that their way of life and the systems they depend on may not align with God’s values. This awakening relates to wider political and financial situations, as well as individuals’ lives. It leads to questions about genuine happiness and success.

Occasionally, when systems and personal lives collapse, people are forced to search for better outcomes. During struggles on a local or global level, conscience and God can prompt individuals to look past their current circumstances. Trying to make a nation “great again” (whether America or ‘Great’ Britain) is flawed because true greatness comes from reflecting God’s love, not from human strength or pride. The pandemic revealed the deceptive nature of previous beliefs about life and relationships. Instead of asking for a return to the old ways, we should pray for the ongoing outworking of the awakening. This will help people fully grasp the truth and emerge from the darkness of deception. Sometimes, darkness makes light more visible and effective, leading to a positive transformation.

Obviously we would not want the world to be in chaos and anarchy, but sometimes it is only terrible things that can shock people out of their existing mindsets and beliefs systems to enter into something better.

Key Takeaway

Collapse as Catalyst for Change: In moments of system breakdowns or personal crises, people are compelled to look beyond their immediate circumstances. Sometimes only severe disruptions can jolt people out of existing mindsets.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation
289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

Note: This donation is securely handled through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account yourself to make a one-time donation.
For repeating donations, if you do not have (or want) a PayPal account please support us through Patreon instead.

291. Can Yoga be ‘Christian’?

Mike Parsons

This is a question someone asked me in an online mentoring session: “Can yoga be Christian?”

We would do well to ask God for guidance and discernment, and to look at the heart and motive of the person doing yoga or any sort of healing.

Seeking the guidance of the Father and discerning the frequency of truth through spending time with Him is crucial. While some argue there is a ‘righteous real’ that is counterfeited by various practices, the key is understanding the heart and philosophy behind it. If someone approaches yoga as a stretching exercise or a means of finding a quiet place from a Christian perspective, it may not be inherently wrong. Checking the practitioner’s motives, philosophy, and whether they align with Christian beliefs is essential.

Meditation also is itself neutral, but can be positive or dangerous based on whether it invites positive focus or an open mind. Questioning practitioners about their perspective is a sensible precaution – but beware of dismissing anything based solely on others’ opinions of it. Asking questions and seeking peace and rest through personal discernment is key.

Key Takeaway

Don’t just believe what I say – or what anyone else says – develop a relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit in which you can ask and receive revelation for yourself.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation
289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

Mike Parsons

Salvation is not dependent upon a prayer or altar call: Jesus has already accomplished everything needed. Unfortunately, this truth has been turned into a gospel of works, suggesting that specific actions are needed to attain salvation. Instead, let our focus be on making people aware that God already loves and accepts them. The Gospel is not about works but about the grace of God already operating within individuals. The story of Paul’s revelation on the Damascus Road underscores this point, as he discovered that Jesus was already in him, preaching a message of inclusion based on this realization.

Understanding the reality of salvation requires acknowledging that God is already in us, and we need to open the door to let Him fill us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Salvation is not a future event but an ongoing experience of being alive and resurrected in spirit. The Gospel is truly good news, emphasising that God has done everything, and our role as disciples and evangelists is to make people aware of His unconditional love now, not in some distant future.

Key Takeaway

The Gospel is Good News: The essence of the Gospel is truly good news, proclaiming that God has already done everything; and our primary role as ambassadors and evangelists is to make people aware of His unconditional love in the present, not in some distant future.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

289. One New Man In Christ
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God
287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation

289. One New Man in Christ

Mike Parsons

When Jesus came, at that point all were spiritually dead in Adam. He represented not only the Jewish people but all mankind, taking away the sins of the world (Greek kosmos) through His death and resurrection. When He went into the grave, we went with him, as He overcame sin (lost identity) and death. In John 14 Jesus speaks of ‘preparing a place’ which refers to preparation for a marriage relationship (and is not about going to heaven to build mansions for us) so that we can be in Him and He in us.

“On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you.” John 14:20).

The cross and the resurrection, coupled with the Holy Spirit’s coming, marked the birth from above for all mankind: the new creation – the one new man in Christ, where there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. The gospel is announcing that Jesus, through His death, overcame sin (our lost identity) and death, bringing life and immortality. The good news is the reconciliation of the entire cosmos to God, where all sins are forgiven and death loses its sting. This reconciliation, described in Colossians, encompasses all things through the blood of the cross.

…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19).
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20).

Top takeaway:

Cosmic Redemption Through the Cross: Colossians 1:20 reveals the cosmic significance of Christ’s finished work. All things were created through Him and for Him, and reconciliation has been achieved for all creation through the blood of the cross.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

287. Unconditional Love, Grace, and the truth about salvation
288. Enoch’s Secret to Walking with God

Note: This donation is securely handled through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account yourself to make a one-time donation.
For repeating donations, if you do not have (or want) a PayPal account please support us through Patreon instead.