[595]The reign of Christ will result in the destruction of all man’s enemies.  The weeds, the thistles, the thorns, the pests that destroy crops, shall all be destroyed.  Everything that produces sickness shall be destroyed.  The Apostle plainly says; “He [Christ] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”—­1 Corinthians 15:25,26.

[596]We can well imagine great multitudes of people assembling in different parts of the earth to celebrate their deliverance from Satan and his wicked organizations; and as the people witness the passing away of ignorance, crime, superstition; and see knowledge, goodness, loving kindness taking their place, they will fill the earth with joyful song.  The Prophet describes some of the effects of these restitution blessings thus:  “In this mountain [kingdom] shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations [taking away ignorance, etc,].  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.”—­Isaiah 25:6-8.

[597]St. John on the Isle of Patmos had a vision of the great Messianic kingdom and described it in symbolic phrase.  The word “heaven” symbolically means the invisible ruling power; while the “earth” means organized society.  The old heaven has been wicked, because Satan, the wicked one, has been ruling.  The old earth has been wicked, because the organizations of men have been under the dominion of Satan.  St. John, observing the Messianic kingdom and the blessings that would follow, wrote:  “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea”.  Thus he shows the new heaven (the Messianic kingdom) and the new earth (society organized on a righteous basis in the earth). Sea is symbolic of restless humanity, thus picturing the fact that there will be no more strikes, lock-outs, revolutions, or anarchy.  Continuing, he describes the kingdom as a holy city, the new Jerusalem, in this beautiful phrase:  “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God”—­picturing here the dwelling place of the Lord.  The place of meeting between Jehovah and mankind is through the Christ.  The results will be the destruction of the enemy death, and the full restoration of the obedient ones; and thus he describes it:  “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.  And he said unto me, Write:  for these words are true and faithful.”—­Revelation 21:1-5.