Chapter 11

The Millennial Kingdom

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth in Revelation 19 he institutes the 1,000 year kingdom. He determines who shall enter the millennial kingdom from those who survived the 7 year tribulation. Satan and his fallen angels are bound for a 1,000 years. The Anti-Christ and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Jesus institutes rule from Jerusalem with a rod of iron. Disobedience is dealt with in a quick and just manner. The curse upon the animal kingdom is removed and the lamb will lie down with the lion. He establishes a return to pre-flood conditions which sustained longevity of life.

Who enters the Millennial Kingdom?

In Revelation 19 v 11-15 heaven opens and Christ returns to earth with his bride, the Church. The Church has been resurrected at the rapture and enters the millennial kingdom with immortal bodies to rule with Christ.

The Lord Jesus judges the mortals who have survived the 7 year tribulation. Those who were saved during the tribulation and "endured to the end" will enter the millennial kingdom. They will bear children and populate the kingdom.

Matthew 25, 31-34,41 says,

Verse 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Verse 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Verse 33 And he shall set the sheep (saved) on his right hand, but the goats (unsaved) on the left.

Verse 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Verse 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

In Matthew 24 v 13 we read, "But he that shall endure unto the end (of the tribulation), the same shall be saved."

With the Church raptured prior to the 70th week of Daniel, there is a group saved during the 7 year tribulation called the "tribulation saints". The tribulation saints (sheep) who physically survive to the end will populate the millennial kingdom. Their actions during the tribulation, standing for the truth and refusing the mark of the beast will be proof of a saving faith. The others (goats) will be judged by their works which reveal they did not possess a saving faith. The sheep are allowed to enter the millennial kingdom. The goats are slain and will be resurrected after the millennial kingdom at the great white throne judgment.

The tribulation saints who died for their faith will be resurrected at the beginning of the millennial kingdom and given immortal bodies. Revelation 20 v 4 says, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

The Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the end of the 70th week of Daniel. It is consistent that just as the Church saints and Tribulation saints witnessed translation or resurrection at the end of their respective periods, so also will the Old Testament saints experience the same. The 70th week of Daniel is part of the Old Testament period which completes God's dealings with the nation of Israel. Therefore the Old Testament saint's are resurrected at the end of the 70th week and the beginning of the millennial kingdom. The following verses indicate that the resurrection of Old Testament saints will be at the end of the 70th week of Daniel.

Reading Daniel 12 v l-2,

Verse l And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people (Israel): and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation (the 7 year tribulation, Matthew 24 v 21) even to that same time: and at that time thy people (Israel) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Verse 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life (first resurrection), and some to shame and everlasting contempt (white throne judgment after the millennial kingdom).

Reading Isaiah 26 v 19-21, ( Isaiah speaking unto Israel)

Verse 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Verse 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation (70th week of Daniel) be overpast.

Verse 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: (Revelation 19) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Our conclusion is that the Old Testament saints, Church saints, and Tribulation saints will receive immortal bodies and reign with Christ during the 1,000 year kingdom.

Conditions in the Kingdom

1. Peace in the Spiritual Realm

Reading Revelation 20 v l-3

Verse l And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Verse 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Verse 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Satan and his fallen angels possess great power to blind, oppress and deceive the human mind. False teachings on spiritual matters will be eliminated. Truth from the Bible will not be twisted, misinterpreted or maligned. The demonic influence upon people's minds to encourage more sin will be gone. Their confinement will be a tremendous blessing to the peacefulness of the earth.

 

2. Peace Among Nations

The nations of the world will no longer prepare for war. No longer will time and energy be spent on weapons of destruction. No longer will men spend time thinking up new and improved ways to destroy one another. The nations will have peace because individuals are at peace with God. They will be content and satisfied with their lives. Any disputes will be resolved by the ruler of all the earth.

Isaiah 2 v 4 says,

Verse 4 And he (Jesus) shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

3. Perfect Justice will Reign

The kingdom will not be perfect because those born during this time will be born with a sinful nature. These will need to receive salvation. However, the perfect administration of justice by Christ and the saints will be a great blessing to the spiritual conditions on earth. Truth, holiness and righteous behavior will be dominant and exalted during this time.

Isaiah 11 v 9 says, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."

The Lord Jesus will rule the nations with a rod of iron, with perfect understanding of each situation, leading to just decisions. Practicing of sin will not be tolerated and timely justice will occur.

Isaiah 11 v l-5 says,

Verse l And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (King David's father), and a Branch (the Messiah) shall grow out of his roots:

Verse 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Verse 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Verse 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Verse 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

In the millennial kingdom nothing will escape the eyes of the judge, he will have perfect knowledge in every court case. False testimonies and a lack of evidence will not be a hindrance to justice. The court of law will be efficient with no appeals necessary. Perfect justice will be executed. Nobody will claim they are innocent or unjustly convicted.

4. Peace in the Animal Kingdom

The curse upon the animal kingdom will be removed. No longer will there be animals preying upon one another. The animal kingdom will be vegetarian. All the extinct life forms, including Dinosaurs will be back. They will display their full genetic potential, not like the current animal kingdom, which suffers from the curse.

Isaiah 11 v 6-8 says,

Verse 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Verse 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Verse 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the cockatrice's (cobra's) den.

5. Pre-flood Environment is Restored

The pre-flood canopy and other conditions which enhance genetic potential and longevity are restored. In the days prior to Noah's flood people lived up to 900+ years. The same type of longevity will be normal in the millennial kingdom. The people will labor in agriculture, building and manufacturing. Their labors will be abundantly rewarded so that everyone will be satisfied.

 

Isaiah 65 v 20-22 says,

Verse 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days (no abortions, mortality of infants will be zero), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old (age of 100 considered but a youth); but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed (one who dies at age 100 will be thought of as cursed).

Verse 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

Verse 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

6. Absolute Truth will be Taught and Real Worship Exalted

The nations will come to Jerusalem to be taught directly by the Lord Jesus himself. Can you imagine being educated by the one who is the designer and creator of the universe. His classes will be packed. One will not have to search through all the contradictory opinions and outright falsehoods which are the foundation of modern education. Nobody will say that there is no absolute moral truth and mankind descended from an ape. Nobody will say that people suffer from low self-esteem. Nobody will say that whatever works for you or is right for you becomes truth. Mankind will be free of the endless circle of opinions and the endless production of books selling those opinions. It is my contention that if God went through every university, college, secular and religious bookstore and burned everything which was false there would be very little left. In the millennial kingdom only encouraging, edifying and truthful books will be available.

The nations will be required to come to Jerusalem and worship at the feast of tabernacles. Thankfulness and appreciation to God will be normal. Boasting and self glorying will be gone. Any nation which does not come will be disciplined by the Lord.

Isaiah 2 v 2-3, says,

Verse 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Verse 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob (Israel); and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Reading Zechariah 14 v 16-19,

Verse 16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Verse 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Verse 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD shall smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Verse 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

The feast of tabernacles (booths) is one of the seven feasts

given to Israel in the book of Leviticus, chapter 23. It was celebrated in the autumn for seven days to give thanks to God for the harvest and yearly provisions. It seems incredulous that any of the nations would think not to come to Jerusalem. But it appears that this will happen during the millennium.

 

The End of the Millennial Kingdom

Reading Revelation 20 v 7-10,

Verse 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Verse 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Verse 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city (Jerusalem): and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Verse 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The end of the millennial kingdom reveals the heart of man. In the garden of Eden there was a perfect environment. Adam and Eve could not blame society or their upbringing or their lack of education for their rebellion. Eve did however blame Satan and Adam even had the nerve to blame God for giving him Eve. God wants us to know that blaming is part of our inner sin nature. Avoiding personal responsibility for our actions is a common deception used to attempt to escape from the consequences.

In the millennial kingdom God sets up perfect conditions for mankind. He even removes Satan and his fallen angels for a thousand years. The Lord Jesus Christ is visibly ruling from Jerusalem dispensing joy, blessing, correction, teaching and perfect justice. Nobody will be uninformed or uneducated, for the teacher who knows everything will be giving classes!

Those born in the millennial kingdom are still born with a sin nature. They will still need to repent and receive salvation. You would think that those born into a perfect environment and able to speak to Jesus directly would quickly see their need to submit to God. Under these conditions there would be no excuse available whatsoever. Yet by the end of the thousand years what is man's response? Many, in spite of knowledge, had refused to turn from their self-willed lives and submit to God. When Satan is loosed he is actually able to deceive a vast number into attacking Jesus Christ himself! God gave man every external comfort and advantage, yet the problem really lies within each person. Each person is desperately in need to be reconciled to God and freed from that tyrant called self. In the end God's word is fully vindicated as all possible excuses for man's behavior are eliminated by his short lived uprising at the end of the millennial kingdom.