So far we have look at the Rapture, Tribulation, Great Tribulation, Armageddon and Christ Return and also answered some questions. Now we are going to look at The Millennium. What is it? What is the purpose? Who will be there?
To me, the Millennium is a very exciting time to even think about to say the least. Christ not only returns to this earth to stop mankind from destroying himself but, Satan will be imprisoned for the 1000 years. (Revelation 20:1-3)
It is also a time that we as Christians will rule and reign with our Lord, a time of peace and once more mankind will be given perfect conditions and once more mankind will still stumble.
Question: What is the Millennium? The Millennium, is a thousand-year period of time when Christ will set up His kingdom and rule the entire world. The promise of a literal kingdom on earth is a basic fundamental of Old Testament and New Testament prophecy. As a matter of fact, the Old Testament gives us more detail of what the Millennium will be like than the New Testament does. Those of the Old Testament looked forward to a literal kingdom, where the Messiah would reign.
Question: What is the purpose of the Millennium? God's purpose for the Millennium is to establish one thousand years of divine government on this earth. This will be the fulfillment of God's promise to honor His Son Jesus "and give unto Him the throne of His father David." Christ's purpose for the Millennium is to honor those saints who have been faithful, and to make them rulers over many. This will be His fulfillment of the promise, " (Matt. 5:5). Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. It will also be another opportunity for tested obedience and love.
Christ's promise of establishing His kingdom on this earth is found from Genesis through Revelation. All of these prophecies will be fulfilled in the Millennium.
Question: Who will be in this thousand year reign of Jesus? The inhabitants of the Millennium will be the resurrected saints of the Church Age, the resurrected saints of the Old Testament Age, those living saints who accept Christ at or before the close of the tribulation, and the ministering angels. (Hebrews chapter 11:10-15 and chapter 12:22-23)
In addition to these classes of immortal beings, the Scripture says that mortal beings will also inhabit the millennial earth. Those going into the Millennium in their natural bodies will receive healing, the blessing of long life, and will be able to reproduce. These are Jews and Gentiles alike, who, after surviving the Tribulation, can accept the returning Messiah as their Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46) There will also be those who are born in the Millennium that will not accept Christ.
There will a time of peace (Isaiah 2:4) This will not simply be a forced political and national peace. We find through prophecy that this will be an individual, emotional peace. God's people will be at rest And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places (Isaiah 32:17, 18).
This peace will even be in the animal kingdom also. (Hosea 2:18) describes God's making a covenant with "the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the earth." Also Isaiah 11:6-9
You would think that with a perfect king ruling a perfect kingdom on a perfect earth, that absolutely nothing could go wrong. Man's pride, however, gets in the way, and the thousand years of peace come to an end. The Scripture says that Satan will be loosed for a season at the close of the Millennium, to lead a revolt against the Holy City.
Non believing, rebellious man's finial judgment is coming at the Great White Throne and that will be the next occurrence.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
