The Millennial Reign
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Introduction
Introduction
Here at Revelation 20 we are catapulted into the Millennial Reign of Christ. Which after studying history of the rule of men and living through even what is considered one of the best forms and flavors of government - Christ on the throne reigning is a breath of fresh air. The Bible as we are gonna see this evening teaches that Christ will rule and reign over those who make it through the tribulation period with their heads still on. Christ will rule for 1000 literal years known as the Millennium and its known as the Millennial reign of Christ.
This view that I and CCRG have, teach, and hold to - that there is a literal thousand year reign of Christ - is as everything not without its controversies. There is a bewildering array of diverse interpretations and views on this. We do not have the time to deep dive into all of them and their different nuances so I will talk about the main ones - PreMillennial, PostMillennial and Amillennial.
The term millennium comes from Latin and it simply means one thousand years. It is the term that is commonly used of the thousand year period spoken of in this passage.
Postmillenialism - this is the most recent view and according to this view the thousand years represent the triumph of the gospel in the period leading up to the second coming of Christ. The return of Christ would follow the millennium. It takes an extreme optimistic point of view that Christ will reign spiritually on earth through the work of the church and the preaching of the Gospel. Largely discarded in the 20th century due to the world not progressing spiritually. The world wars and continuation of global strife demonstrate the error of this view along with such passages as Matthew 24:4f; 2 Timothy 3:1, 13; 4:3; and 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3. This view originated in the writings of a Unitarian by the name of Daniel Whitby (1628-1725). Prominent holders of this view Charles Hodge, A.H. Strong, and Lorraine Boettner.
Next you have Amillennialism- this view denies that there will be any literal reign of Christ on earth or that there is a Millennium. Satan is conceived as bound at the first coming of Christ and the present age between the first and second comings of Christ is seen as the fulfillment of the Millennium. Its adherents are divided. Some believe the Millennium is being fulfilled now on earth, and is equivalent to the kingdom of God in you. Others believe it is being fulfilled by the saints in heaven. It may be summed up in the idea that there will be no more Millennium than there is now, and that Christ’s second coming is immediately followed by the eternal state. It must be noted that both these views we have looked at must interpret Revelation 20 in a non literal sense. Amillennialism has its nuances and difference of interpretations. This Amillennial view has a great impact on a vast amount of Scripture. For instance, all the kingdom prophecies to Israel are spiritualized. Either they are spiritualized to apply to the church today, or they have been abrogated entirely and have no fulfillment at all, or they must be spiritualized to apply to the future or eternal state. As an illustration, rather than pointing to a literal reign of Christ on earth, Isaiah 11:4-10 refers to the peace and tranquillity of mind of the believer, or it speaks in a spiritual way of heaven or eternity. Historically its first advocate was Augustine from the 4th and 5th century. Prior to Augustine it is very difficult to find an orthodox amillennial view. Modern advocates Louis Berkhof, Abraham Kuyper, and R.C.H. Lenski.
The third view and in my honest and humble opinion the correct view is premillennialism. It is so named because it interprets Revelation 20 as referring to a literal thousand year reign of Christ following His second coming. The second coming occurs before the Millennium and therefore is PreMillennial. Lewis Sperry Chafer, H.A. Ironside, Charles C. Ryrie, C.I. Scofield are some of the 20th century advocates but other premillenarians can be found in the 1st century and on - Papias, Justin Martyr and other early church fathers. The arguments for this view are based on the natural sequence of events in Chapter 20 following Chapter 19 - they are sequential and they stem from the Second Coming of Christ. Many passages speak of the Second Coming being followed by a reign of righteousness - ON EARTH - Psalm 2, 24, 72, and 96 as well as Isaiah chapter 2
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.
5 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
44 “In the days of those kings, the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.
13 I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 14 He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
16 After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, 17 so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles who are called by my name— declares the Lord who makes these things 18 known from long ago.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Micah all prophesy about it. The interpretation of Revelation 20 is important and has many implications for approaches to prophetic scriptures. This view allows for the prophesies to yet be fulfilled for Israel (instead of the church replacing Israel) and follows with a literal interpretation and a natural sequence of events from Revelation 19-22. The key factor here is one’s method of interpretation. In the postmillennial and amillennial positions one must spiritualize a large amount of Scripture. In the premillennial view Scripture is taken literally, i.e., according to its normal, more obvious meaning. Figures are taken figuratively, but they are not spiritualized.
So lets read and check out what this Millennial Reign is all about anyways.
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.
9 They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Satan Will Be Bound For It
Satan Will Be Bound For It
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
John says then I saw indicating this naturally proceeds the coming of Christ and the putting away in to the Lake of Fire the beast and the false prophet. An angel is coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand and with this chain Satan - the dragon and the ancient serpent who is also known as the devil is seized. Hallelujah! Here we see that Satan is not currently bound - but in the future at the Second Coming he will be bound and he will be bound for 1000 years. This allows scriptures such as 1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
Check this out also - the angel that subdues Satan is anonymous - it is not Michael or Gabriel or any other high ranking angel. Perhaps Satan’s final position of supposed greatness is set in the fact it is not God the Father nor is it Christ who deals with him, but some random and anonymous angel. Upon binding him the angel threw him into the abyss and closed it and put a seal on it. This was to keep him from deceiving the nations for the 1000 years. If Satan and his demons are deceiving nations right now then he is not bound as Amillenarians suppose. Here Satan will remain until the 1000 years are completed - this wording right here is why we interpret the 1000 years literally.
What catches my eye is that it says after this - he MUST (denotes logical and moral necessity) - M U S T be released - WHY! We will find out as we go on in Revelation 20 but make note so you dont miss the fact that his release is for a short time only.
During the Millennium
Israel will be the super power of the world the leading nation in all the earth. The center of Israel will be the mountain of the Lord’s house - the temple mount. This will also be the capital of the government of the Messiah
1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, 3 and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
22 “ ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high towering mountain. 23 I will plant it on Israel’s high mountain so that it may bear branches, produce fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord. I bring down the tall tree, and make the low tree tall. I cause the green tree to wither and make the withered tree thrive. I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do it.’ ”
Everyone will submit to Jesus for a time of perfectly administered righteousness
There will be no more war - there will still be conflicts between nations and people but they will be justly and righteously decided by the Messiah and those who reign with Him.
4 He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war.
The relationship with animals will be transformed as well. In Genesis 9 God gave Noah and all mankind permission to eat meat while putting the dread of man into the animals - now that will be reversed.
6 The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle.
8 An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den. 9 They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water.
Blessing and security for national Israel
a rebuilt temple and restored temple service
Satan’s deceptions have always concerned the word of God and his deceptions always attack the integrity of God and Jesus Christ. The Millennium will be a time when the whole earth will be in full knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water. For this to take place Satan must be removed.
The Saints Will Be Present In It
The Saints Will Be Present In It
4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
John sees thrones and people seated on them who are given authority to judge.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
2 Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels—how much more matters of this life?
The saints are present - OT Saints, Church Saints, and the Tribulation saints. John specifically identifies the tribulation saints to single them out from among the raptured church and specifically identify them as being resurrected and not missing it. They come to life again and reign with Christ for 1000 years! This is the first resurrection. Postribulationalists cling to this to show that the rapture couldnt happen until now - because this is the first resurrection.
The first resurrection is not a single event it is the resurrection of the righteous at various times. Christ would be the first resurrection right?!
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.
The rapture would be the next time
The resurrection of the two witnesses of Revelation 11:11
and the resurrection of the tribulation saints we see here.
There are two programs of resurrection
29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.
The second resurrection program of the dead - the unrighteous will not happen until after 1000 years. Completed can also mean accomplished - God has purposes to accomplish in the Millennium but more on that in just a moment.
All the righteous will be resurrected before the Millennium and they will reign with Christ for a thousand years - literally. Second death will have no power over them. Second death comes to those who have not been born-again. Two be born once is to die twice and to be born twice is to only die once.
Believers will be given responsibilities of service and worship in the Millennium. The Millennium, as well as eternity, will be a time of joyous activity and service.
In the Millennium there will be a kingdom inhabited by three groups of people.
Old Testament saints, church age saints (bride of Christ) and Tribulation martyrs
The Tribulation saints who escaped death and were preserved through the tribulation to go into the kingdom of our Lord.
These believers will have mortal bodies like ours today and during the course of the Millennium they will have children. These children regardless of the glorious presence of Jesus will need to also receive Jesus as their Savior by faith. Making a third category - unbelievers in mortal bodies men and women susceptible to Satan and his schemes.
There is no mention about resurrection of Millennium saints - those who enter the Millennium having never died.
20 In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days, or an old man not live out his days. Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years old will be mourned as a young man, and the one who misses a hundred years will be considered cursed.
Someone to die at 100 will be considered young but they can still die
There Will Be A Final Revolt
There Will Be A Final Revolt
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.
9 They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
When the thousand years have been completed Satan will be released for remember he MUST be released for a short time. Immediately at his release He will go to the four corners (yes the earth is round) this means over the whole earth. He will go to Gog and Magog to gather them for battle.
Remember I mentioned that those born in the tribulation must receive Jesus as Savior and are susceptible to Satan’s deception. Well now Satan is released to make a final attempt to seduce nations and peoples to rebel against Christ. The army gathered will be so vast it will be like the sand of the sea. How can that be? People who see Christ and have Him as the righteous one upon the throne - yet they will rebel?
This must happen and God allows it to happen as a final demonstration of man’s rebellion and complete and total corruption from sin. For all of humanity man has blamed sin on everything else - especially environment and the corrupt and broken world.
I am the way I am because of - my past, my family, my neighborhood, the government etc
In the Millennial kingdom of Jesus there will be 1000 years of perfect rule, righteousness and justice - no crime, no violence, no evil or any other excuse - yet John says this will be the result man will still rebel against God at the first opportunity. In a perfect environment men will still rebel against God because they are wicked.
On top of this notice that 1000 years and Satan is the same still in opposition and rebellion to God there is no change he is corrupt and evil through and through.
Gog and Magog - this is not Ezekiel 38-39 - these chapters have no mention or tie to Satan or the Millennium. Gog simply refers to the ruler and Magog refers to the people. The armies will surround Jerusalem the capital city during the Millennium. The battle is not a battle - it ends quite decisively with fire coming down from heaven and consuming the rebellion.
Satan is finally judged permanently and with finality thrown into his prison - the lake of fire and sulfur. Notice also after a 1000 years the beast and prophet are still in there and the three will remain in there and be tormented day and night forever and ever. This supports the doctrine of eternal punishment. Forever and ever - literally means to the ages of ages it never ends.
“Ends” At the Great White Throne
“Ends” At the Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
After the final rebellion is crushed and Satan is cast to the lake of fire - here John sees a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence (suddenly there wasnt heaven or earth - space perhaps?) no place was found for them.
John then sees the dead - all of them (those not yet resurrected) the great and the small they all stood before the throne. At this throne books are opened and another book is named the book of life. The dead are judged by what was written in the books - their deeds.
Christians will never appear before the great white throne judgement. This is the unrighteous who rejected salvation in Christ Jesus. We wont appear before not because it is something that can be avoided or hidden from but because our deeds and sins were dealt with in Jesus at the cross. We wont escape judgment; Jesus already satisfied it in our name. Christians will stand before the Bema Seat of Christ though. All final judgments deal with works
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.
14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.
The books are opened - those standing at the great white throne are those whose names are not in the book of life - which is the record of those saved. Eternal destination is decided in life - in death it is too late.
27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—
In judgement the choice made in life is revealed and confirmed. The other books opened are the works of the unsaved. This is not a trial with discovery but a sentencing based upon the record. No words of defense will be offered or available. No one will have “words with God” at the judgment
Just as there are degrees of reward in heaven there will be degrees of punishment in hell and it will be works based. The purpose of hell is not that of rehabilitation or even the obliteration of evil. The purpose is retributive justice—the punishment of God on wickedness. For every person in hell, it will be a place of “weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12), and this suffering will be forever (Rev. 14:11). No one in hell will have it easy. Hell will be a place of torment and misery for all who are there. Precisely how the degrees of punishment will be given out is not told us, but Scripture indicates plainly enough that some will have a greater capacity for suffering or that some will actually bear a fiercer measure of the positive infliction of the wrath of God upon them. All the lost will suffer for their sin; for some that suffering that will be worse than for others.
There is a principle in Scripture that those who have more truth revealed to them will be judged more harshly. Consequently the suffering in hell will be proportionate to the light people have received. As the Scripture says, "To whom much is given, much is required."
The sea gave up the dead and death and hades gave up the dead that were in them - the soul and the body will be united in a resurrection unto death. death and hades are now thrown into the lake of fire - this is the second death. Anyone who is not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. The only sin one is ultimately condemned upon is the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - or of not believing in Jesus Christ as Savior. The lake of fire is also known as hell and it is the final prison of the wicked. Hell was never created for man but for Satan and his angels.
41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
Misery loves company though - Satan desires to drag as many with him as possible - not because he will be ruling - he will be just as much a prisoner - but because he is utterly depraved and wicked and rejoices in the suffering and destruction of others.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The doctrine of eternal punishment has always been a problem to Christians who enjoy the grace of God and salvation in Christ. The Bible is clear, however, that the punishment of the wicked is eternal. This is confirmed in verse 10, where the beast and the false prophet are still in the lake of fire after the thousand years of Christ’s millennial reign. Though the wicked dead will receive resurrection bodies, they will be quite unlike the resurrection bodies of the saints. The former people will continue to be sinful but will be indestructible and will exist forever in the lake of fire.
There are only two destinies for human souls; one is to be with the Lord and the other is to be forever separated from God in the lake of fire. This solemn fact is motivation for carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth whatever the cost, and doing everything possible to inform and challenge people to receive Christ before it is too late.
The deciding factor at this judgment is whether one’s name is written in the Book of Life. Only those not written will be present for those written have already been raised to new life with Jesus
The White Throne Judgment will be nothing like our modern court cases. At the White Throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness.
It is here that God totally and finally deals with sin - for next comes the new heaven and the new earth.
You can escape this terrible judgment by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. By so doing, you never will be a part of the second resurrection or experience the terrors of the second death, the lake of fire.
24 “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.