The Millennium (1000 Years of Peace)
John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Jesus promises to return.
Acts 1:9-11
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Jesus will come back in the same way that he left.
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The righteous dead will be resurrected and along with the righteous living ascend to meet Jesus in the sky.
John 5:28,29
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
There will be two resurrections, the resurrection for the reward of life and the resurrection for the reward of death.
2 Thessalonians 1:7,8
…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The wicked will be destroyed when Jesus returns.
Revelation 19:11-21
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,” followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
As conquering King leading the armies of heaven, Jesus will redeem His people. The wicked, or unrighteous, will be destroyed by the brightness of His glory.
Revelation 20:1,2
Then I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Satan will be bound for 1000 years.
2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment…
The chains are chains of darkness. Satan is bound on a desolate earth with no one to tempt.
Revelation 20:1
Then I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
The Greek word for bottomless pit is “without form and void.” This is the term used to describe the earth before the creation week (Genesis 1:2).
Jeremiah 4:23-27
I beheld the earth, an indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord by His fierce anger. For thus says the Lord: “The whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full end.”
The earth is desolate (without form and void) with no one inhabiting it.
Jeremiah 25:33
And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.
The slain of the Lord shall not be buried.
Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The righteous dwell with God in heaven for 1000 years. Sitting on thrones, they participate in Judgment.
1 Corinthians 6:2
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
The saints shall judge the world.
Revelation 20:5
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
(First part) The resurrection of the wicked to receive their final reward occurs after the 1000 years.
Revelation 20:7
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from His prison.
Satan is loosed out of his prison to lead the resurrected wicked in a final attack against God.
Revelation 20:9
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
Satan and his evil hosts are finally, completely destroyed.
Revelation 21:1-3
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
God creates a beautiful new world.
A Commonly-asked question regarding the Millennium
When Jesus returns, won’t He establish His kingdom on earth for 1000 years? I have always thought there will be people alive during the 1000 years of peace on earth during the millennium.
In John 14:1-3, Jesus states that He is preparing a place for us and will come to take us where He is. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 reveals we shall be caught up to meet Him in the sky. Matthew 16:27 declares that Jesus will come with the glory of the angels to give His eternal rewards. 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8 adds when Jesus comes with His angels, He shall come in flaming vengeance and destruction upon the wicked. According to Jeremiah 25:33, the slain of the Lord will be from one end of the earth to another with no one to bury them. Jeremiah 4:23-27 concludes that “no man” lives on this desolate earth during the 1000 years. Revelation 20:1,2 adds that Satan is bound by a chain of circumstances in the “bottomless pit” or abyss. The Greek word abussos is the same word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament for “Without form and void.” In Genesis 1:2, when God spoke the world into existence, it was without form and void, a darkened, desolate, abyss of nothingness until God immediately separated the dry land, and then created a new world full of life. Again the earth will be reduced to nothingness. Sin will be destroyed. Out of the abyss of the old world, God will create a marvelously beautiful new world (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-5).
