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Study the Prophecies of Revelation and Daniel

last update:

17 August 2005

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The 1,000 Years of Revelation 20

The Millennial Reign

Shortly before Christ' ascension He was talking to His disciples. "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places: if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

We know that the Father is in Heaven, and we also know that after the death and resurrection of Jesus that He returned to Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God. He says that in His Father's house are many dwelling places (rooms, mansions). The Fathers house is in Heaven and Jesus has promised to go to Heaven and prepare a place for us also. He then says He will return for us that we may be with Him. Does this not suggest when He returns that He going to take the saints away from the earth and return to Heaven where He has prepared a place for us?

Many Christian's believe that when Christ returns that He will set up His Kingdom on earth and the saints will rule over the unsaved for 1,000 years. But is this what the Bible teaches?

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall 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. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17

Notice Jesus never touches the earth when He returns for the saints, they meet Him in the air. The dead in Christ rise first and then those who are alive meet them in the air and return to Heaven where a place has been prepared in the Father's house. The righteous dead are taken first and then the righteous living meet the Lord in the air. The Lord says the righteous living will not precede the righteous dead. We are going to meet our loved ones in the clouds in the air. If we were going to live on the earth, why would we meet the Lord in the air? Praise God, "We're out of here!"

Now there will be a time that we live again on the earth, after the earth has a thousand-year rest.

In the Old Testament in Leviticus 24, 25 and 26 you will see that God required Israel after every 6th year to give the land a rest. God gave them a bumper crop the 6th year so they not only had enough food for the 7th year, but also for the time between until the next harvest during the 8th year. That's a long time. I wonder would you trust God to feed your family for a whole year without anything on your part. We seem to have trouble trusting God for today. Now this rest for the land was not for agricultural purposes, even though it should have been a time when the harvest would be the least because of the land being worked so much and needing a rest. This sabbatical rest of the land was to teach Israel how to live by faith. These people lived by the bounty of the land. They didn't have the neighborhood grocery store to run down to everyday. The land was not to be worked the 7th year. These sabbatical years of weeks of rest were a template of the millennial week of rest for the earth.

The 1,000 years of Revelation 20 marks the seventh millennium since sin began. It is a sabbatical rest for the Earth. God worked six days to create this world and then rested on the seventh day. Sin has worked its evilness for six millennial days and the earth will rest for 1,000 years for the beginning of eternity.

Let us look at a few verses during the Second Coming so we might have a little background on how the earth rests.

There is a war that is going on at the 2nd coming. Revelation 19:15-16 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Verse 17-18 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "come assemble for the great supper of God; in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."

Verse 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His Army. This great war is the battle of Armageddon, which takes place during the sixth plague. The devil is going to lead the wicked into a war against Jesus and the saints, but Jesus will be victorious, the sword of His mouth will destroy them and the birds will feed upon their flesh.

Verse 20- 21 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. This is how the earth will rest. There is no one here after this. All those not destroyed by the sword at the Second Coming; the Lord calls the birds to clean up what is left. The earth lies desolate for 1,000 years.

And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. Revelation 20:1-3 For one thousand years the saints will be with Jesus in heaven. Satan will be bound and he will not have any influence over anyone for there is no one here. The wicked are dead awaiting the resurrection. The saints are in heaven.

Now what are the saints doing during this thousand years in heaven?

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:4-5 (see 1 Thessalonians 4:18)

The first resurrection takes place at the second coming when the dead in Christ are raised to join Him in the air. The wicked will sleep on until the second death. Verse 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." John 5:28-29

There are 2 resurrections, one to eternal life and one to eternal destruction. The saints will reign with Christ for 1,000 years. For 1,000 years the saints ascertain the amount of punishment each of the wicked will receive. Note, only Christ makes the decision of Salvation, eternal life. Does any one of you when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life? 1Corinthians 6:1-3

The saints will judge the world, both humans and angels. God's justice includes restitution. As you have done unto others so it will be done unto you. Humans will be judged by their peers for the amount of punishment each will receive. Those who have murdered will have to face their victims they have caused to suffer.

Ecclesiates 12:14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

What happens after the 1,000 rest?

And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison. Revelation 20:7 Verses 8-9 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

This will be an unbelievable site. Everyone who has ever had life will be alive at the same time. The wicked dead are resurrected at this time. The devil will stir them up and they will try to attack the beloved city with the saints inside.

Verses 10 -15 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from the presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small standing before the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And the death and Hades were thrown in to the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

At the end of the 1,000 years the Holy City, the New Jerusalem will descend to the Earth with the saints inside. The wicked are resurrected

A new heaven and Earth

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them. And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4

Read all of Revelation 21and 22 for a beautiful description of the New Jerusalem, the new heaven and earth.

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17 August 2005

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