THE MILLENNIUM

“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” (Revelation 20:4).

The Millennium is a one thousand year period in which our Lord Jesus Christ will reign over all the earth from Jerusalem. At the beginning of the Millennium, Satan is bound by an angel of God and thrown into the bottomless pit. He will be kept there during the Millennium to prevent him from deceiving the people on earth. The Millennium is 1,000 years of peace and godly rule that begins when Satan is bound by the angel.

Chapters 20 and 21 of the book of Revelation record a series of events which will occur of the first day of the Millennium. Except for the parenthesis found in Revelation 20:7-15, these events described by John clearly occur in succession, one right after the other.

        

“And I saw and 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).

        

“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” (Revelation 20:4-6).

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

These four “I saw” phrases give the sequence of events that occur at the beginning of the Millennium as follows:

First Event: Satan is bound (Revelation 20:2-3)

Second Event: The Sheep and the Goat Judgment of Christ (Matthew 25:31-41,46)

Third Event: The Resurrection of the “beheaded” tribulation martyrs (Revelation 20:4-6).

Fourth Event: The descent of the New Jerusalem, the bride, down to earth (Revelation 21:2-27).

                  

These then are the events that need to be looked at carefully to complete our discussion of all the preceding end-time events and to have a better appreciation of the millennial kingdom over which Christ will rule.

But for now, it suffices to say that under the righteous rule of our Lord Jesus Christ, the entire earth will experience a time of peace and prosperity. Without the deception of Satan, people will not fight or deceive one another. For 1,000 years, conditions for mankind will be ideal—yet man will still follow evil when the opportunity presents itself again.

At the end of the 1,000 year Millennium, Satan will be loosed from his bonds for a short while. He will go out to deceive the nations, including Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-8). These nations will decide to rebel against Jesus and attempt an attack on Jerusalem. This will not be much of a war since fire will come down from God and destroy them (Revelation 20:9). Satan will then be thrown into the lake of fire where he will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:10). He will never be allowed to deceive people again. Immediately after Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, the first heaven (i.e., universe) and first earth will disappear and the Great White Throne Judgment will begin.

SUMMARY

Term Definition:

Millennium is “1. a period of one thousand years. 2. The millennium, the period of a thousand years during which Christ will reign on earth. Revelation 20:1-7...” (The Random House College Dictionary, Revised, Unabridged Edition, 1980, p. 848)

Significance of the Millennium:

The Millennium will be a time when Satan is prevented from deceiving man for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). At the end of the one thousand years, men will again follow Satan in attacking God's people (Revelation 20:7-9). This shows that unregenerate man turns to evil at the first opportunity, even after 1,000 years of an ideal environment. Therefore, it is not a person’s environment that makes him do bad things—it is rebellion against God (Romans 1:20-21,28-32; John 3:19-20).

Source of the Millennium:

God will have Satan bound to prevent his interference with the millennial peace (Revelation 20:1-3). Christ and His people will rule over all the earth and over all people (Zechariah 14:9,16-17; Revelation 20:4,6).

Length of the Millennium:

The Millennium lasts one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3).

Events Prior to the Millennium:

The Wrath of God and the battle of Armageddon will occur before the Millennium (Revelation 19:17; 16:12-21). Just before the beginning of the Millennium, the Beast and False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). At the start of the Millennium, Satan will be bound by an angel of God and cast into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3).

Events of the Millennium:

Satan will be bound during the entire 1,000 years of the Millennium so that he cannot deceive people (Revelation 20:2-3). The people of God will reign with Christ Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6). Jerusalem will be safely inhabited (Zechariah 14:10-11). Those who will populate the earth during the Millennium will be required to go to Jerusalem each year to worship the Lord Jesus and keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16). Any who fail to worship will not receive rain, and they will receive a plague from the Lord (Zechariah 14:17-19).

God During the Millennium:

The Lord Jesus will reign from Jerusalem and will withhold rain and send a plague upon those nations who fail to worship Him yearly in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:9,16-19).

Christians During the Millennium:

Christians will reign with Christ during the Millennium (Revelation 20:4).

Satan During the Millennium:

Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit during the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3).

Beast During the Millennium:

The Beast and the False Prophet will be in the lake of fire during the Millennium (Revelation 19:20).

Non-Christians During the Millennium:

Those who will populate the earth during the Millennium will be required to go to Jerusalem each year to worship the Lord Jesus and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. If they fail to do so, they will not receive rain, and they will suffer from a plague (Zechariah 14:16-19). Those non-Christians who die before the start of the Millennium will not be resurrected until after the Millennium is over (Revelation 20:5,11-13).

Events Following the Millennium:

At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed from his bonds for a short time (Revelation 20:3,7). Satan will deceived Gog, Magog, and the nations into attempting an attack against Christ and His people in Jerusalem (Revelation 20:8-9). The attackers will be destroyed and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:9-10). Immediately after this, the Great White Throne Judgment will take place  (Revelation 20:1-15).

Scripture references for the Millennium:

Matthew 19:28; Luke 1:32-33; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:1-10; Isaiah 2:2-4; 65:25; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:3; 14:6-11, 16-21. 

NEW HEAVEN & EARTH - PART I

“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” (Revelation 21:1).

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

The popular view among those of us who hold to the pre-millennial return of Christ is that the new heaven and the new earth commence at the end of the Lord’s thousand year reign (often called The Millennium).

It is neither comely nor logical to entertain the thought that the Lord of Glory would rule for a thousand years over a cursed world which, like a basket of overripe summer fruit, is still smelling an decaying from the effects of man’s sin.

2 Peter 3:10 clearly links the new heaven and the new earth with the Day of the Lord (see The Wrath of God), and since the Day of the Lord occurs in connection with Christ’s coming, the new heaven and the new earth must be associated with the beginning of the Millennium, not its end.

The creation of a new heaven and a new earth is among the most beautiful promises in God's Word. More than twenty-five hundred years ago the Lord proclaimed through prophet Isaiah: “For behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create” (Isaiah 65:17, 18a). Likewise, Peter tells of the “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13b), while John also tells that he “saw a new heaven and a new earth” in his vision (Revelation 21:1).

                  

Why will the Lord create new heavens and a new earth?

The first reason, of course, is that the earth will be in a state of total devastation when the battle of Armageddon is over and the Day of the Lord is completed. As we have seen already, the type of destruction is represented by the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the extent of the destruction is represented by the worldwide flood of Noah's day.

Summing up the events of the Day of the Lord (or The Wrath of God) Peter writes: “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10b).

Except for God's protected remnants, the entire earth will be filled with death and destruction. The destruction of the heavens and the earth will be so devastating, in fact, that new heavens and a new earth will have to rise from the ashes, so to speak, before the millennial kingdom can be inaugurated and the earth made inhabitable.

This “creation”, however, will not be ex nihilo, but rather a radical renovation or reconstruction of the remaining creation. The Greek word translated “new” [kainos] does not refer to something that has never existed before, but rather to the renewing of something that already exists. This radically renovated creation then will bring the heavens and earth back into an interrelationship with one another that was enjoyed by Adam and Eve before the fall. It will be a “new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In other words, the heavens and earth so terrible corrupted by the fall and devastated by the Day of the Lord will be restored and perfected by Christ into a splendid new and uncorrupted form. This, then, will be the time for which all “creation waits eagerly” (Romans 8:19), the time that our Lord referred to as “the regeneration” (Matthew 19:28), the time that Peter called “the period of restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time” (Acts 3:21).

        

It is important to note that the renovation of the heavens and earth will have already occurred when the first day of the Millennium begins. During Day of the Lord (The Wrath of God), the earth has been completely purged of any and all who were a part of Satan's kingdom of darkness, and renovated and reinstated to its original splendor as it existed before the fall.

As it was in the days of creation, when “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31), so it will be once again, directly benefiting all of God's protected remnants who are ready to start inhabiting the millennial kingdom of God, ruled by Christ.

We know that the new heavens and the new earth will be perfect in every detail -yet renovated in such a way that somber reminders will be left behind of God's judgment of the wicked on the earth. It will be a magnificent new heavens and earth, worthy of the New Jerusalem (the “mansions” of God housing the bride of Christ) that will hover over it, from which Christ will rule with His saints in perfect justice and righteousness.

SUMMARY

Term Definition:

Heaven is the name that God called the firmament (expanse, i.e., space) where He placed the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:6-8, 14-18).

The term heaven in Revelation 20:11 and 21:1 refers to the universe including our atmosphere and the expanse that contains the stars. According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word used in these passages is number 3772, ouranos (cf. Uranus). This word means sky and by extension means heaven (as the abode of God). In the KJV translation, this Greek word is translated as heaven 268 times, as air 10 times and as sky 5 times. For example, this Greek word is translated as air in “... the birds of the air...” in Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58. This heaven will be shaken and the stars will fall from it (Matthew 24:29-30).

Earth in Revelation 20:11 and 21:1 refers to the planet inhabited by mankind.

Significance of the New Heaven and Earth:

The old heaven and earth will become old like a garment that is worn out and ready to be replaced (Psalm 102:25-26; Isaiah 51:6; Hebrew 1:10-12). The new heaven and earth will no longer suffer the curse of sin (Revelation 21:27; 22:3).

Source of the New Heaven and Earth:

The new heaven and earth come from God.

Length of the New Heaven and Earth:

The new heaven and earth will last for eternity (Revelation 22:5).

Events Prior to the New Heaven and Earth:

The Day of the Lord (see The Wrath of God) precedes and effectuates the creation of the new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:10).

Events of the New Heaven and Earth:

An old heaven (universe) and earth are purged and renovated in order that the millennial kingdom can be inaugurated and the earth made inhabitable. The New Jerusalem will come down from God to the new earth (Revelation 21:2). God will dwell with His people (Revelation 21:3). There will be no more death, sorrow or crying (Revelation 21:4). There will be no night in the new city since God will be its light (Revelation 21:23-25; 22:5).

God During the New Heaven and Earth:

God will live among His people in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3-4; 22:3-5). He will wipe away all tears and ensure that there is no more death, sorrow or crying. God will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Christians During the New Heaven and Earth:

Christians will live forever with God in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3, 4, 7, 27; Revelation 22:5). They will serve Him and see His face (Revelation 22:3-4).

Satan During the New Heaven and Earth:

Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss (Revelation 20:1-3).

Beast During the New Heaven and Earth:

The Beast and the False Prophet will suffer for eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

Non-Christians During the New Heaven and Earth:

People who do not belong to God will be in hell expecting for the end of the Millennium and their judgment at the White Throne Judgment - this is the second death (Revelation 21:8).

Events Following the New Heaven and Earth:

God will live among His people forever (Revelation 21:3-4; 22:3-5).

Scripture references for the New Heaven and Earth:

Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; Hebrew 1:10-12; 2 Peter 3:7,10-13; Revelation 20:11; Revelation 21:1-27; Revelation 22:1-5; Genesis 1:6-8, 14-18; Psalm 102:25-26; Isaiah 51:6; Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 24:19-20.

THE WRATH OF GOD

“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth” (Revelation 16:1).

There is a time coming when God will judge the world for rejecting His Son and for sin. It will be a day of wrath and judgment. In the Bible, this time is descriptively called the Wrath of God (Colossians 3:6; Revelation 14:9-10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1). In some passages, it is called the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15; 2:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). It will be a day of vengeance when God’s wrath will be expressed in the form of seven plagues poured out upon the earth. There will be much physical pain and trouble for the inhabitants of earth at that time. Some have taught that the plagues of God’s wrath are part of the Great Tribulation. That is not the case according to the Bible (see Tribulation or Wrath?).

The seven plagues in the Book of Revelation constitute the outpouring of the Wrath of God (Revelation 11:18;16:1 with the following references). The plagues unleashed by the seven trumpets described in Revelation 8:6-13, 9:1-21, and 11:15-19 are not the same as the seven plagues described in Revelation 16:1-21. Only the seven bowls poured out by angels of God are called “the seven bowls of the wrath of God” (Revelation 16:1). These plagues described in the Book of Revelation are the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a sinful world (Revelation 18:4, 8). Since the Great Tribulation is demonic persecution (under the direction of the Beast) rather than godly judgment, it should be clear that the seven plagues of God’s wrath are not part of the Great Tribulation.

Failure to recognize only as the “wrath of God” the last seven plagues described in the Book of Revelation can lead to confusion about end-time events. Some believe and teach that the trumpets and the bowls are the same seven plagues described twice in the Book of Revelation. Even though the plagues unleashed by the trumpets and those poured out from the bowls describe slightly similar judgments, the two different descriptions for each plague can be compared to see that both descriptions not apply to the same event. There is only one set of seven plagues that is identified as the wrath of God, and it is not described twice in the Book of Revelation, but once - in Revelation 16:1-21. (See Appendix C: Two Different Sets of Seven Plagues Compared for more information on the seven plagues of the Wrath of God.)

Christians are not destined to suffer the Wrath of God (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 18:4). Through faith in Christ Jesus, He has delivered us from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Therefore, Christians will not suffer the Wrath of God.

The Beast and non-Christians will suffer terribly during the Wrath of God (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; Revelation 9:3-6; 16:9-11). Even though they refuse to repent, they will be forced to acknowledge that Christ Jesus is the Lord of all (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9, 11; 11:13; Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11). Since no one repents during the Wrath of God, it would appear that no one is saved during the Wrath of God (Acts 3:19; 11:18). Like the flood of Noah’s days, the Wrath of God is a time of punishment, not a time of correction (Matthew 24:36-39; Genesis 6:5-8, 13, 17; Genesis 7:13-24).

SUMMARY

Term Definition:

The Wrath of God is a scriptural term referring to a specific period of time when God will punish the Beast and those who worship him (Revelation 14:9-11). This outpouring of God’s wrath will take the form of seven plagues (Revelation 16:1-21). The Wrath of God is sometimes called the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15; 2:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9).

Significance of the Wrath of God:

The Wrath of God is a time of punishment for the Beast and all those who worship him and take his mark during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 14:9-11). The Wrath of God is God’s judgment upon sin and sinners (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6).

Source of the Wrath of God:

The Wrath of God comes from God (Romans 2:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 15:6-7). It is performed by angels under His command (Revelation 16:1).

Length of the Wrath of God:

The length of the Wrath of God is not explicitly given in the Bible, though it is found “between the lines” by comparing the length of the Great Tribulation (3 ½ years = 1,260 days) to the timing provided by the prophet Daniel (12:11). 30 days seems to be the length of the wrath of God. (See the diagram below, How long is the Great Tribulation and The 70 weeks of Daniel for more information on the subject.)

Events Prior to the Wrath of God:

The Great Tribulation occurs before the Wrath of God. Immediately after the Great Tribulation (but before the Wrath of God) certain signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-14; and Appendix D). Also, the Lord Jesus will be seen by the people on earth as He returns to gather His people (Matthew 24:27, 30-21; Revelation 6:15-17).

Events of the Wrath of God:

The primary events associated with the Wrath of God are the seven plagues poured out in judgment upon the earth and its inhabitants (Revelation 16:1-21).

God During the Wrath of God:

God’s judgment and punishment will be poured out as seven plagues upon those who remain on the earth after the Rapture. God will be a shelter for His people (Joel 3:9-16).

Christians During the Wrath of God:

Most Christians will be in heaven during the Wrath of God (Revelation 7:9-17; 15:1-4). There will be 144,000 Israelites who are sealed to protect them against the plagues of the trumpets (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5). Two witnesses will participate in the outpouring of the plagues of the seven trumpets while they witness against the people of the earth (Revelation 11:3-13). The Beast will kill God’s two witnesses between the sixth and seventh trumpets (Revelation 11:7). The people of God will not suffer the plagues of the Wrath of God contained in the bowls (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1:9-10; Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 7:2-3).

Satan During the Wrath of God:

Satan (the dragon) will gather the people of the earth at Armageddon to fight against God during the Wrath of God (Revelation 16:13-14).

Beast During the Wrath of God:

The Beast will suffer severe punishment during the Wrath of God (Revelation 16:10-11). The Beast, Satan, and the False Prophet will gather the people together at Armageddon to fight against God (Revelation 16:13-14).

Non-Christians During the Wrath of God:

Non-Christians will suffer punishment during the Wrath of God (Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; Eph 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; Revelation 9:3-6; 16:9-11). They will blaspheme God (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). They will refuse to repent for their evil (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9, 11). They will be forced to give God the glory due Him (Revelation 11:13; Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11).

Events Following the Wrath of God:

Satan will be bound for 1000 years and the Millennium will begin (Revelation 20:1-4).

Scripture references for the Wrath of God:

Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 17:22-30; Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5-9; Romans 5:9; Romans 14:11; Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 6:12-17; Revelation 14:7-12, 17-20; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 18:4, 8; Revelation 19:11-21; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1-11, 28-32; Joel 3:12-16; Zechariah 14:1-15; Isaiah 2:10-21; Isaiah 13:1-16; Isaiah 24:1-23; Isaiah 26:20-21; Isaiah 63:1-6; Ezekiel7:1-27.