"Come out of her My People"- Jesus Christ THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM |
When Jesus returns, what happens to the saints? 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1st Corinthians 15:51-53 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. When we are changed, who will we be like? Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. When Jesus returns all the dead believers will be raised and then both the resurrected and those who remain alive will be changed, their corruptible bodies will be glorified, and they will never die again. This resurrection is called the first, or the chief of the resurrections; those who partake in this resurrection and are glorified, will reign with Christ for a thousand years, as priests and kings. Revelation 20:4,6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years..... Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. The glorified Saints will be kings and priest and they will reign with Christ for a thousand years. A priest is a type of intercessor. Today every true Christian is a priest (1st Peter 2:9). They intercede for those who are lost in prayer to God, and they share the good news of God’s word with those who do not know Him. The bible clearly teaches that this “Priesthood” of believers continues through the Millennium reign. Where will they reign? Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Here the Righteous Branch, is King Jesus, a descendant of King David. Notice he will reign, prosper, and judge in the earth. Revelation 5:9-10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Notice that these people who were redeemed by the blood of Christ looked forward to reigning on the earth, as kings and priests of God. This corresponds with the hope of the first resurrection which was described in Revelation 20:4-6. When the Lord returns who will be removed from the earth, the wicked or the righteous? Matthew 13:41-43 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Also see Matthew 13:49). Proverbs 10:29-30 ¶ The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. Proverbs 2:21-22 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. (Also see Matthew 5:5, Psalms 115:16) What did the angel tell the disciples when Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives? Acts 1:11-12 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. Jesus ascended personally, and physically from the Mount of Olives, he ascended into the sky, until a cloud took him out of their sight. When Jesus returns, he will return in the clouds, and he will descend personally, and physically. To what point on earth will Christ descend? Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. [This verse is not speaking of something that happens after the thousand year reign, if you continue reading the chapter you will see that there are still plagues that fall on the rebellious inhabitants of the earth. Some people will point out that the bible says “We meet him in the air, not on the mount”. And no doubt we do meet him in the air, but we do not remain in the air forever, and never does the bible say we stay in the air for one thousand years! But rather as we have seen, we reign on earth with Christ for those thousand years] Isaiah 24:21-23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. Here it is promised that the Lord will reign from Mount Zion in Jerusalem, at his coming he will punish the wicked and place them in prison, that is the pit, or the grave; where they are reserved until the day of judgment to be punished, which comes 1000 years later (see 2nd Peter 2:9, Revelation 20:5). How long did the Lord say Jerusalem would be trodden down by the gentiles? Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Jerusalem would remain in the hands of the gentiles (and a portion of it still is), until the time allotted to the gentiles to reign over the earth is finished; and their reign will be finished when the Lord himself returns and reigns on this earth (Also see Romans 11:25). Did the Apostles expect a physical reign? Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? [Notice Christ did not rebuke them for thinking this, but rather he informs them that the times of these things are not for them to know]. THE ROLE OF GLORIFIED SAINTS IN THE MILLENNIUM. As we have seen the resurrected, glorified saints are going to live and reign with Christ as kings and priests on the earth. Of these glorified Saints, who will be given the greatest seats of authority? Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (The Apostles will be alive and personally judging the House of Israel as seen in Luke 22:28-30, Matthew 20:21-23). Here the term ‘judging’ does not simply denote passing sentences of condemnation, but rather to rule and govern. It means to preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings and rulers to pass judgment. The Governors of Israel before the days of the kings were called judges. Who else does Christ promise to give the throne (Governorship) to? Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Jesus taught that each saint will be given power based upon his use of the grace of GOD in this life: Matthew 25:19-21 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. What does the bible promise Jesus will rule with? Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Psalms 2:8-12 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. What did Jesus promise to those who overcome? Revelation 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. Every city on earth will be governed firmly and consistently by true believers who have wisely used the talents given them in this age. What will Christ and his Saints base their government upon and teach the people? Micah 4:1-4 ¶ But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain [mountains represent kingdoms in prophecy] of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth [out] of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. WHO WILL POPULATE THE CITIES THAT THE SAINTS REIGN OVER? DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED AT CHRIST’S RETURN What will become of the wicked who have rejected Christ as Lord, when he returns? Luke 19:27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. Revelation chapter 19 depicts in graphic detail the return of Christ and the destruction of those who have resisted his kingdom. In it he calls for the birds of the air to: “Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God…That ye may eat the flesh of the kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, come together to make war against him who was seated on the horse and against his army.. ( Revelation 19:17-19) Zechariah 14:1-3, 12 ¶ Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle... Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle... And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. (NOTE: Some people, like the Seventh Day Adventist, tell us that these things mentioned in Zechariah take place ‘AFTER’ the thousand years, and the Final Great White Throne Judgment. THIS IS NOT BIBLICAL... if you read the whole chapter you will see that there will be ‘plagues’ of drought for those who after this refuse to go up and worship at Jerusalem. Plagues and rebellion are not a part of the new earth) God promises that he will destroy those of the army of Satan who have fought against his government. “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.”(Isaiah 34:1-2). All the wicked sinners who have rejected Christ and his government, and have fought against his people will be destroyed. The Governments of the world will come to nothing, the cities of the world shall become desolate. Nothing that man has built will stand when the Lord returns. The Lord has showed us through the book of Daniel that his coming Kingdom will put an end to all earthly kingdoms. Daniel 2:34,35,44 “ Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth... And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Notice the Stone strikes the kingdoms of the earth bringing them to nothing, and then the Stone, becomes a great mountain (mountains represent kingdoms) and it fills the whole earth. Clearly the government of Christ will replace all carnal rule when he returns. Yet, even though the Lord desolates the kingdoms and armies of men, he promises that all flesh will not be destroyed. “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isa 24:6 KJV) That he will not bring humanity to a full end: For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. (Jer 4:27 KJV) Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. What will become of the people who are not destroyed when the Lord returns? Zechariah 14:16 ¶ And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. Because of GOD’s mercy, he spares a ‘few’, a ‘remnant’ of humans from the slaughter, and they come to worship before the Lord. (See Revelation 19:21) If some survive, how can Christ’s return be compared to the day of Noah, where the flood destroyed all (Matthew 24:37-38)? With little doubt there will be great destruction upon the earth, and all those who have rejected Christ will perish, as in the days of the flood. Yet the Lord made a promise in Genesis 8:21 “Neither will I again smite anymore every thing living, as I have done.” What the Lord was emphasizing when he was comparing his return to the day of Noah was the suddenness that it came upon the people, and how it caught them unaware. He ended his discourse by saying: Matthew 24:42-44 “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Ezekiel Chapter 39 tells us that those who survive will burn for fire wood the weapons of those slain by the Lord for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9-10). It also tells us that it will take seven months to bury all the dead in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 39:11-15). Ezekiel 39:16-20 is describing the same event as Revelation 19:17-21. WHO WILL BE THE MORTALS THAT SURVIVE? We know they will not be wicked sinners who have rejected the offer of salvation, , more than likely the vast majority who survive will be children, who did not know wrong from right. Deuteronomy 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. Isaiah 11:4-9 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Also the men who had not heard the gospel, and had not accepted the Beast's Mark, and especially the Remnant of Israel, who shall survive Armageddon. Please see our Millennial study concerning the Role of Israel in the last days. THE BINDING AND LOOSENING OF SATAN Why is life on earth during the thousand years so different? Not only will the Lord’s knowledge fill the earth, but the deceptions of Satan will not be present during this 1000 year reign. Revelation 20:1-3 ¶ And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. The “Bottomless Pit” is the Abyss, a prison for demons. 2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus - bottomless pit], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. The “LEGION” of demons begged Jesus that he would not send them there: Luke 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go away into the bottomless pit. DBY (Also See Revelation 17:8, 11:7, 9:11, 9:1-3 [Please Note: Some churches teach that Satan was bound in the pit when Christ died, but this in not biblical, the New Testament, some of which was written fifty years after the resurrection of Christ, teaches Satan is free and walks to and fro seeking whom he may devour, and it declares him to be the god of this world (1st Peter 5:8, 2nd Corinthians 4:4). Others teach that the ‘desolate earth’ is the bottomless pit, but this is not how the writer of Revelation uses the term, and nor does it fit with the teachings of the other New Testament writers. The bible clearly teaches this “bottomless pit” for demons, is a spiritual prison] During the thousand years the conditions will be ripe for the gospel and the law of GOD to spread through out the world. There will be no false religions, or false gods, or man-made governments on the earth. Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Yet, the humans will not be forced to accept God and his rule, they still have free choice and they can choose to rebel; and God promises if they do, they will receive a swift reward. Remember Christ shall rule with a rod of iron. Zechariah 14:17-19 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. During the thousand years, the ‘few’ that survive, whom the Saints rule over, will multiply in the land, and by the end of the 1000 years their number will be as the sand of the sea. After the Thousand years, Satan is loosed once more, and he again deceives the whole world. [Amazing how when given the choice, the majority always chooses the way of death]. The deceived nations will come against the Government of Christ, and when they do, GOD puts an end to it, when fire falls from the sky and burns them up. Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. Satan is then cast into the lake of fire (The same Everlasting, consuming fire of GOD that destroyed the beast when Christ returned, and brought Sodom to ashes in the book of Genesis). Revelation 20:10 and the Devil, who had been leading them astray, was thrown into the Lake of fire and sulphur where the Beast and the false Prophet were, and day and night they will suffer torture until the Ages of the Ages.(WEYMOUTH) With this fire, the earth that has stood out of the water since the flood, comes to its conclusion. Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them Then God resurrects all the wicked from all the past ages, along with all those who lived and died during the 1000 year reign, to face judgment. [Note: The Christians who were glorified have eternal life, they are still immortal, and they will not be judged in this judgment, this is for ‘the rest of the dead’.] Revelation 20:12-14 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Those who lived during the thousand years, and accepted Christ as Lord of their life, will undoubtedly be found in his book and will be given eternal life. Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. After the final destruction of the wicked, God re-creates the heavens and the earth. (Revelation 21:1, Psalms 104:5) Then he causes heavenly Jerusalem to descend to the new earth (Revelation 21:2). The New Jerusalem will be the dwelling place of GOD, GOD will dwell on the earth, with his Son and all the saved (who are glorified and incorruptible) from every age. There will never be any more sin, or death, or sorrow or crying, for all these things are done away (Revelation 21:3-5). On the New Earth God takes his place as the ultimate King of the earth, and the Son submits wilfully to the Father. 1st Corinthians 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Why I believe this is the truth: #1. This fits the bible scenario well. The earthly systems will become nothing when the Lord returns, and the cities of man, the governments of man, and the wickedness of man will fall. #2. It still teaches that the wicked will be killed when Christ returns. #3. It gives a chance for the innocent to have their day during the thousand years to make their choice. #4. It keeps the Second Resurrection a resurrection of judgment... no offer of salvation is made there, but those who were saved during the thousand years, will be found in the book of life, and thus eternally saved. #5. It also explains WHO will be deceived at the end of the thousand years. (The descendants of these original survivors). #6. It closes the loose ends found in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Something no other teaching does. BACK TO: Prophecy, Adventism, or HOME |
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