Christ's Coming Millennium

Bible Study Lesson #8.06

Please read Revelation 20:1-9 before beginning this free Bible study lesson.

There are two coming eras of which all Christians, really, ALL PEOPLE, must be aware. First, Christ's coming millennium and secondly, the eternal reign of Jesus Christ in New Jerusalem.

Most people, Christians included, have vague notions of what to expect in these fast-approaching eras.

Truthfully, the knowledge of these two imminent time periods should inspire increased faith and everlasting hope, which no enemy can steal.

Would you like more faith? How about an incredible hope that passes ALL understanding?! Of course you would!!

Knowing the incredible future that Jesus has planned for you is your fail-safe weapon against falling into faithlessness and hopelessness.

This knowledge can also lead you out of the dreaded spiritual lethargy or apathy that are common to many believers.

Most of all, God wants you to know that He is awesome and in perfect control of the world. He's mysteriously guiding all things right to where He wants them. Sin will soon be slam-dunked in hell, heaven and earth will be re-created, and those people who love him will be united with him forever. 

You'll never regret taking a few minutes and learning about what's in store for this world and YOU personally. God will bless you in many ways when you learn about him and the future.
 
The reasons for these fast-approaching, volatile time periods will be revealed by this study, so that the fear of the Great Tribulation won't overwhelm you. You'll see the big picture.

God's Word tells us, "Say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you" (Isaiah 35:4).

King Solomon wrote Psalm 127, which states, "Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me."

Christ's 1,000 Year Reign

Looking ahead to our very near future, we know that Christ's enemies will have taken huge hits through the epic Great Tribulation period (Isaiah 26:20-21).

Many of Christendom's human enemies, by this time, have died and are living in Hades, shamefully poised to submit to their personal Judgment Day.

Other enemies of the cross survive the natural disasters, wars (Isaiah 10:20; Ezekiel 39) and plagues (Isaiah 24:13-14; Zechariah 14:12-15), and head defeated and subdued into Christ's 1,000 year reign on Earth (Zechariah 14:16). This particular group of people will populate the millennium; however, the number of humans will have diminished greatly because of the Great Tribulation.  

Christ's spiritual enemies (i.e. Satan, fallen angels, demons) at the time of the Great Tribulation, have lost the eternal battle (Colossians 2:15) and are in various levels of temporary submission to the King. They'll be bound in chains (Jude 1:6), awaiting a day when they're released and able to attack the Kingdom of God one last time at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:7-9).

Jesus Christ, his heavenly angels, and the people saved by God, both in the past and those raptured during the Great Tribulation, have been watching the terrible wrath of YHWH, aka God the Father, destroy his enemies and destruct most of the Earth for seven long, grueling years.

The end result, which will attain God's ultimate goal, is that everyone remaining alive on earth knows that the God of the Holy Bible, YHWH (pronounced "yah-weh") (Jeremiah 31:33-34 & 2 Timothy 3:9), is the Almighty Creator God of the universe and all life forms (Psalm 33:6-9 NLT). 

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb will have concluded (Revelation 19:6-9) and the Day of Christ's physical return to Jerusalem will finally arrive (Habakkuk 3:3-16) - and he'll sit triumphantly upon his glorious throne in Jerusalem! (Jeremiah 3:17; Ezekiel 45:1). 

Christ's Temple and the land it sits upon will be holy and sin will not touch it again (Ezekiel 43:7-12). All rebels will be forcibly removed and locked away (Zephaniah 3:11-13) and the pagan remnants of false worship will be cleared from all Israel (Zechariah 13:1-2).

Can you picture Christ as the reigning King atop his Holy Hill in Jerusalem? (Isaiah 52:1; Zechariah 8:3) Praise the Lord!

At long last, order will be restored upon the earth, and Christ's enemies will finally be placed beneath his feet, as promised by YHWH (Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 63:1-6).

Jesus Christ will personally reign in Jerusalem over both the vast universe AND all the earth's domain (Isaiah 33:5-6; 42:4). Nothing and/or no one will be outside his observance and governance.

Christ's global government will be a theocracy/monarchy (Zechariah 14:9), where he personally settles all national disputes (Isaiah 2:4) and renders just verdicts (Isaiah 11:1-5).

This literal 1,000 year time period will be the unveiling of YHWH's original version of a One World Government (Isaiah 54:14-15), so different from the current satanic counterfeit version, i.e. the secular elite's New World Order.

Christ's government will truly be glorious (Isaiah 59:19), honorable, just, orderly, and eternally beneficial for all people who dwell therein (Isaiah 9:6-7). Let's find out who will be welcomed into the Millennium.

People of the Millennium

All people, from all times, who have real faith in YHWH and his Son, Yeshua, will fully participate in bodily form (Matthew 5:5; John 11:49-52) in Christ's Millennium. That's a mouthful, but biblically accurate, so let's break it down and find out who will be joining us.

Israel's faithful dead will be physically resurrected and enter the Holy Land with shouts of joy (Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37:12-14). Even King David will be resurrected to reign alongside Yeshua (Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25). This is exciting, isn't it? Who doesn't love King David?!

The Gentile's faithful dead will also join Christ's coming Millennium (Isaiah 56:1-8) after their bodily resurrection and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb concludes (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Most of the resurrected Gentiles will live outside of Israel's borders, alongside the Great Tribulation-surviving Gentiles (Isaiah 59:19).

You heard that right... Somehow, someway, despite God's terrible Tribulation wrath, he promises that certain people survive his fury and crossover into the new Millennium (Isaiah 10:20; 24:6; 24:13-16; Zechariah 14:16).

Some of both true Hebrews (Jeremiah 31:1-2) and Gentiles survive the Great Tribulation period (Ezekiel 36:36).

All of us will speak in the Hebrew language on the earth - our punishment for the pagan evils of the Tower of Babel will finally cease (Zephaniah 3:9; Isaiah 19:18 NLT).

At the conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon (Ezekiel 39), Christ annihilates all enemies of Israel in order to cleanse the land and show his people that he is the LORD (Isaiah 29:5-8). Jeremiah tells us which nations will be eternally desolate and which will be allowed to re-organize during the millennial era (chapters 48-51).

The elect of national Israel are then led home to Jerusalem (Psalm 58:10-11) where they'll rebuild and live peacefully for the entire prosperous millennial era (Isaiah 11:15-16; Jeremiah 31:8-9).

Christ's Millennium is partly the long-awaited period where the Hebrew nation accepts YHWH's sacrificial gift of his only begotten Son, Yeshua, as their Messiah (Jeremiah 30:8-9; 31:20-22 NLT).

This 1,000 year period (i.e. one day) will be Israel's Seventh-Day Sabbath Rest promised by YHWH (Ezekiel 20:12; Hebrews 4:1-3).

The Jews will enter Jerusalem and be taught by Christ himself (Isaiah 2:1-3). They'll understand their ancient sins (Isaiah 5:24-25) and their part in his crucifixion (John 11:53-54; Matthew 27:25) and repent of their grievous sin (Zechariah 12:10).

Because God is always faithful to his promises, mercy and forgiveness will be graciously granted to them by the LORD (Isaiah 33:24; Zechariah 13:1).  

The Savior-believing Hebrews will be recipients of God's grace, once again, and they'll greatly multiply and prosper for a thousand years during the Millennium (Isaiah 27:6). Millions of Jews will be born into God's eternal family during the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

They'll be watched over and blessed directly by the Lord Jesus, the King of the Jews. Individual Hebrews will live for the entire millennia, unless they transgress Christ's laws (Isaiah 65:20-23 & Jeremiah 31:30). Let's turn to the Gentiles' now.

The returning Gentile-believer's works have already been rewarded by this point in time (Isaiah 40:10), and they'll reign and judge over the tribes, towns, cities, and non-Israeli nations of the earth (1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 2 Timothy 2:12).

The Gentile nations will all serve the Lord and Israel during the Millennium (Isaiah 42:6; 60:14-16). They will also worship Adonai Elohim in unison with the Jews (Isaiah 61:11). 

You'd be biblically correct in envisioning peaceful agricultural tribes and towns more so than the bustling major industrial cities like we know today (Jeremiah 31:24-25). The brighter sun and improved environmental conditions that the millennium brings will greatly increase food production (Isaiah 30:23-26).

The believing Gentiles who've died throughout history will return with Jesus and be made whole - they'll have glorified bodies and appear "like Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:49; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). God's plan is that we must be like Christ, because we'll reign with Him forever, and we'll need immortal bodies (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 3:21).

No more harm will touch any resurrected person for the rest of eternity (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Those believers who were physically deaf will be given ears to hear; and those who were blind will be given eyes to see (Isaiah 29:18).

People's injuries will all be healed. The lame will be given strong legs to walk upon the renewed land (Isaiah 35:5-6).

The aborted children will finally be allowed to live and grow, and those that suffered birth defects will be made whole (Psalm 139:13-18; 68:19-20).

Not only will everyone be resurrected with their full faculties and physical abilities, but we'll be able to hear and see and be actively involved in the spiritual realm that includes all the angels and many other incredible mysteries of the universe. Our spiritual abilities will be fully manifested for all eternity (1 Corinthians 15:42-43).

People's minds will also be cleared and able to comprehend nearly anything and everything that Christ teaches (Isaiah 54:13). We'll better understand God's mysteries, plans, and ways which had been hidden from us because of our sin and resulting curse.

Every resurrected person will be re-created as God originally intended - we'll all be made perfectly whole (Isaiah 40:31) and given new names which will never be taken from us (Revelation 2:17).
 
All rebellion rising against Christ's laws will be immediately and fully punished (Revelation 19:15).

The corruption of the current judicial systems across the earth will be destroyed (Isaiah 29:20-21) and an iron rod will be wielded by Christ (Isaiah 33:22; 40:10). No crimes or sins will go unpunished - Christ will immediately crush rebellion with his verbal command (Isaiah 11:3-4).

Enemies will arise in the distant lands and surround and attack Jerusalem at points during the Millennium, but Christ will not allow rebellious forces to succeed. God guarantees that no harm will befall Zion or its inhabitants, his precious Holy City and Chosen Nation (Isaiah 33:21-23; 54:14-17).

Christ, as he so longed for, will finally take Jerusalem's children under his wings like a hen does her beloved chicks (Matthew 23:37-39). He'll nurture and protect God's elect to the point that the world's people will all be astonished (Jeremiah 33:6-9).

Jerusalem, the beloved city (Revelation 20:9), will be Christ's own to share with all those who love Him, both Jew and Gentile, once and for all (Romans 10:12-13).

Millennial Jerusalem, Israel

Jesus Christ will return and officially oversee the rebuilding of Jerusalem and Israel (Jeremiah 31:4).

YHWH's elect, the real descendants of Abraham, return to the Promised Land with the LORD and finally become one nation instead of two. Israel and Judah fuse into one nation under the rule of Jesus Christ their King (Isaiah 11:11-13; Ezekiel 37:21-23).

The New Covenant will finally become fulfilled, and the citizens of Israel will come to personally know their Messiah (Jeremiah 31:33-34). How exciting is this!?

Jerusalem and Israel-proper will be an incredibly beautiful place like never before in history (see Isaiah 54:11-12). Stunning is a better term, since it will leave those who look upon it breathless (Psalm 68:15-18; Ezekiel 29:21 NLT).

The Bible says that people will be shocked that God can turn desolate land into a land like the Garden of Eden (Isaiah 41:18-20; Ezekiel 36:33-36). Imagine walking towards Jerusalem, gazing at its beauty, while anticipating meeting Christ on his Throne. Simply unfathomable (Isaiah 55:8-9).

The scenic highway you'll be walking upon will lead all nations to Jerusalem. God's Word calls this beautiful road the Highway of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8).

People returning to the Promised Land to meet Christ will travel this long and winding road. Anyone journeying to Jerusalem for an event, or to enjoy one of Yeshua's Festivals, will travel with no worries or fears - only sheer delight (Isaiah 35:9-10).

Millennial Jerusalem is home of the new temple which is described so vividly in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. The Temple is where the nation of Israel will perform sacrifices commemorating the saving work of the Messiah. They'll have a burnt offering, a sin offering, and guilt offerings (Ezkiel 40:38-39) which all honor God's Son, Israel's Savior, Jesus Christ.

The people will also give a tax levied for the purpose of their individual grain, burnt, liquid, and peace offerings, which are officially performed by the priests (Ezekiel 45:13-17). The main rule of the Temple will be personal holiness, with no exceptions (Ezekiel 43:12).

The Festivals that'll be held in Jerusalem are the New Year's Feast (Ezekiel 45:18-20), the Passover Feast together with the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Ezekiel 45:21-24), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:25). 

Jerusalem soon becomes the largest city in the world during Christ's millennial reign (Isaiah 54:1-3; 60:1-3). It will become the most prosperous nation in all of human history (Amos 9:13-15).

The Lord describes the city and the nation of Israel as "bursting at the seams," even though Israel's boundaries were already greatly expanded when Christ returned (Micah 7:11), in part because he promised to open the wombs of the women of Israel (Ezekiel 36:37-38).

Some foreigners will live alongside the natural, true Israelites, as well (Ezekiel 47:21-23).

People who once despised the Lord, but survived the Great Tribulation, will call Jerusalem "The City of the Lord" and "Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 60:14). Jeremiah 33:16 also says its name will be "The Lord is our Righteousness."

Isaiah 62:4 adds more names that Jerusalem will be called, including "The City of God's Delight" and "The Bride of God." Isaiah 62:12 also calls it "The Desirable Place" and "The City No Longer Forsaken."

Jerusalem, Israel will be the home of YHWH's elect nation, and all those living there will know that Jesus is the Promised Messiah (Ezekiel 37:13; 39:28-29). Hallalujah!

Israel & Jerusalem Reborn

The Millennium will be the time of the Great Sabbath Rest that the Bible promises to those who believe in YHWH and his Son (Jeremiah 31:1-2; Hebrews 4:1-4; 4:7-11).

There were roughly 4,000 years (i.e. 4 days) between Creation and Christ's birth, and there will be roughly 2,000 years (i.e. 2 days) between Christ's earthly life and the Millennium. That's a total of six "days" (2 Peter 3:8) - and the Millennium will be the seventh "day," the special Sabbath Day of Rest.

The earth will literally demand a thousand years of rest after 6,000 years of use AND the forthcoming Great Tribulation! (see Ezekiel 38:8 & Romans 8:19-22).

Israel will be recreated into a large area similar to the original Promised Land (Numbers 13:27; Psalm 80:7-11; Ezekiel 47:13-23); and quite possibly as beautiful as the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:35; Joel 3:17-18). Yinon Zionism has recently created a decent map of their projections of Millennial Israel here. Jerusalem's boundaries will be laid out, as well (Jeremiah 31:38-40).

The next verse in Joel seems to suggest that there'll be a buffer area cleared around Israel. The verse states that Egypt and Edom will become uninhabited wastelands (Joel 3:19; Isaiah 34:8-12).

Babylon (Jeremiah 51:29) and Assyria (Isaiah 10:17-19), as noted in other Scriptures, will also be left destroyed and desolate for punishment of their transgressions against Israel (Psalm 83:1-18).

In fact, a vast area from north of Judah to south of Jerusalem will become a plain, highlighting Jerusalem's raised presence on the Holy Hill (Zechariah 14:10).

Rivers that flow with life-giving water will continuously flow down from Jerusalem through the lower valleys, giving Israel's people fresh water (Zechariah 14:8).

While Israel's surrounding enemy nations remain desolate through the Millennium, other lands around the globe will thrive once again. Isaiah 35:1-2 gives vibrant detail of nature during the Millennium. It will take some time, though, because the Great Tribulation has just passed, and eventually nature will recover from the utter destruction.

Remember these two important facts: God renews the heavens and the Earth for the Millennium; but he first destroys by fire, and then makes new heavens and a new Earth for the New Jerusalem.

Isaiah 60:4-9 clearly reveals that the Gentile nations will bring their wealth to Israel and use their ample resources to rebuild the City. Laborers will come from the Gentile nations to be the craftsmen and artisans needed to complete Israel's infrastructure. Ships will bring true Hebrews and vast amounts of wealth into Israel and its capitol city, Jerusalem (Haggai 2:7; Isaiah 66:12).

Some Gentile nations will refuse to submit to Christ and Israel. They'll ignore their mandates to serve and to travel to Jerusalem and worship the King. YHWH will have none of it, though, punishing the rebel nations with severe drought (Zechariah 14:16-19). They'll pay dearly for their defiance.

The individuals from the compliant foreign nations will visit Christ's new Temple in Jerusalem in order to worship Him, the earth's reigning King. All people will, sometimes through discipline, bow before him and serve Christ and Israel for 1000 years.

The Millennial Earth

Weeds and unseemly plants won't live in the new millennium. Trees will take over and fill the earth like a garden (Isaiah 55:12-13) after the earth heals from the Great Tribulation.

Most sin will be eliminated, but there will still be enough to harm nature, animals, and other people. Christ takes immediate action, though, and punishes all perpretators.

Agriculture will be the main occupation of most people, because we'll mostly, if not totally, return to a vegetarian lifestyle, as will the animal kingdom. Bloodshed will mostly cease. Fish are a possibility for edible meat, since Christ ate fish after his resurrection.

Animals will experience life without threats from predators, because the curse on nature will be partly lifted for Christ's coming Millennium (Isaiah 11:6-8).

The wolf and lamb will graze side by side, and the lion will eat hay like a cow (Isaiah 65:25). Their hunting prowess will fade, their teeth dulled, and they'll all become docile creatures, as they were originally created.

Jewish history and traditions steadfastly claim that animals could actually speak before the curse fell upon nature (Ancient Book of Jubilees 3:28; Josephus Flavius, Antiquities, 1.1,4). Won't that be amazing? It's not too hard to imagine since parrots and myna birds can speak human language.

End of Christ's Millennium

Satan will be kept chained in hell during this one thousand year period, but, Christ promises to let him out at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:7).

People's sinful nature will keep some of them from loving Christ through the Millennium, even though they physically behold him in Jerusalem. They won't love him even though He gives them many blessings and directly rules the entire Earth! Hard to fathom, isn't it?

Nations will also turn away from him during this period; therefore, the devil and his agents will have an easy time uniting them and planning one more surge of aggressive military action to kill Christ and take over Millennial Jerusalem. Satan's pursuit of Christ's throne drives him to unspeakable lengths, does it not?

The Millennium's final war is described in detail in Ezekiel chapter 38 (fyi, chapter 39 describes the war at the end of the Great Tribulation period).

Revelation 20:7-9 also tells us that there are great numbers of soldiers fighting against Israel, which reveals the depths of human depravity. It proves that Satan and his evil spirits can be locked away for a thousand years, totally unable to influence people, and people still fail to acceptably love and worship Jesus Christ.

The good news is that this final war is the end of all ungodly resistance to God, Christ, Israel, and Christians. That's exactly the reason why Christ unchained the devil one last time, who got his final chance to gather the rebellious, militant God-haters before the final battle that eternally destroys him.

Mystery Babylon, the Satanic Pagan City that opposed Jerusalem, will be fully and fatally crushed under Christ's feet (Genesis 3:15).

Mystery Babylon, Satan's secret worldly system, the one that led Israel into immorality, killed the Messiah, killed Christians and suppressed the Bible for thousands of years, will be finally vanquished (Revelation 19:19-21).

Satan, the fallen angels & evil spirits, the beast & false prophet, and paganism in all its deceptive & deplorable forms, were the ultimate enemies of YHWH and his Son, Yeshua.

People who trusted in anything or anyone other than YHWH and his Son for salvation were united with them, whether ignorantly or willingly, and will be destroyed with them. They all receive the rewards of who and what they chose to love and serve.

As the Millennium ends, the White Throne Judgment beckons for ALL of the enemies of the Kingdom of God. Satan, the fallen angels, Cain, Nimrod, Judas, Nero, Hitler, the antichrist, plus ALL people who ever lived who didn't accept God's merciful plan of salvation, will stand front and center before Christ the Judge.

The books will be opened, the knees bowed, and the verdicts announced, "Depart from Me!" Then the punishment-without-end commences - eternity spent in the Lake of Fire, separated from the Creator and his beautiful Creation. Their personal books will be closed and they'll all be a forgotten part of history.

In a separate event, at the end of the thousand year reign; Christ and his disciples, from their millennial thrones, will judge Israel's people (Luke 22:28-30 & Romans 2:12). The Jews have a bit different judgment process than do the Gentiles - but all judgment is based on God's Word, the Holy Scriptures.

Then the Millennium winds down, and the Lord God Almighty unveils an eternal dwelling that's beyond comprehension. It'll be the home of all those who loved God and his Son. We'll learn about the home, New Jerusalem, in our next lesson.

Grasp This!

This has been a partial description of what awaits us in the Millennium. It's why we don't have to worry about our enemies, which includes the final enemy - Death itself! Death will be swallowed up and held fast in eternal hell, while we enjoy living with Christ our King forever.

Therefore, there's no need to fret. Forget about saving your country or starting a new one. That stuff is all physical - all temporary. It'll all be burned up, anyhow.

Forget about striving to gain power, money, influence, and belongings in this life, because real life, where truth, beauty, and our LORD is coming soon - VERY soon.

Included here, in closing, is the Millennium Song from Isaiah 12:1-6:

In that day you will sing:
“I will praise you, O LORD!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The LORD GOD is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
With joy you will drink deeply
from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
“Thank the LORD! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

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