(Isaiah 65:17-25) “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20 “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 21 “They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. 23 “They will not labour in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the [f]offspring of those blessed by the Lord, And their descendants with them. 24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.”
The Inauguration
The Millennium will commence when the Lord Jesus comes back to this planet to reign from Jerusalem. When He comes back He will fight against those nations that have attacked Israel and persecuted the saints. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the lake of fire and Satan himself bound and thrown into a covered pit with no access to the nations anymore for a thousand years. Untold millions will have died during the Great Tribulation and the vultures will be feeding upon the slain bodies of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great. Their weapons will litter the mountains of Israel all the way down through the Valley of Jehoshaphat into Southern Jordan and continuing into Saudi Arabia. Men, animals, weapons and armoured vehicles will litter the desert. Great cities around the globe will lie desolate and the landscape full of collapsed skyscrapers as far as the eye can see.
A seven year clean up
Whole nations will be devastated and those who have survived completely broken in spirit. In Israel those who live in the towns will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up-the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel. They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder those who have plundered them and loot those who looted them. (Ezekiel 39:9-10) For seven months the Jewish people will be burying the bodies in order to cleanse the land. All the people in Israel will bury them and this will be for them a memorable day when the Lord Himself is glorified among His people (Ezekiel 39:12-13). God Himself will have displayed His glory among the nations, and those who have survived His judgement will have seen the punishment God has unleashed on a Christ hating Christ rejecting world. Furthermore, those nations who have survived will see Israel and Jerusalem exulted to the highest place above all nations. Jerusalem will be the capital of the whole world.
Let us go up to the Mountain of the LORD
(Isaiah 2: 1-5) “This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
After the Land of Israel has been cleansed and the nation restored the Millennial Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. In that day all of the nations that have survived the Great Tribulation will have to come up to Jerusalem year after year to worship the Lord Jesus Christ acknowledging Him as the King of Israel and as the rightful ruler over all of the Kings of the earth. The Lord Jesus Christ will have his earthly residence in Jerusalem on that day.
The prophet Zechariah wrote; “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 14:16-21)
A Garden of Eden
From that time on the earth will be renewed. It will become a Garden of Eden for the inhabitants of the earth. Things will not be perfect yet sickness, disease, poverty and sin will no longer have power over men and longevity of life will be the norm. People will still die but premature death will be thought a curse. Because Satan has been removed from human contact the propensity of the human heart to sin will be greatly diminished. In that day everyone on the earth will enjoy the benefits of God’s physical kingdom on earth. The glorified saints will intermingle with the inhabitants of the earth. Some would say how could this be? How could glorified saints intermingle with ordinary human beings? However, when you look at the Resurrection body of the Lord Jesus that could pass through walls He was still able to mingle with human beings as he appeared to many people and even had a meal with His disciples by the sea. You could touch Him. He was no phantom being. Saints who have resurrected bodies, like the Lord Jesus Himself, will be able to intermingle with those who live on the earth. This will not be a problem at all in the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Two Interpretations
There are two main ways that Bible scholars interpret the Millennium. Of course the Millennium is based on Revelation chapter twenty. One interpretation says that the thousand years mentioned is not literal but represents the time period from the cross to the Second Coming of Christ and that Satan was bound at the cross. St Augustine was the main source of this interpretation. This is the Amillennial position which many in the Church promote today. Also many Amillennialists promote replacement theology which teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and is now the “New Israel.” To be fair some Amillenialists do recognize and acknowledge that God has a future purpose for Israel as a nation but struggle to interpret those passages of scripture that teach a literal restoration of Israel and a time period on earth where the Lord Jesus reigns from Jerusalem. Spiritualising the texts is the easy option for Amillennialists.
If Satan is bound who let him go?
If Satan is bound then how come he is still active in the world? How come the world is in the mess that it is? Who is inspiring the killing and maiming of millions around the world today? Who is driving Islam to do what they are doing? We are told that Satan was bound for a thousand years, thrown into the Abyss and locked up and that place sealed to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were up. (Revelation 20:1-3) Satan is bound spiritually because of what our Lord Jesus accomplished at the cross. As scripture says; “…having cancelled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross! And having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”(Colossians 2:14-15) His ultimate doom is sealed. He cannot prevent people from being saved if they really want to be saved. However, when you look at the prevailing conditions in today’s world Satan is certainly not bound nor has he been removed from human contact, in fact it is quite the opposite today.
The other view is that Revelation chapter twenty speaks of a literal thousand year period of time culminating in the final overthrow of Satan, the final judgement at the Great White throne and the ushering in of the final and eternal state as described in Revelation chapters twenty one and twenty two.
The problem for Amillennialists
The main problems with the Amillennial position is that in order to spiritualise Revelation chapter twenty you have to somehow spiritualise all of the other old Testament passages that clearly speak about a literal restoration of the Jews to the Land of Israel and the establishment of Jerusalem as the chief city among all the nations and the Capital of the world. Furthermore, there are other Old Testament passages of scripture that clearly describe a literal period of time following the Second Coming of Christ where conditions on the earth will be vastly different, not perfect, but clearly different than the present conditions prevailing on the earth.
Prophecy has always been literally fulfilled
To attempt to ‘spiritualise’ these passages does not do justice to the texts themselves. We have no licence or permission from God to ‘spiritualise’ Bible prophecy as it has always been literally fulfilled. If you look at the Old Testament prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus they were all literally fulfilled and so it will be with His Second Coming. Furthermore after He has come back He will reign with the saints on earth. Check out the following Bible references. (Daniel 7:11, 26) (Zechariah 14:5) (2 Timothy 2:12) (Revelation 2:26-27) (Revelation 20:4-5).
God is the God of human history
He said through the prophet Isaiah; “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I will say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10) God is the God of history and works out His prophetic purposes through nations and people on earth. Furthermore, we are told that the saints will co-reign with Christ on the earth and along with Him rule over the nations with a rod of iron. (Revelation 2:26-27) While believers spiritually reign now with Christ in the heavenly places they are still to reign physically with Him on earth in their glorified bodies after He has come back. The spiritual reign is a in the present continuous tense but the physical reign is yet to come in the future. Scripture is very clear on this point. God’s kingdom at present is a spiritual Body of believers on earth in whom God dwells by His Spirit but in the Millennial Kingdom there will be a literal physical and visible Kingdom with its capital at Jerusalem.
Satan in the flesh
Ultimately Satan will manifest himself personally in the flesh in the person of the Antichrist. Yes Satan is spiritually bound that is true but certainly loose on earth and wreaking havoc among the nations. His binding and removal from human contact is yet to come in the future. This is the clearest and plain meaning of the text in Revelation chapter twenty. Again it needs to be said that if we say that the thousand years is not literal then how can we say that the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation is not literal? Where do you draw the line? In all Bible prophecy in both Testaments there is always a connection between what happens in the unseen spirit realm and down here on earth. When you see physical battles in the Bible between God’s people and their enemies it reflects what is happening in the realm of the unseen spirit world.
Distinguishing between spiritual and literal
While there are passages of scripture in the Old Testament that are allegorical, metaphorical and spiritual they in no way give us a licence to spiritualise those texts that are clearly literal and are to be taken that way. Furthermore, you can clearly separate the literal texts from the allegorical and metaphorical texts. Added to this you can clearly separate the promises made to the Church from those made to Israel even though ultimately both the Church and Israel have a common destiny. The discussion of these matters however is not the purpose of this study.
One foreshadows the other
There are references to the Millennium in the Old Testament even though the word Millennium itself is not used in scripture. However, there is a definite connection between Revelation chapter twenty and the passages in the Old Testament describing Israel living under the reign of their Messiah. Furthermore in Revelation chapter 21:1 John sees the New Heaven and Earth as the ultimate fulfilment of the New Heaven and the new earth Isaiah described. The new heavens and the new earth Isaiah describes foreshadow the new Heavens and earth of the final and eternal state to come. Isaiah 60: 17-25 clearly connects with Revelation chapters 21-22.
A golden age
The passages that I think best describe the conditions that will prevail during this thousand year period are found in (Isaiah 65:17-25; 11:6-9) These passages of scripture show the conditions that will prevail after the Lord Jesus has been reigning over the nations with His saints. The people described in the Isaiah passages are not glorified saints but those who have survived the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. While it applies to the Israelites living in Israel at that time it also applies to the conditions in the world. Conditions will certainly be different in the world then from what they are now. Can you imagine a world where Satan and sin no longer reign and a society where justice, righteousness, equality, peace, health and well-being and prosperity reign supreme? Indeed it will be a golden age for the world at this time. This will be the Kingdom Dominion spoken of in the prophet Daniel.
Fulfilling its original purpose
The earth will ultimately fulfil the original purpose for which it was created. Through the work of Satan and the fall of man the earth was corrupted, however, through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption He has wrought for men the earth will be renewed and fulfil the original purpose for which it was created, namely for the benefit of the human race. Ultimately of course there will be a new heaven and earth wherein dwells perfection and righteousness, a whole universe where Satan, sin and death itself will have been completely eliminated forever. This of course will be the final and perfect state for time and for eternity. We will now look at Isaiah 65:17-25 from the Word of God and also compare it with some other relevant passages of scripture.
Peace and prosperity
When looking closely at this text in Isaiah it cannot be divorced from the land of Israel. These verses are not the only ones in the Bible that focus on the Land of Israel. There are many other passages of scripture that speak of a time on the earth when Israel as a Nation will be settled in their own land after the return of the Lord Jesus to earth. The peace and prosperity of Israel during this time will affect the rest of the world. The nations of the world will certainly reflect the peace and prosperity of the city of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. Furthermore with Satan removed from human contact the propensity of the human heart to do evil will be greatly diminished although not completely eradicated. So then with these things in view let’s now look at the text itself in Isaiah 65:17-25.
(Vs.17) “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
The Apostles themselves were looking for a new heaven and earth. Peter himself said, “But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” The Millennium itself will not commence until the heavens disappear with a roar, the elements destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it being laid bare or burned up. Furthermore, Peter also tells us that the heavens will also be destroyed by fire and that the elements themselves will actually melt in the fervent heat. (1 Peter 3:10, 12-13) The words Peter uses in the phrase “the elements will melt in the heat” has the idea of the splitting of the Atom. It is akin to a nuclear reaction. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven it will be with blazing fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Fire of course is a purifying and cleansing agent.
This new heaven and earth that will be established will of course not be the perfect and final state but a harbinger, a foreshadowing of what is to come for time and eternity. The Apostle John also speaks of the New Heaven and earth but sees it in the context of the final and perfect state in eternity. Of course John also sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. During the Millennium the physical city of Jerusalem will be the capital of the world at that time.
As it is written in the prophets, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2:2-3a)
Notice we are also told that, “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” The Apostle John also tells us this and again it is in the context of the final and eternal state. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-5) During the Millennium the physical city of Jerusalem will be something to behold. It will be above all of the other kingdoms of the world. Of course the Lord Jesus will be there and His reign will be far more glorious than Solomon in all his splendour. As Isaiah says, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” (Isaiah 2:2) “Mountains” in the Bible represent nations or kingdoms. (Revelation 17:9).
In the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus the Messiah the sorrows and disasters that plagued mankind on the earth will be largely forgotten over time. The saints reigning on the earth with the Lord Jesus at that time will certainly not be thinking back to their time on the earth during the time of the Great Tribulation. Everything will have been renewed on the earth. Again things will not be perfect but the former things will not be remembered or come to mind as the focus will be on rebuilding and restoration of the earth itself and conveying the Word of God to the nations then living on the earth.
Indeed in that day, “The Torah will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Indeed in that day, “The earth will be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Of course in the new heaven and earth of the final and eternal state there will be no sea dividing the nations from each other. (Revelation 21:1). In the New Heaven and earth all tears, sorrow and regrets will be eliminated. The Apostle John tells us this, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) During the Millennium people will still die but live long lives, however, in eternity death itself will no longer exist.
(Vs. 18-19) “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.”
Today Jerusalem is most certainly no delight to the nations of the world nor are its people a joy to mankind. God Himself said this would be so. “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” (Zechariah 12:2-3) Literally “to injure themselves” means “to tear” or “to rip apart.” Those nations today trying to divide Israel are already under the judgement of God and their armies will be brought into the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgement. As it is also written in the prophet Joel, “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My inheritance, My people Israel, for they scattered My people among the nations and divided up My land.” (Joel 3:1-2)
Today it seems everyone and everything is arrayed against the city of Jerusalem belonging to the Jewish people. The Media is biased when it comes to reporting of Jerusalem. According to the Bible the increasing focus on Israel and Jerusalem will be a very conspicuous feature of the last days leading up to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since 1948 when Israel became a nation again it has been consistently in the news and over the last fifty plus years it has become centre stage in world affairs. Many are crying out for the destruction of Israel and for a ‘Palestinian’ State. Whether President Trump can stop this from happening remains to be seen. However, God says that “He will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.” This refers to Physical Jerusalem. There is no room to spiritualise this passage of scripture. God is plainly speaking about the physical city of Jerusalem.
In the Millennium the Jewish people will be sought after by the other nations. The Jewish people will be highly esteemed and honoured. As it is written in the prophets, “As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so I will save you and you will be a blessing”… ““This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat Him.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:13, 20-23).
Furthermore, God says that, “the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” The Prophet Jeremiah says concerning God’s expression of love for Israel, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit… “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.’ For the Lord will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with My bounty,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:3-5, 10-14).
This is Israel’s inheritance and the remnant of Israel known to the LORD and reserved by Him will inherit the joy, the peace and the prosperity promised to them through the Prophets. In that day all Israel will have been saved! What a glorious time that will be when God Himself creates Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy and delights Himself over His people and wipes away their weeping and their tears. Now let’s continue…
(Vs.20) “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.”
In the Millennium people will live for as very long time, much like they did in the book of Genesis. People will die in the Millennium but live much longer than they do now. If someone dies at a hundred years of age today we think they lived “to a ripe old age”, however, in the Millennium if someone dies at a hundred years old he or she will be considered as a mere youth and he or she who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. Now in the book of Genesis, especially before the flood, people lived for several hundred years. In the Millennium longevity of life will be the norm.
As to the saints on the earth co- reigning with the Lord Jesus they will have their glorified bodies. They will never age, get sick or die. They already have their resurrected bodies. Those who die in the Millennium will be those who had survived the Great Tribulation and who go on to re-populate the earth. They will ultimately die and be resurrected to stand at the Great White throne where the books will be opened.
The names of all those who sought to follow the Messiah during their time on earth living in the Millennium will find their names in the book of life; however, those who outwardly submitted to the “rod of iron” but still harboured rebellion in their hearts will not find their names in the book of life when the books are opened at the Great White throne. In the Millennium people will still be given a choice to follow or to reject the Lord Jesus Christ. At the great white throne if a person’s name is not found in the book of life they will be cast alive into the lake of fire.
Now some could say “Why should I accept Christ in this life?” If I go into the Millennium then I will have another chance?” However, how do you know you will go into the millennium? Furthermore, how do you know that you will live until then? You may well die tomorrow or the next day. What then? The scripture is clear when it says, “Today is the day of Salvation and now is the accepted time” and again it is written, “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your heart…for it is appointed for man to die once and after that the judgement.” Some might even believe in annihilation, however, in both the Old and The New Testaments there are numerous references to life after death and conscious torment in hell. Heaven and hell are Biblical realities and everyone will go to one or to the other after they die. This is why we must repent of our sin and rebellion, believe on Him who shed His blood for our sins to deliver us from hell and receive Him into our hearts by faith as our personal Saviour and Lord. You must do it in this life! No one can say how long they will live.
Our lives down here are like a vapour or like a flower or like the grass that is here today but gone tomorrow. In the light of eternity our life span down here is nothing at all. Even though there will be people living on the earth after the Millennium we need to understand that millions upon millions will die in the Great Tribulation to come before the Millennium commences. If you are reading this and you have never repented of your sin and rebellion against God and received Christ as your personal saviour and Lord do it now before it is too late! (See the article entitled “The Way of Salvation” on this website)
For the believer in Christ in this present age their name is already in the Lamb’s book of life and their destiny is to stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ where they will be judged for their works in this age but not for their Salvation. The word used in the Greek for the “judgement seat” is the word “Bema.” The “Bema” was the word used by the Greeks to describe the judgement seat where the athletes competing in the games received their rewards depending on how well they had performed. It was a judgement of their works. As Paul said of Christians that, “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ.”
However, at the Great White throne Judgement those who have lived during the Millennium will be judged out of the books. Their ultimate destiny will be determined by whether their names are in the book of life. Of course all the dead that have ever lived in this present age who never accepted Christ when they were alive on earth will also be resurrected to face the same judgement at the Great White Throne. So then in the Millennium there will be longevity of life but death will still be a reality. Now let’s move on…
(Vs.21-22) “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.”
During the Millennium Israel will prosper economically. Jewish people will enjoy a time of peace and prosperity unlike anything they have ever enjoyed before. As the prophet Micah tells us, “Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.” (Micah 4:4) God’s people will enjoy the works of their hands for a very long time. Again their days will be as the days of a tree. Some large forest trees last for a hundred years and more. As the prophet Zephaniah says, “I will give them praise and honour in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes.” (Zephaniah 3:19b-20)
Again the Prophet Amos says, “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the ploughman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back My exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.” (Amos 9:14-15) Lets continue…
(Vs.23) They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.”
During the Millennium there will be two kinds of people living on the earth. There will be the saints in their glorified bodies intermingling with those who do not have glorified bodies. When Jesus comes back at the end of the Great Tribulation and the rapture occurs, at that time all who have believed in Jesus both the dead and the living in Christ during this present age will all receive their resurrection bodies. The Jewish people in Israel will look upon Him whom they have pierced and will also be saved when they see the Lord Jesus their Messiah as he descends from heaven. They will not be caught up with the saints but will believe in Jesus and be saved when they look upon Him coming in the clouds. As it is written, “All Israel will be saved.” The Lord Jesus, their Messiah, will be riding a white horse with the armies of heaven following behind Him. The glorified saints will also be with Him having been transformed in the twinkling of an eye. In the ensuing battle against the Antichrist and the armies of the nations attacking Jerusalem, the Israelites will join in the fight. Israel under the command of their Warrior Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ will take back all of their promised land from the River Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt.
Those Jewish people who have survived the Time of Jacob’s Trouble will continue to live in Israel and will produce offspring. They will be saved but not have glorified bodies like the raptured saints have. However, their names will be recorded in the book of life. Their daily work will not be burdensome to them but a delight as they live under the hand of their true Shepherd the Messiah. Childbirth will no longer see deformed or sickly babies but healthy babies born. Not only will the Jewish people be blessed but their descendants also and their longevity and health and their well-being and prosperity will last for the thousand years of the Millennium. What a glorious time that will be for all of the nations of the earth. Before they even pray the Lord will answer them.
(Vs.24-25) “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.”
During the Millennium war will be eliminated and peace will reign between the nations. Not only will humans enjoy this time of peace and harmony but also the animal world will also experience peace and harmony. As it is also written in the prophet Isaiah, “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
And again we read in the prophet Micah, “He (The Messiah) will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Micah 4:3) Notice it also says that, “dust will be the serpent’s food.”
During this time Satan will have been removed from human contact, having been thrown into the abyss and incarcerated there with a chain locked and sealed over him to keep him from deceiving the nations. For a thousand years all he will have to eat will be the dust of the earth.
At the end of the thousand years Satan will be loosed from his prison to go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, all those who would not submit to the Messiah in their hearts but had been forced to follow His laws. They will rebel against the Lord Jesus Christ reigning from Jerusalem. They had been ruled with a Rod of Iron but because their hearts have never been changed they will join in Satan’s final rebellion.
The city of Jerusalem will be surrounded once again for the last time but fire will come down from heaven and devour them. Satan will be cast alive into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever. There in that place he will join the beast and the false prophet. Following this every person that has ever lived will be bodily resurrected to stand before the Great White Throne for sentencing. The only ones who will not be there will be those who truly belong to Christ because their names are already in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The tragedy is that multitudes that rejected Christ when they were alive on earth will be consigned to the Lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever. After this final and irrevocable judgement God will create the New Heaven and Earth of the final and eternal state for the old heaven and earth will have passed away. In that day heaven and earth will become one!
Epilogue
In the final study on the Millennium we will look at Revelation chapter twenty keeping in mind the events described in chapters nineteen and chapters twenty one to twenty two. When you look at the chapters chronologically there can be no ‘spiritual’ interpretation of chapter twenty. However, there is a time coming when the earth will fulfil the original purpose for which it was created. Every true believer in Christ has a future to look forward to. In this life while we are in our dying bodies with our fallen nature we will have trials and afflictions. Many of our prayers will go seemingly unanswered in this life and many disappointments will assail us.
It may be you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you have only six months to live and should God in His sovereign will and purposes not choose to heal you then you will fall asleep in Christ however you not only have another six months to live but have another thousand years to live on the earth and then move on into eternity.
Many longings, desires and unfulfilled dreams and prayers of the saints unanswered in this life will be answered in the life to come. The Millennium will not only be for the Jewish Nation but also for the Saints whose every desire and wish will be fully and forever satisfied beyond anything they can ask or think. “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!”
