The 1000 year Millennium from the Bible

[Hobie]

Revelation shows us the events at the end..

Revelation 20:1-15
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 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.
4 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.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 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.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 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.
9 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.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Now here's a breakdown of each verse in Revelation 20..

vs. 1 - An angel descends from heaven with a key and a chain.
vs. 2 - He binds Satan for 1000 years.
vs. 3 - During the 1000 years Satan cannot deceive the nations any more.
vs. 4 - Martyrs are resurrected to reign with Jesus Christ for 1000 years.
vs. 5a - The rest of the dead will be raised at the end of the 1000 years.
vs. 6 - Those in the first resurrection will reign with Jesus for 1000 years.
vs. 7 - Satan will be loosed at the end of the 1000 years.
vs. 8 ; After the rest of the dead are raised, Satan deceives them again. There will be billions - like the sand of the sea. They are called Gog and Magog. Satan gathers them for a final battle.
vs. 9 - Satan and this host surround God's City. Fire comes down and devours them.
vs. 10 - Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet end up in this lake of fire.
vs. 11 - Before this fire falls, a final judgment occurs.
vs. 12 - All the resurrected lost are judged.
vs. 13 - Another description of the resurrected lost being judged.
vs. 14 - Death and Hell are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
vs. 15 - All the resurrected lost are cast into the lake of fire.

So what happens in the events that are shown to us here. We see that there is a good resurrection which is called the first resurrection at the beginning of the 1000 years in verses 4-6, whereas the rest of the dead are resurrected at the end of the 1000 years. Satan is bound during the 1000 years as we see in verse 3, but is loosed when the thousand years are done as we see in verse 7, and notice this is also when the rest of the dead are raised, see verse 5. Now with these dead which are not from the first resurrection, so they are the lost going to damnation, Satan gathers them for a final battle against God's City as we see in verse 8. A final judgment occurs, and then the lost are punished in the lake of fire, So who are the ones that will not see the first resurrection but come up after the 1000 years at the second one.

Christ clearly spoke of two resurrections when He said, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" John 5:29.

The apostle Paul also spoke of these two resurrections when he said, "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" in Acts 24:15. So both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. Now Christ comes in the second coming to take the saints to heaven , but Christ does not step on earth, the saints are lifted into to the air from their graves.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 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:
17 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.

Both the Old and New Testaments are very clear on this issue.
1 Corinthians 15:16
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

Isaiah 26:19
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Life will be restored to those saints who have died in the resurrection on the last day and they with those saints which are alive shall be taken up with the Lord.

 

[Hobie]

At the close of the Millennium or the 1000 years in heaven, Christ with His saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The wicked dead will then be resurrected and face the final judgement, along with Satan and his angels at the Lake of Fire which will consume them and cleanse the earth of sin forever.

As Christians we know that Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for us, all Christians should agree on that, and He will come again at the Second Coming and take the saints to heaven. A few days before His death, Jesus told His disciples what He was going to do before coming back at the Second Coming:
John 14:1-3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

So how will He come, does the scripture tells us? 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to a clearing and a cloud of angels came and Jesus was raised up into the cloud as we see in Acts 1.

Acts 1:6-11
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 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.

Jesus ascended literally, bodily, in full view of His disciples and followers. As they watched Him go up, two angels appeared and said He would come back "in like manner" as He went up. Thus Christ's Second Coming will be literal, bodily, and visible to normal human eyes. Paul told the early believers to keep looking for the visible return of Jesus.
Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

There will be nothing secret about His return. Jesus told them plainly how it would be, and the Second Coming will be incredible.
Matthew 24:25-27
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

But Jesus also warned that false messiahs bring false hope would try to fool them:
Matthew 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many

But Christ Second Coming cannot fool the faithful who read His word as they are told clearly what they will see and there is nothing secret about it and how Christ will come. Christ's return will be loud and visible to the eyes of "all the tribes of the earth." When He comes and the heavenly trumpet sounds and the billions of angels come in a great cloud, no one will wake up the next day wondering what happened.

Revelation 1:7
'Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.'

Matthew 24:30-31
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Scripture tells us that at the Second Coming, Christ comes with his angels and resurrects the saints and they rise up to the cloud of angels and Christ takes His saints to heaven and the earth is emptied of its inhabitants. Satan is left to wander the earth alone during the Millennium, as at the coming of Christ the wicked are slain and the earth is left empty and desolate for the 1,000 years and we see it in Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:1-3
1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 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.

During the millennium, the thousand-year period of which Revelation 20 shows us, Satan's will be bound or his influence over the earth will be restricted, and Christ will reign with His saints in heaven.

Revelation 20:4
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.

So lets look at what is happening in heaven during those thousand years with Christ..

 

[Hobie]

Now scripture tells us what the saints will be doing during the 1000 years in heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:1-3
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Now Revelation 19 and 20 belong together; there is no break between these chapters. They describe Christ's coming and immediately continue with the millennium, their sequence indicating that the millennium or 1000 years begins when Christ returns.

It is only the devil and all the evil angels who will inhabit Earth during the 1,000 years. The events of these 1,000 years were foreshadowed in the scapegoat ritual of the Day of Atonement in Israel's sanctuary service. On the Day of Atonement the high priest cleansed the sanctuary with the atoning blood of the Lord's goat. Only after this atonement was fully completed did the ritual involving Azazel, the goat that symbolized Satan, begin as we see.
Leviticus 16:21-22
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

We see that after laying his hands on its head, the high priest confessed "'all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat'", and then the scapegoat was sent into the wilderness, basically an uninhabited land.

There is no one for Satan to deceive for 1000 years. The expression, 'bottomless pit,' as is evident from other scriptures, is used to represent the earth in a state of confusion and darkness. Concerning the condition of the earth 'in the beginning,' the Bible says that it 'was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.' in Genesis 1:2. The word translated here 'Deep' is the same in that Revelation 20:3 is rendered 'Bottomless Pit', Satan is actually on the earth for the 1000 years with the desolation left behind as no one is alive as the wicked are left dead after the Second Coming and described in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 4:23-27
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

The earth is left desolate. There is no man nor bird, the earth and its cities are broken down. But God does not make a full end. This has yet to be fulfilled and will happen after the 1000 years. Only at the end of the 1,000 years does the holy city, the new Jerusalem come down out of heaven from God, prepared as 'bride adorned for her husband'..
Revelation 21:2
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Here is where the saints will be with life eternal.

 

[Hobie]

Now there are many false and mistaken beliefs on the millennium and the most prevalent is the idea of a political kingdom and rule of the Jews or the church over the nations which in effect renders the second coming of Jesus a non-event or denies He takes the saints to heaven. It basically says that after the Second Coming, no one goes to heaven, and life here on earth will continue as we know it, with all the sin and iniquity continued, but with a 'righteous rule' under the direction of Jesus. But thats not what the Bible says happens during the 1000 years, as this would lead to the very 'false christs' that Jesus warned about..

It is during the Millennium that Christ will fulfill His promise to give the overcomers 'power over the nations'.
Revelation 2:26
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Those whom Christ raises in the first resurrection will reign with Him for a thousand years, and notice Daniel says almost the same as Revelation 20:4.
Daniel 7:22
Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

But in what sense can the saints be said to reign if they are in heaven and all the wicked are dead? Their reign will consist of involvement in an important phase of Christ's governing. This is the time of the judgment of Satan and his angels which scripture shows us.
2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, 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.

Gods Word tells us that the saints would judge the world and even the angels that sinned, will come to pass.
1 Corinthians 6:2-3
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

So for the 1000 years, the books of all the wicked dead are open and available to the righteous, that they may be reviewed and judged. At the Second Coming of Christ, the decision as to who would constitute the redeemed and who the wicked has already been made so the saints look and give a judgement that God is just. They look at every case during the thousand years, and God's judgment will be declared righteous. So the books are for the saints to go over, but this Millennial judgment does not decide who is to be saved or lost as God makes that decision before the Second Coming, all those who were not either resurrected or translated at that point, are forever lost.

But what does scripture say of the earth during this time during the 1000 years, what is there, besides Satan and his angels and utter desolation? We see some of it in Isaiah:

Isaiah 24:1-3, 20-21
1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.......
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 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.

This is how the earth will be during the 1000 years as Satan has no one to deceive in the desolated wasteland, completely empty during the millennium.

 

[Hobie]

Jesus tells us the place to which He will take His followers as 'My Father's house', where there 'are many mansions,' or dwelling places. Here Jesus refers to the New Jerusalem, which does not come to this earth until the end of the 1000 years of the millennium. At the Second Coming, when the righteous "meet the Lord in the air," their destination is heaven, not the earth that they have just left. Christ does not establish His kingdom on the earth at this time, He does that at the end of the millennium.

So we look closer at those wicked slain on earth and scripture says, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." in verse 5 of Revelation 20. The unrighteous wicked are dead, and then we see, "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" in verse 7 and 8 of Revelation 20.. So now Satan has people again that he can deceive, as it is obvious these are the unrighteous wicked dead, resurrected after the 1000 years ends.

So the wicked dead are raised to life upon the earth after the 1000 years, this is what leads to the second death at the lake of fire, as the wicked again follow Satan. And we see something else happens here, before the resurrection of the wicked dead after the 1000 years:

Revelation 21:1-3
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

We see that the city descends in Revelation 21. It has to descend before it can be surrounded in Revelation 20:7-10. The order of Revelation is not chronological but goes back to describe more events happening. Christ descends to earth again, with the saints and the New Jerusalem, for two purposes. He will end the great controversy by executing the decisions of the millennial judgment, and He will purify and renew the earth so that He can establish on it His eternal kingdom. So who is with Jesus at the close of the 1000 years, well we see something in Jude 1 that tells us..

Jude 1:14-15
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

So the saints will return with Jesus, after they have gone over the books for a thousand years, and have found Gods judgement to be just. So how does it come to a close, lets continue in what is shown.

Revelation 20
King James Version (KJV)
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 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.
9 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.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Satan will now have all the wicked and will deceive the nations again. And they will all fall and be deceived and gathered around the holy city where the saints and angels are with Christ. The final judgement must be executed, and they suffer the second and final death as the fire comes down from God and devours them.

 

[Hobie]

Now lets look closer to definition of the bottomless pit into which Satan was cast during the thousand years he was bound. The definition of which, will reveal that the lost are dead during this thousand year period. Let us look at some scriptures to see what a bottomless pit might represent.

Job 17:13-16
13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. 14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister. 15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? 16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Psalm 30:3
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Proverbs 1:11-12
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

Isaiah 38:17-18
17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Jeremiah 41:7
7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.

In the bible, a pit is very often associated with the grave, or a place to put the dead. A bottomless pit then, would undoubtedly represent an enormous grave, filled with countless people. If the bible then, tells us that all the lost will be slain when Christ returns the second time, which it does, then this world would be one massive grave. The dead bodies of countless millions strewn all over it, and the Bible says, where Satan is bound for this thousand years. While the saved are in heaven going over the book of life, he is here with nothing but the dead. Thus Satan can no longer deceive the nations during this thousand years, for there are no nations, or peoples to deceive.

 

[Hobie]

We see where Jeremiah speaks of the world in this condition.

Jeremiah 25:31-33
30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Jeremiah 4:23-26
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Now Isaiah not only spoke of this condition of the earth, but prophesied of the very things we saw in Revelation.

Isaiah 14:12-20
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Though all the kings, and people will be slain, and yet Satan will not be given the rest of the sleep of the dead in the bottomless pit. He will live for a thousand years alone with no one to deceive, and nothing to do but ponder the effects of the works of his own hands. He knows there is a coming implementation of the judgment for him, and his destruction at the end of the thousand years.

Ezekiel 28:11-19
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

Satan will finally meet his end when its all over, and the wicked will perish, so nothing of sin will remain. While Gods people ,with much joy and happiness, will have eternal life with the Lord in the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:4-8
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

[3 Resurrections]

The literal thousand-year millennium of Revelation 20 can be pinned down with just two texts; Revelation 20:3 & 7 and Revelation 12:12. These two texts state that...

#1) Satan was to be released from his chain that bound his deception of the nations for a "little season" when the millennium ended (as in Revelation 20:3 & 7).

#2) Satan was pronounced as then being released on earth for only a "short time" in John's days (according to Revelation 12:12).

This "little season" and the "short time" are the same time period. Putting these two texts together, we see that Satan was already released on earth to deceive the nations once again when the millennium ended, even before John put quill to parchment in Revelation 12:12.

Conclusion: The literal thousand-year Revelation 20 millennium had come to an end BEFORE John wrote Revelation. It is not a future millennium for us; neither is it an ongoing event in the world today.

 

[Hobie]

The literal thousand-year millennium of Revelation 20 can be pinned down with just two texts; Revelation 20:3 & 7 and Revelation 12:12. These two texts state that...

#1) Satan was to be released from his chain that bound his deception of the nations for a "little season" when the millennium ended (as in Revelation 20:3 & 7).

#2) Satan was pronounced as then being released on earth for only a "short time" in John's days (according to Revelation 12:12).

This "little season" and the "short time" are the same time period. Putting these two texts together, we see that Satan was already released on earth to deceive the nations once again when the millennium ended, even before John put quill to parchment in Revelation 12:12.

Conclusion: The literal thousand-year Revelation 20 millennium had come to an end BEFORE John wrote Revelation. It is not a future millennium for us; neither is it an ongoing event in the world today.

That is what evil would like us to think, but that's not what God Word tells us. Christ says I will come again, and take all the saints to be with me in heaven, and the wicked will perish, and here we see the how and why. It is clearly the events of the end and supported by what the Bible and Christ say. No one can deny this truth, no matter what lies the deceiver puts out to try twist and distort this or say it is already long past this core belief. Christ will come again and give every man according to their works, eternal life or the death in the lake of fire...

 

[3 Resurrections]

That is what evil would like us to think, but that's not what God Word tells us. Christ says I will come again, and take all the saints to be with me in heaven, and the wicked will perish, and here we see the how and why. It is clearly the events of the end and supported by what the Bible and Christ say. No one can deny this truth, no matter what lies the deceiver puts out to try twist and distort this or say it is already long past this core belief.

Please don't put words in my mouth, Hobie. I have never in this comment or elsewhere denied the bodily second coming return of Christ or a future resurrection for us with rewards and with death for the wicked when they will perish.

But these things are not contemporaneous with the millennium period. You have your Revelation 20 millennium taking place at the wrong point on the timeline, that's all.

I notice you did not address at all the two simple texts I gave above that tell us when the end of the millennium had "expired", which was simultaneous with the "First Resurrection" of "Christ the First-fruits" in AD 33. You have spent quite a bit of time on a set of lengthy comments, none of which speak about these two simple texts above that clear up the date for the ending point of the millennium. That was when Satan's deception of the nations ceased to be bound for a "short time" and a "little season" before his destruction.

 

[EarlyActs]

Revelation shows us the events at the end..

Revelation 20:1-15
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 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.
4 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.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 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.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 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.
9 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.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Now here's a breakdown of each verse in Revelation 20..

vs. 1 - An angel descends from heaven with a key and a chain.
vs. 2 - He binds Satan for 1000 years.
vs. 3 - During the 1000 years Satan cannot deceive the nations any more.
vs. 4 - Martyrs are resurrected to reign with Jesus Christ for 1000 years.
vs. 5a - The rest of the dead will be raised at the end of the 1000 years.
vs. 6 - Those in the first resurrection will reign with Jesus for 1000 years.
vs. 7 - Satan will be loosed at the end of the 1000 years.
vs. 8 ; After the rest of the dead are raised, Satan deceives them again. There will be billions - like the sand of the sea. They are called Gog and Magog. Satan gathers them for a final battle.
vs. 9 - Satan and this host surround God's City. Fire comes down and devours them.
vs. 10 - Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet end up in this lake of fire.
vs. 11 - Before this fire falls, a final judgment occurs.
vs. 12 - All the resurrected lost are judged.
vs. 13 - Another description of the resurrected lost being judged.
vs. 14 - Death and Hell are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
vs. 15 - All the resurrected lost are cast into the lake of fire.

So what happens in the events that are shown to us here. We see that there is a good resurrection which is called the first resurrection at the beginning of the 1000 years in verses 4-6, whereas the rest of the dead are resurrected at the end of the 1000 years. Satan is bound during the 1000 years as we see in verse 3, but is loosed when the thousand years are done as we see in verse 7, and notice this is also when the rest of the dead are raised, see verse 5. Now with these dead which are not from the first resurrection, so they are the lost going to damnation, Satan gathers them for a final battle against God's City as we see in verse 8. A final judgment occurs, and then the lost are punished in the lake of fire, So who are the ones that will not see the first resurrection but come up after the 1000 years at the second one.

Christ clearly spoke of two resurrections when He said, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" John 5:29.

The apostle Paul also spoke of these two resurrections when he said, "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" in Acts 24:15. So both Jesus Christ and Paul spoke of two resurrections, the first being the resurrection of life for the just, and the second being the resurrection of damnation for the unjust. Now Christ comes in the second coming to take the saints to heaven , but Christ does not step on earth, the saints are lifted into to the air from their graves.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 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:
17 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.

Both the Old and New Testaments are very clear on this issue.
1 Corinthians 15:16
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

Isaiah 26:19
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Life will be restored to those saints who have died in the resurrection on the last day and they with those saints which are alive shall be taken up with the Lord.

It's really odd how the thing is nowhere else in the NT, once you realize the kingdom is present. It is certainly not mentioned anywhere else by the name.

 

[Godslittleservant]

That is really faulty reasoning and I see it all over this board. If it says it once that is enough it does not have to keep saying it over and over to make it valid once is enough and we have to harmonize it with the rest of scripture.

 

[TMSO]

The literal thousand-year millennium of Revelation 20 can be pinned down with just two texts; Revelation 20:3 & 7 and Revelation 12:12. These two texts state that...

#1) Satan was to be released from his chain that bound his deception of the nations for a "little season" when the millennium ended (as in Revelation 20:3 & 7).

#2) Satan was pronounced as then being released on earth for only a "short time" in John's days (according to Revelation 12:12).

This "little season" and the "short time" are the same time period. Putting these two texts together, we see that Satan was already released on earth to deceive the nations once again when the millennium ended, even before John put quill to parchment in Revelation 12:12.

Conclusion: The literal thousand-year Revelation 20 millennium had come to an end BEFORE John wrote Revelation. It is not a future millennium for us; neither is it an ongoing event in the world today.

Please do not misunderstand what scripture is saying. Revelation 12:12 is speaking of the short period of time from the time that he loses the war with heaven and is thrown down to earth with the fallen angels, until his defeat at Jerusalem. A short time to try to rally his kingdom and attempt to defeat God at Jerusalem. He is then bound so that he can no longer deceive the nations of the Earth into attacking Jerusalem until the millennium is over. Once it is over, there is a final battle at Jerusalem and the world comes to an end. 2000 years is not a short time.

Conclusion: The literal 1000 years reign of Christ in Jerusalem, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy that even the Jews understood before Jesus came the first time, is still in the future. The tribulation may be at the door, considering what is happening in Israel right now. At least premillennialists have prophecy on their side, such as Israel becoming a nation again in 1948. (Prophecy in Isaiah.) All I can say is, keep your eyes on what is happening in Israel and keep an eye on Russia. Key players in prophecy, they are. (Not to mention China.)

 

[3 Resurrections]

Please do not misunderstand what scripture is saying. Revelation 12:12 is speaking of the short period of time from the time that he loses the war with heaven and is thrown down to earth with the fallen angels, until his defeat at Jerusalem. A short time to try to rally his kingdom and attempt to defeat God at Jerusalem. He is then bound so that he can no longer deceive the nations of the Earth into attacking Jerusalem until the millennium is over. Once it is over, there is a final battle at Jerusalem and the world comes to an end. 2000 years is not a short time.

When John in Revelation 12:12 warned the saints of his own days that Satan had already come down in great wrath to oppress the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, knowing he had only a "short time" left to operate at that point, this means the millennium's end had already occurred before John wrote that warning. Satan was going to be released for just a "little season" when the millennium was "finished" and had "expired". The "little season" and the "short time" of Satan's renewed deception of the nations is the same time period.

What I underlined above in your response is absolutely correct for the time period between AD 33 and AD 70. But you messed up when you said that Satan was then bound after being cast out of heaven with his devils. That's wrong. Satan's being cast out of heaven to earth back in AD 33 with his devils was the time of a wrathful Satan's release on earth to wreak havoc with his ramped-up deception of the nations.

Conclusion: the Revelation 20 millennium is long past, having ended in AD 33 with Satan's "short time" of release on earth.

 

[TMSO]

When John in Revelation 12:12 warned the saints of his own days that Satan had already come down in great wrath to oppress the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, knowing he had only a "short time" left to operate at that point, this means the millennium's end had already occurred before John wrote that warning. Satan was going to be released for just a "little season" when the millennium was "finished" and had "expired". The "little season" and the "short time" of Satan's renewed deception of the nations is the same time period.

"7 And war broke out in heaven, Michael [the archangel] and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were not strong enough and did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the [d]devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the [e]accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time [remaining]!”"

What I underlined above in your response is absolutely correct for the time period between AD 33 and AD 70. But you messed up when you said that Satan was then bound after being cast out of heaven with his devils. That's wrong. Satan's being cast out of heaven to earth back in AD 33 with his devils was the time of a wrathful Satan's release on earth to wreak havoc with his ramped-up deception of the nations.

Conclusion: the Revelation 20 millennium is long past, having ended in AD 33 with Satan's "short time" of release on earth.

A chronology:
An event happens that rocks Satan's domain. Satan wages war on heaven and loses. He is cast out of heaven. He then works through the beast, his image, and his mark to deceive the nations of the world into open rebellion against God. Then at the end of the tribulation, they all gather at Har-mageddon/Megiddo to attack Jerusalem. If Satan can destroy Israel/Jerusalem, then Satan wins. That is why the world is set against Israel. Sure, the US claims to support Israel, while allowing all kinds of anti-semitic statements, and anti-Israel violent protests to go on. The UN has THOUSANDS of standing resolutions against Israel. Just look at how the nations of the world are looking at Israel right now. It reminds me of the Bible saying that the whole world (not just Rome) would be set against Israel, and would gather against Israel.

The beast, his image, his mark, his armies, headed by Satan will lose the battle, and Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit, and sealed so that he may not deceive the nations for a thousand years. A peaceful millennium of Jesus ruling over this world from Jerusalem, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released to deceive the nations once more, into one last ditch attack on the saints at Jerusalem. At this time, Jesus will utterly wipe them out, and Satan, along with death, hell, and hades will be cast into the lake of fire, as well as anyone whose name is not found in the book of life. The issue with your irrational conclusion is that... none of that has happened yet. Satan is still the lord of this world. He is still accusing the saints before God. God has not yet cast him down.

 

[EarlyActs]

"7 And war broke out in heaven, Michael [the archangel] and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were not strong enough and did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the [d]devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the [e]accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time [remaining]!”"


A chronology:
An event happens that rocks Satan's domain. Satan wages war on heaven and loses. He is cast out of heaven. He then works through the beast, his image, and his mark to deceive the nations of the world into open rebellion against God. Then at the end of the tribulation, they all gather at Har-mageddon/Megiddo to attack Jerusalem. If Satan can destroy Israel/Jerusalem, then Satan wins. That is why the world is set against Israel. Sure, the US claims to support Israel, while allowing all kinds of anti-semitic statements, and anti-Israel violent protests to go on. The UN has THOUSANDS of standing resolutions against Israel. Just look at how the nations of the world are looking at Israel right now. It reminds me of the Bible saying that the whole world (not just Rome) would be set against Israel, and would gather against Israel.

The beast, his image, his mark, his armies, headed by Satan will lose the battle, and Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit, and sealed so that he may not deceive the nations for a thousand years. A peaceful millennium of Jesus ruling over this world from Jerusalem, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released to deceive the nations once more, into one last ditch attack on the saints at Jerusalem. At this time, Jesus will utterly wipe them out, and Satan, along with death, hell, and hades will be cast into the lake of fire, as well as anyone whose name is not found in the book of life. The issue with your irrational conclusion is that... none of that has happened yet. Satan is still the lord of this world. He is still accusing the saints before God. God has not yet cast him down.

The Rev was written in an expectation that the world would end right after the destruction of Jerusalem. It was also written with the understanding that Christ was already enthroned in the resurrection, no matter what Satan claimed. The rulers and nations are to honor Him or be smashed, Ps 2 and 110. It also does not have any belief that the race-nation Israel is a separate entity that gets blessed--or persecuted. Persecution is of those who believe the Gospel. Even so, there is no reason for anti-semitism; but deluded groups like Islamists etc. will think they have a reason.

 

[3 Resurrections]

Satan is still the lord of this world. He is still accusing the saints before God. God has not yet cast him down.

That "Accuser of the brethren" got kicked out of court back in AD 33 at Christ's ascension on His resurection day. Didn't you get the memo? Read Romans 8:33-34. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

The ascended Christ forever cast Satan the "accuser of the brethren" out of having any access to heaven with his devils. The blood applied to heaven's mercy seat forever got rid of Satan's ability to accuse the brethren of any fault before God. Once Christ's blood sacrifice was sprinkled on heaven's mercy seat, Satan lost any ability to accuse us.

Your whole millennium chronology is totally messed up, since you can't identify what scripture says happened in heaven with Christ's resurrection-day ascension.

 

[turbomaniac]

Millennialism is heretic, like Arianism, Nestorianism, etc. There is no point in entering that dogma or examining constantly the Revelation trying to make interpretations of what God will do. Better try to study what the God Word did with His first Law and the reform given when He became the Son of man. So that we can find out what we have to do NOW

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Hobie and turbomaniac,

As Christians we know that Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for us, all Christians should agree on that, and He will come again at the Second Coming and take the saints to heaven.

Millennialism is heretic

In contrast to the above, while Hobie claims that the Millennium is in heaven, and turbomaniac denies the Millennium, the Bible teaches that the Millennium will be upon the earth when Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth, when Jesus will sit upon the Temple Throne of David in Jerusalem for the 1000 years after he returns and converts a significant remnant of Israel and subjects the nations who will then learn the ways of God.
Isaiah 2:1–4 (KJV): 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Micah 4:1–8 (KJV): 1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain 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. 2 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 of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 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. 4 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. 5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 3:17 (KJV): At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

Matthew 5:34–35 (KJV): 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Acts 3:19–21 (KJV): 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[TMSO]

The Rev was written in an expectation that the world would end right after the destruction of Jerusalem. It was also written with the understanding that Christ was already enthroned in the resurrection, no matter what Satan claimed. The rulers and nations are to honor Him or be smashed, Ps 2 and 110. It also does not have any belief that the race-nation Israel is a separate entity that gets blessed--or persecuted. Persecution is of those who believe the Gospel. Even so, there is no reason for anti-semitism; but deluded groups like Islamists etc. will think they have a reason.

Not sure where you got that idea. That isn't at all what John said.