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The Seventh MillenniumAnd I saw an angel
coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a
great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and
locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore
until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short
time. Introduction I believe the 1,000 years of
Revelation 20 will be a sabbatical millennium when
Earth gets a rest from the works of sin. Bible chronology indicates the
6,000th
anniversary of sin could occur somewhere between 1998
and 2017. If the Second Coming were to occur at the end of the 6,000th
year of sin, the 1,000 years of Revelation
20 would be a sabbatical millennium. Of course, no one knows when the 6,000th
year will occur and the Bible does not say that Jesus is going to return at the
end of 6,000 years, but the progressive fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy
confirms the Second Coming of Jesus is very near. The Bible says that no man
knows the day or hour of Christ’s return (
Matthew 24:36), but the Bible does say that we
can know when the end is near! (
Daniel 8:17,19;
12:4,9) We should thoughtfully consider clues
about the timing of the Second Coming in the Bible.
(
1 Thessalonians 5:3-9)
Eighteen apocalyptic time-periods are mentioned in the books of Daniel and
Revelation and these time-periods are
pieces of a big puzzle that reveal God’s timing. God is always on time (
Exodus 12:40-42,
Galatians 4:4) and with Him, timing is the basis
for everything. God’s Use of Clocks The Bible teaches that God
created four clocks during Creation’s week by which He measures Earth time.
Three clocks are based on planetary motion: The “day clock” is based on one
rotation of Earth on its axis; the “month clock” is based on one orbit of
the moon around Earth; and the “year clock” is synchronized with the
positions of the Sun and moon in the spring of the year. The weekly cycle also
began at Creation and it remains synchronized with Creation’s week to this
very day! About 2,500 years after Creation, God introduced five more clocks. It
is interesting to note that these clocks are based on the template of the weekly
cycle. Notice: 1.
Week of seven months (Israel’s religious year) In addition, if you add up
the genealogical records found in the Bible, the prophetic time-periods
mentioned in Daniel and Revelation and the 1,000 years of Revelation 20, the
Bible record covers a total time span of 7,000 years. Using the weekly cycle
template, two more clocks appear to be at work: 6.
Grand Day = ten centuries (1,000
years) I have asked myself, why did
God create seven clocks based on the weekly template? After much study, I have
concluded that each “weekly” clock points man toward God’s Sabbath rest
and God’s Sabbath rest at every level says something significant about the
duration of sin. (See my article, Great Clocks From God for an in depth
explanation. It can be downloaded from the Wake Up America Seminars web-site at Four Prophetic Views Students of Bible prophecy
usually accept one of four basic views regarding the 1,000 years mentioned in
Revelation 20. Of course, there are also variations within each view. They are: 1. Premillennialism 2. Postmillennialism 3. Amillennialism 4. Panmillennialism The most popular of the four
views is called Premillennialism. Adherents of this view are so called because
they believe that Christ’s kingdom on Earth will be established before
the millennium begins. In essence, premillennialism teaches there will be a
pre-trib rapture. Seven years later Jesus is supposed to return to Earth and
resurrect the righteous. Then, it is believed that Jesus will reign for 1,000
years in peace and righteousness from the throne of David located in the city of
Jerusalem. At the end of the 1,000 years, there will be a final resurrection,
judgment and a renewal of the heavens and Earth. Many premillennialists believe
that the promises and covenants God gave to ancient Israel in the Old Testament
will be fulfilled during the 1,000 years. (Premillennialism is largely based on
the doctrine of dispensationalism.) There is some dispute among
premillennialists concerning the identity and role of the saints during the
millennium. Some scholars teach that the saints will rule as priests and kings
with Christ over the unconverted. Others believe the Jews will be converted to
Christianity as a result of the rapture and they will rule over the Gentiles.
The net effect in either case is that the saints will rule over the wicked. The opposite of
Premillennialism is Postmillennialism. Bible students who believe in
Postmillennialism teach that Christ’s kingdom will be established on Earth after
the 1,000 years are over. One group of postmillennialists believe that the world
will continue as it is, getting more and more Christianized as a result of
Christians sharing the gospel on a wider scale (i.e., worldwide TV, shortwave
radio, Bibles printed in many languages, etc.). When the world has been reached
with the gospel, a long period of peace and prosperity will exist for 1,000
years. At the end of the 1,000 years, Christ will return to Earth, resurrect the
dead, perform the final judgment, give the saints eternal life and destroy the
wicked. Other postmillennialists believe that Christ will establish His kingdom
on Earth at the end of the 1,000 years, but they believe the Earth will be
desolate of mankind during the 1,000 years. The third view of the 1,000
years is called Amillennialism. Advocates of this view maintain that the 1,000
years is not a literal period of peace and righteousness. They believe
the millennium alludes to the present reign of deceased souls with Christ in
Heaven. This will be followed by Christ’s Second Coming, a resurrection, final
judgment, and Christ’s eternal reign over a perfect kingdom on Earth. Just
what takes place during the 1,000 years of
Revelation 20 is a matter of debate among
amillennialists. The millennium, according to amillennialism, is to be
understood in an allegorical sense. There is a
“tongue-in-cheek” position on the millennium called “Panmillennialism.”
People in this category do not attempt to explain or understand Revelation 20.
They take a fail-proof position saying the millennium will “pan-out” just as
God intends. So, which view of the
millennium is best? Which view is more comprehensive? What is the truth about
the 1,000 years of Revelation 20? Do Christians really need to know about
the millennium right now? Certainly, the subject of the millennium years invites
many good questions. A Completed Picture It is human nature to dismiss
the importance of things we do not understand. An elderly man once said to me,
“I’ve lived 80 years without understanding the millennium. Do you really
think I need to know about it now?” The Sequence of Events In the previous chapter, I
mentioned how the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are “stacked” onto
each other like layers of a wedding cake. As we investigate the 1,000 years of
Revelation 20, I would like to present portions of prophecies #16, #17 and #18
so you can see how the layering of prophecies says so much in very few words.
The first prophecy we will examine (#16) is taken from
Revelation 19:11- 20:10. This prophecy has a
beginning point in time and an ending point in time and the events within the
prophecy occur in the order in which they are given. It provides an overall big
picture of what happens at the beginning, the middle and the end of the 1,000
years. The two short prophecies that follow (#17 and #18) add more detail.
Notice how the chronology in each prophecy contributes to the overall story. Prophecy #16 ( Revelation 19:11 - 20:10) Step 1: Heaven’s Army
Assembled for the Second Coming “I saw heaven standing open
and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his
head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he
himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of
God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed
in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which
to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He
treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and
on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Step 2: Jesus Returns to Earth “And I saw an angel
standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in
midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may
eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders,
and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.’ Then I saw the
beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war
against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast [Babylon] was
captured, and with him the false prophet [the lamb like beast] who had performed
the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who
had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were
thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them [the
wicked] were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on
the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” Step 3: The Antichrist is Returned to the Abyss “And I saw an angel coming
down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great
chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,
and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and
sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the
thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.” Step 4: The Saints Judge the Actions of the Wicked “I saw thrones on which
were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of
the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not
received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life
until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed
and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has
no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign
with him for a thousand years.” Step 5: The Wicked are Annihilated “When the thousand years
are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the
nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them
for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched
across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the
city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil,
who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast
and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night
forever and ever.” Prophecy #17: The Great White Throne Judgment Scene ( Revelation 20:11 - 21:1) A new prophecy begins with
Revelation 20:11 because verse 11 breaks the chronological order of the previous
prophecy. This prophecy reveals certain details that take place at the end of
the 1,000 years, just after the wicked are resurrected, but before
they are destroyed in the lake of fire. After studying the contents of this
prophecy, see if you can chronologically harmonize this prophecy with the
previous prophecy: “Then I saw a great white
throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and
there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the
book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded
in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave
up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he
had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of
fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book
of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 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.” Prophecy #18: The Holy City Descends at the End of the 1,000 Years ( Revelation 21:2 - 6) A new prophecy begins with
Revelation 21:2 because verse 2 breaks the chronological order of the previous
prophecy. This prophecy reveals certain details that take place just after
the wicked are resurrected, but before the destruction of the wicked. “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.’ He who was
seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said,
‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. . . .’ ” Synthesis When I align the
chronological details in these three prophecies, I reach the following
conclusions: 1.
When Jesus returns to Earth, the
armies of Earth will actually attempt to destroy Him. 2.
Jesus will face His enemies and
command them to die. (This is represented by the sharp sword that comes out of
His mouth.) Incidently, the righteous dead are resurrected by words from the
same mouth! 3.
The Antichrist (the false prophet)
and his global administration (the beast) will be thrown alive in a great lake
of fire at the Second Coming. Everyone will be destroyed in that fire, but the
fire itself will burn on throughout the 1,000 years. Lucifer and his angels will
see the place of their coming execution for 1,000 years.
Note: Lucifer and his angels
are allowed to physically appear on Earth during the fifth trumpet. At that time
they will be given visible bodies for the benefit of mankind to see. (
Revelation 17:8;
9:1-11) These bodies will be taken away from them
at the Second Coming and destroyed in the lake of fire. This forces Lucifer and
his angels back into the spirit world or the Abyss (from whence they came) and
they remain in this state, “chained” to a desolate Earth for 1,000 years. 4.
During the 1,000 years, the saints
reign with Christ. This means they will
share in Jesus’ great authority in reviewing the records of the wicked
to determine the appropriate amount of restitution as required by law. 5.
At the end of the 1,000 years, the
holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from Heaven to Earth with the saints inside.
The wicked will be resurrected and Lucifer will be “released” to lead the
wicked in an all-out attempt to destroy God, the saints and the city. God allows
this to occur to demonstrate once again that sin cannot be justified. Sin is
nothing but rebellion against the authority of God. When the righteous see the
defiant behavior of the wicked in the very presence of Almighty God, this
evidence will be more than enough to satisfy any question that may linger about
the necessity of destroying the wicked. Every tear will be dried. 6.
As the wicked rush the city, the
Great White Throne judgment scene takes place.
The Maker of Life will stop the great throng as it advances toward His
city. Jesus will address His created beings and reveal to each wicked person why
He could not save him or her. He will also reveal his or her forthcoming
punishment. I presume there will be a few special words addressed to Lucifer,
the father of sin. Jesus will lament the rise of sin as He speaks to the being
who was once His best and closest friend. It will be an awesome day of
reckoning. 7.
When the wicked realize their great
loss, when they see that their fate was sealed by their own rebellion, when they
hear their sentence of restitution and death, panic stricken they go into an
agonizing frenzy. Jesus calls fire down out of the heavens and the judgment
decided by the saints is applied and ultimately, the penalty of death by
execution brings sin to an end. Some Questions Perhaps
the best way to conclude the study on this topic is to answer nine commonly
asked questions. 1.
Where are the saints during the
1,000 years and what will they be doing? They will reign (share
authority) with Christ in Heaven. This conclusion is based on four concepts:
First, the righteous dead of ages past and the righteous living will be caught
up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Important point:
Christ does not walk upon the Earth at the Second Coming. Instead, He calls the
saints up to meet Him in the air. (
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17) Jesus takes the saints
back to the holy city, New Jerusalem, where He has been preparing homes for
them. (
John 14:1-3) Second, when Christ appears at the
Second Coming, He commands the wicked to die. (
Revelation 19:15-21;
2 Thessalonians 2:8) Third, the saints will
have the responsibility of determining the appropriate punishment for wicked
people and Satan’s angels. 2.
Where are the wicked during the
1,000 years and what will they be doing? With the exception of those
who participated in the crucifixion of Jesus, the wicked are not resurrected at
the Second Coming. They remain in a state of soul-sleep or death. They wait for
the second resurrection and the White Throne Judgment scene. (
Revelation 20:5;
20:12,13) At the Second Coming, the devil is
forced to return to the spirit world (the Abyss) for 1,000 years. (He was let
out of the Abyss during the fifth trumpet.
Revelation 9:1-11) Because the Earth is desolate
of life, he cannot deceive anyone during the 1,000 years. Furthermore, he is
“chained” to his earthly prison and cannot go anywhere to tempt or annoy the
other inhabitants of the universe. (
Revelation 20:1-3) The devil and his demons will
have a lot of time to reflect on their eventful history of rebellion against God
and they will churn with depression and anxiety over their coming destruction
– especially the restitution phase. Remember from page 238, Lucifer is the
scapegoat. All the sins from the temple will be placed on his head. 3.
Did God pre-decree a precise period of 1,000 Earth-years or should this
time-period be interpreted as a general statement?
Evidence from the Bible
suggests the 1,000 years will be a sabbatical millennium. There is nothing in
the Bible to prevent the 1,000 years from being a precise time-period that
fulfills the weekly template God designed at Creation. (
Genesis 2:1-3;
Psalm 90:4;
2 Peter 3:8) 4.
Does the millennium occur before or
after Christ sets up His kingdom on Earth? Based on the material
presented in this chapter and the previous one, Jesus will return for the saints
at the beginning of the millennium. At that time, He will take them to “His
Father’s house,” which is located in Heaven, for 1,000 years. During the
1,000 years, the saints will conduct a judgment process upon the wicked,
determining the amount of restitution that each wicked person must pay. At the
end of the 1,000 years, the Holy City and the saints descend to Earth. At that
time, the wicked are resurrected to see the reality of salvation and why He
could not save them. Then the punishment begins and ultimately, God cleanses the
Earth of every impurity. Hallelujah! After seven millenniums of sin, a new
Heaven and a new Earth will be created. Then it can be said, “the Kingdom of
God is among men.” 5.
What event marks the beginning of
1,000 years?
The Second Coming. 6.
What event marks the end of the 1,000 years? It could be called the Third
Coming, since the Holy City descends and the wicked from all ages are
resurrected to meet their fate. 7.
Will the 1,000 years of Revelation
20 be the seventh millennium since sin began, in effect, a sabbatical rest for
Earth? Yes, it appears that way.
(See 2 Peter 3:8.) Consider the parallel: The
works of sin last for six millennial days (six 1,000-year periods). Earth will
then receive its Sabbath rest for 1,000 years before it is put back into proper
“working” order at the beginning of eternity! 8.
What is God’s overall purpose for
the 1,000 years? In addition to the purposes
stated in previous questions, God uses the millennium as a time for the saints
to prove to themselves that God’s judgment of the wicked, His character and
His government are righteous beyond question. All issues surrounding the
judgement process will be resolved before God permanently annihilates
anyone. The first 1,000
years of eternal life will also include their judgment regarding restitution
from the wicked. God gives this job
to the saints at the beginning of their eternal life because He wants the
redeemed to carefully consider the seriousness of sin and rebellion from
His perspective. Therefore, He requires them to sit in judgment upon human beings
as He must do. As a direct result, the saints will be able to testify
throughout the endless ages of eternity about the importance of maintaining a
nonnegotiable faith in God and His government.
Their eternal testimony will thwart the rise of sin forever in God’s
expanding universe. 9. Although the 1,000 years are only mentioned in Revelation 20, do other Bible writers indirectly speak of this time-period? No details or comments about
the millennium are given by Old Testament prophets. Since God’s original plan
(I refer to it as “Plan A”) to rescue Earth from sin was based on a scheme
that directly involved ancient Israel, the original plan did not have a 1,000
year respite from sin. But when ancient Israel failed to meet God’s
requirements, God introduced what I refer to as “Plan B.” The book of
Revelation demonstrates how God can take the failure of man and produce an even
more glorious outcome. Remember this, the greater the chaos, the greater God’s
glory for resolving the problem! Conclusion We have reached the end of
this volume. I have attempted to explain five essential Bible truths (I call
them the five S’s): Salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ Each of these doctrines
centers on the generous ministry of Jesus Christ. As we begin to understand the
depth of God’s plans, it leads the sincere in heart toward a greater
appreciation for Jesus. I have written this book for two reasons. First, I want
to exalt my Savior, Jesus. Even though I continue to learn more about Him every
day, my desire is to share a number of wonderful things I have gleaned from
Scripture. No one compares to Jesus. He rightfully deserves to be called, “The
Alpha and The Omega.” He is the most awesome being in the whole universe.
Second, this book was written as a primer for prophetic study. The prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation are an advanced area of study and a harmonious
understanding of the prophecies requires a solid foundation of the five
essential truths presented in this book. For example, Revelation 8:5
mentions the “casting down of the golden censer” at the golden altar. To
understand what this means, we need to understand it within the context of
services being conducted in Heaven’s temple at the Altar of Incense. Since
information about services conducted at the heavenly Altar of Incense does not
exist in the Bible, we must turn to the parallels and patterns between the
heavenly and the earthly sanctuaries. As we examine the ministry conducted at
the Altar of Incense on Earth, it helps us to understand the significance of
casting down the censer at the heavenly altar. “Future telling” is not
the primary purpose of Bible prophecy. Bible prophecy does involve a study of
future events, but not in the way most people assume. Bible prophecy covers a
number of topics that believers should want to understand. Ultimately, Bible
prophecy reveals how Jesus will resolve all of the problems caused by sin. He
will eventually destroy the wicked, both humans and angels. Earth itself is so
contaminated with sin that purification by fire is required! The Godhead has
been dealing with the sin problem for a long time and they will bring the drama
to a close as planned – and this is where apocalyptic prophecy comes into
focus. Unfortunately, the
elimination of sin also involves destroying human beings that Jesus deeply
loves. The deliberate and final destruction of fallen angels and fallen human
beings must be done within a framework of justice and mercy that every survivor
can understand. Throughout eternity, the drama of sin will be reviewed and
discussed by men and angels. Of course, after the drama is over, God’s
children will have a host of records to examine which will disclose the whole
truth about sin and God’s behavior. (
1 Corinthians 6:1-4,
Revelation 20:4) But, we are presently living
before the drama of sin has been brought to a close. So, God has given us who
live before the drama comes to a close, an opportunity to understand the
sweeping outline of how the sin problem will be resolved. By giving this
information to us in advance, our understanding of what He must do to the human
race during the Great Tribulation makes sense. If the balance between
God’s eternal justice and His unlimited love to save man is not the central
theme when studying Bible prophecy, then it is robbed of its sanctifying value,
because human beings can do nothing to prevent the things God has determined to
do. At the present time, one man says this about Revelation and another says
that, so no one can determine the truth. This is about to change. When the Great
Tribulation begins, God will make sure all people will see and hear His truth.
He will empower 144,000 spokespersons all over the world and they will speak
with authority, as did Moses and Elijah. For now, we must accept by
faith that God is unbelievably generous in His grace and His government is based
on the equitable rule of law based on love. God’s laws are not righteous
because He declares them to be righteous. God’s laws are righteous and fair
because the evidence will show that when sin’s drama has ended, His laws will
have been proven to be righteous! The eternal well being of His creatures is
God’s first and highest concern. As I have come to understand His profound
love for sinners, Return to the Wake Up America home page. Return to the Subject Index © Wake Up America Seminars, Inc., October, 2001 |