A Biblical View of the End Times
1,000 YEARS OF HEAVEN ON EARTH
Revelation 20:1-10
Intro: Revelation chapter 20 mentions a 1000 year period of time 6 times in verse 2-7. This period of time has come to be known as the Millennium. It is a compound word from the Latin which means "1000 years." The millennium is that 1,000 year period of time when the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will rule upon this earth. He will usher in a time of peace, prosperity and righteousness such as the world has not witnessed since before man sinned in the Garden of Eden.
There are many who do not believe in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ. They believe that this is just symbolic language. However, there is more written about this future time than about any other event in the realm of prophecy. It is a time that the Bible refers to in a literal sense and there is no reason to believe that it will not happen just as the Bible says. Therefore, those of us who believe the Bible is to be taken literally believe that there will be a literal 1,000 year period of time during which Jesus Christ Himself will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Since there is so much said in the Bible concerning the Millennium, there is no possible way I could cover all the details in one message. Therefore, I just want to skim the surface tonight and look at a few specific areas of this great period of time that will give us a little insight into what will take place during that glorious time.
At this point, it might be good to refresh our memories concerning the order of future events.
1. The Rapture - This is the next event.
2. The Tribulation Period - This will begin after the Rapture of the church.
3. The Judgment Seat of Christ - This will take place while Tribulation is unfolding upon the earth.
4. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb - This too will take place alongside the Tribulation Period.
5. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus - This event will close the Tribulation and will bring about the Judgment of the nations, Matt 25. The Antichrist and his armies will be destroyed and those who have their faith in Christ will enter into the millennium.
Now, with that information in our minds, let’s look at a few specific areas of the millennial period that will help us to understand it a little better. My friends, I want you to know that this is one thing you do not want to miss for the world! You want to be sure that you are a child of God so that when this time comes to pass, you can join Jesus in His Kingdom and reign with Him for 1,000 years.
I. THE SAVIOR DURING THE MILLENNIUM (vv. 4, 6)
What will Jesus being doing during the Millennium?
A. He Will Be Reigning
• At long last, the Lord Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of David.
o He will rule the world in power, righteousness and glory.
o His reign will usher in a time of peace and prosperity like nothing the world has ever experienced.
o His reign will finally bring justice and holiness to the world.
• The world has never had a ruler like this.
o All human rulers are controlled by their lusts for power, for wealth and for self glory.
o Jesus, on the other hand, will reign in perfect righteousness.
o The millennium will be a time of perfect existence.
B. He Will Be Ruling
• The Bible tells us that Jesus will "rule the world with a rod of iron".
• Like a shepherd, Jesus will guide the entire population of the world.
• However, those who refuse to bow to His authority will be dealt with swiftly and harshly.
• Rebellion will not be tolerated in that day!
C. He Will Be Receiving
• In the day in which we live, the Lord Jesus is viewed as some kind of a comical character by the world.
o He is a poor fool who got Himself killed on a cross.
• However, in the millennial kingdom, He will receive the glory He has always deserved.
o All people from every nation will come and bow at His feet and worship the King of Glory!
o Instead of cursing His name, men will worship Him and shout His praises!
• Isa. 40:5, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
• This verse tells us that man will finally be able to look upon the glory of the Lord in that day!
II. SATAN DURING THE MILLENNIUM (vv. 1-3, 7-10)
A. He Will Be Jailed (vv. 1-3)
• For 1,000 years, the enemy of God will not be able to hinder God’s work, tempt God’s people, nor will he be able to work in the lives of the lost.
o He will be chained and bound for the duration of the Millennium!
• Right now, Satan is the "god" of this world.
o He spends his time doing everything in his power to hinder God’s business, trip up God’s saints and claim soul for Hell.
• Note the titles given to him in verse 2.
o He is a wicked and evil enemy!
o However, in that day, he will be out of the picture.
o Imagine a world, ruled by Jesus with no devil! GLORY!
B. He Will Be Judged (vv. 7-10)
• These verses tell us that at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed from his prison.
o He will return to the earth and will be able to amass an army of incredible size.
o He and this army will attack the city of God, where Jesus is reigning and will try to overthrow Jesus.
• However, divine judgment falls and all the people who followed the devil in his scheme will be destroyed.
o The, the devil himself will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and he will spend eternity in those terrible flames.
o His judgment is certain and his doom is sealed!
o When he is cast into Hell, the universe will be forever free from his influences and wickedness.
o Just to know the devil is going to burn is enough to shout about!
• Does it bother you that even when Jesus Christ has ruled the world with perfect, righteous judgment, Satan is still able to find a vast multitude to follow him?
o It bothers me, but it is a clear illustration of the heart of the lost sinner!
o No matter how good God is to someone, until they are saved by grace and changed by the power of God, they are wicked to the core!
o In fact, I believe this is one of the primary reasons for the Millennium.
o It is to prove the hardness and sinfulness of the heart of men!
o You see, in various ways God has tried to reach men, and each time, man has failed to respond with love toward God.
o Notice:
1. The age of Innocence (Gen. 3) ended with willful disobedience.
2. The age of conscience (Gen. 5-6) ended with universal corruption.
3. The age of human government (Gen. 11) ended with devil worship at the Tower of Babel.
4. The age of promise (Gen. 12 - Ex. 1) ended with the people of God in bondage in Egypt.
5. The age of Law (Ex. 2 - Matt. 27) ended with humanity killing their Creator on the cross.
6. The age of the church (Acts 1) Will end with worldwide apostasy
7. The age of Tribulation (Rev. 19) will end with the battle of Armageddon.
8. The age of the Millennium (Rev. 20) will end with an attempt to overthrow God Himself.
• The point is that the human heart is terribly wicked and prone to evil.
o There is no good in it all, Rom. 3:10-11.
o The only hope for men is to come to Jesus for salvation.
o He changes hearts!
o Anything less will result in Hell.
o Where do you stand tonight? Are you saved!
III. THE SAINTS DURING THE MILLENNIUM (vv. 4-6)
What will the redeemed people of God be doing during the Millennium?
A. They Will be Reigning (v. 4a)
• Every person who received Jesus between the Day of Pentecost and the Rapture of the church will reign with Jesus in His Millennial kingdom.
• The children of God may be mocked and ridiculed down here right now, but there is coming a day when we will return with Jesus in power and glory to this world and we will reign with Him on this earth.
o In that day, we will be different than we are now.
o In fact, we will have already been through the Judgment Seat of Christ and we will have enjoyed the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
o We will have been with Jesus when He took control of the world away from the devil and his armies.
o We will have shared in it all and we will share in His glory!
o When we reign with Him, we will be in our glorified bodies!
o We will be free from sin, free from death, free from disease.
o We will be perfect in that day!
B. They Will Be A Resurrected (v. 4b)
• At the beginning of the Millennium, all the Old Testament saints and all those who died with faith in Jesus during the Tribulation will be raised from the dead.
o Imagine, seeing all the Old Testament believers serving the One they were looking for!
C. They Will Be Received (v. 4c)
• The last part of this verse makes it clear that there will be a number of people who will come to the end of the Tribulation Period with their faith in Jesus.
o These people refused the Mark of the Beast and they lived until the end.
o Some will be Jews, others will be Gentiles, but they will all enter the Kingdom of Christ.
o This is pictured for us in Matthew 25:31-46 as the Judgment of the Nations.
o Jesus will honor the faith of those who trusted in Him and He will receive them into His kingdom.
o Those who lived to the end of the Tribulation and did not place their faith in Christ will be destroyed and will go to Hell!
• I hope you can see that the bottom line is faith!
o Where is your faith tonight?
o Is it in Jesus Christ, alone for salvation?
o If it is in anything else, then you are on dangerous ground.
o Trust Jesus while you can, He is the only One who can save the soul.
Closing: I have been preaching about a time when Jesus will reign as King upon this earth. That will be a special time and it will be a blessed time. However, you do not have to wait to the Millennium for Jesus to be King. If you will trust Him as your Savior, He will reign as the King of your heart right now. I wonder, have you ever bowed before Jesus and confessed your sins and received Him into your heart? If you haven’t, you need to and you can if you will come to Him tonight. Will you do that?
