The Millennium

THE MILLENNIUM

REVELATION 20:1-11

THE ENTIRE WORLD HAS BEEN SEARCHING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, AND I MIGHT ADD UNSUCCESSFULLY, FOR PEACE. WE HAVE COME TO THINK OF PEACE AS THE ABSENCE OF HOSTILITY, AND THE WORLD HAS ONLY KNOWN ABOUT 250 YEARS OF THIS FORM OF PEACE.

PEACE ESCAPES US AS INDIVIDUALS AS WE FIND OUR PERSONAL LIVES ARE INVADED BY RESTLESSNESS AND UNSETTLING MATTERS OF HEALTH, FINANCES, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, THAT HAVE BEEN SO INTENSE THAT IT HAS DRIVEN PEOPLE TO SUICIDE.

THE KEY IS THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A PEACE THAT WE CAN ATTAIN AND CONTROL WHICH IS BEYOND OUR CAPABILITIES. THE PEOPLE IN THE CAROLINAS CANNOT STOP HURRICANE FLORENCE NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO, AND THERE WILL BE SOME STRUGGLES THAT WE WILL FACE THAT WE CANNOT STOP NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE WANT TO.

THE PEACE THAT WE SEEK IS FOUND IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOUR. IT ALLOWS US TO FACE THE STRUGGLES OF THIS WORLD IN THE REALIZATION THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL, THAT HE HAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, AND THAT BY SURRENDERING OUR LIVES TO HIM, WE CAN KNOW THE PEACE THAT PAUL SPEAKS OF IN PHILIPPIANS.

PHILIPPIANS 4:7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

THE BIBLE DOES SPEAK OF A TIME OF PEACE THAT WILL BE WONDERFUL AND ALL THE WORLD WILL ENJOY IT. THIS TIME IS WHAT THE BIBLE REFERS TO AS THE MILLENNIUM. IT’S A LATIN PHRASE MADE UP OF TWO WORDS, “MILLE” MEANING THOUSAND, AND “ANNUM” MEANING YEAR. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE TERM IN FINANCIAL CIRCLES SO MUCH INTEREST PER ANNUM. IT MEANS SO MUCH INTEREST PER YEAR.

AFTER THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST, HE WILL PROCEED TO SET UP HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH. HE WILL BE A UNIVERSAL RULER. HIS KINGOM WILL LAST FOR 1000 YEARS AND THEN HE WILL PRESENT IT TO THE FATHER WHERE WE WILL ENTER OUR ETERNAL HOME.

REVELATION 20 INFORMS US OF SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.

FIRST: DURING THIS TIME PERIOD THE WORLD WILL NOT KNOW THE INFLUENCE OF SATAN.

EVER SINCE THE FALL THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD WAS DOMINATED BY SATAN. WE WERE ALL UNDER THE CURSE OF THE SINFUL NATURE. HIS INFLUENCE WAS CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT UNTIL THE TIME OF THE TRIBULATION, BUT HE WAS ALLOWED TO HAVE CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD.

AT THE TIME OF THE GLORIOUS APPEARING, THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET ARE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR ETERNITY, BUT NOT SATAN. HIS FINAL JUDGMENT WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM. SATAN IS HOWEVER HELD IN CAPTIVITY BY GOD DURING THIS 1000 YEARS.

REVELATION 20:2-3:

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 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.

HOW HE IS BOUND HAS BEEN DEBATED AT LENGTH WITH NO ABSOLUTE CONCLUSION BUT WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT FOR THIS 1000 YEAR PERIOD HE WILL HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD.

SECOND: THE TRIBULATION SAINTS WHO HAVE DIED, AND THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WILL BE RESURRECTED.

REVELATION 20:4: And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

THIS RESURRECTION IS FOR THOSE WHO WERE KILLED FOR THEIR FAITH DURING THE TRIBULATION. THEY WILL RISE AND BE WITH THE LORD JUST AS THOSE WHO WERE TAKEN UP AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE.

ALSO INTERESTING IS THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WILL BE RESURRECTED AT THIS TIME AS WELL.

DANIEL 12:1-2:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM THEN THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND THE TRIBULATION SAINTS WILL RISE TO BE THE INVITED GUESTS OF THE WEDDING BANQUET TALKED ABOUT IN REVELATION 19. AT THAT BANQUET THERE WILL ONLY BE SAINTS, NO UNSAVED PERSON WILL BE AT THE WEDDING BANQUET OF THE LAMB.