The Millennium
What Will The Reign of Christ be Like?
Dr. John Hoole – September 22, 2013
In our last lesson on the Millennium, we discussed several events leading up to the Reign of Christ, as well as some aspects of 1,000-year period of time. We discussed 6 event between Christ’s return to earth riding on a white horse, and the actual reign of Christ. They are:
1. The destruction of the armies of the nations at Armageddon which oppose Christ.
2. Casting of Antichrist and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire.
3. Satan is bound in chains and cast into the Bottomless Pit.
4. The resurrection of Old Testament and Tribulation saints.
5. Judgment of the nations – sometimes called “Sheep and Goats Judgment.”
6. Setting up the rulership of Christ and those that will be reigning with him.
Today we will look at the Reign of Christ. We will look at several aspects of His reign, such as:
• How will He reign?
• Who reigns with Him and what are their responsibilities>
I believe that Jesus Christ was crucified and that He was buried in a borrowed tomb. And on the authority of Scripture I believe that He was raised from the dead on the third day. I believe that He was seen by witnesses and that after 40 days He ascended into Heaven. I believe He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Moreover, I am convinced that Jesus will return to this earth as He has promised, and that He will literally reign from Jerusalem for a literal 1,000 years.
I confess that I am a naïve literalist when it comes to the Bible. When the Scripture makes a declaration, I see no reason to discount what is taught. Therefore, when I read the twentieth chapter in the book of Revelation, I accept that Satan will be bound and Christ will reign here on earth for 1,000 years.
I agree with a statement made by Dr. David L. Cooper, who said:
"When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, but take very word at its primary, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context clearly indicate otherwise."
This I believe is a very good rule of thumb for studying any part of the Bible. Follow this maxim and your will find the Bible understandable. Ignore it, and the tendency to be in error is increased greatly. That is true of all Scripture, but particularly true of the prophetic sections of the Bible.
Let me ask a question: WHAT WILL THE REIGN OF CHRIST BE LIKE? TELL ME ALL YOU CAN ABOUT CONDITIONS AND PEOPLE DURING THE MILLENNIUM?WHAT WILL BE THE PHYSICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND RELATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE MILLENNIUM.
The Millennial Kingdom will not be Heaven yet. It will be a “Theocracy,” which means “governed by God.” Jesus Christ will be recognized as the supreme civil ruler and His laws will be taken as the laws of the world. His government will be one of perfection and His rule will be so absolute and authoritative that it is likened to an “iron rule.” That characteristic of His rule is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments.
Down through human history, God has interacted with us in different manners. I don’t mean that God has changed, but situations on earth have. These different eras are sometimes called “dispensations.”
Some of the dispensations are labeled:
• Dispensation of Innocence (Genesis 1:28 – 3:6).
• Dispensation of Conscience (Genesis 4:1 – 8:14).
• Dispensation of Human Government (Genesis 8:15 – 11:9).
• Dispensation of Promise (Genesis 11:10 – Exodus 18:27).
• Dispensation of Law (Exodus 19:1 – Acts 1:26).
• Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 – Revelation 19:21)
We are currently in the Dispensation of Grace (Rev. 20:1-22:21). The next dispensation with be the reign of Christ on earth. For 1,000 years, Jesus will reign over all the earth.
Isaiah 2:2-4 NKJV
2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah speaks of Jerusalem as the center of government and of worship for the entire earth. This passage, as well as others, teach us that the Millennial Kingdom is both a spiritual kingdom and a political kingdom. The spiritual nature of the Kingdom dictates the political nature of the kingdom. This is exactly the opposite of most earthly governments today. Rather than morality dictating how governments will work, one’s political aspirations dictate one’s morality.
Today, Christ’s reign is in the hearts of those who follow Him as redeemed people. During the Millennium, He will reign visibly from Jerusalem. The entire world will be able to see His glory [Matthew 24:39]. Psalm 72:19 mentions the fact that “the whole earth [will] be filled with His glory.” That passage appears to be speaking of His reign during the Millennium.
THE LENGTH OF CHRIST’S REIGN
In Daniel 2:44, we are told that the “kingdom will last forever.”
In Daniel 7:27, we read that Christ’s kingdom “will be an everlasting kingdom.”
In Isaiah 9:7, we learn “of his kingdom and peace there is no end.”
These verses and many more like them raise an obvious question.
HOW CAN THE MILLENNIUM BE ONLY 1,000 YEARS IF GOD’S KINGDOM IS ETERNAL? HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION?
The best way to reconcile this apparent conflict is to recognize that both of these statements are true. Christ will rule over His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years….and He will reign forever.
The future kingdom has two parts or phases.
Phase One: is the reign of Christ on earth. (Revelation 20:1-6)
Phase Two: is the eternal state (Revelation 22:5)
As I once heard it described, the Millennium is the front porch of eternity.
The earthly aspect of the kingdom, with Christ ruling from Jerusalem, will last only the limited time of 1,000 years. But the Kingdom of God will continue forever. The millennium is a physical, earthly demonstration of the kingdom of God.
CHRIST WILL DELEGATE HIS AUTHORITY
There is another aspect of the reign of Christ.
Daniel 7:14 tells us that the world rulership that follows the Revived Roman government that is, the Stone Kingdom, will be given to Christ. But, four verses later (7:18), we are told Jesus delegates rulership to His saints.
Daniel 7:18 NKJV
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'
In two of the passages we have read already, we learned that Christ will delegate his areas of rulership to others. We read in Daniel 7, that “the kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High." We saw something very similar when we read Revelation 20:6.
There are a number of passages that tell us that when Christ reigns, He does not rule alone. He alone is the Supreme King of Kings. But He has chosen to delegate the rule of the people of this world to others.
WHO SPECIFICALLY WILL RULE WITH CHRIST?
There are a number of Scriptures which specifically spell out who will be given delegated authority to rule with Christ. In other cases, the rule of some is implied. We will talk about these in just a few minutes. First, let’s begin with those specifically mentioned as ruling with Christ.
1. Tribulation Saints
Revelation 20:4 NIV
4 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.
This verse is specifically speaking of those who had been martyred during the Tribulation period, and paid the ultimate sacrifice – martyrdom – for their commitment to Christ. This passage has in mind those mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11 which speaks of an innumerable number who decide to follow Christ during the Tribulation
2. The Apostles
Matthew 19:27-28 NIV
27 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
This is also mentioned in Luke 22:30. Presumably, this indicates one apostle ruling over each of the 12 tribes.
3. Judges, as in the Old Testament
Isaiah 1:26-27 NIV
26 I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."
27 Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.
He says that the position of the judges will be reestablished, and they will be part of those who will represent the King to the people.
1 Corinthians 6:2 NIV adds to the thought about the function of the judges.
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?......
4. The Church
Luke 19:17 NIV
17 `Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. `Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
Revelation 2:26-27 NIV
26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-
27 `He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' - just as I have received authority from my Father.
Thus far, we are told, specifically, who is going to reign with Christ.
• Tribulation Saints
• The Apostles
• The Judges
• The Church
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS MENTIONED WHO WILL REIGN WITH CHRIST? WHO HAS BEEN LEFT OUT?
A number of passages imply that the saints of all ages will reign with Christ.
Revelation 5:9-10 NIV
9 And they sang a new song: "You [Christ] are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
This indicates that all who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood will reign with Him.
A couple of passages from the Old Testament imply the saints of that era will reign.
Daniel 7:27 NIV
27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
Psalms 47:2-3 NIV
2 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!
3 He shall subdue nations under us, peoples under our feet.
Clearly, these passage are speaking of Old Testament saints.
The Bible has a great amount of information about the coming Reign of Christ. Some of the topics we will be covering in the next few weeks are:
1. The LORD (Yahweh) will be king of the whole earth [Zechariah 14:9].
It will be a Theocratic Kingdom – God is in control.
2. There will be world-wide worship of Jesus, the King [Zechariah 14:6].
Nations who do not worship Yahweh will suffer drought [Zechariah 14:16-19].
3. It will be a kingdom of holiness.
Jerusalem, the capital city, will be holy [Isaiah 52:1]. Idols, false prophets and demonic spirits will be removed from the land [Zech. 13:1-2].
4. It will be a kingdom in which nature will be altered.
The curse also will be removed. Peace will exist between the human race and the animal kingdom [Isaiah 11:609]. Life-giving water will flow year-round from Jerusalem into the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
5. Economic prosperity will abound in the kingdom.
The wilderness and the desert will blossom profusely [Isaiah 35:1-2]. Economic abundance is tied with Jehovah’s spiritual healing of Israel.
6. It will be a kingdom of peace and safety.
There will be international peace [Isaiah 2:4]. Israel will never again be delivered into enemy hands and enslavement [Isa. 62:8-0].
7. Greater physical longevity will be the norm for mortal humans during the kingdom.
They will live as long as trees [Isaiah 65:22]. Life-span may be equal to or greater than before the flood.
8. It will be a Kingdom of Glory.
The glory of Christ will be seen throughout the earth [Isaiah 60:1-22].
These and many others topics will be addressed in the next few weeks.