The Millennium

 

The Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ


Compiled by Pastor Dan Kennedy

www.pastorkennedy.com


The following study on the Millennium is gleaned from my personal study of Scripture, over the years, and various other sources, such as, Dwight Pentecost, Larry Richards, Merrill F. Unger, William Newell and others.


The Primary Passage Establishing the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 20.


Revelation 20:1–10 (ESV)

The Thousand Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 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 for 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 is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Defeat of Satan

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


Theological Positions referring to when Christ Jesus comes in relationship to the Millennial (1,000 year) Reign of Christ.


Definition:  The “Millennium” is spoken of in Revelation 20:1-10 as a 1,000 year reign of Christ, ruling over planet earth in Justice and Holiness, with a “rod of iron” (Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15).  Satan will be bound during most of the Millennium only to be released again at the end of the 1,000 years, to bring together the unbelieving for the final battle in the world (Rev. 20:7-9).  There will be a Millennial Temple established in Jerusalem, from which Christ will rule (Micah 4:1; Ezekiel 40-48).  The Millennium is spoken of in prophetical books throughout the Old Testament, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Micah, and Zechariah – mainly foretelling the glory that will be restored to Israel.  The Millennium is the time when the primary earthly promises to the Jews and Israel are fulfilled.  It will be a glorious time, a time of great joy and peace… a time when “the lion will lie down with the lamb” (Isaiah 11:6-9).  This is the last period on earth that mankind is tested (under Christ’s very rule), from which Christ chooses the final part of His Bride.


Note:  These theological positions are separate from and not to be confused with the Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation theories of the Rapture and/or Second Coming of Christ.


Pre-millennial position regarding the coming of Christ – This position teaches that the Second Coming of Christ in Power and Glory, will be prior to the 1,000 year rule of Christ, following the Great Tribulation (when He will physically rule the world with a “rod of iron”).


Post-millennial position regarding the coming of Christ – This position teaches that we are living in a “spiritual” or actual “millennium” right now.   The believer’s part during this time is to help bring in the Kingdom of Christ – into a world that gets better and better until Christ comes and finally ushers in His eternal Kingdom.


A-millennial position regarding the coming of Christ – When an “A” is hyphenated and placed in front of a word it often erases the meaning the natural understanding of a word. (An example of this is the word “a-moral” which means one does not have any moral values, or “a-tonal” – one that does not hear musical pitch).  Thus “a-millennial” means that those who hold to this position do not believe there will be a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ. These believe that the “millennial” kingdom is purely a “spiritual” concept and not a physical one at all.  Christ is seen having established His spiritual Kingdom at His first coming…and will one day establish His eternal Kingdom without the necessity of a physical 1,000-year reign. 


Millennial “Identifiers” in Scripture


If it can be said, using Spiritual discernment and wisdom, the Following  guidelines could be used to see clues and other “Identifying Factors” for Passages throughout the Old Testament, which I believe to be speaking about the Millennium Period.


1.  Look for unique passages which could not refer to conditions which have ever been in the world before and do not refer to heavenly or “new heaven and earth” conditions.  These are possibly “identifying factors” to discover verses specifically pointing to the Millennial Reign of Christ.


2.  Look for obvious references to the cataclysmic world events (such as the war of “Armageddon”) which precede the passage – such as Joel 2:1-17 and Zechariah 14:1-5.


3.  Discover passages beginning with the use of phrases such as, “In those days”, “The days are coming” or “In the last days”, etc., followed by passages which have direct reference to the LORD bringing profound peace to Jerusalem or Israel.  Note:  These terms “In those days”, etc., can also used for terrible times of calamity (some of which precede the Millennium) so one must identify a Millennial passage primarily through its context.


4.  There can be a reference, quite often at the end of the passage, referring to the fact that the LORD will be among them – in a practical, physical sense (as well as a spiritual sense). 


Example:  Ezekiel 48:35

35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.

“And the name of the city from that time on will be:

the Lord is there.”


5.  References to Israel or to the wastelands in Israel blooming and becoming productive in ways that would rival the Garden of Eden.


6.  A peace between nations, peoples and even natural enemies within the animal kingdom that has never been seen before…on this earth.


7.  A period of time on the earth where there is a profound turning to God and universal knowing and acknowledging of His Kingdom and Holiness – a time which is obviously not in “heaven” or the new heaven and new earth.


Note:  Just as the Book of Revelation may seem to skip back and forth between heavenly “scenes”, so some passages on the Millennium may seem to be “inserted” into passages that, to our mind, may not be sequential, but which “insertions” still obviously fit into a Millennial theme.


A Short Outline on the Millennium with Scriptural References

“In Isaiah 11:1-9 we see images repeated again and again. The supernaturally endowed ruler brings peace. The poor and the oppressed are cared for at last, while the wicked are judged. In many ways, the Messiah’s rule has a wonderful impact on human experience.

•   In place of war there will be peace (Isa. 9:4–7; 32:17–18; Ezek. 34:25, 28; Micah 4:2–3).

•   In place of sin there will be holiness (Isa. 29:18–23; 35:8–9; Zeph. 3:11; Zech. 14:20–21).

•   In place of misery there will be comfort (Isa. 29:22–23; 61:3–7; 66:13; Jer. 31:23–25; Zech. 9:11–12).

•   In place of injustice there will be justice (Isa. 42:1–4; 65:21–23; Jer. 31:23, 29–30).

•   In place of sickness there will be healing (Isa. 29:17–19; 35:3–6; 61:1–2; Jer. 31:8; Micah 4:6–7).

•   In place of ignorance will be knowledge of the Lord (Isa. 11:1–2, 9; 41:19–20; 54:13; Hab. 2:14).

•   Instead of early death there will be preservation (Isa. 41:8–14; 62:8–9; Jer. 23:6; 32:27; Ezek. 34:27; Joel 3:16–17; Zech. 8:14–15; 9:17; 14:10–11).

•   Instead of poverty there will be prosperity (Isa. 4:1; 65:21–22; Ezek. 34:26; Joel 2:21–27; Amos 9:13–14; Zech. 8:11–22; 9:16–17).

All these and other blessings are promised by the Old Testament prophets—when the King finally reigns.” 1

1. Richards, Larry ; Richards, Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S. 363


Conditions Existing Within the Millennium as seen from Scripture


A.   Peace

Micah 4

3 He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.*


* The New International Version is used throughout unless otherwise noted, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.


Hosea 2

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air

and the creatures that move along the ground.

Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land,

so that all may lie down in safety.

19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in

righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.

20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD. 


Isaiah 14

7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.


Joel 2

21 Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things.

22 Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green.

The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.

23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God,

for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.


B.   Joy

Isaiah 12

In that day you will say:

“I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.

2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

4 In that day you will say:

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”


Isaiah 9:3

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,

as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.


C.   Holiness

Zechariah 14

20 On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.


  1. D.  Glory

Isaiah 4

2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.


Isaiah 35

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.  The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.


Isaiah 60

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn

4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm.

5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.


E.   Comfort

Micah 4

4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods;

we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.


Zephaniah 3

18 “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you;

they are a burden and a reproach to you….


F.   Justice

Isaiah 11

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; [see Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15] with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. [Rev. 19:15] 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 


Jeremiah 33

15 ”‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.

16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.

This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.’


G.   The Establishment of the Millennial Temple as the Place of Worship

Micah 4:1

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.


Ezekiel 40-48

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me there. 2 In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see...”


1)  The East Gate to the Outer Court – Ez. 40:5-16

2)  The Outer Court – Ez. 40:17-19

3)  The North Gate – Ez. 40:20-23

4)  The South Gate – Ez. 40:24-27

5)  Gates to the Inner Court – Ez. 40:28-37

6)  The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices – Ez. 40:38-43


7)  Rooms for the Priests – Ez. 40:44-47

8)  The Temple – Ez. 40:48-41:26

9)  Rooms for the Priests – Ez. 42

10)  The Glory Returns to the Temple – Ez. 43:1-12

11)  The Altar – Ez. 43:13-27

12)  The Prince, the Levites, the Priests – Ez. 44

13)  Division of the Land – Ez. 45:1-12

14)  Offerings and Holy Days – Ez. 45:13-46:24

15)  The River From the Temple – Ez. 47

16)  The Boundaries of the Land – Ez. 47:13-23

17)  The Division of the Land – Ez. 48:1-29

18)  The Gates of the City – Ez. 48:30-35


35 …“And the name of the city from that time on will be:  THE LORD IS THERE.”


The Millennial Furnishing of the Most Holy Place


There are at least five distinct purposes for the millennial Temple.


  1. (1)   To Demonstrate God’s Holiness....(the) infinite holiness of Jehovah’s nature and government...had been outraged and called into question by the idolatry and rebellion of His professed people.…This has necessitated the ...judgment of sinful Israel...along with...the wicked surrounding nations.…This is followed by the display of divine grace in restoring the prodigal nation to Himself.…


  1. (2)   To Provide a Dwelling-Place for the Divine Glory. ...This is “the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever” (43:7).…


  1. (3)   To Perpetuate the Memorial of Sacrifice. It is not sacrifice, of course, rendered with a view of obtaining salvation, but sacrifice commemorative of an accomplished salvation maintained in the presence of the revealed glory of Jehovah.…


  1. (4)   To Provide the Center for the Divine Government. When the divine Glory takes up its residence in the temple, the announcement is not only that the temple is God’s dwelling-place and the seat of worship, but also that it is the radiating centre of the divine government. “This is the place of my throne” (43:7).…


  1. (5)   To Provide Victory over the Curse (47:1–12). From under the threshold of the temple house the prophet sees a marvelous stream issuing and flowing eastward in ever increasing volumes of refreshment until it enters in copious fullness into the Dead Sea, whose poisonous waters are healed.… Traversing the course of this wondrous life-giving water, the seer finds both banks clothed with luxuriant growth of trees of fadeless leaf and never-failing fruit, furnishing both medicine and food. 2

                       

                            2.  Merrill F. Unger, “The Temple Vision of Ezekiel,” Bibliotheca Sacra 106 (January 1949):57̑64.


[The Unique Holy of Holies with wooden Altar/Table

Ezekiel 41

21There were square columns at the entrance to the sanctuary, and the ones at the entrance of the Most Holy Place were similar. 22There was an altar made of wood, 5 ¼ feet high and 3 ½ feet across.*  Its corners, base, and sides were all made of wood. “This,” the man told me, “is the table that stands in the Lord’s presence.” **

* Hebrew 3 cubits [1.6 meters] high and 2 cubits [1.1 meters] across.

** Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. (2nd ed.) (Eze 41:21). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.


The Form of a Servant – a wooden table in the Holy of Holies, not gold or ornamental – similar to that of a lowly casket for a servant of mankind. 

The Fashion of an Altar of Remembrance.  Is this a table/altar of remembrance of a Carpenter and Christ’s humble life and death?

The Furnishing of “The Table of the Lord”


(Remembrance is a key part of knowing who we are and what God has chosen to do in the past.  This simple Altar/Table in the Holy of Holies is a huge contrast to the former temples, and must have great symbolic meaning.)]


Features not seen in previous Temples - Unique to Ezekiel's Temple

1.  No wall of partition to exclude Gentiles (compare Ephesians 2:14) The Gentiles were previously welcome in the Outer Courts, but excluded from the inner courts on pain of death.

2.  No Court of Women (compare Galatians 3:28 (Outer Court and Inner Court only)

3.  No Laver (see Ezekiel 36:24-27, John 15:3)

4.  No Table of Shewbread (see Micah 5:4, John 6:35)

5.  No Lampstand or Menorah (see Isaiah 49:6, John 8:12)

6.  No Golden Altar of Incense (Zechariah 8:20-23, John 14:6)

7.  No Veil (Isaiah 25:6-8, Matthew 27:51)

  1. 8.  No Ark of the Covenant (Jeremiah 3:16, John 10:30-33)

    Major Changes to the Altar: The sacrificial Altar will be approached by a ramp from the East. Previous altars were all approached from the South. Now there will be stairs to the altar, not a ramp as previously. The top of the altar is now described by the Hebrew word "ariel" [Isaiah 29:1] meaning "hearth of God" or "lion of God." [Rev. 5:5]. 3

                          3. Merrill F. Unger, “The Temple Vision of Ezekiel,” Bibliotheca Sacra 106 (January 1949):57̑64.


H.  There will be Mandatory Attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles each year, by representatives of each nation – on the pain of “no rain” and a plague He inflicts, for those not attending

Zechariah 14

16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.


I.  Jerusalem will once again be a Blessed City

Zechariah 3

3 This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”

4 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

6 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?” declares the LORD Almighty.

7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”


J.  Christ’s Kingly Presence gives the City its Eternal Name

Ezekiel 48:35

35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.

“And the name of the city from that time on will be:

the Lord is there.”


K.   The Sun will be Brilliant

Isaiah 30

26 The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.


L.   Full Knowledge will Abound

Habakkuk 2:14

14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of

the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.


Jeremiah 31

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their

sins no more.”


M.   Instruction will be sought from the Lord

Micah 4

2 Many nations will come and say,

       “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”  The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.


N.   Israel will be Forgiven their Sin

Isaiah 4

3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.


O.   There will be a Restoration of Respect for Israel and its Kingdom

Isaiah 11

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.


Ezekiel 36

33 ”‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.” 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’

37 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”


Zechariah 3

18 “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you;

they are a burden and a reproach to you.

19 At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you;

I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered.

I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame.

20 At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,”  says the LORD.


P.   A “Highway of Holiness” will be Established

This will be a Highway through a former desert… will, at that time, be a lush garden on which the Righteous Remnant will travel and return to Jerusalem


Isaiah 11

11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.

14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;

together they will plunder the people to the east.

They will lay hands on Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

15 The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea;

with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River.  He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals.

16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people

that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.


Isaiah 35

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God…. 

5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 

8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.

9 No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;

they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,

10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return.

They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.


Zechariah 10

8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. 9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive,

and they will return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will

be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. (Is this not reminiscent of the Children of Israel passing through the Jordan?) Assyria’s pride will be brought

down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away.

12 I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk,” declares the LORD. 


Q.   The New Covenant will be Fulfilled

Jeremiah 31

31 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,”  declares the LORD.


R.   A River will Flow From Christ’s Temple to Bless His People and Allow the Land to Blossom as Eden

Joel 3

18 In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD’s house and will water the valley of acacias.


Ezekiel 47

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”


Zechariah 14

8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.


S.   Long life will return as a norm – as it was prior to the flood.

Isaiah 65

20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years;

he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth;

he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.


T.   Sickness will be Removed

The ministry of Jesus the King as a Healer will be seen throughout the age, so that sickness and even death, (except as a penal measure in dealing with overt sin, see CC.) will be removed.


Isaiah 61 – This Prophecy (which Jesus read in the Synagogue – Luke 4:16-20) is completely fulfilled through His Kingdom in the Millennium

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor [Jesus stopped reading the passage of Scripture in the synagogue at this point, then “he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down” - because in Christ’s first coming He did not come for “Godly vengeance”, the prophecy then continues...] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness

instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 


Isaiah 29

18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,

and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.


Isaiah 33

24 No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.


Jeremiah 30

17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’

18 “This is what the LORD says: ”‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.


U.   The Lame will be Restored

Micah 4

6 In that day,” declares the LORD,

“I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.

7 I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion, from that day and forever.


Zechariah 3

19 At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you;

I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered.

I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame.


V.   There will be a Canopy over the Glory for Protection for Jerusalem including a cloud of smoke and fire – similar to that which Moses and the Children of Israel experienced in the wilderness

Note:  The more one reads and studies Scripture, the more one sees why God allowed certain circumstances to His People in the Old Testament.  This is one example:  The pillar of cloud by day and flaming fire by night. (Ex. 13:21, 22)


Isaiah 4

5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.


Zechariah 2

3 Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’


W.   Oppression will Cease

Joel 3

17 ‘Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill.  Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. 


Jeremiah 33

12 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without men or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the LORD.


Isaiah 29

19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD;

the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear,

and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—

21 those who with a word make a man out to be guilty,

who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

22 Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale.

23 When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of

Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

24 Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;

those who complain will accept instruction.” 


Zechariah 3

11 On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me,

because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.

12 But I will leave within you the meek and humble,

who trust in the name of the LORD.

13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies,

nor will deceit be found in their mouths.  They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.” 


X.   There will be Peace and Harmony Even Among the Animal Kingdom – particularly in Jerusalem “My Holy Mountain”

Isaiah 11

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.


Isaiah 65

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. 


Y.   There will be Thrones and Judges set up.  Are these established to determine those who will rule and reign with Christ, during the Millennium – in addition to those who were martyred for their faith in the Tribulation?

Revelation 20:4

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 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 for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.


Z.   Those living in the land following the destitution and calamities experienced in the Tribulation and the horrific Battle of Armageddon, will bear Children and Replenish the Earth

Those who go into the millennium in their natural bodies, who have been living on the earth, will re-populate the world following the Tribulation.


Jeremiah 31

27 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.


Ezekiel 46 – A “Prince” in the City, like a vice-regent, and will have physical heirs.

16 ”‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people will be separated from his property.’”


Jeremiah 30

20 Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them.

21 Their leader will be one of their own [somewhat of a vice-regent, it seems, to Christ the King, in the Temple]; their ruler will arise from among them.

I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the LORD.

22 ”‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’” 


AA.   Economic Prosperity will Abound

Joel 2

He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;

the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 

25 ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you.

26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.

27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.


Joel 3

18 In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD’s house and will water the valley of acacias.


Amos 9

13 The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman

and the planter by the one treading grapes.

New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.

14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel;

they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.

They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;

they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted

from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.


Isaiah 4

2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.


BB.   Unified or at least Understandable Common Language

Zephaniah 3

9 “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.


CC.   Individual sin worthy of death will be only of those so deserving

Jeremiah 31

29 In those days people will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.


Isaiah 1

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.

28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish


DD.   Unified Worship

Isaiah 45

23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity

a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear. 24 They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. 25 But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult. 


Isaiah 52

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.

Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.


Zechariah 13

2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. ….


Zechariah 14

16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.


Malachi 1

11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.


EE.   The Presence of God Among Them

Zechariah 2

10 “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. 11 Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”


Zechariah 14

9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.


Ezekiel 37

27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’” 


FF.   The Fullness of the Spirit will rest on the Children of God

Joel 2

28 ‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.


Isaiah 32

13 and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers— yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry.

14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted;

citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,

the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

15 till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,

and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.


Isaiah 44

3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.

5 One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name Israel. 


Isaiah 59

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.


Ezekiel 36

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in

the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness.


Ezekiel 37

14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”


Many of these points (A.- FF. – with the exception of specific information on the Millennial Temple, etc.) were drawn from Things to Come, pages 487-490, by Dwight Pentecost, combined and revised with additional Scripture references.




Other Perspectives on the Millennium


  1. A. Looked at from God the Father’s Perspective


  1. 1. Jesus Christ, God’s Son will be publicly honored on the earth, just as men had dishonored Him on this earth.


  1. 2. God’s promises to His Son will be carried out, and the prophecies concerning Him, to “give unto Him the Throne of His father David.”


  1. 3. This period represents God’s final trial of sinful man on this earth before the earth is destroyed (or “renovated”).


  1. 4. The Millennium will be God’s answer (so far as is possible before the new earth) of the prayer of His saints:  “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”


  1. B. Looked at from Christ’s Perspective


  1. 1. He receives, after long patience, the kingdom of this world which He has been constantly “expecting,” there at God’s right Hand….And He will reign in that righteousness.


  1. 2. At last He will be able to confer upon the meek of the earth the place and inheritance He ever loved to promise them!


  1. 3. He will share…all His Kingly honors with His saints!


  1. C.  Looked at from the Saints’ Perspective


  1. 1. The Millennium brings the three classes of saints (Pre-Cross believing Israel, the Church and the Tribulation Believers)…with those living on the earth, into a state of indescribable blessedness!


  1. 2. The glorious beauty in the physical changes made in the earth…reveal a little of the loving care God will have taken for the comforts and joys of His earthly saints.


  1. D. Looked at from the perspective of the nations, the peoples of the earth


  1. 1. It will be a thousand years under the iron-rod scepter.


  1. 2. There will be peace at last among the nations – enforced certainly, but real.


  1. 3. All nations will be compelled to go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.


  1. E.  Looked at from the perspective of “creation”


  1. 1.  “…The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:20-22) [This seems to be the beginning of the release of the earth from the “curse”.  But total freedom from the curse will be in the new heaven and the new earth.]


  1. 2.  At the revealing “of the children of God,” this deliverance will be effected. 4


                        4.  Adapted from William R. Newell, The Book of the Revelation, Pages 318-322


Following the Millennium:  Satan and the Unbeliever’s Doom

Revelation 20

7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 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. 9 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. 10 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 for ever and ever.


  1. A. Satan is released from the Bottomless Pit


  1. B. Satan deceives the nations for the last time – those who believe are not deceived.


  1. C. The Vast Army brought together by the rebellious spirit of Satan comes together for their final stand against Christ.


  1. D. Fire from heaven destroys the rebel forces


  1. E. Satan is cast, finally, into the lake of fire for eternal torture.


The Unbelieving Dead are Judged

11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.


  1. A. The Great White Throne Judgment follows the Millennium


  1. B.  The Book of Life is Opened, together with the other books


  1. C.  The Sea and Death and the Grave give up the dead in them


  1. D. The Dead are Judged according to what is in the Books, according to what they have done…they have no opportunity to receive now, the free gift of life through Christ Jesus…they only have their works and their works deny them eternal life.


  1. E.  Death and the Grave are thrown into the lake of fire.


  1. F.  Anyone not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the Lake of Fire


  1. G.  The Lake of Fire is the “Second Death”


The “Second Death”


The “First Death” of our spiritual and physical body, is experienced because of the “wages of sin”.  The “Second Death” is the eternal punishment for sin.


Those in the unbelieving world will experience the “second death”.


The following are Scriptures that further amplify the subject of the “second death.”


Revelation 2

11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death


Revelation 20

6 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.


12 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. 13 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. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.


Revelation 21

7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”


The Renovation of the Earth by Fire


2 Peter 3:4-13

4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.


Revelation 20:11

11 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.


Revelation 21:1

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.