The 1000 Year Reign of Christ

Note: This module is taken from my book, “He Shall Reign Forever.” I hope you will read it and give a copy to a friend.

Note: This module is long and will take some time to read. Take time to study it. I think all who know Jesus will take part in it. This means you if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation.

Introduction

The return of Christ to the Mount of Olives sets the stage for the conclusion of the Great Tribulation, the judgment of the living Jews and the living Gentile Nations, and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth – The Millennial Kingdom. This is called the “second coming of Christ” and will be His second advent. Before this advent, when the Rapture occurs, He will come in the clouds, and The Church will join Him in the clouds.

We will now look at the Scripture concerning the second coming of Christ from the book of Zachariah. “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him” (Zech. 14:2-5, NIV).

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zech. 12:10, NIV).

In the first chapter of Revelation, we read these words, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced him. And all tribes on earth will mourn because of Him.’ Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7, NKJV).

In the Mount of Olive discourse, we read, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:29-30, NKJV).

As Jesus was ascending into heaven at the end of His first advent, the disciples were given these words, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11, NKJV).

Zachariah tells us that Jesus will bring his holy ones or saints with Him. This would include the Old Testament saints, The Church, and the Tribulation martyrs. The Church will receive their glorified bodies at the Rapture; however, we are not told when the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs will receive their glorified bodies – some believe that they will receive their glorified bodies at this time.

The Great Tribulation will be brought to an end with the battle of Armageddon. The Antichrist and False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire, and Satan will be bound for a thousand years and be cast into the bottomless pit.

At the end of the Tribulation, all the living will be judged. We are given these words in the book of Matthew. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’…Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:31-41, NKJV).

All those on the right will be saved and go into the earthly kingdom in their earthly bodies.

The Jews will also be judged, “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me” (Ezek. 20:37-38a, NKJV). Only the believing Jews will go into the kingdom with their earthly bodies, and the others will be cast into hell with all the other unbelievers.

At the end of the Tribulation, the earth will be in terrible condition. Mountains will be brought low, the earth turned up, seas and streams polluted, etc. – the worst wartime destruction in history. King Jesus will restore the earth’s landscape before the Kingdom Age begins.

Much has been discussed and debated regarding a period called “The Thousand-Year Reign of Christ.” Both the Old and New Testaments teach that Christ will reign during this period. The period covers the time between when Jesus returns to restore the earthly kingdom and when all evil is completely wiped out. It continues until the bodily resurrection of the unsaved and the judgment of the “Great White Throne.” This period will last for one thousand years and is known as the Millennium.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4, NKJV).

This verse makes it very clear that Christ will reign for one thousand years. The idea that Christ will reign on earth as the Jewish Messiah is taught throughout Old Testament prophecy. This promise was the hope of the nation, Israel, and the angel, Gabriel, also gave these words of promise to Mary regarding her promised new son.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33, NKJV).

One of the last statements Jesus made to the disciples regarded the coming kingdom. “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:6-7, NKJV).

Not only do we read of the promised Kingdom in Revelation but also in the later chapters of Ezekiel and throughout the book of Isaiah.

Jerusalem

Christ will set up His capital at Jerusalem, which represents the fulfillment of a major prophecy of the Old Testament. “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders” (Isa. 24:23, ESV).

“At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart” (Jer. 3:17, ESV).

During the final days of the Tribulation Period, major changes will occur in the Holy Land area. The last major battle, the battle of Armageddon, will be fought there – perhaps resulting in the most significant destruction on the face of the earth. The landscape around Jerusalem will not be the same as people have remembered it. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, meteorites, and nuclear scars will result in significant upheaval; seas and islands will disappear, and new hills, islands, and seas will appear.

We are told that when Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives, a great earthquake will split the mountain into – half the mountain moving to the North and half the mountain moving to the South. The Bible hints that the entire Jordan Valley may rise, resulting in the Dead Sea becoming a freshwater lake that would drain into the Gulf of Aqaba.

Isaiah said: “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” (Isa. 40:4, ESV).

This entire area will need to be restored—in fact, the whole land of Palestine will undergo significant changes. Jerusalem Mountain will rise in the air to become the highest mountain in the area; Jerusalem may become the largest city in the world. Air traffic to this area will be the busiest in the world.

In the book of Ezekiel, chapters 40 through 48, he gives us the details of the Millennial Temple. A discussion of the temple is very controversial – some believe that the temple which Ezekiel is writing about is an actual temple and others think that he was writing figuratively. Therefore, many great prophecy teachers remain silent on the details of the Millennial Temple. Perhaps the major problem is the size of the temple as recorded in Ezekiel – many believe it is too large to sit on the present Jerusalem site. The problem may be the measuring standard used in the prophecy – most scholars are unsure of the unit of measure.

I see no need to spiritualize the prophecy as every indication implies that the temple described is a literal temple. We must keep in mind that the prophecy preceding the temple prophecy is about the Gog and Magog war (Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39), which will be fought against Israel. Most prophecy scholars believe that the prophesied war against Israel will be literal.

As I stated earlier, the problem is the size of the temple – some say it is as large as forty-five square miles – maybe even more extensive. This large temple could not sit on the previous temple site – however, why does it need to sit there?

As a result of the renovation, the city itself may be enlarged and moved – some scholars think it may be moved more to the North. Considering the larger landscape, there is no reason for concern about the size. We are also told that a large buffer zone surrounds the temple, thus isolating it from the city proper.
In a vision, Ezekiel was taken to Jerusalem to view the many details of the Millennial Temple.

Now, let us look at Scripture: “Then he [the angel] led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when hecame to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (Ezek. 43:1-5, ESV).

We will recall that in Ezekiel, chapter ten, just before Solomon’s temple was destroyed, Ezekiel was taken to Jerusalem to watch the Glory of God depart from the temple. There is no Biblical record of the Glory ever returning to the other Jewish temples. When Jesus came during his first advent, He did not bring His Glory with Him. But now, Ezekiel is seeing the Glory return to the Millennial Temple.

Next, Ezekiel is told about the throne, “While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, ‘Son of man, 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 people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places” (Ezek. 43:6-7, ESV).

During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will reign from His throne inside the temple.

We are told that the Jewish Priesthood will serve in the temple. They will offer sacrifices on the altar to remember the work done on the cross by Jesus. These sacrifices will serve the same purpose for the Jews as the Lord’s Supper serves in The Church. Both focus on Christ’s payment for sins through His death on the Cross.

We are told of a mystery man who lives in the temple – he appears several times in the description of the temple.

“Thus says the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening” (Ezek. 46:1-2, ESV).

“When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out” (Ezek. 46:9-10, ESV).

This prince does not appear to be a priest. He seems to have a special role in greeting those who visit the temple – some believe He could be King David serving as an assistant to Jesus – the chief shepherd over the nation of Israel with the twelve apostles reporting to him.

Ezekiel is shown a stream of water coming from under the altar and flowing eastward out of the south end of the temple’s threshold.

“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side” (Ezek. 47:1-2, ESV).

As the waters flowed out of the temple, the stream got deeper. It flowed to where the dead sea is located today. “And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” And he said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea” (Ezek. 47:6-10, ESV).

Today, the town of Engedi is located beside the dead sea, where the water is so salty that no living creature can survive in it.

We are also told about trees on both sides of the stream. “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing” (Ezek. 47:12, ESV).

We remember a river with the same characteristics flowing from the throne of God down the streets in the New Jerusalem.

Many will go there to worship the Lord. “‘Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the Lord, ‘as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord‘” (Isa. 66:20, NKJV).

“And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy – everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem” (Isa. 4:3, NKJV).

People will be required to go up to Jerusalem each year. “Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them” (Zech. 14:16-17, ESV).

Jerusalem will also become a major education center. “And many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3, ESV).

“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isa. 54:13, ESV).

The glory of the Lord will flow out of Jerusalem and fill the whole earth.

Who will reign with Christ?

During the days before Jesus went to the cross, some of His disciples requested to sit on His right or on His left during His reign. They had great hopes that Jesus was going to set up the promised kingdom while he was on earth – they wanted to be part of the inner circle. They were promised unique roles during His reign.

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’” (Matt. 19:28, NKJV).

The Old Testament tells us that King David will serve as a shepherd. “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them – My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd” (Ezek. 34:23, NKJV).

Revelation, chapter 20, verse 4, states that the saints who were beheaded (or martyred) will reign with Christ. This reigning group consists of the Tribulation saints who died during that period.

As His bride and joint-heir, the Church also will reign with Him.

“And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:17, NKJV). “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:10, NASB1995).

“If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;” (2 Tim. 2:12, ESV).

It also seems that the Old Testament saints should have leadership roles in the kingdom on earth.

There will be many jobs with different levels of authority in the Millennial Kingdom. Our level of authority will be based upon our works while we were in our non-glorified physical bodies.

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:12-15, NKJV).

We will be given rewards and crowns based upon our faithfulness as we have served Him in natural bodies during our earthly lives.

We are told that we will have leadership roles with the angels. “Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life” (1 Cor 6:3, NKJV).

The angels will also have roles within the kingdom, and we, with glorified bodies, will be able to see and communicate with them.

At this point, we should remember that the kingdom’s leadership will be those with glorified bodies who will be given great privileges. We will discuss this more as we talk about life in the Millennium.
As we read the above facts, it seems that all the angels and saints in heaven have come to the earth. I believe that the angels and saints will spend time on the earth and in heaven – The Church’s home is in heaven. They will be able to travel very quickly between the two – maybe by thought. Since Jesus is omnipresent, He can be in both places simultaneously.

Kingdom Subjects

We may not have considered that many will go into the kingdom with natural non-glorified bodies. These bodies will be what the Bible calls “corruptible” bodies (1 Cor. 15:53). They will have a sin nature and be restricted by their bodies, much like we are restricted today.

Although the Jews have been promised special blessings regarding the land, the Gentiles will also share in the kingdom’s blessings. For Israel and the Gentiles, the kingdom’s glory will far exceed anything that the world has experienced before.

People with natural bodies with a sin nature will live out life much as we do today. These people will be those who have not died before the end of the Tribulation period. People will till the land, go into the marketplace, and perform all the other occupations that make up the kingdom. There will be births and deaths during this period. People going into the kingdom who are under the age of accountability and those born during the Millennium must be tested, and some will reject Christ as their Saviour and Messiah. Jesus will deal with them with justice.

Isaiah tells us about little children playing and others dying. “The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den” (Isa. 11:8, NKJV).

“No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isa. 65:20, ESV).

Perhaps people will live hundreds of years as they did before the flood. Some believe that only sinners will die during the Millennium.

Isaiah also tells us about life in those days. “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isa. 65:21-24, ESV).

We can see that the kingdom will be very stable and peaceful, as the people will live to be old as a tree, and God will bless them in mighty ways.

The kingdom will be a worldwide kingdom with all the nations coming under the reign of Christ. “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV).

Justice and Peace

The New Kingdom will be a harmonious, peaceful coexistence with very little evil activity. Some of us remember when we did not lock our doors and were not afraid to hitchhike. This was true because the punishment for the crime was more severe, and people feared the consequences of criminal activities. During the Millennium, evil activities will be dealt with swiftly and with justice. Jesus will rule with an iron rod.

During these days, people with corruptible bodies will have a sin nature; however, Satan and his demons will not influence them during most of the Thousand-Year Reign because Satan and the demons will be bound in the bottomless pit. If people sin and rebel against the Messiah, they only have themselves to blame and must pay the price. Jesus will use the death penalty many times. Since the sin nature is taken away with physical death, those with glorified bodies will not sin.

The kingdom will be an absolute monarchy. We could rightly say that Jesus will be a benevolent dictator. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isa. 9:6-7, ESV).

The psalmist wrote these words about Jesus. “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2:8-9, ESV).

Isaiah also gives us these words. “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins” (Isa. 11:2-5, ESV).

Jesus will use the death penalty as a means of punishment.

The law of the land will be the Sermon on the Mount. This will be the standard by which Christ will rule his kingdom.

The Sermon also states that evil thoughts will be dealt with harshly. There will be zero tolerance from the King of Kings.

This dispensation will be a time of final testing and the overthrow of all evil and rebellion. God will remove all who will not conform to His kingdom of justice and righteousness. The final testing will come at the end of the Thousand-Year Reign when Satan is let loose for a short time to deceive the people (Rev 20:3, 7-10).

Many will choose to follow Satan, be killed, and be cast into hell. All those who remain faithful will go into eternity with God.

Landscape and Climate Control

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and He said it was very good (Gen. 1:1, 1:10). God created a beautiful garden, which He called Eden, and there He placed man and the animals. In the garden, there was absolute harmony between the man and the land and between the man and the animals. There was an unparalleled utopia on earth with perfect peace and perfect communication with God. Since God’s ultimate goal was to have fellowship with man, He was very pleased.

Soon with the temptation of Satan, man sinned against God, and the destruction of the earth began. Death came upon the scene, and the beautiful, glorious harmony was disrupted.

Among other things, animals turned on animals, and since Satan controlled the earth, it began to be destroyed.

The apostle Paul tells us about this destruction. “For the creation was subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:20a, NKJV). “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Rom. 8:22, NKJV).

Today, we have smog, evaporation of the ozone layer, scarcity of resources, hunger in the world, and pollution of the earth, the rivers, and the ocean. Tyrannical dictators worldwide are raping the land and placing people in bondage. Some experts tell us that civilization, as we know it today will soon disappear if changes are not made to the environment.

Revelation tells us that things and conditions will become much worse during the coming of the Great Tribulation. During this period, God will pour out His wrath upon the earth, bringing about significant changes to the planet. Its civilization, as we know it today, will disappear. The entire world will be destroyed if Christ does not return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

God will use the Great Tribulation to prepare the earth for the Millennial Age. We have already talked about the changes around Jerusalem, and now we will look at the entire planet. The earth will be in great upheaval, seas and islands will disappear, and new islands will appear because of the massive forces of major earthquakes. Volcanic activity will turn the earth inside out and spread rich volcanic ash worldwide. Since demolition must occur before renovation can occur, God will use the Great Tribulation to bring about this demolition.

Isaiah said: “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” (Isa. 40:4, ESV).

Christ will begin renovation of the earth very soon after He sets up His kingdom on earth. Much of the renovation will be miraculous, but the new kingdom’s people may also participate in the reconstruction – changes may continue for years. Those with glorified bodies and with the mind of Christ will manage this effort. The earth will be returned to Edenic perfection. We cannot imagine what it will be like to live in a land of utopia.

Paul reminds us: “But, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Cor. 2:9, ESV).

God has left us with little titbits of information about the Millennium Kingdom throughout the Bible. Ezekiel said: “And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them” (Ezek. 34:27, ESV).

“I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.” (Ezek. 36:30, ESV).

Isaiah tells us about the harmony on the restored earth. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isa. 55:12, ESV).

With pure water, fertile soil, and a pollution-free atmosphere, the earth will bloom and produce food for all people for one thousand years. New technology will make transportation and industrialization pollution-free. Since technology will be significantly advanced, we will live in a much more efficient world.

Some believe that the earth’s 22-degree tilt and wobble will be corrected. Some meteorologists say these irregularities contribute to climate extremes: hurricanes, floods, blizzards, droughts, etc. We know that the earth’s tilt creates the seasons of the year.

During this dispensation, mankind will be tested in an almost perfect world. It cannot be perfect because some people with natural bodies will continue to rebel and sin. However, the environment will not be a contributing factor to their behavior.

Animals

A most exciting aspect of this dispensation will be our relationship with the animal kingdom. Hosea tells us that God will enter into a covenant with the animals. “And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18, ESV).

Isaiah provides some fascinating details. “‘The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isa. 65:25, ESV).

Before sin entered the world, the animals lived in harmony with each other – there was no death. Both animals and man ate the fruit of the land – fruits and vegetables. After the fall of man, many animals turned carnivorous. Also, after the flood, man was allowed to eat the flesh of animals. It appears that during the Millennium, both man and beast will be vegetarians.

Isaiah also tells us about man’s and the animals’ relationship. “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:6-9, ESV).

What beautiful harmony will exist between man and the animals, and they will truly enjoy their relationships.

We have to speculate about the insect world, but God will probably deal with the insects so that they will not harass us or destroy the crops and vegetation.

A Two-tiered Society

It isn’t easy to imagine an almost perfect world consisting of some people with glorified bodies and others with non–glorified bodies. The apostle Paul tells us that we will have new power when we are given glorified bodies at the rapture. “It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power” (1 Cor. 15:43, ESV).

We will be blessed with new pleasant energies and can enjoy the full spectrum of life. Our five senses will be greatly enhanced, and we will be given flawless memories. We will be given wisdom and understanding capable of grappling with the problems that now baffle the world’s greatest minds. We will have the minds of Christ. Our bodies will become very mobile, and we will see and be able to communicate with the spirit world.

When we look at the resurrected Christ, we can get some insight into the type of body we will have. He ate food, moved freely from place to place, and walked through walls. We, too, will be able to do all these things. We will be very content and efficient with our new bodies during the Millennium. This is why God can use us in the management of the kingdom.

Perhaps some of our jobs will be consulting, advising, and teaching during those years. Christian education will improve the learning process, thus increasing wisdom and knowledge to a level beyond our imagination. We will lead worship services as we worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The angels will also be assisting in this role.

It has been said that sin is to the mind as sand is to the gears of a machine. We use only about seven percent of our brains today, so there is much room for mental growth. Those living in non-glorified bodies will grow mentally to heights never dreamed of. The millennium’s advances in technology will be incredible. With atomic and magnetic power, machines will have silent and efficient propulsion. Controlled and safe nuclear energy will revolutionize transportation, industry, and commerce.

People’s physical and mental capacities in non-glorified bodies will also be far superior to any previous generations. They will live long lives, retain their youth for many years, and will still be considered children when they are one hundred years old (Isa. 65:20). Their childbearing years will be extended; thus, there will be large families. Sickness will be significantly reduced or completely wiped out, as people will live healthy, practically sin-free lives. A pollution-free environment will bring healing to the body. Since the land will become more fertile, food will be abundant.

We have never lived in an atmosphere free from human and demonic pollution. We will all enjoy the beautiful scenery with streams of clear water, beautiful rainbows, majestic waterfalls, singing hills, exploding greenery, and exotic flowers with an enhanced pleasant fragrance. We may not realize it, but sin has an awful odor. Our new Edenic environment will not only be clean but will also have a sweet aroma. There will be no choking weeds, no devouring insects, and no floods or droughts, which bring about death and destruction.

The Psalmist says that we will all rejoice in the Lord. “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy” (Ps. 96:11-12, ESV).

Ultimate happiness will be experienced, and the Lord will give the glorified saints the joy and peace of the Lord – His joy and peace which are beyond our comprehension. We will have peace that passes understanding. Since we have never known what it is like to live in a harmonious tension-free world, this will be a welcome change, with pure ecstasy.

The many changes to the climate will probably eliminate the harsh winters and allow more enjoyable summers, thus giving us spring-like conditions year-round. Similar conditions presently exist in the tropical islands, where many of us like to vacation. The warm weather would allow year-round lush growing seasons, therefore, providing bountiful harvests for the feeding of the people.

Final Testing

The entire Millennium is a period of testing people who are living in natural bodies to determine if they can live in God’s eternity. Christ will know their hearts and will judge with justice and righteousness. At the Millennium’s close, Satan will be released, and there will be final testing in which he will tempt the people one last time.

We must remember that the glorified saints are not being tested. “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (Rev. 20:7-9a, NKJV).

It seems that millions will choose to follow Satan again and will rebel against the Messiah. War will break out, and once again there again be significant destruction on the earth.

However, it will be short-lived as the King of Kings will conquer the enemy and bring an end to all sin. “And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:9b-10, NKJV).

This action will bring the Millennial Kingdom to a close. The saints, who come out of the Millennium with natural physical bodies, will be translated into glorified bodies and will enter a sin-free eternity. If there are saints who died during the Millennium, their bodily resurrection will probably take place at this time.

All those who refuse the salvation and Lordship of Christ will face judgment at the Great White Throne.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® 2011 by Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Several years ago, George Otis, Sr. wrote a book, “MILLENNIUM – THE 1000 YEAR REIGN OF KING JESUS.” This book has served as a great inspiration for me as I wrote the Millennium Kingdom section. His book contains many more details than my summarized sections allow, so I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in acquiring more details regarding the Millennium Kingdom.

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