MILLENNIUM
Millennium means 1,000 years and refers to the kingdom of Christ on earth. This era, foretold by all the prophets, will be a time of peace among people and nations. War will be but a relic of the past. Jerusalem, known for war, bloodshed, and international tensions, will at last become the city of peace and the capitol of the world. The Prince of Peace will rule from David’s throne and the promises given to Mary concerning Jesus will be fulfilled (Luke 1:32, 33; Isaiah 9:6,7).
Peace will come to Israel and to the world. But it will not come through military might or treaties. Christ will come bringing peace. When the governments of earth have finally fallen, the Messiah of Israel, the Saviour of men, will set up His kingdom (Daniel 2:44). Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). There will be persons with mortal bodies and persons with glorified bodies on earth during this time. Those who survived the Tribulation Hour and who have not been condemned in the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) are allowed to enter the Millennium in their mortal bodies and will have prolonged lives. They, along with the millions of babies born during this time, will live for the entire 1,000 years of Christ’s reign. If, at the end of this time, they did not rebel with Satan and had accepted Jesus as their Saviour, they will live on eternally.
Their immortal lives will not be spent in glorified bodies but in human bodies eternally preserved through partaking of the tree of life. They will retain perfect health and not experience aging because of the leaves of the trees that grow for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).
The Millennium will bring peace in the world of nature. All of God’s creation suffers as a result of the fall of man and will be restored at this time (Romans 8:20-23). Nature will cooperate with man again (Genesis 3:17, 18) productivity will return, (Zechariah 8:12), earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc., will be absent. Even the animal world will be at peace with man and each other (Isaiah 11:6-8). All economic conflict will be swept away. Oppression and strikes will be unknown with food and housing for all (Isaiah 65:21-23). There will be religious peace with Jews and Gentiles worshipping the Lord together (Isaiah 11:9, 10) and the Jews will be at peace in their own land (Ezekiel 36:24-27). All this will happen because the Kingdom Age (Millennium) will be characterized by the fullness of the Spirit (Joel 2:28, 29) more than in any previous dispensation. It is evident that all believers will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the Millennium even as they are in the present age (Ezekiel 36:27; 37:14; Isaiah 11:2, 3; Jeremiah 31:33). No unsaved person will enter the Millennium (the Jews as a nation will have recognized and accepted Christ as Messiah during the Tribulation period and the Gentiles will have experienced conversion prior to admission also (Isaiah 16:5; 18:7; 19:19-21,25; 23:18; 55:5,6; 56:6-8; 60:3-5; 61:8,9; Jeremiah 3:17; 16:19-21; Amos 9:11; Obadiah 17-2 1).
Earth’s motto will be holiness unto the Lord (Zechariah 14:20, 21). Those reigning with Christ during this time are the returning saints (the Church, the Bride of Christ, Jude 14; Revelation 19:14), the resurrected Old Testament saints (Daniel 12:2), and the raised Tribulation saints (Revelation 20:4). Each group, saved during different dispensations of time, has different duties to perform. The Church is the Bride of Christ and enjoys the 1,000-year honeymoon upon earth reigning with Him (Revelation 20:4; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). The 144,000 serve as accompanying bodyguards for the Lamb and His Bride (Revelation 14:4). The Gentiles saved during the Tribulation will be serving in the glorious temple described in Ezekiel 40-48 and waiting on Christ and His Bride (Revelation 7:15) (see Millennium, Government of).
Terms synonymous with Millennium:
1. Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10)
2. The regeneration (Matthew 19:28)
3. The last day (John 6:40)
4. The times of refreshing (Acts 3:21)
5. The restitution of all things (Acts 3:21)
6. The day of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 2:16)
7. The world to come (Hebrews 2:5)