Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, a heathen king and power, surrounded God’s people. Time and time again, in the Old Testament when God’s people are surrounded, they are delivered (i.e., 2 Chron. 20). However, in this situation with Babylon they are not delivered but handed over to them because of their continued disobedience, rebellion against God. It is important to understand how the children of Israel found themselves in this predicament.
Let’s go back just in time to shed some light on what led up to Israel’s captivity by the Babylonians. Going back to Exodus 3:8, God is speaking to Moses and tells him that he is going to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. They have been in bondage for 400 years, and generations have come and gone. Think of this land of ‘milk and honey as being very similar to the Garden of Eden. We need to understand six characteristics of this so-called ‘Promised Land’:
- This land was to be a ‘fruitful land.” Deuteronomy 8:7-9. This sounds like heaven, this fruitful land is going to be producing many things and God himself is leading them into. So, it has this miraculous nature about it.
- The next promise is one of ‘long life.’ Deuteronomy 11:8-9,21. If you were told that there was a land, a country, a nation…where the land itself produced bountifully and when you arrived there your and your children(s) lifespan would increase would you want to go?
- This land was to be the glory of nations. Deuteronomy 28:1,10. They were to be a witness to other nations of God’s goodness and love.
- There was to be no disease or sickness. Deuteronomy 7:1,15. This was to be a testament to God’s character; their food is abundant, there is no disease or sickness, and they are living long. It sounds like heaven on Earth, hence why it was called the Promised Land.
- There was to be peace. Deuteronomy 12:10. The Promised Land was to be a land of peace. There would be no conflict or war. They would have no need for swords or weaponry because of the peace that God would establish in that land.
- The temple would be the place of God’s habitation. Deuteronomy 12:1,5-6. God was going to have His name upon this place. The true living God was to be the light and His glory was to shine for all to see.
There was a condition to these promises. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 and Leviticus 26:31-32 tell us that there are two options laid before them, each having a very different outcome. Those that decided to follow God (obedience) would receive blessings in all these promises. Those that decided to go their own way would be plagued with strife and destruction (curses). Choosing to be apart from God is where this leads in all cases, think of Lucifer and one-third of the heavenly host. So, the promises were conditional, in other words they had the freedom to exercise their choice understanding the two outcomes…one is full of His protection…the other is not because the choice is to live according to their own rules. Think back to Adam and Eve, they had the same options laid before them. Deuteronomy 28:60-61 clarifies the conditions to the promises.
The children of Israel arrive into the Promised Land. Amen and praise God, but when they settle they rebel against Him. Notice in Nehemiah 9:24-26 that their rebellion was so great that they ended up in Babylonian captivity (2 Chronicles 36:16-17).
God raises up various prophets to provide warning to the children of Israel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. We need to understand the prophets in the context of what is going on amongst God’s people. God is sending these prophets because of their rebellion in the promised land. As a result of their rebellion in the promised land, they are not experiencing a fruitful land, long life, they are plagued with disease and sickness, and there is no peace. God is sending warning through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Joel, and Isaiah to his people. What these prophets were telling them were in context of the Promised Land.
There were pre-exilic prophets which were prophets that wrote before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and either slayed the people or took them into captivity. There were post-exilic prophets and they are those that wrote after Jerusalem was rebuilt, restored, and they were waiting for the coming Messiah.
Pre-exilic Prophets
Consider what the pre-exilic prophets wrote about Jerusalem:
Ezekiel 7:1-3 and Ezekiel 7:7,10,12 not rightly understood makes it sound as if he is talking about the end of the world. Even though he is using apocalyptic language, Ezekiel is not talking about the end of the world that is to come thousands of years later; rather, God raised up Ezekiel to talk to the children of Israel about the coming destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. He is delivering a warning from God (Ezekiel 12:13-15). If Ezekiel’s words are applied primarily to the end of the world, would we be dividing the word of God rightly? No. Although at the end of time the world will end and verses that are recorded in Ezekiel can apply in a secondary sense to the end of the world. The primary application is to the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, and he is using apocalyptic language to describe that event.
We also need to look at Isaiah because we are going to see the same thing. Isaiah 1:1-4,7 is telling us that the vision Isaiah is seeing is regarding Judah and Jerusalem, not the destruction of the world at the end of time. In Isaiah 2:11-12, he uses the phrase ‘the day of the Lord’. This phrase does mean a day of destruction. Many will apply this phrase to the end of the world, but in the context of what Isaiah is speaking of ‘the day of the Lord’ is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. It is important to understand this because some will use these verses and apply them strictly (primarily) at the end of the world instead of applying them to the destruction of ancient Jerusalem by Babylon. This misapplication causes a wrong conclusion about the millennium and they fail to understand what is actually going to happen during the millennium.
In Isaiah 24:1,3-4, Isaiah is using apocalyptic language to describe the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. Remember, Ezekiel did the same thing. Again, we must understand this or we open ourselves up to making a very serious and deadly error regarding the end of time. How do we know for sure that Isaiah is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem? In Isaiah 24:10,12, Isaiah uses the word city in the singular and is using apocalyptic language to describe the destruction that will come upon Jerusalem by Babylon. Isaiah primarily was sent to preach to the children of Israel to warn them of the coming destruction. With that said, Isaiah 24 has a secondary reference to the very end of time just as Ezekiel did, but the primary application is the destruction of ancient Jerusalem. Again, Isaiah uses apocalyptic language to describe the destruction of Jerusalem (Isaiah 24:19-22).
Albert Barns Commentary on Isaiah 24:19-22:
- “The sense is, that the rulers of the land should be made captive, and treated as prisoners of war. This was undoubtedly true in the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. The people were assembled; were regarded as captives; and were conveyed together to a distant land.
- And shall be shut up in the prison – Probably this is not intended to the taken literally, but to denote that they would be as secure as if they were shut up in prison. Their prison-house would be Babylon, where they were enclosed as in a prison for seventy years.
- And after many days – If this refers, as I have supposed, to the captivity at Babylon, then these ‘many days’ refer to the period of seventy years.”
So, the prophets of the Old Testament used apocalyptic language to describe “the day of the Lord” motif about the calamity that Babylon was to bring upon Jerusalem. This is foundational for understanding the millennium that scripture speaks of.
Jeremiah also has something to say. Jeremiah 4:23-28 describes Jerusalem’s situation that it would become desolate and yet not meet a full end. In Jeremiah 4:29,31, who are the murderers that she is going to be crying about? Babylon. Jeremiah is also using apocalyptic language to describe the destruction of Jerusalem. Verse 5-7, in these verses it makes perfectly clear what Jeremiah is talking about.
Without a shadow of doubt Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah; are using apocalyptic language to primarily refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. This apocalyptic language is not to be applied primarily to the end of time. It can however, have a secondary application to the end of time. Only with this understanding can we rightly understand Jerusalem’s demise by Babylon as well as the millennium to come after the end of the world.
Blessing and Cursing Clause
Leviticus 26:40-42, records a clause with the blessing and cursing. What God is saying, that when the people are brought into captivity by Babylon – if they repent, He will remember the land. So, how do the prophets talk about the restoring of Jerusalem? Many read Isaiah 1:25-27 and apply it to the end of time where they say Christ will return to establish His millennial kingdom and establish Himself as king in Jerusalem; and Israel is re-gathered from the nations, converted, and restored to the land. This of course, is not about the restoration of the world at the end of time or Jerusalem at the very end of time. Isaiah is talking about Jerusalem’s restoration from Babylon…the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
We now understand that when we read the books of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah; that the promises about this ‘restored land’ is speaking to the rebuilding/restoration of Jerusalem after its destruction by Babylon…not the millennium on earth in the end of time. This is so important because many will be deceived with this view. For example, Isaiah 61:1-4 is talking about those that are in mourning in Babylon and that God is going to set them free and rebuild their desolate places. Notice in Isaiah 51:11, it sounds like everlasting joy so it must be about the end of the world when the millennium begins on Earth…no, no, no. The prophet is again using apocalyptic (prophetic) language to describe the sentiment over the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Remember, Isaiah was sent to speak to the children of Israel to tell them all these things. Isaiah 51:16-17 almost sounds like God is talking about a new heaven and a new Earth, however; he is primarily talking about the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Yes, there are things that secondarily can apply in the future, BUT THESE VERSE ARE NOT the primary sources for the millennium and to use them as such takes the text out of its context.
Notice Albert Barns again on Isaiah 51:16:
- “But the language here is evidently entirely figurative. It refers to the restoration of the Jews to their own land; to the re-establishment of religion there; to the introduction of the new economy under the Messiah, and to all the great changes which would be consequent on that. This is compared with the work of forming the heavens, and laying the foundation of the earth.”
So, the phrase ‘plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth” are talking about the restoration/rebuilding of Jerusalem and the promises that would come back to them if they were obedient the second time around. Many have taken these texts and others that will be listed regarding the ‘new heaven and earth’ and have mistaken it to be a reference to the millennium.
Isaiah 51:3 is saying that there is one coming (the Messiah) and if you accept Him your land will be fruitful, you and your children will have a long life, you will not have disease and sickness, you will have peace…and the surrounding nations are going to see My glory through these blessings that are occurring in Israel. These blessings will be a witness to the nations. God is telling them through the prophets that restoration is coming from Babylonian captivity and if they remain faithful the promised Seed is coming who – when He comes – Israel will be the best nation on the planet. (Ezekiel 36:35, is saying the same thing as Isaiah. Jeremiah 23:2-8 also makes it so clear. What the prophets are talking about is the restoration of Jerusalem AND what the nation will be like IF they receive this Branch, this righteous Bread, this Seed of David…the promised blessings were theirs (see above). Isaiah 65:17-25, plainly tells us who will be restored. “Jerusalem” will be restored particularly IF they receive the Messiah, and IF they accept the Messiah then they will enjoy all the promised blessings.
Did Israel stay faithful? No. Did they receive the Messiah? No. Did they accept the Messiah? No. In fact, they plotted against Him, beat him, and through the hands of the civil power they murdered Him. The blessings, even down to the wolf and the lamb*, would have been the center of conversion for righteousness so much that wolves and sheep would actually be able to dwell together in harmony (meaning: Jew and Gentile).
*Wolf and the lamb meaning: Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The sheep are His own people, the wolves are those that did not accept him.
John Gill”
- The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,… Or, “as one” (k): as if they were one, of the same kind and nature, and lived upon the same food. The people of God are comparable to lambs, for their harmlessness and innocence; and wicked men are likened to wolves, for their fierceness and cruelty; but, by the grace of God, the latter become as mild and as gentle as the former, and live upon the same spiritual food, and join with them in attendance on the word and ordinances, where they find spiritual refreshment and comfort together; such who have been persecutors of the church shall now become members of it…
While Isaiah seems to definitely be talking about the end of time, he is PRIMARILY speaking about the restoration of Jerusalem. SECONDARILY, they have application to the future…they are shadows of what is will occur in the future, BUT we must understand that the shadow is not the actual reality.
The primary source for the millennium is only found in the Book of Revelation, written by John the prophet. God does not say in Revelation, to go speak unto Israel and say…however, He did say that to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, etc. and tell speak of what I have given you to deliver to them. The Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation are the only two prophetic books which God specifically says these books apply to end times…they will be unsealed at the end of time. These two books by and large is for what unfolds from the death of Christ all the way to the end of time. So, these are the two PRIMARY sources for the end of time. Revelation uses allusions to the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. so we must keep it in the right context at all times.
Micah 1:1-4, Micah is talking about the promise of a restored Jerusalem and the promised Messiah (Micah 2). The promise of ‘beating your swords into plowshares…and nations will come to Jerusalem…” all of that would have been based on their acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah.
Ezekiel 37:21-23, the ‘king’ being referenced in these verses was the coming Messiah. Verses 24-28, one of the greatest errors when it comes to what people believe about the millennium is they talk about Ezekiel’s Temple. What Ezekiel just described, this ‘King under David my servant’, is Jesus. Then God says, “I will set my temple in the midst of them” – when Ezekiel is describing this temple in chapters 40-48 it is not some future temple that is going to be rebuilt rather it is about the rebuilding of the actual temple after the Babylonian destruction. Why would Ezekiel describe it this way? When the temple was finally rebuilt Ezra says in 3:12-13 that people were shouting and crying because some of them were totally sad. Why were they sad? They knew that Ezekiel prophesied a glorious temple, but when they see it they are dismayed because it is not as Ezekiel described it. They missed what Ezekiel prophesying about, because the temple Ezekiel described is none other than Jesus Himself (Haggai 2:3-7). He is the glory, that is why God is like look…you see this temple it is not like what it was before…you heard what Ezekiel said and I am trying to help you to see and understand is that the temple Ezekiel is talking about is SO GLORIOUS because the glory of God is going to fill that Temple.
That is why John 1:14 says: ”And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This is the temple Ezekiel is talking about.
John 2:19-21 says, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.”
When Jesus came, he understood the blessings that God had for Israel. But because they reject Him as the Messiah…he weeps. Luke 19:41-44, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hidden from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
Israel would have been the glory of the world had they accepted the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The promises would have been poured out upon them. Nobody would be sick, the land would be flowing with milk and honey (bountiful), and all the promises God had given back there in Deuteronomy would have been realized and the world would have seen the glory of God. Remember, the promises were an ‘IF THEN’ thing…blessings or curses…which one do you want. They chose the curses. So, now we understand the primary meaning of the prophecies in Zechariah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah; we can rightly understand the millennium.
The Primary Source for the Millennium
The primary source for the millennium can only be found in the Book of Revelation. Now that we considered text that are used to support the idea that the millennium will be established on Earth, and have found that it does not speak to that at all, we can move forward. In Revelation, we are going to understand the truth about the millennium.
In John 14:1 Jesus said,” Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house of many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. Also see: John 16:17.
Jesus just told the disciples that he is going somewhere and that they cannot go with him now. He told them he is going to prepare a place and that place is going to prepared when he comes again to receive them. This is why they could not be with him. Jesus did not say he was coming back to be with them, but he did say that he was coming back to take them with him. So, the question is where is this place that Jesus went to? We know that he went to His Father (John 16:5,10,28, John 20:17). So, where is the Father?
Luke 11:2, And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
The Father is in heaven. Jesus says, ‘I’m going to go to prepare a place for you’. Where? In heaven and I am coming back to take you with me where I am. He DID NOT say, I am coming back to be with you. What event describes this?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (meaning dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Comment added.
Remember, Jesus said ‘I am coming to take you with me’…you will be with me…God will bring you with Him (Jesus). What does the text tell us when Jesus comes again? Very simple, He is coming to take His people back to heaven. Dear friend, this is where the millennium occurs and we are going to see that when we get to the Book of Revelation.
But first we need to read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive in remain shall be caught up (not caught down) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (not on the ground): and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Comment added.
“…so shall we ever be with the Lord”, and how long will we be with the Lord? Forever. Where is the Lord taking us? To heaven. It is so clear.
The Righteous
Matthew 24:30-31, And then shall appear the Son of the son of man in heaven: and then shall all (not some) the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Comment added.
Why is Jesus sending his angels with a sound of a trumpet to gather the elect (the righteous) from all over Earth if he is coming here to set up an Earthly millennial reign? This just does not make sense. Again, the millennium does not occur on Earth.
Those promises in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were regarding a bountiful, healthful, peaceful setting in Jerusalem had the people of Israel accepted the Messiah. They were to be a light to other nations, but they chose not to be a light…they refused the blessings and instead chose curses. Since that plan of Israel becoming a glorious place failed, not because of God but because of the people, now God says here is what is going to happen in the millennium. God gives us the entire story, what was to be and what will be.
The only two prophets that God gave us to discuss the millennium plan are Daniel and John in Revelation. John being the primary source. We are told that Jesus is going to come and his feet will not touch the ground, at least not yet. When He arrives, he is going to call the saints (those that fell asleep and those that are living) forth, angels will gather them up to Him.
Events During the Millennium
Revelation 20:1-4, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years (this is the millennium), 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Comment added.
Key of the Bottomless Pit
An angel comes from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit. Where did the angel get that key? We are told in Revelation that Jesus holds the keys (Rev. 1:18, Heb. 2:14, 1 Cor. 15:54-57). In Revelation 9, when the fifth angel sounded the trumpet, Satan unleashed – in the form of locust armies descending upon the earth. An angel with a key unleashed him. In the same way, an angel will restrain Satan in Revelation 20.
Great Chain
Satan has this time (1,000 years) to reflect upon the results of his futile rebellion against God, and the devastating results caused through his rebellion. This is the great chain of circumstance.
Being restricted to one place, that is now formless and void. It will be an ‘in your face’ experience of seeing the outcome of all his efforts to deceive mankind into sin and opposing God’s plan. This will be his and the fallen angels prison house for 1,000 years.
Satan and the Fallen Angels Bound
Why does an angel bind the serpent (Satan) to the bottomless pit (Earth) with a great chain (guilt) for 1,000 years?
Satan sought the place of God (Isa. 14:12-17). He caused war in heaven (Rev. 12:7-9). The war was over the mind of the angels, who will the angels give their allegiance to? God or Lucifer (aka: the serpent, devil, Satan, etc.). One-third of the angels fell (Rev. 12:4,9) because they followed Lucifer, and were cast down to Earth.
Earth was a Paradise. Satan brings his deception to the human race and they fall (Gen. 3). He usurps dominion of Earth from Adam (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Jn. 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Job 1:6-7, 2:1-2; Matt. 4:8-9). A curse falls upon the serpent which is Satan and the earth (Gen. 3:14,17). He causes chaos and destruction upon Earth, for he is a liar and murderer (Jn. 8:44). Satan works directly and indirectly through the evil inclinations of the human heart (Rom. 3:12, Isa. 64:6). Note: The antidote to Romans 3:12, is James 4:7, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 2:8-10, 2 Cor. 5:21, John 3:3, 2 Cor. 5:17, Titus 2:5-8, Hebrews 4:14-16.
Sin reaches its climax, and all created beings fully understand the utter devastation that sin causes. Satan’s (formerly Lucifer) true character and motives have been fully exhibited, the end will come and he will be bound. This is how God operates, for examples see the Amorites, the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc. See: Gen. 15:16, Joel 3:13, Gen. 6:5, Rev. 18:2, 5.
Christ stands (Dan. 12:1) up to bring sin and death to an end, this is when he leaves heaven and returns to Earth to gather his people (second coming). He returns when sin has reached its pinnacle, and there is immense chaos upon the Earth. His return is loud and visible. He sends angels to gather the saints, those that are asleep in the grave and those that are living; and all the redeemed are caught up with him in the air. At the same time, those who rejected Christ and his protecting robe of righteousness die, for they cannot stand before a Holy God in their unrepentant condition. The wicked dead remain dead until after the saints 1,000-year reign in heaven; then they will be raise for the execution of judgment (second death which is eternal). See. John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Daniel 12:1, Isa. 25:9; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:30-31; Mark 13:26-27; Luke 21:27-28; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-6; Rev. 14:14-20, Rev. 6:15-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-8, 2:8; Rev. 20:5, 11-15.
Bound to Bottomless Pit
The word “bottomless pit” comes from the Greek word abyssos. Abyssos translate the Hebrew term tehowm, which is used for the word ‘deep” in Genesis 1:2. This is a word used to describe the surface of the earth before creation when it was “without form” and “void”. This word is used again in Luke 8:31, when we read of demons begging Jesus to come back from the ‘abyss’. We can also look at Revelation 9:1, where abyssos seems to describe a dark prison where demonic forces are confined (also see 2 Pe. 2:4). So, it indeed refers to a place the fallen angels were assigned to, and where they would rather not go back to. They would rather possess people on the earth, or even other creatures as they did the pigs in that story (Matt. 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-37).
Where is the bottomless pit? Scripture tells us where this bottomless pit is. Genesis 1:2, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” This is the condition of Earth as it was spoken into existence. At the end of time, a great earthquake shakes the earth violently enough that islands fade away, mountain crumble, and great hail stone beat upon the face of the earth (Rev. 6:14, 11:19). The earth returns to its desolate form and it is void of all life, except for Satan and the fallen angels (demons).
Think of Earth as a graveyard. The grave is located in the heart of the earth, and the grave is referred to the pit (pit, Job 33:18-11; Ps. 28:1, 30:3-9, 55:23, 69:15, 88:4, 103:4, 143:7; Isa. 14:19, 38:17-18; Eze. 26:20, 28:8, 31:14-16, 32:23-25). Click on the link for a six-part series, with commentary and appendix on hell and hellfire as it relates to the grave and Earth: https://theplainword.com/truth-about-hell/.
No deception can occur on Earth because the saints are in heaven and all the wicked are dead upon the face of the earth. Isaiah 14:18-20 tells us that the unrighteous (those that rejected Jesus) are outside the grasp of Satan’s power for they all lie in glory in their own house (the grave); but Satan will not join them because he has destroyed the land and slain the people. Satan bears the guilt of the devastation that he caused and is bound for 1,000 years. During the millennium there is peace on Earth.
Set a Seal
The seal that is placed upon Satan at Christ’s second coming, is that his fate is seal along with all the fallen angels (demons). The saints have been resurrected, the wicked living died because of the glory of Christ, and the wicked dead remain dead. The animals are dead. Satan, his angels, and the wicked dead are sealed for eternal destruction after the 1,000 years.
Deceive the Nations No More
What about the nations? Satan and his demons (fallen angels) can no longer deceive for Jesus has taken the righteous (nations of the saved) to heaven and the unrighteous have died because they could not stand before a Holy God, Jesus Christ. In fact, all life on Earth is dead (unrighteous, plant, animal). Scripture tells us that Satan will be loosed from this bondage after 1,000 years for ‘a little season’…more on that later.
The wicked cannot be tempted for they have died and are beyond the power of Satan and his angels.
Thrones and Judgment
In great contrast to earth, heaven will be celebrating as the redeemed praise God for their deliverance from the earth. Can you imagine the trip to heaven? In our wildest dreams we cannot fathom what that journey will be like. Upon arrival, we will be awed with the vastness of God’s throne room and the exceeding joy of seeing, hearing, and talking with Jesus.
What are we going to do for 1,000 years?
Reigned with Christ
What are the righteous doing during the millennium? They liv and reign with Christ a thousand years where He is at. Where is He at during the thousand years (millennium)? In heaven. More on what ‘reigning’ means later.
Other translations render “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” this way:
- they came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years
- they will come to life and rule with Christ a thousand years
- they came back to life…
This is talking about the resurrection of the righteous Jesus comes again the righteous are resurrected, they go up to be with the Lord in the air.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
Isaiah
Look as Isaiah as a secondary source that keeps in line with the primary source of Revelation. Isaiah 26:19, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell on the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of the herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
We have rightly divided the word of God. We looked at the primary source regarding the millennium (1,000 years) in Revelation and as we understand what John is saying; THEN we can go back to the Old Testament and look at verses that amplify.
Revelation 20:5-6, “But the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
According to this text, the primary verse for us to understand the millennium, there will not be death during the millennium. The righteous have gone to heaven, and the wicked perished at the coming of the Lord. Those wicked dead, who were already dead at Christ’s return, remain dead. All the wicked do not live again UNTIL the thousand years have finished. Unfortunately, there are people that go to Isaiah, using it as a primary source of the subject, and come to the wrong conclusion that people will be dying during the millennium. They infer that Isaiah is talking about the new heaven and the new earth, and concluded that he is saying that there will be death during the millennium.
To rightly divide the word of Truth, one has to understand simple principles of repeat and enlarge, primary and secondary text, symbolisms, etc. Failure to grasp these concepts will result in a misunderstanding of what the message is about.
Understand that the Old Testament books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, etc. are primarily speaking of Jerusalem and what would have happened if they accepted Jesus when he came as the Messiah. At the same time, we can take the texts that amplify the primary source and apply them. BUT, we cannot take text, such as ‘children dying’ from Isaiah and apply it to Revelation 20 and conclude that children will die during the millennium. Why can we not do that? BECAUSE the primary text in Revelation 20 is clear that ALL the saved from Adam to the end of time will be gather and taken to heaven, ALL the unsaved (wicked) will be dead upon earth, and that Satan and his angels will be the only ones roaming the desolate earth. Again, we must understand the primary and then apply the secondary appropriately; meaning that which amplifies what the primary has established.
In contrast, we can take “the wolf and the lamb will live together” from Isaiah and apply it to Revelation 20 because it amplifies what has already been established in the primary source.
We understand that the Bible says ‘as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the son of man’. So, what happened in the days of Noah? When the door on the ark was closed all who were outside the ark died and those that were on the inside were saved. There was NO SECOND CHANCE. It is going to be the same thing when Jesus comes again. When he comes again, the wicked are destroyed by the brightness of this coming; while the righteous are caught up to Christ (the ark). They are caught up to Christ to live with him for a thousand years in heaven.
Revelation 20:7-8, “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, God and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
Where did these people come from? They are the ones that have been resurrected
at the end of the thousand years. These are all of the unrighteous that ever lived. Remember, the unrighteous dead remained dead at Christ’s second coming, and the unrighteous living fell down dead for they were not able to stand in the presence of God.
The reason why Satan is again able to deceive the nations is because the unrighteous have been brought back to life by Jesus when we all return with him from heaven after the thousand years. All these people belong to Satan because they rejected Christ…they are Satan’s seed. Satan has an army again.
Revelation 20:9, “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
This is the second death from which there is no escape. Earth becomes the lake of fire spoken of in scripture. The fire causes the old heaven and earth to ‘pass away’, so the new heaven and earth can be created. This happens at the end of the 1,000 years. Where did the ‘beloved city’ come from?
Revelation 21:1-2, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I john saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
According to the text, it is at the end of the thousand years when the New Jerusalem comes down because God is now going to place it on Earth. The New Jerusalem is going to be the new dwelling place. He is going to recreate heaven and Earth.
What people are doing, as we previously mentioned, is applying the Old Testament verses to the millennium, and think when Jesus comes again that he is going to set up his kingdom on Earth. This is the same mistake/deception that led the people of God to reject Christ, because they thought that when the Messiah came it was actually going to be heaven on Earth. As we discovered, the Old Testament verses, is a primary source for Jesus, the Messiah; who is described as God’s Temple. The Temple was Jesus, and they did not recognize him as such when he came. In fact, they used deception and the right arm of civil power to put Jesus to death. Remember, they missed the blessings because they chose the curses.
History is going to repeat itself, just like in the days of old, there is the idea that when Jesus comes the second time that he will establish heaven on Earth. Again, this comes from misunderstanding Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. No doubt, there are SOME secondary applications to the second coming but it is far from they way it is being applied in many Christian circles.
It may be beneficial to go back to Zechariah and read about the coming of the promised Messiah. Read Ezekiel again, where he is doing the same thing and that if they would accept the Messiah the condition of Jerusalem would be restored. Also, read Isaiah where he describes the people’s sentiments over the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Why did Jesus say these things about his second coming: 1) he will be in the air/sky Jesus – he will not touch the ground, 2) ‘take heed that no man deceive you’, and 3) ‘if it were possible even the very elect would be deceived’? BECAUSE people are going to say ‘Lo, here is Christ’. Who has powers and principalities to cause the world to believe Christ has come? What that tells us is that Satan himself is going to attempt to counterfeit the coming of Christ and will perform miracles. Satan wants to establish a kingdom for himself under the pretense of Christ. Satan himself is going to attempt to come as if he were Jesus and will deceive multitudes because people do not know that when Jesus comes again he will not touch the ground but will remain in the sky calling forth the redeemed to meet him in the air. And, people are looking for the Messiah to set up a kingdom on Earth for a thousand years and it just does not happen at his second coming. They misunderstand the event.
Scripture is clear, that those who will not go along with this new ‘righteous kingdom’ on Earth are accused of being the wicked ones and that they need to killed. This is why Jesus said 11 times that there is a time coming were ‘they that kill you will think they are doing God a service’. This is why context matters.
What are we called to do? We are called to be ready for Jesus’s second coming. If we are not prepared through study and prayer, we will not be ready for the coming of the Lord. This is why it is said, ‘if it were possible even the elect would be deceived’. It will not be possible for us to be deceived if we are praying, studying, and having the right understanding through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is calling us to be ready, to be prepared for when he comes again.
The truth is, Christ will set up his kingdom on Earth AFTER the 1,000 years that the saints reign with him in heaven, THEN upon that return Christ and the saints will return to Earth, the unrighteous are raise from the dead, judgment is executed, the fire causes the heaven and earth to ‘pass away’, sin/death/grave are annihilated forever, Christ creates a new heaven and earth, the New Jerusalem is placed on Earth, and we will forever be with the Lord.
Several things happen at the second coming of Jesus:
It will be a loud, visible event, and every eye will see Him.
There will be a great earthquake, that island and mountains move (Rev. 6:14, 11:19).
Those that rejected His mercy and grace die at the brightness of His coming.
Angels are sent to gather God’s people (the elect) from the face of the Earth.
The righteous dead will be resurrected from their grave.
The righteous living are changed (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
All the saints (the elect) are caught up and meet Him in the air.
The saints, holy angels, and Christ return to heaven for 1,000 years.
Satan and all the fallen angels will be bound to a desolate Earth for 1,000 years.
In these scriptures, what Jesus is asking us is “Are you ready, are you getting ready for my coming…my appearing; because that is the most important thing.” Brothers and sisters, do not be deceived like they were back in Jesus’ day.