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2018-10-14

The Millennial Reign of Christ

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(Revelation 20:4b, NIV)

“They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

I.  Introduction

     “The Millennial Reign of Christ” refers to a 1,000 year period of time during which He will rule planet Earth from the City of Jerusalem as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He will be the undisputed ruler of Earth, assisted by His followers—deceased believers who are resurrected and living believers who are raptured when Jesus returns for His people.  John wrote, “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years…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” (Revelation 20:4b…6b, NIV).

II.  The Predictions of the Prophets

     Many of the predictions of the Old Testament prophets—such as: Isaiah, Micah, and Zechariah— regarding the Messiah and his reign over Earth have not been fulfilled.  However, they will be fulfilled during the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth.

     Isaiah.  The prophet Isaiah predicted of the Messiah that “the government will be on his shoulders.”  He wrote, “To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV).  Notice the word “government” is singular—one global government administered by Jesus Himself!

     Isaiah described the conditions that will prevail during the Millennial Reign of Christ when he wrote, “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. [Jews in Jerusalem will live in peace & security.] No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. [Man’s life span will be fixed at 100 years.] 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; [No more foreign invasions of Jerusalem.] For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, [Longevity] and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them [Prosperity]. It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear [Immediate answer to prayer]. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox [Animals will no longer be carnivorous], and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the LORD [Poisonous snakes will no longer be dangerous]” (Isaiah 65:19-25, NKJV).  The harmony that existed before Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden will be restored to the world during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

     Zechariah.  The prophet Zechariah predicted that “The Lord will be king over the whole earth.”   He wrote, “LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him [The Return of Christ with His people].  On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness.  It will be a unique day—a day known only to the LORD—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light [A day like no other has ever been].  On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter [Stark geographical changes in Israel—a river flowing out from Jerusalem].  The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name” (Zechariah 14:5b-9, NIV).  The Millennial Reign of Christ will be over a global kingdom!

     Micah.  The prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem.  He wrote, “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, [Jerusalem’s Temple Mount will ultimately become the most important place on Earth] and peoples will stream to it.  Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob [There will be worldwide pilgrimages to Jewish Temple in Jerusalem]. 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 [The nations will long to hear God’s Word].  He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide [Jesus will be a global peace broker].  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 [A time of global peace].  Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken [A time of unprecedented global security].  All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.  ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.  I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation [The regathering of Israel which began in 1948].  The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.  As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of the Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem’” (Micah 4:1-8, NIV).  Jerusalem will become the capital city of the world during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

III.  Satan

     During this 1,000 year reign of Christ, Satan will be bound in the “Abyss.”  John wrote, “I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss [bottomless pit] and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time” (Revelation 20:1-3, NIV).  Satan’s temporary incarceration explains, at least in part, why harmony will be restored to God’s creation!

IV.  Conclusion

     During the Millennial Reign of Christ, believers from every generation will rule with Him on Earth for 1,000 years.  John wrote, “You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9b-10, NKJV).

     Believers will be rewarded for their faithfulness to the Lord by being given varying levels of governmental responsibility during the Millennial Reign of Christ.  Jesus said, “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, Do business till I come…And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Master, your mina has earned ten minas. And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Master, your mina has earned five minas. Likewise he said to him, You also be over five cities.” (Luke19:11-13…15-19, NKJV).

Next Steps

• Believe in Jesus to receive eternal life.  Jesus said, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16, NIV).

• Ask God to clearly teach you what John meant when He wrote, “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4b, NIV).

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