The Millennium

The thousand-year kingdom of Christ is called the millennium. The word millennium is a Latin word composed of mille, “a thousand,” and annum, “year”; thus, a thousand years.

Some would claim that there is no millennium, or that the millennium is taking place now and not after the tribulation. But just note how many times the phrase “1000 years” is used in this passage, six times, in six verses. That means six times you must deny scripture if you refuse to believe in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ which begins after his return and before eternity starts.

And why would you want to deny something as wonderful as the millennium? It will be the greatest period of history on earth since the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament is filled with the promise of God to His people of a time of heaven on earth. That time is revealed to us in the Book of Revelation as lasting 1000 years and takes place after the Messiah, the hero that defeated the Beast and the Dragon, saves Jerusalem.

Old Testament Descriptions of The Millennium

We could spend the rest of our time this morning reading the passages of the Old Testament that tell God’s promise of the Millennium to His people. Passages like Isaiah 2:2-4, 9:6-7; 11:4-9; 30:15-33; 35; 44; 65:17-66:13; Jeremiah 23:5-6 or Psalms 72. Instead I just want to highlight a few of the most memorable one.

Isaiah 2:2-4 And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 35:5-8, 10 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water:
in the habitation of dragons, where each lay,shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. …
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 65:17– 25 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Ruling and Reigning with Jesus

The Millennium is mostly about Israel, it has been promised them since the exile to Babylon and even hinted at before by David. And though it is mostly their kingdom on earth, isn’t it amazing that we will also be there ruling and reigning with our Savior.

I don’t know all of what that entails, but I do know that only heaven will be more wonderful than Christ on earth sitting on the throne of David and all the peoples of the earth will come to hear him.

Won’t it be almost unbelievable during the Millennium, that instead of trying to get people to come to church, trying to find a way to bring people to the Lord and struggling at every step in this sin-soaked world, instead of that hard path, people will be struggling to come to Jesus! We might have the job of just being ushers, telling millions of people, “Right this way to Jesus.” Wouldn’t that be great?

Can you imagine how many people will be saved during this time? First there is going to be a population explosion, there is no sickness, no death with perhaps the exception of accidents, there is no hunger, no shortage of water, the earth will flourish as it did in the Garden of Eden, but there won’t be a serpent. So, there will be billions upon billions of people born and they will all come to hear Jesus.

They will hear, Jesus himself, not some poor old preacher trying to do his best to tell them about Jesus, but they will hear and see Him. They will see and hear the one who spoke as none other before ever spoke. They will hear Him as Galilee, Nazareth, Sychar, Jericho and Jerusalem did when He first came. Back then in just about 2 years He had 1000s of followers flocking to hear Him, to find Him, to listen to His teachings. Just imagine how many will believe over a 1000-year time period, while Jesus teaches and preaches .

After all these hundreds of years of reading the Sermon on the Mount, the Olivet Discourse, the teaching in the Upper Room, all those years listening second hand as the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to prayer, but then we will be able to hear Him ourselves. The whole world will be able to hear Him.

How many will believe then will be saved? We can’t know exactly but in my mind’s eye and in my heart’s hope I see billions upon billions, upon billions. There will be many more saved during the Millennium, than were saved during the thousands of years before Jesus returned.

People of that generation will look at us and whisper, “They believed before Jesus came back! What faith they must have had!”

That’s us, that’s this age we now live in. A time of walking by faith and not by sight and great is the reward for those who keep that walk.

Remember the story of Jesus and Thomas? In John 20:26-29 Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Paul made this statement in 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

That is our task, that is our calling, that is our challenge until Jesus comes back, “Walk in faith.” And one day, one glorious, wonderous, fantastic day we will see Him face to face and hear those wonderful words of life directly from His own lips.

Illustration: Won’t It Be Wonderful There

When with the savior we enter the glory land
Won't it be wonderful there
Ended the troubles and cares of the story land
Won't it be wonderful there?

Chorus:
Won't it be wonderful there
Having no burdens to bear
Joyously singing, with heartbells all ringing
Won't it be wonderful there?

Walking and talking with Christ, the Supernal One
Won't it be wonderful there
Praising, adoring the Matchless Eternal One
Won't it be wonderful there?

Chorus