Revelation 20:1 ¶ 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, 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. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 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, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of
whom is as the sand of the sea. 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. 10 And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and
the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Having already determined that the
bottomless pit is the center or heart of the earth and Hell, we see here that
Satan is bound for a thousand years. We also see that the martyred saints of
the beast and the false prophet will rule with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 6:9 ¶ And
when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How
long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth? 11 And white
robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their
brethren, that should be killed as they were,
should be fulfilled.
This resurrection of the martyred
saints is the first resurrection. Here is information on what the conditions of
the Millennial reign of Christ will be like. What follows is a general prophecy
about the end of time, including the Millennium. Remember that prophecies in
the Old Testament are incomplete, based on incomplete knowledge given to the
writers, but giving a general sense with timeframes a little off with this is
cleared up in the New Testament. I think it is only possible to sort out the
Old Testament prophecies by using the New Testament fulfillment as a sort of
key or map legend to them.
Isaiah 65:17 ¶ 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.
66:1 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, The
heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye
build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and
all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even
to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man;
he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an
oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he
blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul
delighteth in their abominations. 4 I
also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because
when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did
evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
5 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at
his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake,
said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they
shall be ashamed. 6 A voice of noise
from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth
recompence to his enemies. 7 Before she
travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man
child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing?
who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?
or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought
forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to
the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring
forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 10
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her:
rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: 11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the
breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the
abundance of her glory. 12 For thus
saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory
of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne
upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I
comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall
rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD
shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
15 ¶ For, behold, the LORD will
come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger
with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD
plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify
themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh,
and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their
thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
shall come, and see my glory. 19 And I
will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the
nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to
the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory;
and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an
offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in
litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,
saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel
into the house of the LORD. 21 And I
will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed
and your name remain. 23 And it shall
come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to
another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the
carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not
die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto
all flesh.
Zechariah 8:20 Thus saith the
LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the
inhabitants of many cities: 21 And the
inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray
before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. 22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall
come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In
those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all
languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a
Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
There are other verses that have
to do with the Millennium and you can tell, because they have no application to
the time in which they are written such as some of the verses in the passage
from Isaiah I just showed. There are also incomplete, general, and summary
statements in the New Testament that give little detail but make statements
clearly about the Millennium.
2Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we
shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
At the end of the thousand years
Satan is released temporarily, but long enough to gather together a great army
of those who had been ruled by the iron rod of Christ during the millennium.
Again, start reading in Ezekiel 38 about the war with Gog and Magog. Remember.
Revelation 2:26 And he that
overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over
the nations: 27 And he shall rule them
with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers:
even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 12:5 And she brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her
child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 19:15 And out of his
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
They will chafe at Christ’s rule
and rebel. Obviously, there are a great many people alive in the Millennium who
are not saved. The point is that at the end of the Great Tribulation not every
unsaved person is killed and not every government or nation is eliminated but
that for a thousand years they are all under Christ’s authority until Satan is
allowed to stir them up again and they are destroyed.
Psalm 2:1 ¶ Why do the heathen
rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast
away their cords from us. 4 He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 ¶ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen
for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of
iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 ¶ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be
instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that
put their trust in him.
Those who died in the Lord up to
the beginning of the Millennium are the first resurrection. The second
resurrection is of a substantially different nature, the description of which
comes next.
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