THE MILLENNIUM

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a THOUSAND YEARS. 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. 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the THOUSAND YEARS were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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. And when the THOUSAND YEARS are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison" (Rev. 20:1-7).

In the text just read the words "THOUSAND YEARS" are recorded no less than six times. Because the words "THOUSAND YEARS" are repeated six times in six verses we must conclude that the Holy Spirit has placed a significant emphasis upon this period of time. This passage in Revelation is a culmination of all other Old and New Testament prophecies relating to the time period most commonly referred to as the Millennium when Christ shall reign upon the earth with all His saints. In sparkling clarity the inspired writer of the Apocalypse reveals the time frame of the most glorious period of human history that our present earth will ever know. The thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth with His saints will be a time of unsurpassed spirituality and worship, marked by perfect justice and equity, when the nations of the earth shall behold the regal majesty of King Jesus as He sits upon the throne promised to Him in the Davidic Covenant. When King Jesus comes again to reign upon the earth it will truly be a Golden Age: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). Every blood-washed saint of God should greatly anticipate this day of glory and great power when King Jesus is manifested upon earth as the rightful ruler over all the nations.

There are those who contend that the thousand years referred to in our text are not to be taken literally. They say that the thousand years are an indefinite period of time. My questions for the amillenialist are: "Who gave you the license to determine that the thousand years really does not literally mean a thousand years?" "Why would God use such a definite period of time to describe Christ's personal reign upon the earth if it is not to be taken literally?" They also contend that Christ will never actually, literally, and personally reign upon the earth. My questions for the amillenialist are: "Why then do the saints who are already in Heaven declare that they will reign with Christ upon the earth in Revelation 5:9?" "Are the saints in Heaven with glorified minds and bodies mistaken about the sphere of Christ's reign, or is the writer of Scripture mistaken?" They also state that Satan was bound by Christ when He died and rose again when He came to the earth the first time. My questions for the amillennialist are: "If Satan is bound, then why did Paul tell believers after the death and resurrection of Christ to put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11) so that they "may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil"?" "Why would Peter instruct the saints of God to be sober and on guard against the attacks of the devil who "as a roaring lion, WALKETH ABOUT, seeking whom he may devour" (I Pet. 5:8)?" "How can Satan be bound and yet walking about at the same time?" "In what sense is Satan now bound when he is still deceiving the nations with his wiles and captivating sinners "who are taken captive by him at his will" (II Tim. 2:26)?" They also contend that one of the resurrections in our text is purely spiritual, referring to the new birth, whereas the other resurrection mentioned is a general resurrection of all people. My question is: "Where is the new birth or the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration even remotely referred to in this passage of Scripture?" It grieves my heart that so many would take such unscriptural and unlawful license in dealing with the precious Word of the Living God! The amillennial and postmillennial interpretations of our text fly in the face of Scripture and sound Biblical exegesis.

If Christ, Satan, the souls of men, the final judgment of the Great White Throne, and the eternal torments of the Lake of Fire are to be taken literally in Revelation twenty, then certainly the "THOUSAND YEARS" referred to in this chapter must also be interpreted as a literal period of time. When the amillennialist can convince me that Christ is not real, that Satan is not a literal being, and that the torments of the Lake of Fire are nothing but myths then maybe I could go along with their spiritualizing nonsense. However, I believe that all of this passage is to be literally fulfilled without a hitch or an omission. In my estimation, to spiritualize away the thousand years would be to violate the plain sense of Scripture and dishonor the Great God of Heaven.

We will now proceed to examine the Scriptural doctrine of the Millennium. May the Lord God be pleased to open our eyes to see the glories of the glad Millennial day that is fast approaching. The heart of every saint of God should beat with a holy anticipation for the day when we shall return from Heaven to earth with our glorious Lord in power and great glory to reign with Him for a thousand years.

TERMS RELATING TO THE MILLENNIUM

There are several terms and phrases used or implied in the sacred Scriptures that relate to the doctrine of the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

1. The most common term used in the theological world to identify the thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth is the Millennium. The word Millennium comes from two Latin words, mille; meaning a thousand, and annus; meaning year. Though this word is not specifically used in the Scripture it is implied in the twentieth chapter of Revelation where the words "thousand years" are employed by the inspired writer six times in six verses. The thousand years refer to the exact period of time in which Jesus Christ will reign on the earth with His saints. There is no indication from the Book of Revelation that any of the numbers employed in the book are to be spiritualized away. Therefore, the thousand years must be interpreted as a literal period of time that will commence with the Second Advent of Christ, an event yet future.

2. The Millennium is also referred to as "the regeneration" in Matthew 19:28 which states: "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Jesus obviously believed that there would be a future day when He would sit upon the throne promised to Him in the Davidic Covenant and that the twelve apostles would assist Him in judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He referred to this period of time as "the regeneration" to describe the earthward character of the Golden Age of righteousness. For six thousand long years the earth has groaned under the bondage of sin and the burden of sorrow. Yet in the Millennium the earth shall be rejuvenated and endued with new life. Isaiah 35:1-2 describes this glorious period of the earth's regeneration thusly: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them (restored Israel, Isa. 34:16-17, TWR); and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God." This title used to describe the Millennium also describes the birth pangs and travail that will immediately precede the thousand year reign of Christ. The Tribulation Period will be a time of great sorrow and travail.

3. The thousand year reign of Christ is also referred to as "the times of refreshing" in Acts 3:19-20 which states: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ..." When Jesus Christ is sent from Heaven to earth in the Second Advent it will be a time of refreshing for those who inherit the kingdom. Showers of blessing will continually fall upon the earth and its inhabitants during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ. It will be a time of unsurpassed spirituality and righteousness. Satan and his influence will be removed from the earth and the Lord of Glory shall rule and reign in righteousness. It will be a time of refreshing for the earth, for Israel, and for the nations. Oh, how I long for the day when the spiritual drought and destruction the earth has known for six thousand years will be replaced by the glorious "times of refreshing" when Jesus Christ shall personally reign upon the earth.

4. The Millennium is also referred to as "the times of the restitution of all things" in Acts 3:21 which states: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of the all his holy prophets since the world began." This glorious "restitution of all things" will not take place until Jesus comes again from Heaven to reign upon the earth. At such time the earth will be restored to a condition of blessedness that will resemble the glory of the Garden of Eden before the fall of man. Israel, after many years of waywardness and apostasy, will be restored to the favor of her covenant God. The longevity of human life will be restored like that prior to the Noahic flood as Isaiah 65:20 implies: "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days..." The animal kingdom will be restored to a place of peaceful coexistence and harmony as Isaiah 11:6-7 reveals: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox." Truly the Millennium will be an age of glorious restoration for the earth and its inhabitants.

5. The Millennium is also referred to as "the dispensation of the fulness of times" in Ephesians 1:10 which states: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." The glad Millennial day will be marked by the gathering together of all the family of God to reign with Christ on the earth in peace and harmony. All other ages in human history have pointed to “the dispensation of the fullness of times" when King Jesus comes back to reign upon the earth. It is called the "fullness of times" because it will mark the completion of God's purpose for the earth He has created. It will no longer be under the dominion and sway of Satan, but rather Jesus Christ shall come to reign in righteousness and great glory. I like what A.W. Pink wrote concerning "the dispensation of the fullness of times":

"The force of this expression may be gathered from the similar one found in Gal. 4:4: "When the fulness of time was come God sent forth His Son..." The fulness of time signifies ripeness of opportunity and consummation of need. The first advent of Christ and the proclamation of His Gospel introduced a new era, but it also marked the climax of the old. The world was prepared through long processes for the coming of the One and the preaching of the other. From Eden to Bethlehem the centuries were preparing for the advent of Immanuel. As the process of creation prepared the earth for man, so all history prepared the way for the birth of the Saviour. The Holy Scriptures focus the preparation in one race, but all peoples shared in the process. Outside the elect nation, God was at work, and all streams converged to one center. As it was in connection with the first advent, so it is concerning the second. Just as there was a definite and unmistakable movement in all history making ready the way for the Dispensation of Grace, so there is a similar one going on now making ready the world for the Dispensation of Glory. Just as the world's urgent need was fully demonstrated before the Saviour appeared among men so shall it be ere He comes back as the Prince of Peace to take the government upon His shoulder." (1)

6. The Millennium may also be referred to as "the day of Christ" as Philippians 1:6 & 10 state: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ." The earth has been under the bondage of sin and government of man for approximately six thousand years. When Jesus comes in His glory it will mark the beginning of the Millennial "day of Christ" when He shall rule and reign upon the earth. The majesty and power of Christ will be manifested upon the earth. His enemies will all be banished from His righteous kingdom and the righteous shall shine forth as the sun. Christ will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords in that glorious day. Zechariah 14:9 shall have complete fulfillment in the "day of Christ": "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that DAY there shall be one LORD, and his name one."

8. The thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth is also referred to as 'the kingdom of Christ" in Revelation 11:15 which states: "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." There is coming a day when the dominions and kingdoms of men are going to be done away with and the Kingdom of Christ shall be established upon the earth. Jeremiah prophesied of the coming earthly Kingdom of Christ: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5). Daniel 7:14 declares: "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Neither of these prophecies had complete fulfillment in the first coming of Christ which was the time of His humiliation and death. However, when the Son comes again to receive the Kingdom these verses will have complete fulfillment. A.W. Pink wrote:

"The Kingdom over which Christ shall reign is that which God "prepared" before the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). It is known as "The Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 3:2); the "Kingdom of the Son of Man" (Matt. 16:28); the "Kingdom of God" (Luke 19:11; and the "Kingdom of David" (Mark 11:10)." (2)

9. I have confined myself to New Testament passages that relate to the Millennium because the Old Testament passages are so numerous an entire volume could be written upon the subject. I will, however, give two Old Testament phrases that the prophets employed to refer to the thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth.

The Millennial reign of Christ upon the earth is referred to as "His days" in Psalms 72:7-8 which states: "In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." This entire Psalm serves as a Millennial hymn in which the reign of Christ upon earth is described.

The thousand-year reign is referred to as "many days" in Isaiah 24:21-23 which declares: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after MANY DAYS shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." Verses 21 and 22 give a description of the Second Advent of Christ when He shall come to put down all His enemies and bind Satan in the bottomless pit. After the "many days" of Christ's Millennial reign, Satan will be released only to meet his final doom, and the prisoners of Hell shall stand before the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the Lake of Fire. Thus, the "many days" begin with the Second Advent of Christ and the binding of Satan and expire with the final rebellion of Satan which is identical to the events recorded in Revelation 20:1-7.

THE TIME FRAME OF THE MILLENNIUM

The passage in Revelation twenty reveals that the personal reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth with His saints will last exactly one thousand years. In fact, the Holy Spirit moved the apostle John to employ the words "thousand years" no less than six times in six verses to emphasize the duration of Christ's reign with His saints. I understand the thousand years to be literal years, that are not to be spiritualized away or referred to as an indefinite period of time.

The Millennium will not begin until Jesus Christ physically, and personally comes again to the earth in the Second Advent. The chronology of events leading up to the Millennial reign of Christ are clearly revealed in the Apocalypse. In Revelation chapters six through nineteen the seven-year Tribulation Period is described in great detail. In Revelation nineteen, the inspired writer reveals that Christ will come back to the earth with the armies of Heaven to judge and make war in the battle of the ages that is commonly referred to as the Battle of Armageddon. In this battle the forces of the beast and the false prophet will be routed by the personal presence of Christ who will descend from Heaven in great power and glory. At this time the beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet (the Pope of Rome) will be cast into the Lake of Fire. These events will terminate the Tribulation Period and the Millennial reign of Christ will commence upon the earth.

The Millennium will begin in a most dramatic way. The Lord Jesus Christ, who I believe is the Angel revealed in Revelation twenty, will personally bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit for the duration of the thousand years. The deceiver of the nations will not be permitted to do his wicked work during the reign of Christ. All demonic activity will be purged from the kingdom of our Lord. What a glorious time it will be for the saints of God who will reign with Christ! Not only will we enjoy the personal presence and power of Christ upon the earth, but we will also be free from the taunts and the temptations of the adversary. Satan will finally be stripped of his title as the "god of this world" (II Cor. 4:4) and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only will the evil influence of Satan be removed at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ, but all the unsaved survivors of the Tribulation Period shall be purged from the Kingdom. After the binding of Satan, one of the first orders of business in the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ upon the earth will be the Judgment of the Nations. When Christ assumes the "throne of his glory" (Matt. 25:31) he will gather all the survivors of the Tribulation Period to separate the sheep from the goats. Those who are saved will hear the King say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34). The unrighteous will be purged from the kingdom when they hear the awful words of condemnation: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41). In the Parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus illustrated the purging of the Kingdom thusly: "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. 13:41-43). Proverbs 2:22 declares: "But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." Psalms 37:9-10 & 22 describe the plight of the wicked at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ: "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be...For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off." How I long for the day when Jesus Christ comes again to assume the throne of His glory, for then and only then will the earth be purged of all wickedness as Proverbs 25:5 implies: "Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness." The beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth will be a time of great rejoicing for all the blood washed saints of God. Satan and all his followers will be purged from the kingdom. The earth will be rid of those who work wickedness. There will be no more shameless immodesty, no more immorality, no more murder or violence to vex the souls of the righteous. The kingdom of Christ will be free of persecution, blasphemy, and war because the evil influence of Satan and his followers will not be present.

After Christ and the saints reign upon the earth for a thousand years that are characterized by peace and righteousness, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit, to meet his final doom in the battle of Gog and Magog (Rev. 20:8). Then all of the wicked of all ages will be summoned to stand before the Great White Throne of Christ to be judged and cast into the final abode of the damned, the Lake of Fire. Thus, the Millennium begins and ends in much the same way. At the beginning of the Millennium, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit, and at the end of the thousand years he will be released only to meet his final doom and be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. Likewise, at the beginning of the Millennium all the surviving wicked will be purged from the Kingdom in the Judgment of the Nations, and at the end of the thousand years all the wicked will be judged at the Great White Throne to determine their everlasting portion in the Lake of Fire. Thus, the time frame of the Millennium is bound by God's judgments upon Satan and his followers.

THE PLACE OF THE MILLENNIAL

REIGN OF CHRIST

The blessed Holy Spirit was very careful to inspire John to describe the place of Christ's thousand-year reign in Revelation 5:10 which declares: "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign upon the EARTH." The context of this passage of Scripture reveals that the people who are anticipating the reign of Christ upon earth are the glorified saints of God who are already in Heaven. This fact is significant because it proves that the glorified saints of God in Heaven do not understand their reign with Christ to be merely a spiritual reign as the ammillennialists falsely claim, but rather a literal, actual reign that will be accomplished upon the earth. I like what J.A. Seiss, the prophetic expositor wrote concerning Revelation 5:9:

"Some people tell us that it is quite too low and coarse a thing to think of the earth in connection with the final bliss of the saints. They preach that we do but degrade and pervert the exalted things of holy Scripture, when we hint the declaration of the wise man, that 'the earth endureth forever,' and that over it the glorious and everlasting kingdom of Christ and His saints, is to be established in literal reality. But if the ransomed in heaven, with golden crowns upon their brows, kneeling at the feet of the Lamb, before the very throne of God, and with the prayers of all saints, and the predictions of all prophets in their hands, could sing of it as one of the elements of their loftiest hopes and joys, I beg to turn a deaf ear to the surly cry of 'carnal, sensual, unspiritual' --with which some would turn me from 'the blessed hope.' Shall the saints in glory shout: 'We shall reign on the earth,' and we be accounted heretics for believing that they knew what they were saying? Is it come to this, that to be orthodox we must believe that these approved and crowned ones kneel before the throne of God with a lie upon their lips? Shall they, from thrones in heaven, point to earth as the future theatre of their administrations, and give adoring thanks and praises to the lamb for it, and we be stigmatized as fanatics and Judaizers, for undertaking to pronounce the blessed fact in mortal hearing? Oh, I wonder, I wonder, how the dear God above us can endure the unbelief with which some men deal with His holy word." (3)

The saint's reign with Christ upon the earth was promised by Jesus in Matthew 5:5 which states: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." In no sense can we understand that the saints of God are now reigning with Christ. Now is a time of suffering at the hands of the world and the devil. The righteous are presently a minority in a world that is growing progressively worse and worse. However, there is coming a grand and glorious day when the saints will possess the kingdom at the Second Advent of Christ. The saint's sufferings, afflictions, and persecutions shall give way to the blessings of reigning with Christ in His Kingdom. Daniel 7:21-22 & 27 describe the blessedness of the saints when they possess the Kingdom: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom...And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

Scriptures abound which prove that the righteous reign of Christ with His saints during the Millennium will be upon the earth. In the Davidic Covenant Jesus Christ was promised the throne of David as II Samuel 7:12-13 records: "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." This prophecy was confirmed at the birth of Christ when the angel declared to Mary: "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33). The throne of David was located in Jerusalem. There is absolutely no indication from the Sacred Scriptures that the throne of David was ever translated from earth to Heaven as the ammillennialists falsely claim. The Scriptures make it very clear that Christ will not inherit the throne of His glory until He comes back to the earth immediately after the Tribulation Period: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all 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...When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory...Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 24:29-30; 25:31 & 34). Jeremiah the prophet also wrote that the sphere of Christ's reign would be the earth: "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5). None of the above Scriptures have ever had a literal fulfillment. However, when Christ shall come again to the earth it will be for the express purpose of ruling and reigning for a thousand years.

Not only do the Scriptures state that Christ will reign upon the earth, they also point us to the specific city in which Christ's throne will be established. Jerusalem will be the center of earth's Millennial glory where Christ shall rule and reign. Isaiah 24:23 declares: "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." Jeremiah 3:17 confirms the prophecy of Isaiah by stating: "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart."

I agree wholeheartedly with John Walvoord who wrote:

"By no theological alchemy should these and countless other references to earth as the sphere of Christ's millennial reign be spiritualized to become the equivalent of heaven, the eternal state, or the church as amillennarians have done. A righteous reign of Christ on earth is of course precisely what one would have expected from previous study of the Abrahamic covenant with its promises to the earth, the Davidic covenant relative to the Son of David reigning on the throne forever, and the many promises pertaining to Israel's regathering and re-establishment in their ancient land. The theocratic kingdom, therefore, of which the prophets spoke is an earthly kingdom which can find its fulfillment only in a literal reign of Christ upon the earth." (4)

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE MILLENNIUM

The government of the Millennium will be unlike all the human and earthly governments that will have preceded it. The governments of men have been classified as democracies, aristocracies, dictatorships, and socialist. The government of the Millennium will be Theocratic, meaning that Christ the King will have the supreme rule over all the nations of the earth. It will literally be a rule of God upon the earth which serves to distinguish it from all other earthly kingdoms. It was for this reason that Jesus declared to Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). When Christ reigns upon the earth it will be the fulfillment of the petition in the Model Prayer in which He instructed His disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). No longer will men of pride, avarice, and greed fight for power and prestige among themselves. Never again will men be permitted to exalt themselves to governmental positions of authority because Isaiah 2:11 declares: "The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." How I long for the day of Christ's coronation as King over all the earth, when the government of the earth shall rest firmly upon His shoulders, and the glory of God shall be spread throughout all the earth as Zechariah 14:9 declares: "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: In that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."

The Theocracy of the Millennium will be universal in scope. At the present time our world witnesses the rise and fall of a variety of despots and governments from year to year. Never in earth's history has one king or leader been able to reign with universal sway and sovereignty over all the inhabitants of the earth. However, when King Jesus comes in glory to inherit the throne and kingdom that was promised to Him by His Father, all the inhabitants of earth will come under His righteous rule. The rays of the Sun of Righteousness will then penetrate into every dark corner of the earth, and melt with its genial warmth all the social, political, commercial, and ecclesiastical corruption of the ages. The world will then be literally turned upside down, and the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, will prevail from the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same. Psalms 47:2-4 & 7 declare: "For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet...For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding." For the first time in all of human history God's original intention and purpose for the earth will find its culmination in the literal and universal dominion of Christ during His Millennial reign. Psalms 72 gives a wonderful description of the universal reign of Christ as verses 7-9; 11; and 17 illustrate: "In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust...Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him...His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed." Daniel the prophet also spoke of the Kingdom of Christ disposing all earthly kingdoms and having absolute sway over all the earth: "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them, and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth...And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Dan. 2:35 & 44).

Throughout earth's history even the best of governments have been infiltrated with bribery, injustice, dishonesty, and greed. However, when Christ comes to reign in Millennial glory His kingdom will be marked by perfect equity, absolute justice, and complete righteousness. Isaiah 11:4-5 declares: "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reigns." Only when Christ reigns upon the earth will earth's inhabitants be able to have full confidence in their government because it will be completely free from the leaven of sin.

The reason why wars and violence are common fare in our present world is due in part to unrighteous governments who are always seeking to subdue and conquer others. However, the kingdom of Christ will be marked by peace and harmony. Never in the history of human government have the inhabitants of the earth been completely free from war and violence. Yet in the Millennial reign of Christ peace will be universal because the Prince of Peace will rule over the nations. Isaiah 2:4 declares: "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." Psalms 46:9-10 will have complete fulfillment when the Prince of Peace comes to reign upon the earth: "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

There may be some who may wonder why a government of righteousness would be needed at all during the thousand-year reign of Christ. It is true that the beast, the false prophet, and Satan will be banished from the Kingdom by judgment. It is also true that all the wicked will be purged from the kingdom at the Judgment of the Nations. However, there will be elect survivors (denominated sheep in Matthew 25) who will enter the Kingdom in their natural bodies. They will still be capable of bringing forth children. Those children will still have a corrupt nature that will require punishment for rebellion and restriction by government. This explains the various verses of Scripture that imply that the wicked will be punished during the Millennial reign.

Another aspect of the Millennial government is that Christ will designate authority to His saints to reign with Him. The saints of God will assist Christ in His reign upon the earth. When He comes again in the Second Advent upon His thigh will be a name written: "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16). He will be the Supreme King over all the earth, but the saints of God will bear the titles of kings and lords to reign with Christ. This explains those passages in the Old Testament that imply that a resurrected David shall share in the reign and government of Christ in the Millennium (Jer. 30:9; Ez. 34:23-24; 37:24-25). Isaiah 32:1 declares: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." The reign of Christ assisted by the saints was prophesied by Daniel: "Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). Paul the apostle referred to this coming judgeship of the saints when he rebuked the Corinthians: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life" (I Cor. 6:2-3)? In fact the authority to reign over cities in the Millennium for faithful service was alluded to by Jesus Christ when He set forth the Parable of the Pounds in Luke 19:15-17 which states: "And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded those servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much each man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." What a grand and glorious privilege it will be for the saints of God to share in the Millennial reign of Christ!

THE INHABITANTS OF THE MILLENNIUM

At the very beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ only those who are born of the Spirit and washed in the blood of the Lamb will be privileged to enter into the kingdom of righteousness. Proverbs 2:21-22 sets forth this truth very clearly: "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." Since the fall of Adam the earth has never been populated only by those declared righteous and upright through faith in the justifying blood of Jesus Christ. Even during times of the greatest spiritual awakenings and revivals those who were wicked in heart still remained alongside the upright. The wheat and the tares of the earth have grown together for six thousand long years of human history. However, at the beginning of the Millennium the tares will be rooted out of the earth and purged from the kingdom by the power of Christ. The wheat or the sheep of Christ will hear the King of glory say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34).

It is a grand and glorious truth that all born again, blood- washed believers are one with Jesus Christ in a spiritual union that constitutes the Family of God. Everyone who has ever been saved has been saved in precisely the same way, by grace through faith. Yet it is also true that the identities of His people will remain distinct during the Millennial reign. There are four basic groups of blood-washed saints who will populate the Millennial kingdom: The glorified saints who are not in the Lamb's bride, the glorified saints who make up the bride (which is comprised of the faithful in the Lord's true New Testament churches), elect Israel, and the surviving saints of the Tribulation Period who enter into the kingdom in their natural bodies.

When Jesus comes in the Rapture prior to the Tribulation Period, He will catch away the living saints and raise the dead bodies of departed saints. At this time both groups who are raptured will receive glorified bodies to fit them for Heaven. They will be taken to Heaven to dwell with Christ during the Tribulation Period, anxiously anticipating the day when they will come back to the earth with Jesus to reign (Rev. 5:9-10). These glorified saints will accompany the Lord when He comes back to earth to establish His Kingdom and purge the earth of all its wicked inhabitants. Zechariah 14:5 declares: "...and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Jude 14-15 states: "...Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all..." Revelation 19:13 also reveals that the glorified saints will accompany Christ to the earth to establish His Millennial reign by stating: "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Thus, it is obvious that one of the groups who will possess the kingdom and enjoy the glory of Christ's Millennial reign are those who have received their glorified bodies.

Within the company of glorified saints that come back to the earth will be the Lamb's bride who shall be revealed to the multitudes of glorified saints in Heaven after the Judgment Seat of Christ and just prior to the Second Advent. Revelation 19:5-9 describes the unveiling of the Lamb's bride to the multitudes of glorified saints in Heaven who are not included in the bride in the following way: "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us (the company of glorified saints who are not in the Lord's bride, TWR) be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made HERSELF ready (please notice the change of personal pronouns from us, those not in the bride, to herself, those who are in the bride, TWR). And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." From this passage of Scripture it is obvious that the Lord's bride is to be distinguished from those who are blessed by being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those included in the bride have made themselves ready through faithful service and obedience to the Lord in His kind of church while they lived on earth. They are the elect of the elect because of God's sovereign purpose in adding them to His kind of church. A bride does not need to be called to her own wedding, yet there is a multitude in Revelation 19 who confess that they are not in the Lamb's bride, yet who have the privilege of being called to the heavenly celebration. I believe the bride of Jesus Christ will be made up of individuals who faithfully served the Lord in His kind of Church. Without apology, I believe that the Lord's kind of church is what we would identify today as a New Testament Baptist Church. Those who have faithfully served the Lord in His church will have a special reward and place in the kingdom. The bride will be the Lord's queen who will have the distinct privilege of reigning with the King according to Revelation 3:21-22 which states: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Thus, the second group of righteous Millennial inhabitants will be the bride of King Jesus, comprised of faithful members of the Lord's churches.

The third group of Millennial inhabitants will be those who comprise elect, regenerated, and restored Israel. All of the unconditional covenants that God made with Israel, the Abrahamic, the Davidic, and the New Covenant, insure a special place for God's chosen people during the Millennial reign of Christ. God has promised to pour out His Spirit upon the elect nation of Israel, giving them repentance and saving faith, and restoring them to their own land to reign with Christ in Millennial glory. Zechariah 12:10 declares: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (cf. Rev. 1:7), as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Zechariah 13:1 is a continuation of chapter twelve, and it describes the way in which elect Israel shall be justified: "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." The cleansing fountain of Christ's blood, which for the most part had been shut for nineteen hundred years because of Israel's blindness and hardness of heart, will be opened in that day when the Spirit of God shall open their eyes in faith to behold the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood as the only means of justification. Since I have already dwelt upon the spiritual and physical restoration of elect Israel in a previous chapter I will not labor the point here. However it is important to realize that restored Israel will play an important role in the thousand year reign of Christ. Jerusalem will be the metropolis of the entire world as it will be the place of Christ's throne (Jer. 3:17). The Millennial Temple described by Ezekiel in chapters 40 through 47 will be located in Jerusalem, so much of the worship of the Millennium will be linked to Israel. There are several Old Testament passages that imply the nation of Israel will be exalted to a place of preeminence over the Gentile nations in the Millennium. Isaiah 14:1-2 declares: For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors" (See also Isa. 49:22-23; 60:10-17; 61:6-7; 62:1-4). Thus restored Israel is the third group among the righteous that shall reign with Christ in Millennial glory.

The fourth group among the righteous who will reign with Christ during the Millennium will be the converted survivors of the Tribulation Period who will enter into the Millennium in their natural bodies. They are identified by Christ as the sheep who enter the Kingdom at the Judgment of the Nations. Because this group of kingdom dwellers shall enter into the Millennium with their natural bodies they will have the ability to continue to procreate children who will be born with depraved natures. Though no unsaved people enter into the kingdom at the beginning, over a period of time there will be lost people populating the earth during the Millennium. Thus, the fourth class of among the righteous who will inhabit the Millennium will be the saved who enter the kingdom in their natural bodies.

Over a period of time the converted survivors of the Tribulation Period who enter into the kingdom with their natural bodies, will begin to have children. These children will be born with the old, corrupt, Adamic, fleshly nature of sin. A great number of them will experience the saving grace of God. Yet, there will be those who never come to repentance and faith in Christ populating the earth. However, since Satan will be bound, and Christ and the saints will be reigning with a rod of iron the unsaved will not be permitted to practice wickedness. They will outwardly bow to the King and follow His commands and submit to His government. However, at the end of the thousand years when Satan is loosed for a little season he will deceive the lost inhabitants of the earth and lead them in rebellion against Christ in one last attempt to overthrow God. This will fully and finally demonstrate the incurable evil of the unregenerate heart of man. In spite of a thousand years of millennial glory, the absence of the influence of Satan, and a government of absolute righteousness, the heart of the unsaved remains the same. When Satan is loosed, the carnal enmity of the natural man against God and His government will again be manifested in the battle of Gog and Magog. At this time Satan and all the unsaved inhabitants of the earth will meet their final doom as Revelation 20:7-10 declares: "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 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. 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."

The most important inhabitant of the Millennial kingdom will be the Lord Jesus Christ who is King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be seated upon the throne of His glory, reigning in unsurpassed majesty and having dominion over all the inhabitants of the earth. What a glorious display of our Lord's power over all the nations will be displayed during His Millennial reign! All the nations shall gather to worship, praise, and give honor to the King who alone is worthy of adoration. How I long for the day when King Jesus shall inherit the throne of His glory ruling with majesty and might over all the inhabitants of the earth. God's purpose for this earth will finally come to fruition when King Jesus has dominion from sea to sea and the knowledge of the Lord is universal.

THE SPIRITUALITY AND WORSHIP OF

THE MILLENNIUM

One of the objections to the literal reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth for a thousand years voiced by the amillennialist is that premillennialists have a coarse, carnal, and unspiritual view of the kingdom. Yet the Millennial reign of Christ will be the most spiritual time the earth has ever known. It will be a time of unsurpassed holiness, righteousness, and glory for earth's inhabitants. Wickedness, lawlessness, and ungodliness will no longer prevail because the King will reign with perfect justice and equity.

Spirituality and worship will prevail among the inhabitants of the Millennial kingdom. In fact, there will be a universal knowledge of the true and living God, something this world has never yet experienced. Several Scriptures point to the fact that all the nations will participate in the worship of King Jesus and bow before His glorious scepter. Psalms 22:27-28 declares: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the Kingdom is the LORD'S and he is the governor among the nations." What a wonderful and spiritual picture the Psalmist paints! The inhabitants of the earth will join together in the worship and adoration of the Governor among the nations.

The earth will be filled with praise as the kingdom dwellers lift up their voices in spiritual songs to honor the King of glory. Psalms 66:4 describes this time of unsurpassed spiritual worship among the inhabitants of the earth thusly: "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee, they shall sing to thy name. Selah." It is hard to imagine that the earth we now occupy will one day be filled with music that honors the King! Yet one day the earth will be filled with the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that bring glory, honor, and praise to the Lord. No matter what corner of the earth you may travel too the worship of the Lord will be present and songs of praise will emanate from all the nations. Truly the singing of spiritual songs indicate the filling of the Spirit according to Ephesians 5:18-19 which states: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Imagine the glory and spirituality that will be prevalent among earth's inhabitants when all the nations are found singing praises to the Lord!

The truth of God's Word and the way of salvation will be universally spread and acknowledged during the Millennium. Not one nation will be ignorant of the ways of the Lord. Psalms 67:2-4 declares: "That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah." At the present time there are entire nations who reject the precious truths of God's Word and dictators who despise the Lord Jesus Christ. However, in the Millennium all the nations and kings will lift up their voices in praise when they hear the truth from the King's mouth according to Psalms 138:4-5 which states: "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD."

Because righteousness, truth, and spirituality will prevail during the Millennial reign of Christ, peace and harmony will cover the entire earth. The only reason why we have violence and wars at the present time is because of the carnal natures of wicked men who are filled with pride and rage. In the Millennium, because worship will be the order of the day, even those with carnal natures will be subdued because of the spiritual atmosphere that will prevail as a result of the personal presence of Christ and his saints reigning over the earth. Isaiah 11:9 declares: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 2:3-4 shows the direct correlation between the universal application of God's truth and the peace that will be enjoyed during the Millennium: "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."

The worship of the Millennium will center around the magnificent Temple described by the prophet Ezekiel in chapters 40-47. Within the confines of this Temple the worship and exaltation of Christ will be everywhere prevalent. In fact, sacrifices will be offered as a means to look back and reflect upon the once and for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God upon the tree of cursing. I like what Horatious Bonar, the prophetic scholar of the 1800's, wrote concerning the worship and sacrifices of the Millennial Temple:

"The temple, the worship, the rites, the sacrifices, have all their centre in the Lamb that was slain. To Him they point, and of Him they speak. Why should they not be allowed to do so in the millennial age, if such be the purpose of the Father? They are commemorative not typical. They are retrospective then, not prospective, as of old. And how needful will retrospection be then, especially to Israel? How needful, when dwelling in the blaze of a triumphant Messiah's glory, to have ever before them some memorial of the cross, some palpable record of the humbled Jesus, some visible exposition of his sin-bearing work, in virtue of which they have been forgiven, and saved, and loved, to which they owe all their blessedness and honour, and by means of which, God is teaching them the way in which the exceeding riches of His grace can flow down to them in righteousness. And if God should have yet a wider circle of truth to open up to us out of His word concerning His Son, why should He not construct a new apparatus for the illustration of that truth?" (5)

Not only will the true worship of God be conducted in the Millennial Temple and around the world, all false systems of idolatry and pagan worship will be purged from the earth. During the thousand-year reign the Roman Catholic Church will no longer be permitted to exercise her demonic power over the inhabitants of the earth. The church of Rome, who is identified as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:5), will have already met her demise and destruction. The cruel tyranny of Mohammedanism will be banished from off the earth. The New Age mysticism, all the eastern religions, and every form of paganism will no longer be permitted upon the earth. Jesus Christ alone will be the center and object of worship as Zechariah 14:9 implies: "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."

It boggles my mind that some would object to the Biblical notion of a literal, earthly, reign of Christ on the ground that it is a carnal interpretation of the kingdom age. In light of all the Scriptures that have been alluded to above the thousand-year reign of Christ will be intensely spiritual, as holiness, righteousness, truth, and peace will prevail over all the earth. I agree with the statement made by John Walvoord who wrote:

"Spiritual life in the Millennium will be characterized by holiness and righteousness, joy and peace, the fullness of the Spirit and the worship of the glorious Christ. The fact that Satan will be bound and demons will be inactive will provide a world scene in which spiritual life can abound. Premillennialism instead of denying the spiritual character of the millennium affirms its high standard of spiritual life which in many respects is far above any previous dispensation."

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MILLENNIUM

When speaking of the conclusion of the Millennium we don't want anyone to misunderstand that the reign of Jesus Christ will come to an end. His kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting, yet it is manifested in different ways, and at different times during earth's history. Even after Christ has delivered up the kingdom unto the Father, He will continue to reign over the house of Jacob, who will remain upon the earth during the eternal ages as Luke 1:33 declares: "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end." I like the way Harry Bultema explained the dilemma that many premillennialists have in reconciling the Millennial reign of Christ with the eternal reign of Christ:

"But if we do take this expression to mean a thousand years, we are faced with a problem. Numerous texts tell us that the kingdom and reign of Christ will be eternal (see II Sam. 7:16; Psa. 10-18; 18:46-50; 45:3-6, 17; 68:1, 3, 16; 89:2-5, 23-37...Ez. 37:24-28; Dan. 2:44...Luke 1:30-33). How can the thousand-year reign and eternity be reconciled with each other? Many cannot reconcile them and therefore reject the thousand years. To solve this difficulty, we must make a distinction between Israel and the Church, and recognize Israel's position. When we do this, the difficulty disappears immediately. Christ will be King over the house of Jacob forever. Gabriel assures us emphatically in Luke 1:33 that His kingdom on the throne of David will have no end.

So Christ's reign over the nations, sin, Satan, and death comes to an end. The kingdom of peace is at the same time as the day of judgment. In reality that kingdom will be as we have everywhere found it announced by the prophets, both preceded and followed by the judgments. On this point both I Corinthians 15:24-26 and Revelation 20 are helpful. When the nations, sin, Satan, and death have been done away with, Jesus will deliver up the reign over the world to His Father, but He Himself remains forever the King over the house of Jacob, that is to say, Israel. And in this sense His Church as His bride will, of course, reign eternally with Him." (7)

The expiration of the thousand year reign is spoken of in Revelation 20:7 which states: "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." Thus, according to the Scriptural chronology given in Revelation twenty, the conclusion of the Millennium will involve the loosing of Satan, the deception of the unsaved masses by Satan the world over, and the final defeat of Satan and his forces by Jesus Christ who will send fire from Heaven to devour His foes. Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, and Christ will assume the Great White Throne where all the unsaved of all time will be judged to determine their level of punishment in the eternal torments of the Lake of Fire.

After all these events take place to conclude the thousand year reign of Christ, He will then deliver up the kingdom to the Father in fulfillment of I Corinthians 15:24-28 which states: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

I like the outline that Alva J. McClain gave to explain these verses:

"1. When the last enemy of God is put down by our Lord, as the Mediatorial King, the purpose of the Mediatorial Kingdom will have been fulfilled (I Cor. 15:25-26).

2. At this time Christ will hand over the Mediatorial Kingdom to God, to be merged into the eternal Kingdom, so that the Mediatorial Kingdom is perpetuated forever, but no longer having a separate identity (I Cor. 15:24, 28).

3. This does not mean the end of our Lord's rule. He only ceases to rule as a Mediatorial king. But as the eternal Son, second person in the one true God, He shares the throne with the Father in the final Kingdom (Rev. 22:3-5; cf. 3:21)." (8)

Thus, at the conclusion of the Millennial reign Christ will yield the Mediatorial kingdom up unto the Father to be merged into the eternal kingdom of the eternal ages, so that God may be all in all. Millennial glory will be merged into the glory of the eternal ages in the world to come.