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When Jesus returns to earth, the Bible tells us there will be a thousand years in which He will rule over the entire world as King. Imagine God Himself as the leader of the world rather than politicians. How different will it be?
The Bible actually gives us a very clear picture.
Zechariah 8:3-5
3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. 4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
When Jesus returns to earth, He will rule from Jerusalem. It will no longer be a city disputed or divided. It will become the capital city of the entire world, filled with peace. Children will play in the streets without fear, and the elderly will be among them, passing their wisdom down.
This alone shows us that the world will not just be spiritually different — it will be physically different. Life will be safe again. Life will be slow again. Life will be full again.
Isaiah 33:5-6
5 The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
In that time, Jesus will be exalted and honored as King by all people. He will cause justice and righteousness to flourish. Imagine being a thief, knowing you could be brought before God Himself to judge you — it would probably make you think twice.
Not only will it be a time of very little crime, it will be a time of great advancement in understanding. We will learn from the Creator Himself, who made all things by His wisdom.
Today, the more we learn, the more proud we become. We think we are self-sufficient. We think we no longer need God. But in that day, the more we learn, the more humble we will become. The pride of the atheist will vanish. The confusion of the agnostic will be made clear. And the righteous will rejoice, knowing the fear of the Lord is finally known to all.
Isaiah 33:15-17
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
Gone will be the days when judges are unjust. The legal system will not fail anyone. Those who have been oppressed will no longer feel held back by anyone or anything. Instead, they will finally see the reward for their work. No one else will prevent or take it from them.
And in that time, there will be no hunger or thirst. No one will have to wonder if they can afford to eat. Food and water are guaranteed regardless of circumstances. While people may still work, their survival will not depend on it.
This is a much different world than what we know today. Under the curse, we must work just to survive. Genesis tells us that by the sweat of our brow we shall eat because of the Fall. But in this time, bread will be given, not just earned.
Isaiah 33:18-22
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? 19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
In verse 18, we are told we shall “meditate terror.” That does not mean we will be living in terror. It means we will remember the terror we once lived in. We will look back at the world as it used to be — full of war, corruption, fear, and division — and then look around at the peace that now surrounds us. And we will be grateful.
There will be no enemies and no language barriers. The Lord Himself will be the supplier of our needs. We will not have to worry about trade agreements, shipping, or the economy. This peace, provision, and stability will continue for a thousand years.
Isaiah 35:4-10
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10 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.
It is abundantly clear that the reign of Jesus will be nothing like what we see today. For a thousand years there will be peace. For a thousand years there will be health. For a thousand years the world will be ruled by Jesus.
The Millennium as a Demonstration and a Transition
The Millennium is Jesus ruling the world the same way He will rule forever — with perfect righteousness, perfect justice, and perfect authority. But the world itself is still in transition.
It is no longer fully fallen as it is now, but it is not yet fully made new.
Some people will already be raised from the dead and glorified, reigning with Christ. But others will still live in natural bodies. They will still have children, face temptation, and be capable of sin and death.
So the Millennium becomes a public, real-world demonstration of what Christ’s rule is like — before the old fallen creation is completely removed.
It is not a second chance. It is not a vague spiritual age. It is real life under a real King on a real earth.
Why God Does Not Go Straight to Eternity
A natural question is: “Why not go straight from the Second Coming to the New Heaven and New Earth?”
The answer is that God is proving something in real time:
- He is proving that man still fails even under perfect government.
- He is proving that Satan cannot be blamed anymore because he will be bound.
- He is proving that environment cannot be blamed anymore because the world will be restored.
- He is proving that Christ’s rule is completely righteous.
- He is proving that the final judgment is completely just.
The Millennium is like God’s final courtroom demonstration, showing us all our true need and His true righteousness.
Isaiah 65:20
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.
Those who enter the Millennium as resurrected or changed will never die. But those in natural bodies will still face death and temptation.
This explains why we see long life but not immortality, righteous rule but still discipline, peace yet still a rod of iron, universal worship but not universal salvation.
That only makes sense in a transitional Kingdom, not in our final eternal state.
Isaiah 66:23-24
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.
Isaiah tells us that all flesh will come to worship the Lord regularly — and immediately after, people will see the judgment of those who rebelled.
That shows two realities existing at the same time:
- Christ reigning, nations worshiping, righteousness ruling.
- Judgment still standing as a reminder of what rebellion leads to.
So the Millennium becomes the overlap of two worlds:
- Christ reigning — yet mortal nations still exist.
- Perfect law — yet sin still possible.
- Glorified saints — yet natural-born humans.
- Perfect justice — yet discipline still necessary.
Why a Final Rebellion Still Happens
After a thousand years of perfect rule, Satan is released and people rebel again. That sounds strange until we remember Eden. Adam fell in a perfect world under God’s direct rule. All it took was a single lie from Satan.
While Eve was deceived, Adam knew the truth and wasn’t deceived. But he chose to sin out of love for Eve, not ignorance. In the end, all sin is really the result of misplaced love. Similarly, at the end of the Millennium, people who love the creation more than the Creator will be exposed. That is when the final judgment begins.
Why the Millennium Is Not Heaven Yet
This is what makes the millennial reign of Jesus different from what we usually think of as Heaven.
The final judgment has not yet occurred. Death has not yet been fully destroyed. The New Heaven and New Earth have not yet come. The New Jerusalem has not yet descended.
Jesus reigns on this earth as it is for now. He heals it, restores it, and makes it righteous. But it is still the last stage of a fallen world being brought to its end.
The Millennium is Christ showing the universe what eternity with Him could be like — before removing the last traces of the old fallen world forever.
After the thousand years end, Satan is loosed and makes one final war against the saints. Then the final judgment takes place, death is finally destroyed, the old world passes away, and eternity truly begins.
We will talk about that in the next study.
Continue To Unit 6:10 – The Day Of The Lord – The End Of The Millennium OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 6 – The Resurrection & the Big Picture