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The concept of the Millennium, a period of one thousand years of peace and prosperity, is a prominent theme in Christian eschatology, or the study of end times. According to many interpretations of biblical prophecy, the Millennium will follow the second coming of Jesus Christ and precede the final judgment. Let’s explore what may happen at the beginning of the Millennium, drawing insights from Bible.
The common English translations of the Bible don’t use the term millennium. And there are not that many explicit references to a “thousand years” in the Bible. Even so, the Scriptures do contain enough knowledge about that coming future event.
Events that will take place at the beginning of the millennium:
- Devastating earthquake and hailstorm (Revelation 16:18-21; Revelation 6:14-17).
- Second coming of Jesus for His saints (Matthew 24:30, 31).
- Righteous dead raised to life (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
- Righteous given immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-55).
- Righteous given bodies like Jesus (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21).
- All righteous caught up into the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
- Living wicked slain by the breath of the Lord’s mouth (Isaiah 11:4).
- Wicked in graves remain dead until the end of the 1,000 years (Revelation 20:5).
- Jesus takes righteous to heaven (John 13:33, 36 14:1-3).
- Satan bound (Revelation 20:1-3).
Events that will take place during the millennium:
- The earth in a battered condition from huge hailstones and a devastating earthquake (Revelation 16:18–21).
- The earth in total blackout and desolate, a “bottomless pit” (Jeremiah 4:23, 28)
- Satan bound and forced to stay on the earth (Revelation 20:1–3)
- The righteous in heaven participate in the judgment (Revelation 20:4)
- The wicked are all dead (Jeremiah 4:25; Isaiah 11:4)
Events that will take place at the end of the millennium:
- Third coming of Jesus with His saints (Zechariah 14:5).
- Holy city settles on mount of Olives, which becomes a great plain (Zechariah 14:4, 10).
- The Father, angels, and all of the righteous come with Christ (Revelation 21:1-3; Matthew 25:31; Zechariah 14:5).
- Wicked dead raised and Satan loosed (Revelation 20:5, 7).
- Satan deceives entire world (Revelation 20:8).
- Wicked surround the holy city (Revelation 20:9).
- Wicked destroyed by fire (Revelation 20:9).
- New heavens and earth created (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).
- God’s people enjoy eternity with Christ on the new earth (Revelation 21:2-4).
At the end of the millennium, sin and its death will be gone forever. God’s people will receive the kingdom promised to them. “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the beginning of the Millennium, as described in the Bible, will be a time of great significance and change. It will be ushered in by the second coming of Christ, the defeat of the Antichrist and False Prophet, and the resurrection of the saints. This will be followed by the binding of Satan on earth for a 1000 years while Christ and the saints will be in heaven. After the Millennium, Christ will judge the wicked, recreate the earth anew and establish eternal peace and righteousness in the world.
“Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:2-4).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team