What about the 1,000 year reign of Christ?
by Harley Pinon
Paul said, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! {34} "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" (Rom 11:33-34 NKJV) Sometimes I hear people say things like, "We don't need an earthly reign of Christ!" I think of these verses by Paul, and I think, "It really doesn't matter what you think. If God wants a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, then there will be one, and there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it."
What does the Bible say about a 1,000 year reign of Christ? The first reference to a thousand years is: (2 Pet 3:8 NKJV) "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." It is apparent that Peter is using this to illustrate another point. (2 Pet 3:9-10 NASB) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. {10} But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
What about those "Quickly" or "Speedily" passages?
Here is a passage outside the book of Revelation, but I think it needs to be understood. There are certain passages of scripture that give the idea that Jesus second coming is to take place very quickly. I would also refer you to an article by James Johnson on the subject of quickly, What is the Meaning of "Quickly" or "Speedily"? Clearly, Peter is saying that 2,000 years would be a couple of days for the Lord. If He's coming back in a couple of days, that's pretty quick, but Peter says 2,000 years is like a couple of days for the Lord. But what about the 1,000 year reign? All six verses that refer to the 1,000 year reign are in Revelation.
(Rev 20:1-7 NKJV) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. {2} He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; {3} and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. {4} And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. {5} But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. {6} Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. {7} Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.
Some have said that the 1,000 year reign
is not on earth, but notice the following: (Rev 20:7-9 NKJV) Now when the
thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison {8} and
will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to
battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. {9}
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints
and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and
devoured them.
So there you have seven verses that have
caused such controversy. When or where did the controversy begin?
See the article The Rise of Millennialism.
There is more history, and other articles that I have listed on another page on
this site. Articles About
the Millennial Reign of Christ. I think these articles are important
because I believe they establish the fact that the early church was basically
what is now often referred to as pre-millennial; that is that Christ would rule
on earth for a 1,000 years. In My
Approach to Prophecy, I state that I take things as literally as possible.
The seven verses above, I take very literally.
A literal Reign on Earth Makes Sense of a Lot of Scripture
I have not always believed in Christ returning to earth for a 1,000 year reign. When I finally reached a point that I began the "what if" search of the Bible, a lot of things made perfect sense that didn't before. (Mat 5:5 NKJV) Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. If there is to be a 1,000 year reign, and if there is to be a new heaven and a new earth, then things begin to make sense that didn't before. (Psa 2:7-9 NKJV) "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. {8} Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. {9} You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" It all fits beautifully, and, of course, it's repeated in Revelation, (Rev 2:26-27 NKJV) "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; {27} 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'; as I also have received from My Father;"
There are other passages as well: (Luke 19:16-17 NKJV) "Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' {17} "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' If Christ has a literal reign on earth, it's easy to understand the passage. Then there is the one in (1 Cor 6:2 NKJV) Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? A lot of passages become simple and clear if Christ is coming back to reign on earth.
Then there is (Acts 1:6-7 NKJV) Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" {7} And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Wasn't that His best opportunity to say, "You just don't understand! I'm not going to restore the kingdom to Israel. My work is complete. The kingdom I will establish is only a spiritual kingdom." Why didn't He say that?
The Sabbath Rest!
(Heb 4:9 NIV) There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; About 6,000 years have passed since creation according to Usher's Chronology. If we take Peter's 1,000 years = 1day, then 6,000 years = 6 days. We are ready for the 7th day: the Sabbath! The Sabbath rest for the people of God. I'm not trying to set dates or years of hours. The Lord Himself said no one knows the hour but God, but I think we can get some general ideas.
Conclusion
For me, I accept
Revelation as literally as possible, of course, there are parts that are
obviously symbolic, but some make so much of Revelation symbolic that it becomes
to confusing to try to understand what the message is. I believe that the
Lord will set foot on earth again. (Zec 14:4 NKJV) And
in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces
Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east
to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the
north And half of it toward the south."
I believe He will do exactly what He said He will do.
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