Read Revelation 20.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” He was not teasing us. There is literally a time coming when Christ will return and bring the Kingdom of God to earth and the will of God to be done for a thousand golden years. Jesus will sit on the throne of global dominion and rule in majesty.
The Millennium—the thousand year reign of Christ on earth—means that Satan will be bound (v.1-3). When the Serpent slithered into Eden, paradise was lost. Then paradise is regained as he is chained and cast into the bottomless pit.
It will be a time when saints will be enthroned (v.4-6). The people of God will be delegated areas of responsibility during the Millennium. The church—raptured from earth and glorified—returns with Christ to reign. Then the Tribulation martyrs are raised, as well as the Old Testament saints, so all the people of God reign with Christ.
There will be people who survive the horrors of the Tribulation, who bowing to Christ, will be welcomed into the Millennium. These will have children as earth is repopulated. As wonderful as the conditions—Christ reigning and Satan removed—these must still deal with their fallen nature, and sadly some will rebel and face the consequences. In fact, when Satan is released, many will follow him (v.7-10). That rebellion is quickly crushed and Satan joins the Beast and False Prophet in Hell.
It is then time for all the wicked dead to be raised and judged (v.11-15). They will be given bodies suited for their eternal state of torment—the second death, in dying and being unable to die as they are cast into the lake of fire.
Paradise or punishment? Where will you spend eternity?
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