The Thousand Years Rev. 20 Talks About

[Eloi]

The book of Revelation is a set of visions that Jesus gave to John through an angel after having obtained them from the hand of God, so that John would then transmit them to the Christian congregations of his time. The book is known to have been written at the end of the first century, around 96 C.E.

In Rev. 20 Jesus talks about a Thousand Years to come that comprise a series of events for humanity. He says when that period begins, what happens during it, and how it ends. Although it is a prophecy of the future that will happen only after the destruction of this system of things, it is very interesting, because the events that he describes reveal some fundamental teachings of biblical truth.

Many theologians of Christendom regard the issue of the Millennium as a matter that they cannot pinpoint themselves. When this topic is analyzed in the theological seminaries of Christendom, theologians who act as teachers do not give the students a real teaching on that period that Rev. 20 talks about ... What they do is tell the students the different points of view of the theologians of Christendom, who never agree on many issues. They cannot teach what they do not know ... If they were sent from Jesus to teach, they would know and would not have to confuse students with different interpretations, as if religious lies were acceptable ... just to avoid confrontations between theologians of the Christendom.

What does your pastor or Bible teacher teach about the Millennium that Rev. 20 talks about? What exactly does Jesus tell us about that period? Do you think this vision is "uncomprehensible" or is it easy to understand? What are the implications of these events?

Rev. 20:1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. 3 And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not mislead the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After this he must be released for a little while.
4 And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed for the witness they gave about Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had not worshipped the wild beast or its image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and they will rule as kings with him for the 1,000 years.
7 Now as soon as the 1,000 years have ended, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they advanced over the whole earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city. But fire came down out of heaven and consumed them. 10 And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet already were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. The dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

[PinSeeker]

What does your pastor or Bible teacher teach about the Millennium that Rev. 20 talks about?

Well, my pastor taught, and I teach after him, that the Millennium is a picture of the present reign of Christ and of the saints in heaven (analogous to Revelation 6:9-10). The first resurrection is life in Christ that starts with spiritual new birth:

• "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:8-11).

• "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ Who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4).

• "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ~ by grace you have been saved ~ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).

Satan has been bound through the triumph of Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection:

• "Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house" (Matthew 12:29).

• "But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house" (Mark 3:27).

• "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out." (John 12:31).

• "(God the Father) disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in (Jesus, God the Son)." (Colossians 2:15).

What exactly does Jesus tell us about that period?

See above (Matthew, Mark, and John citations).

Do you think this vision is "uncomprehensible" or is it easy to understand?

Yes.

What are the implications of these events?

God is in control, and Jesus wins. Among, of course, other things, but that's the Main Thing. This is how, in reading Revelation (all of it) we are blessed, even now, as John says in his opening statement (Revelation 1:3).

Grace and peace to you.

[1213]

...What exactly does Jesus tell us about that period? Do you think this vision is "uncomprehensible" or is it easy to understand? ...

I think it is clearly written. Would be nice to know why some people need interpretations for that and don't just take it as it is written.

[Eloi]

In the biblical understanding of our teachers, who are a very small part of the rest of Christ's brothers who still live on earth and who constitute "the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time" (Matt. 24:45), in Rev. 20, 7 important events of the near future (and after that) are outlined:

1) the great tribulation: a period that includes a brief time of suffering over humanity and that ends in the destruction of all the governments of the world at Armageddon ... It is survived by the great crowd of which Revelation talks about.

2) The first resurrection: which occurs exclusively to the brothers of Christ who are taken to heaven to reign and be priests with Jesus (DURING those thousand years);

3) The Devil is abyssed DURING those thousand years, so that the government of Christ is not hindered. But he is not destroyed at that moment; he is brought to a condition or state in which he cannot act, he will be in inactivity; Revelation calls this state: "the abyss";

4) Another resurrection that occurs on earth later in the Millennium, and that allows some time, for these people to live and learn with the survivors of Armageddon;

5) At the end of the thousand years the Devil is released from the state in which he was put, and manages to deceive an indeterminate number of people who have been living after Armageddon ON THE EARTH.

6) The Devil is destroyed along with all the new rebels;

7) Jesus hands over the kingdom of humanity to God.

As the topic develops and other forum members make their own contributions, each of these events will be explained with its corresponding biblical analysis. Since the theologians of Christendom only confuse those who teach, each must be aware of what the Bible actually says about the Millennium.

[Eloi]

...What exactly does Jesus tell us about that period? Do you think this vision is "uncomprehensible" or is it easy to understand? ...

I think it is clearly written. Would be nice to know why some people need interpretations for that and don't just take it as it is written.

I agree ... but you will see that not everybody "just take it as it is written". This happens because accepting it as such implies that they have to abandon other erroneous teachings that they do not want to get rid of. Also, in the world there is an enemy of the truth who is very powerful, and who is very interested in maintaining the false Christendom that he has invented to divert many from the truth.

2 Cor. 11:12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to eliminate the pretext of those who are wanting a basis for being found equal to us in the things about which they boast. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light. 15 It is therefore nothing extraordinary if his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.

The anti-religious agenda of a significant part of this world benefits from this kind of fake Christianism ... It allows them to accuse the Bible as contradictory, Christians as false teachers, God as non-existent, Jesus as a failure, etc. The false teachers of Christendom support these anti-religious agendas, aware of it or not. False religion belongs to the world under Satan's control, just as much as any other part of the world. Even atheists attend seminars and earn theological diplomas, and then become false teachers to many who follow them, only to mislead and deceive them. By its fruits the tree is known. Truth seekers have to be very careful what they believe and where they get it from.

[PinSeeker]

I think it is clearly written. Would be nice to know why some people need interpretations for that and don't just take it as it is written.

I think the very same things.

Truth seekers have to be very careful what they believe and where they get it from.

Absolutely.

Grace and peace to you.

[Eloi]

Aside from the resurrection of the "kings and priests" to be taken up to heaven (the first resurrection _ Rev. 20:4-6), the Bible shows us that another resurrection will occur during (and at the end of) the Millennium. This earthly resurrection is clearly outlined in the 20th chapter of Rev. which talks about the Millennium. This is precisely the resurrection of the "righteous and the unrighteous" that Scripture speaks of. Some details on that matter are:

There is going to be a resurrection of the unjust as well (John 5: 28,29; Acts 24:15). It is a new opportunity for them, together with the just ones. This is why Jesus speaks of them as "those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead" in Luke 20:35. That they have been resurrected means that they had not been destroyed forever, so the principle that they 'has been acquitted from their sin' applies to them (Rom. 6:7,23). Those resurrected will be children of God through their new bodies (Luke 20:36). They will not have the imperfections that their bodies had before they died. They were resurrected with perfect bodies, to live in the new world and then they, like everyone else who lives on earth, will be tested at the end of the Millennium to demonstrate their fidelity to God in perfection (Rev. 20: 3,7-10 ).

At the time of that final test and the corresponding judgment, new scrolls will be opened by which perfect people will be judged (Rev. 20:12), new laws for humans in perfection and the records of the actions that were performed under the new system in perfection. That judgment ends in the second death of those who do not demonstrate fidelity in God's new system for perfect humans, like the test that Adam and Eve did not pass (Rev. 20: 11-15). The faithful ones, on the other hand, will enjoy eternal life as long as they are loyal to Jehovah for eternity (Isa. 65: 20-24).

[PinSeeker]

Aside from the resurrection of the "kings and priests" to be taken up to heaven (the first resurrection _ Rev. 20:4-6), the Bible shows us that another resurrection will occur during (and at the end of) the Millennium. This earthly resurrection is clearly outlined in the 20th chapter of Rev. which talks about the Millennium. This is precisely the resurrection of the "righteous and the unrighteous" that Scripture speaks of. Some details on that matter are:

There is going to be a resurrection of the unjust as well (John 5: 28,29; Acts 24:15). It is a new opportunity for them, together with the just ones. This is why Jesus speaks of them as "those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead" in Luke 20:35. That they have been resurrected means that they had not been destroyed forever, so the principle that they 'has been acquitted from their sin' applies to them (Rom. 6:7,23). Those resurrected will be children of God through their new bodies (Luke 20:36). They will not have the imperfections that their bodies had before they died. They were resurrected with perfect bodies, to live in the new world and then they, like everyone else who lives on earth, will be tested at the end of the Millennium to demonstrate their fidelity to God in perfection (Rev. 20: 3,7-10 ).

At the time of that final test and the corresponding judgment, new scrolls will be opened by which perfect people will be judged (Rev. 20:12), new laws for humans in perfection and the records of the actions that were performed under the new system in perfection. That judgment ends in the second death of those who do not demonstrate fidelity in God's new system for perfect humans, like the test that Adam and Eve did not pass (Rev. 20: 11-15). The faithful ones, on the other hand, will enjoy eternal life as long as they are loyal to Jehovah for eternity (Isa. 65: 20-24).

The resurrection of Revelation 20:4-6 is spiritual and only experienced by believers, who are given the righteousness of Christ ~ so only the righteous ~ and raised by God and seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This happens over the course of the Millennium, which stretches from Pentecost to Christ's return. This is the first resurrection.

The second resurrection is physical, just as Jesus's was, and general in the sense that it will be experienced on Jesus's return by both the righteous and the unrighteous (all those in Christ, and all those not in Christ). Those on Jesus's right will have been resurrected to eternal life, and those on Jesus's left will have been resurrected to eternal punishment (John 5:28-29). Then the Judgment will take place. There are no "second chances," no "new opportunities." Those on the left are then sent away into eternal punishment (and they go, obediently), and those on the right entering into eternal life (Matthew 25:31-46).

And one thing about the righteous and their new bodies... They will not be different bodies than the ones they had previously, but they will be made new. This is what God says in Revelation 21, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5). He did not say, "Behold, I am making all new things."

Grace and peace to all.

[myth-one.com]

And one thing about the righteous and their new bodies... They will not be different bodies than the ones they had previously, . . .

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;...

If after their resurrection, the bodies of the righteous are still earthly flesh and blood bodies, then nothing has changed, and the righteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

We must be changed to heavenly spiritual bodies so that we can accept our inheritance into the Kingdom of God!!

You really should rethink this!

[PinSeeker]

If after their resurrection, the bodies of the righteous are still earthly flesh and blood bodies, then nothing has changed...

No, what's changed is we are no longer sinful, finally just like Jesus. So

... and the righteous cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Yes, we can, and do, in our no-longer-sinful bodies.

We must be changed to heavenly spiritual bodies so that we can accept our inheritance into the Kingdom of God!!

Yes, and some of us already have been, though now only in part, but then (at the return of Christ Jesus), in full. This is the now and the not yet of the Gospel.

Grace and peace to you.