Chapter XXIV
The Millennial/Thousand Year
Reign of Jesus Christ.
I want to share with you that many theologians believe there are between five to seven judgments that have already happened throughout the course of history. These preliminary judgments have already happened awaiting the final judgment to come. Very early in history God judged Satan and the fallen angels {Matthew 25:41; Isaiah 14:11-14; Ezekiel 28:12-17; Revelation 12:3-4}. Next came God’s judgment of Adam and Eve by removing them from the Garden of Eden and placing them on the Land of Nod in Genesis Chapter 3 for disobeying His command of not eating of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This judgment of Adam and Eve’s sin brought with it God’s preliminary judgment on ALL of mankind as sinners down through history {Romans 3:23; 5:12-15}. This judgment opened the floodgates of human rebellion and moral depravity down through this present day {Romans 1:18-32}.
Christ now physically comes on the scene some 2000+ years ago bringing with Him His preliminary judgment as evidenced in the preceding text from John 3:16-21. This was Christ’s FIRST Coming, and we are now awaiting His SECOND Coming.
There will be much warring of the nations of the world trying to obliterate Israel just preceding Christ’s Second Coming, but Jesus will prevail in these battles thus saving Israel for the setting up of His millennial Kingdom on earth in the New City of Jerusalem in Israel.
I believe that just prior to setting up His Kingdom here on earth, Christ will gather all of the peoples of the nations before Him as stated in the “Sheep and Goats” parable in Matthew Chapter 25:
Matthew 25:32-34, 41 All {the peoples of the} nations will be gathered before Him {Jesus Christ}, and He will separate them [the people] from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep {righteous Saints} from the goats {unrighteous sinners}; [Ezek 34:17.] 33 And He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left. 34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand {the sheep – True Believers}, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
41 Then He will say to those at His left hand {the goats – Make Believers and Unbelievers}, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels {in Hell}! AMP
After Christ’s Second Coming,” He will set up His “thousand year reign.” The main thing that many do NOT understand is why there will be a thousand year “sabbatical” from the tempting’s of Satan towards man after Christ’s Second Coming. The True Believers will be the ones living in the New Jerusalem, and they will bear offspring during this thousand year period, Satan will be “locked up” unable to tempt man. Then at the end of the “Millennial Period,” God will release him for a short while to tempt the True Believers and their offspring. For me, this will be a very interesting time!!! Man now comes up against the adversary –Satan who is an extremely formidable foe!!! What happens???
This indicates to me how thoroughly God will test the True Believers and their offspring who were born during that time and possibly thought they were saved! And they will be tested as never before! Did their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, Lord God, and Master REALLY change them, or are they still like we used to be?
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually. AMP
The Bible states that after this thousand year “time out” Satan will be released for a short period of time to work his deception among the supposed True Believers to
tempt them to sin.
Revelation 20:1-3 THEN I saw an angel descending from heaven; he was holding the key of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand. 2 And he gripped and overpowered the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and [securely] bound him for a thousand years. 3 Then he hurled him into the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and closed it and sealed it above him, so that he should no longer lead astray and deceive and seduce the nations until the thousand years were at an end. After that he must be liberated for a short time. AMP
After this judgment will come the FINAL judgment for every Make Believer and Unbeliever/unsaved person who ever lived from the beginning of man to this particular time and place in history.